J. Press
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| J. Press | |
 |
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| Type of co. | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | New Haven, Connecticut, 1902 |
| Headquarters | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Key people | Jacobi Press (Founder) Paul Press (President & CEO) |
| Industry | Clothier |
| Products | Men's Clothing |
| Parent | Onward Kashiyama Co. Ltd. |
| Website | www.jpressonline.com |
J. Press is a men's clothier in the United States. Founded in 1902 in New Haven, Connecticut, by immigrant tailor Jacobi Press, the company now operates stores in three additional locations: New York, New York, Washington, D.C., and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The original New Haven location, however, still remains the company's largest and functions as its headquarters. J. Press is a privately held Connecticut subsidiary of Japanese holding company Onward Kashiyama, although a member of the Press family still maintains a seat on its board. [1]
[edit] History and style
Since its founding, J. Press's clothing has remained much the same. For example, the company produces all of its off-the-rack jackets in the traditional "three-button sack" style rarely found today in America, and only produces plain-front trousers, for which the company suggests a traditional 1 3/4" cuff. Fabrics are generally subdued, except for traditionally bright-colored items such as casual trousers and sweaters. Its neckties bear traditional repp stripe, foulard, and paisley motifs. J. Press dress overcoats are of lambswool, cashmere, or camel hair, or of herringbone tweed with a velvet collar in the Chesterfield style. In 2000, J. Press expanded its sales to the World Wide Web, through which it offers most of its line, as of 2006.
J. Press is often said to carry on a traditional "Ivy League" style of men's clothing. Little-known outside of New England and the East Coast, J. Press caters most to an old-fashioned "preppy" subculture that eschews popular culture trends. The company shows few signs of any wish to expand, and refuses either to outsource the production of any of its items to developing countries or to use unnatural materials in its line.
[edit] Cultural references
- J. Press is mentioned in Whit Stillman's 1990 film Metropolitan.
- Former President George H.W. Bush has been a loyal J. Press client since his days at Yale College in the 1940s. During the 1980 election, after being described as a "Brooks Brothers Republican," Bush opened his jacket to reveal a J. Press logo.
- Sensitive about suggestions he dressed like a "hayseed," Bill Clinton went to J. Press's location in Cambridge before the 1992 campaign. To be sure he made no mistake, Clinton bought Press's "Pressidential" suits.
- A white button-down shirt from J. Press was a minor plot element in the American TV series Sports Night.
