Anyone tried the new J. Crew Legacy blazers yet?

[srlclark]

Thoughts? One of the reviews on them is stinging. Here it is:

" To be fairly honest with you the Blazer is not worth buying J.Crew has a lot of nerve asking so much for this poorly constructed Blazer you'll be better off buying a custom-made blazer for this price point sure the wool fabric it's nice but the inter construction is made of glued polyester lining instead of the traditional horsehair construction J crew decided to cut corners if that's not a problem for you then good luck.^__^"

But none of us would actually pay $350 for the J. Crew blazer. Any thoughts on whether it'd be a good option if it dips to $250-ish?

[armedferret]

I have one of the "previous" versions from earlier this year, and love love love it. I also got it for well under 2 bills. It certainly FEELS half-canvassed. And according to Joe's review here it is.

I haven't really worn it out anywhere yet, but I've paraded around the house for my ferrets and they sure seemed to dig it.

If the new ones aren't canvassed anymore, that's a damn shame. And even with the really nice wool, I probably wouldn't pay much more than 200 for it (but again that's probably because I got the good one for less than that).

[srlclark]

I have one of the "previous" versions from earlier this year, and love love love it. I also got it for well under 2 bills. It certainly FEELS half-canvassed. And according to Joe's review here it is.

I haven't really worn it out anywhere yet, but I've paraded around the house for my ferrets and they sure seemed to dig it.

If the new ones aren't canvassed anymore, that's a damn shame. And even with the really nice wool, I probably wouldn't pay much more than 200 for it (but again that's probably because I got the good one for less than that).

Thanks for that! Getting it for $200 almost certainly means waiting for this one to go into clearance in late spring, I think. J. Crew's discounts rarely get above 30%, or at most 35%, except on clearance items. And 30% off $350 would leave it at $245. But I'm in no hurry, anyway.

The new ones do retail for 10% less than did the old ones ($350 instead of $388), so perhaps that is a sign that they've cut corners. But I do believe that half-canvassed blazers/jackets still use quite a bit of adhesive. Perhaps some of the more construction-savvy posters can confirm. Online reviews have to be taken with a grain of salt - that reviewer might work for a rival of J. Crew, for all we know - but to my mind the worrying thing about the review is not the mention of glue but of the lining being polyester.

I believe, but again could be wrong, that only fully canvassed jackets use horsehair construction with no adhesive. And they do not retail for $350. (Do fully canvassed jackets not use any adhesive at all?)

[srlclark]

Incidentally, J. Crew is a great example of the sort of retailer it's best to shop out of season for. Its retail prices are high - I would say, very high - and its in-season discounts are moderate. (By contrast, Banana Republic's retail prices are almost as high as J. Crew's, but its in-season discounts are much greater). But when J. Crew decides it's time to clear stock out, it frequently starts selling them for well under half the retail price. In the spring, I was able to snap up a Ludlow topcoat for $130 and a Dock peacoat for $85. As a result, except with basics, I pretty much only shop J. Crew on clearance. For the most part, it's the same with Allen Edmonds.

[Evenflow]

I think it's definitely a red flag when a company's 'legacy' blazer goes down in price from the year before. I saw that and figured pretty much immediately that they were cutting corners.

[Alex1]

I have the old Crosby Legacy blazer, and I love it. It's the nicest odd jacket they sell, and it is definitely half canvassed. I can't believe they would make it fused this year. Maybe they lost money on last year's version? It seemed like they had trouble getting rid of their inventory. I think this is true of the retail industry as a whole though. J. Crew would probably sell more if they widened the lapels a little for larger sizes.

[Rawfull]

Well this is a bummer to hear. I've always heard great things about the legacy blazer and was thinking I might try to pick one up some time this year. Maybe I'll just look for one of the older ones on ebay.

[saskatoonjay]

I still prefer their discontinued Club Blazer. It hit the notes that the Legacy Blazer doesn't: brass buttons, pick stitching, and patch pockets—including the breast pocket. I found a NWT one on eBay and it's a prized possession.

[Pepetito]

I still prefer their discontinued Club Blazer. It hit the notes that the Legacy Blazer doesn't: brass buttons, pick stitching, and patch pockets—including the breast pocket. I found a NWT one on eBay and it's a prized possession.

Agree. I switched out the brass buttons and now I absolutely love it.

[srlclark]

I still prefer their discontinued Club Blazer. It hit the notes that the Legacy Blazer doesn't: brass buttons, pick stitching, and patch pockets—including the breast pocket. I found a NWT one on eBay and it's a prized possession.

I'd prefer a combination:

- navy buttons > brass buttons
- patch pockets > flap pockets.

The stitching doesn't bother me either way.

Anyway, while I take @Evenflow's point that the drop in price is a red flag - or at least an orange flag! - I think we shouldn't read too much into the one negative review. The other two reviews (one on the Ludlow, one on the Crosby) are both positive. Joe will probably review it soon.