J. Press
| File:J. Press logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clothier |
| Founded | New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. (1902) |
| Headquarters | New York City, U.S. |
Key people | Jacobi Press (Founder) Jun Murakami (Current CEO) Paul Press (Past President and CEO) |
| Products | Men's Clothing |
| Parent | Onward Kashiyama (Onward Holdings, Ltd.) |
| Website | jpressonline.com |
J. Press is a heritage menswear brand established in 1902 on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut by Jacobi Press. The company maintains retail locations in both New York City and Washington, D.C.. In 1974, the Press family granted licensing rights for the Japanese market, marking J. Press as the first American apparel brand to do so in Japan.
In 1986, J. Press was purchased by its longtime Japanese licensee, Onward Kashiyama, after 14 years of partnership. Currently, the volume of J. Press products distributed in Japan surpasses that of American-made merchandise by approximately sixfold. As part of the Onward Group (Onward Holdings, Ltd.), J. Press benefits from a global business framework and strategic expansion.
Style
Jacobi Press emigrated from Latvia in 1896 and founded the company six years thereafter. The label adheres to a steadfast commitment to classic menswear, predominantly crafting off-the-rack jackets in the traditional "three-button sack" silhouette along with mostly plain-front trousers featuring a suggested one-inch cuff. While most fabrics are understated, brighter options appear in casual pants and sweaters. The neckwear collection includes conventional repp stripes, foulard patterns, and paisley designs, alongside scarves and ties themed around Ivy League institutions such as Yale’s Skull and Bones Society. Their dress overcoats utilize luxurious textiles like lambswool, cashmere, camel hair, or herringbone tweed, often finished with velvet collars in the Chesterfield style.
J. Press embodies a timeless Ivy League aesthetic aimed at a classic preppy demographic that eschews contemporary fashion trends. The brand prioritizes quality by eschewing production outsourcing to developing nations and avoiding synthetic materials, thereby reinforcing its competitive edge through heritage craftsmanship and authentic product offerings.
Stores
Within the United States, J. Press operates three retail outlets: in New Haven; New York City at the Yale Club; and Washington D.C.
The New Haven location originally served as a residence for grocer Cornelius Pierpont built in 1863 but suffered significant damage during Winter Storm Nemo in 2013. Subsequently, operations moved temporarily to 260 College St., opposite the Shubert Theatre. In celebration of its 120th anniversary in 2022, J. Press unveiled a new flagship store on Elm Street adjacent to its original site, which also functions as its e-commerce fulfillment center.
J. Press established a New York City store in 1912 situated between the Yale and Harvard Clubs. A Madison Avenue shop opened in 2007 but ceased operations indefinitely by 2014. On March 1, 2013, “J. Press York Street” launched at 304 Bleecker Street to appeal to a younger clientele through slimmer cuts and more daring patterns; after four seasons this sub-brand was reintegrated into the main line as “J. Press Blue.” In October 2017, the York Street outlet closed and was replaced by a new Midtown Manhattan location inside the Yale Club building, anticipated to contribute approximately 25% of U.S. sales.
Historically, J. Press also managed stores in Cambridge, Massachusetts (closed in 2018 after 86 years), San Francisco, California, and Princeton, New Jersey.
See also
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- American clothing brands
- Clothing retailers in the United States
- American firms founded in 1902
- Apparel companies founded in 1902
- Retailers established in 1902
- Companies headquartered in New York City
- Tailors of suits
- 1902 establishments in Connecticut
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- American companies established in 1902
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment