Today is a big day for J.Crew. The iconic company has swan-dived into inclusive sizing with its inaugural collaboration with Universal Standard—and it is good. True to form, the 37-piece capsule collection features a wide array of classic silhouettes and timeless separates, of which the brand is known for. Yep, we’re talking jersey dresses, jumpsuits, striped tees, seersucker dresses and, of course, knit cardigans (because, J.Crew)—all available up to a size 32. Oh, happy day! Better yet, in speaking to J.Crew’s Chief Merchandising Officer, Lisa Greenwald, we learned that the brand’s focus and mission expands past this new offering. In fact, it’s just a small piece of a much larger initiative. “This collaboration is part of a bigger sizing roll out for J.Crew,” Greenwald explains. “This summer and fall, you’ll begin to see more of your favorite J.Crew styles in additional sizes and accessible to more people as we work towards inclusive sizing across categories.”
This explains the brand’s incorporation of Universal Standard’s expertise in the fit and design department. For the past three years, the inclusive clothing company has perfected the art of serving, well, everyone with its high-quality, elevated essentials that range from a size 6 to a size 32. (The brand is said to expand its range even more to include sizes ranging from 0 to 40 in the near future.) “Because great style and great fit are important to all of our customers, thoughtful sizing and attention to fit are at the center of our design process,”says Greenwald. “We wanted to work with experts in the field on this collection to kick off a much larger roll out of extended sizes, new fits and fabrications across the brand. We recognized Universal Standard’s highly technical approach and reached out to them to help create a new collection tailored for the real, diverse spectrum of the American woman. Our goal was to create a collection of stylish, well-made, great-fitting clothes, engineered to fit the new range of sizes perfectly and Universal Standard offered their expertise to do just that.”
All that said, it is fair to note that J.Crew is not the first mainstream brand to recognize the need to serve an underserved market. With companies like ASOS, American Eagle and Reformation already offering more inclusive lines, this is not exactly a revolutionary step. In fact, in an official statement, the brand stated this move was indeed “overdue.” “This has been a long process, throughout which we’ve worked very closely with Universal Standard to make sure we’re doing it thoughtfully.” Fair enough.
In any case, this momentous leap is undoubtedly in the right direction, and one we’re eager to keep tabs on since it seems this is just the beginning of better things to come. “We recognize our platform as a mainstream American brand and feel proud to have the responsibility and the privilege to do more for our customers,” Greenwald explains. “We’re excited to continue working toward more inclusivity and making J.Crew available to everyone.”
Eager to witness the collection for yourself? Check out some of our favorite pieces from the launch below.
