With the world in turmoil and large brands trying everything to retain customers, J.Crew has shifted their focus to fit and size-inclusivity. That culminated into a new collection with the experts: Universal Standard.
The collection, which runs from an XX-Small up to a 5x, sticks with the typical J.Crew prep-with-an-edge style. The entire new collection is enough for a full wardrobe of staples (and some standouts), from flowy trousers to linen tees to maxi dresses.
Everything is pretty straight forward, save for the sizing, which is a bit complicated. Because both J.Crew and Universal Standard use numerical and alphabetical nomenclature for sizing, they created a separate chart to indicate you’re sizing. But, since J.Crew and Universal Standard have different sizing (universal starts at a US size 6), there’s a bit of a finagle involved. For example, an XS in Universal Standard is a size 10-12, which is a M/L in J.Crew, which translates to an L in the new line. Capisce?
The most notable part of the launch, for me anyhow, is a small detail you may miss if you’re not looking for it. Under each photo on the product pages is a dropdown where you can choose to see the item on three different body types, which is basically unheard of elsewhere. Now, was that so hard?
Prices fall in the upper crust of the J.Crew percentile, but are pretty standard for Universal Standard (I’ll be here all week). With everything falling under $150, it’s not cheap, but you’re paying for the expertise in fit at every size that Universal Standard is known for.
The pieces that stand out to me, though, are the incredibly-comfortable-looking wide-leg jumpsuit, the layering tank dress, and the French terry slit skirt. These are the pieces that will easily fit into a pre-existing wardrobe, but can also add a little pop of style to anyone finding their closet feels more like a doctor’s waiting room than Narnia.