Rebel Without A Suit

I rather like your attitude. Damn the torpedoes. Brought up my sons and grandsons and -daughters in that spirit. Stay the course – style and integrity don’t expire, even if a majority always defects for the latest fashion.

I always look forward to these columns.Thank you. I practiced for 43 years with a law firm in the Midwest – 70 lawyers by the time I retired in early 2010. I was amused at the time (in the late 80’s, I think) when the senior partner appointed a committee to study whether we should have Casual Fridays. After nine months of study, the committee reported back, “No”. A few years later we did in fact permit the practice but initially the only guidance we were given (by the same senior partner) was what he called “Country Club Casual” which in his case seemed to be yellow slacks, grass green jacket and watermelon socks. No one else took his suggestion. Oh yes, he was a Yalie and a J P customer.

I’ve read this piece twice now, and I don’t see this piece taking shots at anyone. It seems to me to be rather matter of fact when it points out (extremely briefly) that some of its competitors are in dire financial straits because they lost their way, and tied that to the (poorly done) casualization of the workplace. The piece strikes me as being quite tasteful.

I was in Hawaii in 1969 when the bill was passed in the legislature mandating “Aloha” shirts on Fridays.Schools and businesses were almost forced to adhere to it.
Needless to say this was a big sales item for dept storesi.e. Liberty House(was bought out) and all of a sudden you had many Mom and Pop stores selling Aloha shirts all over the island in hotels like Kahala Hilton.But the funny thing was most of the shirts came from China not made in Hawaii.

Sir, When you are from Philadelphia, a blue blazer is considered “casual” for Friday

Katherine – The lady doth protest too much, methinks. – Queen Gertrude, Hamlet

Always enjoy these pieces, but the tone of this one was just a little too schadenfreude-ish. Katherine is spot on in calling you out on it.

And I thought “Business Causal” meant it was ok to miss deadlines!

The feel of the fabric, the aroma of your salesmen’s cologne, the sense that I had been admitted to a temple devoted to some notion of what it means to be An Adult — that is what remains with me from my visits, as an adolescent, with my grandfather, to the old East 44th Street store. And it should go without saying that to celebrate an adversary’s misfortune, or even appear to do so — well, that is quite beneath the dignity of an adult, isn’t it? But thank you, sincerely, for dressing three generations of my family. You are the first, and still the best.

Thank you Richard. I moved from London to San Francisco in 1980 and had only one suit, a Savile Row by Edward Sexton. A fellow English man introduced me to J Press – you had a store there for years – and I loved the the “boutique” feel, the soft oxford cottons and the genteel service. I had one of your cotton suits last years! I can’t afford anything right now – still working has as I lost all my money on Wall Street – but I will be back. I am so happy you are still in business – so much of my past and so many of the independent firms , in all lines of businesses, have gone. Keep on being yourselves ( but add a side vent jacket /suit and a mild spread collar, check out Budd’s of London “bankers” collar). My very best wishes.

While casual Fridays may have been somewhat acceptable, what was being worn was not. I felt like every Friday I was attending a company picnic.

The simple rule should be: if it doesn’t go to the dry cleaners it doesn’t come to the office.

Whether it be a business suit, work uniform, or farm overalls, work is serious and requires serious clothes: clean, pressed, and non-tattered. Self respect and respect for our clients is what makes America great, now and in the future.

Daughter of a loyal customer of 60 years. Some of my fondest memories are of shopping with him at J. Press for over 30 of those years and learning more about proper tailoring, outfitting than most men I know. Everything I can purchase for myself in XS or S is in my wardrobe and every boyfriend or spouse has gone to be outfitted properly. I’ve developed my own special relationships with the younger staff.

I normally read these with interest and wax nostalgic.

This strikes me as very off note for a company that promotes traditional clothing and values. Taking shots at others when down — we know who they are and haven’t shopped there in years due to changes we don’t like — isn’t consistent with the J. Press tradition I know.

And you might want to do some current research on what an Aloha shirt symbolizes.

Still a loyal customer and fan of J. Press. Model those values here, please?

Casual dress, casual attitude, casual product.