J.Crew has been in the "danger zone"—and not the cool Kenny Loggins danger zone—for a while. It needs some help but doesn't necessarily know where to look. CEO Mickey Drexler's $25 million apartment is still for sale, and the brand is still trying to find the best way to bring back its most loyal customers.
One place it should maybe pay more attention to is the brand's menswear collection because, as per usual, it's surprisingly strong. The 'Crew often gets the reputation of being a little too straight-laced and preppy, but the men's collection typically comes around with some notable pieces that aren't restricted to the tablecloth-inspired dress shirt your least favorite aunt gets you for Christmas every year without fail. J.Crew's collections that show during Fashion Week are notably more daring. While that sometimes means the best pieces won't actually make it to stores, it allows us to hope a little bit. Outerwear is solid and includes MA-1 bombers that are trimmer than their usual puffy military surplus cousins, and the sweaters look as luscious as they typically do. Also included are a set of navy silk pajamas with white piping that will continue our dreams of finally wearing PJs out of the house. And if you thought the wide-leg pant revolution wasn't going to stick, you'll have to wait it out as J.Crew does a few of their own here as well. Just embrace it, because it's here to stay (i.e. for the next year or so).
Really though, it just makes us wish that J.Crew was among the brands starting to cater to customers with a "see now, buy now" model, because we want this gear pretty much right now. 
