J. Crew has recently fallen on hard times, as sales decline and loyal customers flee the brand. Recently, Eliza Cohen, a J. Crew customer in her late 20s, wrote a letter to the brand, asking it to make changes to its clothing. After reading the letter, we decided to check a nearby J. Crew store to see if the problems Cohen highlighted were easily A walk through a J. Crew store in Manhattan shows why the brand is failing to connect with its core customers. To start out, the prices seem higher than they should be. How much do you think these sequined pants (The Seaside Pant) In April, writer Tricia Louvar wrote an open letter to J. Crew's creative director and president, Jenna Lyons, on , prefacing it with "you areHowever, all dopeness aside, the clothes J. Crew was selling were unaffordable and not practical, Louvar "If only I, an ordinary mother on a modest income, could afford to wear a $400 cashmere skirt, silk barely-there blouse

and belt to a one-time business-casual event," she wrote. Many of J. Crew's products are above what the core customer base can afford, leading to big markdowns. This sweater was originally $399 and marked down to $199. There was a time when the brand's style mirrored Lyons' quirky personal look, while still appealing to the average (butWith her trademark thick-rimmed glasses and eclectic spin on traditional wardrobe staples, she became the poster woman for what a J. Crew customer could be.Home Furniture Shops Kerala At its peak, "J. Crew felt so colorful, so playful, yetExotic Cat Breeds Pictures still very authentically rooted and kind of preppy,"Buy Tennis Shoes Online Singapore etail and branding expert Jessica Navas of Erwin

Penland told Business Insider in June. But as Lyons' own celebrity has ascended, the clothing has become Some of these items are a bit much for everyday basic wear — at least, that's what consumers think. The high price only further alienates customers from J. Crew. "I was a fan of J.Crew for over 20 years," Louvar later told The New York Post. “But as I look at the catalogs now, I just don’t get it. Back when I was in college, it represented a classic look that was Similarly, in Cohen's letter, she highlighted how the store's signature traits were absent from its most recent seasons. aughts, the "clothes were notable for "the quality, craftsmanship, and clean lines." Take a look at this flower necklace. While style is subjective, and not every shopper might agree that this flower necklace is a bit much, it's safe to say that J. Crew was known for its great, simple basics. trendy, this is not a great, simple basic.

In 2013, fashion blog The Gloss mocked how outlandish the clothing Moreover, an abundance of clothing on sale might be enticing, but lots of markdowns hurts profits and could damage people's perception of the brand. J. Crew's new, cheaper counterpart, J. Crew Mercantile. low-priced version of J. Crew is similar to its factory store. While this could be an attempt to save the brand, it could also devalue the brand as a whole. "One only has to look as far as brands like Coach or Michael Kors to see the dangerous opiate that off-price distribution can become," Doug Stephens, founder of the website Retail Prophet, told Business Insider. "The volume outlet malls promise is compelling but the collateral damage to the brand — particularly among loyal full-price customers — is often next to Cheapening high-quality brands makes luxury brands become the "Coach — a once exclusive brand — became ubiquitous, common, and

tarnished, resulting in plummeting sales at both outlet and full-line stores," Stephens explained. While putting items on sale is not the same as opening an outlet, it raises the question: Why bother spending more money on full-price items when there are plenty of items on sale as it Elizabeth Holmes of The Wall Street Journal noted that "A steady drumbeat of sales, with discounts of as much as 40%, has trained some shoppers to balk at paying full People have also openly complained about decreasingThis shirt displayed in the store appears dowdy andWho would want to purchase a shirt that's wrinkled before it's even worn? Longtime customer Abra Belke, who writes for the Capitol Hill Style blog, says she no longer shops at J. Crew, instead choosing to shop for classic items on eBay. "My ardent love for J.Crew did not go out in a blaze of glory like the Bon Jovi song commands," she writes. suffocated due to rapidly decreasing quality, prices adjusted to

be discount-solvent, odd brand collaborations, and the overindulgence of Jenna Lyons’ cult of personality." Separately, J. Crew's sales have been on the decline. In the 2014 fiscal year, the company suffered a net loss of $657.8 million. In June, the company showed its struggle when it laid off 10% of its corporate "We’ve made some missteps over the last year and we are working hard to course correct," CEO Mickey Drexler said an earnings conference call this New York-based label J.Crew has been an institution since 1983. Renowned for its fresh, luxurious take on everyday staples and now under the creative direction of style icon Jenna Lyons, the brand’s fine Italian cashmere sweaters, sequin and lace-detailed skirts and playful jewelry are more sought after than ever. Sign up below for updates on our exclusive capsule collection launching September 13th, inspired by the timeless cool of stripes. Sign up for J.Crew updates Sailor cropped wool-blend straight-leg pants

Sammie cropped stretch cotton-twill straight-leg pants Patio cropped wool-twill straight-leg pants Hooded cotton-canvas field jacket + Drake's printed silk-twill shirt Tencel and cashmere-blend turtleneck sweater Evelyn lace-up suede pumps Tippi gingham merino wool sweater Evelyn leopard-print calf hair pumps + Drake's printed silk-twill straight-leg pants Tipped satin-trimmed wool-blend crepe jacket Coco double-breasted tweed coat Charlotte laser-cut leather sandals Tessa tie-front cotton-poplin playsuit Tie-front gingham stretch-cotton shirt Gingham crinkled cotton-blend poplin shirt Collection sequined cotton tunic Leopard-print calf hair belt Collection Mistflower off-the-shoulder silk mini dress Neon striped cashmere sweater Cocktail striped cotton-poplin shirt Quinlan striped cotton, ramie and linen-blend mini dress Collection cotton and linen-blend mini dress Striped cotton, ramie and linen-blend shirt