The suit capital of America rests upon a firm foundation. The 33-year-old J. Press enterprise on L Street stands tall, a DC Island unto itself encouraging traditional menswear in the halls of power.
J. Press Washington, DC trunk shows began after World War II in the old Willard Hotel around the corner from the White House serving as a convenient location for nearby Ivy grads The roster bloomed well beyond Ivy, encouraging the opening of our branch in time for the Yalie George H.W. Bush inauguration.
The beat goes on. Current store honcho, Edman Puerto, filled me in with results of the recent blockbuster Made to Measure trunk show. He attributed its success to post-pandemic wardrobe refurbishing. Topping the charts are 9-10 oz. mid-weight Fox of England worsted suits. Navy blue is running even with charcoal gray with a smidgen of pin/chalk stripes added in the mix. Another keystone fostering the post-pandemic panoply featured a surge of weddings outfitted by J. Squeeze. Favorite number—dark blue tropical worsted garnished by white OCBDS and regimental stripe ties.
Mr. Puerto also noted a full range of new J. Press customers he attributes to the disappearance or the diminutive circumstance of past menswear stalwarts. He also hailed preponderant attendance from Washington university circles particularly boosted with an influx of Johns Hopkins attendees of their recently completed local campus quarters.
Washington, never unfairly accused of being a formal town, offers compelling evidence that our complete range of classic blue blazers portends enormous choice to fake a suit with grey tropical worsted trousers or further options adding colorful weekend wear with our immense range of sport trousers, India Madras, crash linens, or bright poplins. Despite air-conditioning everywhere, even in the most rank K Street lobbying offices, the nation’s capital has always been well known for its sweaty summer swamp weather that our encyclopedic stock of warm weather wear fully accommodates while not forgetting good taste and style.
I noted in one of my virgin essays Lieutenant Commander Cornelius “Corney” Van Schaak Roosevelt, grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, an invited guest at the store opening suggested to me the new J. Press store follow his grandfather’s presidential advice, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Who would have thought Corney Roosevelt a retail seer?
RICHARD PRESS
10 comments
Having recently spent one year in DC I was thrilled to regularly patronize your shop at 18th & L. It is a gem indeed!
Mark “Bunny” Elder welcomed and honored me at every visit by providing excellent advice and service!
I am back home in the Midwest enjoying the classics you provided. Thank you.
Please consider a trunk show in San Francisco for us liberals who like to dress conservatively.
I made what I think was my very first J Press purchase from this store, a blue OCBD, over 15 years ago. I believe Arthur Noble (?) was the manager. I was an awkard intern but he made me feel like a valued customer. After those years I’m surprised to see that the DC location is the last one left standing, with NYC having relocated twice, Cambridge gone (RIP, hopefully will be back soon) and New Haven rennovated.
I want to commend Richard Press for highlighting the D.C J. Press store at 18th and L.
The shop is well managed, with a selection as strong as that in New York. I would also like to take this opportunity to salute the store’s senior sales associate, Mark Elder, who is deeply in tune with Ivy Style and, especially, Harris tweeds. He is a real pro.
Richard, it was so nice to read about your DC store. I started buying my suits there the day you opened, from Arthur, the great manager who always took very good care of me. And amazingly, even now, I still get compliments on how they look and fit, years later.
Quality and style don’t change, only bad fashion does. While the other famous DC mens stores have long faded away, thank you for staying true to your roots and providing DC with a store where you always know you are buying the best.