The Official J Crew Ludlow Suit Thread

[aerosurferlv]

I have been searching for a good discussion board about the J Crew Ludlow suit and have had no luck. I decided that since there isn't one, I'll create it myself!! Within my social network there is a very small circle of gentlemen that absolutely obsess over every Ludlow suit that J Crew releases, and I'm wondering if there are any like-minded individuals out there like us who pine over the most reasonably priced, best fitting, premium quality suits that money can buy (in our humble opinions, of course).

So please, anyone who is into the men's suiting and clothing from J Crew, please share your thoughts, insights, questions, and photos!!

 

[willis88]

I picked up the plain navy one from their London store literally a few days ago and I'm unsure about it now after having the sleeves shortened and waist tapered in slightly.
With every OTR jacket I try the lapels bow out. I am yet to pinpoint the problem but I believe it has something to do with my right arm being significantly larger and it tends to be tight on the armpit. When I tried on the Ludlow for the first time the problems I usually have were not as visible as usual so I went for it.

Unfortunately It's only when I'm at home where I really notice the flaws:
The shoulder pad wrinkles on one side unless it's sat exactly on a certain point which feels slight back from the top, which makes me feels as though the jacket is slowly pulling back away from my body as I walk and I can feel all the weight of the jacket resting awkwardly on my shoulders when i walk around.
The salesman steamed it out which alleviated it and gave me a super thick hanger but I think its a problem.
There is also a slight billow of the forearm when arms are rested which suggests their tailor may not have aligned the sleeves back on after shortening.

...Sorry this has turned into a fit check/tailoring woe thread. The actual suit is very nice, with the quality wool feeling great.

 

[aerosurferlv]

Sorry to hear that the fit isn't perfect. The cut of the Ludlow suit doesn't work for everybody that's for sure. I have several friends who have tried them on and for whatever reason, they don't fit perfectly off the rack. It all depends on body type.

When you say you got the standard navy Ludlow, are you referring to the worsted wool one by the Tollegno mill? Or just the regular wool one? If it's made by Tollegno you'll see their stamp on the inner left breast of the jacket.

 

[aerosurferlv]

This here is my Italian Linen Ludlow suit made by the Ormezzano mill. The quality is stunning, and so is the fit. The shoes are the Alden Tobacco wing tips also sold by j crew

 

[Thin White Duke]

I think there may be a J Crew read on the Streetwear side, but obviously they're less likely to want to discuss details of Ludlow suits.

I suspect that you won't get a lot of traction for this thread here on CM. reasons being ...

There's a bit of a snootiness among many members regarding high street made in China mall brands

There's a huge prejudice against narrow Ludlow style lapels, and conversely you'll see ridiculous accolades for lapels which wouldn't look out of place in Saturday Night Fever!

Regarding your comment about the reasonably priced best fitting etc ... I have several J Crew items but pound for pound my Suitsupply suits are less expensive, better made, fit me better, and come in a much more inspiring variety of colours and fabrics beyond J Crew's obsession with gray, navy and not much else.

Still, Soopoker who doesn't seem to post pics any more but gained a well-deserved reputation for posting exemplary pics was a big fan of J Crew Bowery trousers and would fold them in to many of his odd jacket fit pics.

I don't think I bought a single item from J Crew, all my acquisitions from that brand came via eBay etc at much reduced prices from what's offered in store. I still quite like some of their stuff but doubt I would ever pay full price as it's not justified IMO.

Also, my personal quirk is to wear only three button jackets and it looks like J crew have completely discontinued these so I'm less likely to be getting more from them!

 

[willis88]

Sorry to hear that the fit isn't perfect. The cut of the Ludlow suit doesn't work for everybody that's for sure. I have several friends who have tried them on and for whatever reason, they don't fit perfectly off the rack. It all depends on body type.

When you say you got the standard navy Ludlow, are you referring to the worsted wool one by the Tollegno mill? Or just the regular wool one? If it's made by Tollegno you'll see their stamp on the inner left breast of the jacket.

So "standard" was probably the wrong word and meant to say "plain" as the LP feels great. Really smooth and cosy.
The Traveler at a 34s actually suited me better being only half lined was a lot sleeker but with Winter approaching and the crepe texture i ended up swapping.
The size 36 pictured below also has a more conservative office shade (inc buttons) so I'm happy with it. But you can see where the shoulder lump is and my hand is covering the the lapel that bows out the most.
Pardon the lack of trousers and dodgy shirt/tie. Was just doing a quick fit check in the morning..

 

[willis88]

I think there may be a J Crew read on the Streetwear side, but obviously they're less likely to want to discuss details of Ludlow suits.

I suspect that you won't get a lot of traction for this thread here on CM. reasons being ...

There's a bit of a snootiness among many members regarding high street made in China mall brands

There's a huge prejudice against narrow Ludlow style lapels, and conversely you'll see ridiculous accolades for lapels which wouldn't look out of place in Saturday Night Fever!

Regarding your comment about the reasonably priced best fitting etc ... I have several J Crew items but pound for pound my Suitsupply suits are less expensive, better made, fit me better, and come in a much more inspiring variety of colours and fabrics beyond J Crew's obsession with gray, navy and not much else.

Still, Soopoker who doesn't seem to post pics any more but gained a well-deserved reputation for posting exemplary pics was a big fan of J Crew Bowery trousers and would fold them in to many of his odd jacket fit pics.

I don't think I bought a single item from J Crew, all my acquisitions from that brand came via eBay etc at much reduced prices from what's offered in store. I still quite like some of their stuff but doubt I would ever pay full price as it's not justified IMO.

Also, my personal quirk is to wear only three button jackets and it looks like J crew have completely discontinued these so I'm less likely to be getting more from them!

I can understand the narrow lapel issue. I have a very small frame though so anything larger than those on the ludlow looks a bit uncomfortable on me. I have a Sienna from suitsupply but regretted the colour as soon as I stepped outside. I think they are good VFM but wasn't impressed with the service in their flagship London store when I went to buy a second suit.

 

[aerosurferlv]

I picked this tweed suit up for the fast approaching winter. The color is dark slate, and it is made by the Abraham Moon mill, which has definitely become one of my favorites over the years. They really make awesome winter weight fabrics!!! I went for the full 3 piece on this one... Because why wouldn't I??

 

[aerosurferlv]

This was my other splurge-worthy endeavor prepping for winter. I've never been a huge fan of pinstripes but this thing steals the show. Though it's not stamped by any particular mill in Italy, I'm going to love it all the same. I really dig the interior lining, very luxurious.

 

[aerosurferlv]



I think there may be a J Crew read on the Streetwear side, but obviously they're less likely to want to discuss details of Ludlow suits.

I suspect that you won't get a lot of traction for this thread here on CM. reasons being ...

There's a bit of a snootiness among many members regarding high street made in China mall brands

There's a huge prejudice against narrow Ludlow style lapels, and conversely you'll see ridiculous accolades for lapels which wouldn't look out of place in Saturday Night Fever!

Regarding your comment about the reasonably priced best fitting etc ... I have several J Crew items but pound for pound my Suitsupply suits are less expensive, better made, fit me better, and come in a much more inspiring variety of colours and fabrics beyond J Crew's obsession with gray, navy and not much else.

Still, Soopoker who doesn't seem to post pics any more but gained a well-deserved reputation for posting exemplary pics was a big fan of J Crew Bowery trousers and would fold them in to many of his odd jacket fit pics.

I don't think I bought a single item from J Crew, all my acquisitions from that brand came via eBay etc at much reduced prices from what's offered in store. I still quite like some of their stuff but doubt I would ever pay full price as it's not justified IMO.

Also, my personal quirk is to wear only three button jackets and it looks like J crew have completely discontinued these so I'm less likely to be getting more from them!

Thanks for your input! I definitely understand there's a lot of competition out there, specifically with Suit Supply. Unfortunately for me, and I suspect the same with other guys out there, I am only in the market for suit separates. Suit Supply's "drop 6" sizing method means I'll never fit into one of their suits (I'm a 36S jacket, 32" pants). I have a friend who buys both Ludlows and Suit Supply suits and he loves both. I do prefer the J Crew style of primarily going for classic, conservative, and timeless looks. J Crew's staple Ludlow suits are the worsted wools, which are wardrobe staples that I think could be worn today and 40 years from now and still look fantastic. Suit Supply seems to go more for contemporary, flashy looks, which are awesome for the right time and place.

Also, I'm a HUGE fan of the 2.5" lapels!!! That's one of my main draws to the Ludlow, among other things.

 

[aerosurferlv]



So "standard" was probably the wrong word and meant to say "plain" as the LP feels great. Really smooth and cosy. The Traveler at a 34s actually suited me better being only half lined was a lot sleeker but with Winter approaching and the crepe texture i ended up swapping. The size 36 pictured below also has a more conservative office shade (inc buttons) so I'm happy with it. But you can see where the shoulder lump is and my hand is covering the the lapel that bows out the most. Pardon the lack of trousers and dodgy shirt/tie. Was just doing a quick fit check in the morning..

Ya know aside from those small defects (which I wouldn't have noticed anyways) that thing looks like it fits great!! Yes that is their standard navy wool Ludlow made by the Loro Piana mill in Italy. Very sharp! I don't own anything from that mill... Yet...

 

[JR Magat]

I picked this tweed suit up for the fast approaching winter. The color is dark slate, and it is made by the Abraham Moon mill, which has definitely become one of my favorites over the years. They really make awesome winter weight fabrics!!! I went for the full 3 piece on this one... Because why wouldn't I??

Nice pick ups! I bought this suit yesterday in the light grey donegal tweed, as well as a grey herringbone sport coat. Looks nice with the vest as well. Not much J.Crew love here on SF, but I enjoy their clothes and don't have too many issues with the quality. For the sales that often pop up, I think it's a good value.

 

[Kensington]

They are overpriced for the quality but if you can get them for a cheap price they're a decent off the rack suit on a low budget. Won't have details of a quality made suit though.

 

[ghoststar]

I'm loving these two right now. I especially like the olive green one. Not sure how I feel about the patch pockets but I think it works as a casual jacket. But the beige one I think I will definitely be buying for the coming warmer seasons.

I've been trying to convince myself that buying both is actually not a bad idea since these are currently being sold for like a third of the retail. Just feel so guilty about buying two jackets at once.

 

[saskatoonjay]

I love the the

I'm loving these two right now. I especially like the olive green one. Not sure how I feel about the patch pockets but I think it works as a casual jacket. But the beige one I think I will definitely be buying for the coming warmer seasons.

I've been trying to convince myself that buying both is actually not a bad idea since these are currently being sold for like a third of the retail. Just feel so guilty about buying two jackets at once.

I love the texture of the linen one!