“Why you should buy clothes to last (almost) forever,” writes Washington Post Climate Advice Columnist Michael J. Coren expressing a philosophy that never questioned at J. Press.
“To build a wardrobe that will last a decade,” he notes, “You have to look beyond how long a garment will stay in fashion or remain wearable. It’s about finding, or cultivating, pieces that are meaningful to you.”
My grandfather, the eponymous founder Jacobi Press, proffered three commandments that continue to hold fast by the company bearing his name:
The post pandemic retail surge in planned menswear obsolescence is running amok—@washingtonpost reports current trends of fast fashion “moving from design to retail rack in less than 15 days…the idea of using clothes beyond a single season, let alone a decade, can seem archaic.”
A Press family generational experience previously on this blog, Ben Press, pictured at a recent event next to a long ago shot of his late grandfather reinforces his grandfather’s always au courant wardrobe philosophy. My son, a former Hollywood talent agent, still dons the inherited formal wear tailored in 1968 for his late grandfather. The formal “trad” outfit got Ben named one of the evening’s best dressed at the 2012 Golden Globes according to the London Daily Mail.
It’s not just tuxedos that retain J. Press relevance. The famed Shaggy Dog Shetland sweaters get shaggier year to year. Suits, worn nowadays less in public than in previous times, still maintain their three-button dignity without appearing outdated. Necktie widths and shirt collars that always look appropriate.
Emotional wardrobe investments at J. Press remain an ongoing tribute to the better half of one’s self-esteem.
RICHARD PRESS
6 comments
My J. Press wardrobe is never out of style. Unfortunately, some of it just wears out over time. I have a perfectly wearable blue wool suit which I purchased in New York at J.Press not sure when and the inner lining is disintegrating. The suit it self looks great though and I will wear it proudly. At my age, though, the J. Press merchandise that I purchase comes with a lifetime guarantee.