# American Living @ JCPenney



## enecks (Apr 25, 2007)

Has anyone else seen this new private label at JCPenney? I happened to catch a glimpse of some patch madras shorts in the store earlier, and upon walking over, I discovered a plethora of interesting stuff: pink (and blue) oxford bermuda shorts, plaid bathing suits, colorful polo shirts, OCBDs (pink, blue, pink u-stripe, blue u-stripe, red u-stripe, etc.), various chinos (the pleated one appeared to have a 1.75" cuff, but the plain front, alas, did not), and various other goods. Unfortunately, most everything is emblazoned with a gigantic embroidered eagle as the American Living logo. Perhaps we can hope they might offer more logoless goods once the brand becomes more established? 

The line did appear to have a saving grace already, though: as I passed by the dress clothing area on my way out and saw the neckties, I was pleasantly surprised. They're well proportioned (couldn't have been more than 3.25") and come in an array of tasteful stripes, colors, and patterns. I believe they were $38 and buy one get the 2nd 50%.


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

Sounds nice -- I do believe I'll be checking it out. I'm in need of a new pair of swimming trunks, and pink oxford cloth shorts sound fun. The logo's a bummer, but we'll see what it's really like in person. Thanks for the heads up.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

definitely checking out those shorts


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## Teacher (Mar 14, 2005)

Good God, I thought there was going to be a link to a NYT article about some dude caught sleeping in a JCP store.


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## Reddington (Nov 15, 2007)

Here's a look at their collection: *https://tinyurl.com/3yerq4*

Cheers.


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## Haystack (Mar 17, 2005)

It shouldn't shock anyone that it has such a large logo, it is a Polo Ralph Lauren product after all.


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

Thanks for the report. The clothes are dissapointing. I was hoping Ralph would make this line better.

While there are a couple of interesting items offered, it seems way overpriced for JC Penney. For example, the seersucker and madras shirts look like they might be interesting, but for $50, I would definately buy elsewhere (not to mention the logo on some). Same with the oxfords for $55? $50 for a JC Penney polo shirt? No thanks.


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## enecks (Apr 25, 2007)

The full-retail prices are usually artificially inflated at Penney's, no? I guess it's that perpetual sale model that JAB uses. As I recall, most of the stuff was on sale today (buy one get one 50% off).

I might also add that the clothes looked a lot better in the store (well, aside from that horrid logo) than they do on the website there. And unless my estimation skills are grossly inaccurate, there's no way the ties are 4" wide.


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

Tom Buchanan said:


> While there are a couple of interesting items offered, it seems way overpriced for JC Penney. For example, the seersucker and madras shirts look like they might be interesting, but for $50, I would definately buy elsewhere (not to mention the logo on some). Same with the oxfords for $55? $50 for a JC Penney polo shirt? No thanks.


Keep in mind it's JC Penney, who has a "Sale Today" sign up just about, well, every day.


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## Teacher (Mar 14, 2005)

wnh said:


> Keep in mind it's JC Penney, who has a "Sale Today" sign up just about, well, every day.


Many years ago I worked at JCP. Probably the most infuriating thing was being told to change the signs from one sale to the next. While the old set might say something like _Cheesey Sunrise Sale!_ and the new set might say _Celebrate Mediocrity Sale!_, the prices were almost always the same. I hated it.


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

Teacher said:


> Good God, I thought there was going to be a link to a NYT article about some dude caught sleeping in a JCP store.


HA! Good one. Audible laugh from me.

Scott


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## thebot (Sep 11, 2007)

Is there an logo on the back of the khakis?


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## thebot (Sep 11, 2007)

Speaking of Ralph Lauren brand extensions, does anyone any opinions on the Rugby collection? I have not been able to visit a store yet.


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## Reddington (Nov 15, 2007)

thebot said:


> Speaking of Ralph Lauren brand extensions, does anyone any opinions on the Rugby collection? I have not been able to visit a store yet.


It's hit and miss. They do have some nice accessories, but I would not buy any of their $300+ tweed jackets. They feature working sleeve buttonholes, which is a nice touch, but they are the thinnest tweed jackets I've ever seen. _You can literally see through them!_ 

IMO, they've got the right idea of trying to offer 'trad' clothes, but the quality just does not justify the high price-points.

Cheers.


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## enecks (Apr 25, 2007)

Reddington said:


> They feature working sleeve buttonholes, which is a nice touch


I've always wondered about that on RTW jackets... Wouldn't it be rather difficult to alter the sleeve length?


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

wnh said:


> Keep in mind it's JC Penney, who has a "Sale Today" sign up just about, well, every day.


I've never been able to figure out why Penney's shoppers are duped by the same sale every week, but it's a key component of the business model.


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## Belgravia (Dec 23, 2007)

I wonder this line will be excluded from sales like LE at Sears.


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## David V (Sep 19, 2005)

I was in the store yesterday and while there were a variety of sales going on in menswear, this line was not marked down. The shirt offerings looked much nicer than anything else but I still think the price point of $50 is high for JCP. The suitings were what could be had in the regular line and at sale prices.


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## Clotheswatcher (Dec 2, 2005)

I saw the line last week. 

I had an overall favorable impression, not counting the suits. I noticed that a lot of the shirts had the logo on the shirt pocket, which means all you need to do is remove the pocket and boom! instant logo-less shirt. I also noticed that the ties were proportioned very well and were 100 % silk (made in china), so not the end of the world if you spill something on it. I didn't get to try anything on though so I can't comment on fit.

I expect it will all eventually be on sale for 65% off MSRP, at which point i think there will be some good choices to make. 

Make no mistake, however, these are not high quality garments.


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

Even if there's not a sale price marked, JCPenney does coupons every two weeks or so, sometimes more often.


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

Tom Buchanan said:


> Thanks for the report. The clothes are dissapointing. I was hoping Ralph would make this line better.
> 
> While there are a couple of interesting items offered, it seems way overpriced for JC Penney. For example, the seersucker and madras shirts look like they might be interesting, but for $50, I would definately buy elsewhere (not to mention the logo on some). Same with the oxfords for $55? $50 for a JC Penney polo shirt? No thanks.


Even of they were on sale for 50% off they'd still be over priced.

Brian


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## JohnMS (Feb 18, 2004)

The American Living brand suit separates are made in China and have a retail price of $315 for the jacket and I believe $100 for the pants.


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## stainless (Aug 27, 2007)

StevenRocks said:


> I've never been able to figure out why Penney's shoppers are duped by the same sale every week, but it's a key component of the business model.


I shop at JCP, and I don't feel I'm being duped. Obviously, there is a large portion of their customer base that feels better about a purchase if it's X% off so it's a bargain. They are hardly the only store to do (JAB anyone?) but I shop there because they carry clothes my size that I find value in at that price point (the "sale" price).


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

JohnMS said:


> The American Living brand suit separates are made in China and have a retail price of $315 for the jacket and I believe $100 for the pants.


I was hoping the suits were have a little more style -- more side vents or three-button rolls.

I wonder if the suits are decent on sale prices?


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

stainless said:


> I shop at JCP, and I don't feel I'm being duped. Obviously, there is a large portion of their customer base that feels better about a purchase if it's X% off so it's a bargain. They are hardly the only store to do (JAB anyone?) but I shop there because they carry clothes my size that I find value in at that price point (the "sale" price).


I shop at JCPenney, too, and proudly at that. I just don't see the point in making such a huge deal about sales when they could do an everyday low price strategy and use the marketing budget to promote what makes the store special..


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## Belgravia (Dec 23, 2007)

Let the discounting begin!

The dress shirts are currently buy one at full price, get the second at half off.


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## ProvidenceFriar (Nov 27, 2007)

I was at JCP last night with the wife and was poking around looking at the American Living stuff, it didn't seem half bad. If I didn't still have a gift card left over from Christmas I probably would not bother though. The dress shirts and ties seemed to be the best stuff, the madras and plaid shirts seemed promising until I noticed the big stupid logo on them.


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## R_Ingber (Feb 21, 2007)

thebot said:


> Speaking of Ralph Lauren brand extensions, does anyone any opinions on the Rugby collection? I have not been able to visit a store yet.


thebot, The Rugby Line by Ralph is awesome. I like it cause its edgy, the website doesn't do it justice cause it shows these crazy scenarios. However I buy lots of pieces there, they are pretty expensive though.


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

Okay, I took the plunge and bought the patch madras shorts. They seem to fit reasonably well, though they seemed a little overpriced at $39.99. But, hey, I got the special shopping bag and everything


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## Maggio (Apr 4, 2005)

I took the plunge, too. I purchased a dress shirt. Came to $30 with my JCP card. I tried it on and the fit is good. Fabric might be thinner than most of my other shirts, but I will see how it holds up. I did not, however, get a cool shopping bag. What gives JCP?

The Paramus. NJ JCP has a "store in store" concept going. Truth be told, there were not that many people perusing the section. The guy manning the section did get a lot of nice comments from passer bys, though on how good the section looked. .


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## Mike147 (Jan 15, 2006)

I'm thinking about picking up a few solid ties - on sale for $27.99... Has anyone inspected them (i don't live by a JCP) - is there a silk loop holder? Any JCP brand marks on it?

Does anyone know of a good source for nice solid silk ties at good prices? Price here is reasonable but I'm turned off by the Made in China label - $27.99 doesn't seem like a fantastic price for something Made in China - just reasonable


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

You guys always make such a big deal about logos, I thought I might share this one little insight.

I worked for a lady in the embroidery business a few decades back. She offered to monogram my shirts in exchange for walking a few samples around to my favorite clothiers.

Problem is, she monogrammed my shirts with letters the size of a silver dollar.

Yikes!

I explained that I was looking for something more subtle and understated, and that the clothiers I frequent would also want something much smaller.

She told me to go grab a thread picker, and the monograms ought to come right out. So long as I didn't push the pointed edge into the fabric of my shirt, the monograms ought to come out just fine--no harm done.

She was right, and the shirts gave me many years of wear without so much as a snag where the monograms had been.

I don't know if Ms. Gustavson is still in business, but I sure appreciated her advise.

Satin stitch embroidery often seeks to achieve a sheen by using glossy thread all sewn in the same direction. Am I making sense?

To the extent that the threads really do follow the same direction, cutting off an embroidered logo is easy. You dip your thread picker into the logo, and cut a straight line like you were ripping out any other seam.

It may take two or three passes to cut every stitch of embroidery floss, but this is still a very manageable thing.

Once the floss has been severed, it's easiest to pull away the floss from the opposite side of the cuts. Clean needle nosed pliers would work, but I just used my fingers. Less chance of pinching the shirt's fabric and leaving a mark that way. 

I was extra careful to pull straight and slow. Avoid hurrying things along. Try not to create "pulls" or "holes" in the fabric where the embroidery needle first penetrated the shirt fabric.

Many logos contain more than just straight, horizontal stitches.
Also, the longer that logo is present in a garment, the more likely it is to leave some kind of mark. I'm assuming so, anyway.

Some logos might just be impossible to remove.

The next time you see something you like on one of those hard-to-pass up sale tables (Polo, American Living, etc.), ask yourself two questions:
"Do I feel comfortable picking out that logo? If I ruin the shirt, will it break the bank?"

There might be times when the answer will be "yes" to the first, and "no" to the second question.

Worst case scenario, you might have to cover up the fraying, the pulls and the holes. Go find some quirky old patch from your patch trading days at the Boy Scout Jamboree. Presumably that patch would be big enough to cover up your mistake, and people might ask you all sorts of funny questions about your "Lawn Mowing Shirt".


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

*P.S.*

I can forgive the spread collar, and also the lack of choices for "golf" (club) or "tennis" (plain point) collars. But barrel cuffs in contrasting fabric?

Ewwwww!









​


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

dpihl said:


> I can forgive the spread collar, and also the lack of choices for "golf" (club) or "tennis" (plain point) collars. But barrel cuffs in contrasting fabric?
> 
> Ewwwww!
> 
> ...


I can forgive the contrasting barrel cuffs, but that tie??


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

Maggio said:


> I did not, however, get a cool shopping bag. What gives JCP?


They probably ran out. Paramus is one of JCP's highest volume locations, and the merchandise is likely selling really well.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

*My thoughts*

I've been meaning to post a review, but I don't get on here much anymore because university has been too time consuming this year. Anyways, I was really excited to see what this product line would be like since it was first announced last year.

As some of you may recall, I have been fairly positive about JC Penney over the past year or so. I think the store is moving in the right direction -- the quality of products, as well as the trends and styles, is far improved from a few years ago. Unfortunately, the offerings are not consistent.

I live in a small university town with a medium-to-small JC Penney store and the offerings here are horrid -- as are the offerings in nearby communities. So it's a little frustrating when you hear about a new product line, but few of the Penney stores have any of the items. On my travels for work and pleasure, I have stopped at five Penney stores scattered across central and northern Michigan and only one of these stores (Saginaw) has had any of the offerings.

Overall, I have been impressed with the way the American Living brand has been rolled out, and I really like the commercials and soundtrack. As a public relations practitioner (in addition to being a full-time student), I'm completely taken in by the ad spots. They remind me of classic Americana -- I get a warm feeling and begin thinking about my childhood in a small middle-class community with thoughts of baseball, apple pie and the Fourth of July. JC Penney has a winner with that spot, and I hope its Madison Avenue firm gets a bonus. The only down side of the brand's launch has been its iffy availability in many cities. Additionally, I don't have much of an issue with the American Living logo -- I'm rather fond of it -- though I do think it's a tad too large on some items. The designers could have reduced some of its perceived negativity among sartorialists by making it a solid color on some goods.

As for the actual goods, I purchased two ties and a pair of shorts when the line first came out in early February, though I ended up returning them.

The shorts, a light blue oxford cotton model, were returned because I realized I wouldn't be able to wear them until May or June (Michigan's spring climate is notoriously unreliable). Nevertheless, I did like the styling, especially the side tabs, and the quality seems to be fairly decent.

I have mixed feelings when it comes to the ties. The styling is impressive -- its my look, but the quality is so-so. I purchased two of the club ties with heraldic crests (oddly, these ties aren't shown on the JC Penney website, so I can't show you what I bought). I wore one of them -- a blue and light blue striped model with shield crests -- and the bottom started to fray after only a day of wearing. Some of the ties seem to be of a higher quality than others, but it does seem the quality of silk and finishing isn't as high as J. Crew or even Land's End. JC Penney does have a great return policy and I returned them without trouble.

As for the other items, the styling and patterns is outstanding for the suits and sportcoats.

Perhaps I am nitpicking too much for this price-point in the market, especially when you consider most of the American Living items have consistently been on sale for a month now, but some of the goods are a bit expensive at full price for items made in China and Indonesia. I like the narrow lapels, but as a shorter man (5 feet, 7 inches) I would prefer more two-button jackets. Side vents would also have been a good option. Another downside is the pre-hemmed trousers with rather short cuffs. I spoke with one of the long-time salesmen at the Saginaw store (the only JC Penney's store with the full range of offerings from all of the brands in central or northern Michigan) and he was disappointed that the trousers were pre-hemmed. He did say most of the customers have been positive, and the store's outsourced tailor remarked the quality of the fabric and tailoring was amongst Penney's best in years.

I don't care for the dress shirts -- I don't like the quality of the cotton for that price. The other items found in sportswear section (halfway across the Saginaw store because JC Penney hasn't decided if it wants to have an American Living boutique with everything together or scatter the goods across the store) were also impressive and a much-needed sight at JC Penney. I liked the chinos -- the quality seemed good, though the fit might not flatter people with a little extra weight around the waist. I was disappointed the sport shirts were sized small, medium and large, though a one of the gingham checked long sleeve models had a nice spread collar that appeared nearly identical to Ralph Lauren's regent collar. The saleswoman in this department didn't know how fit was nor did she know the neck and sleeve length for medium (which is normally my size).

I have no doubt this will prove to be a strong brand for JC Penney, and hopefully it will only be one of several makeovers for the store. It would be nice to see more changes, as I think a sizable segment of the market would shop there if there were more American Living-like offerings. In the long run, I do think the brand will suffer if JC Penney doesn't do a better job at ensuring the availability of at least basic items at all stores. I went into one of the smaller Penney stores and an employee told me she's had a couple people a day come in and ask about American Living, but they left disappointed when they found out it wouldn't be carried until the old discontinued lines had been sold off.

Overall, the American Living brand is a good start. Perhaps a few of the Penney design people will read this and consider some of my thoughts for tweaks in future seasons. I will definitely be back to consider purchasing some of the goods when the weather is warmer and I begin looking at summer clothing for this year.

*One more thing that I forgot to mention in my original post: It would be interesting to compare many of the American Living items to the Chaps brand. Some of the offerings appear to be very similar.*


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## joeyzaza (Dec 9, 2005)

The ties are pretty nice. They have some solids and repps that look pretty good. The width is thin, but not too thin.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

joeyzaza said:


> The ties are pretty nice. They have some solids and repps that look pretty good. The width is thin, but not too thin.


I concur. The ties look good, but as I pointed out in my review:



> I have mixed feelings when it comes to the ties. The styling is impressive -- its my look, but the quality is so-so. I purchased two of the club ties with heraldic crests (oddly, these ties aren't shown on the JC Penney website, so I can't show you what I bought). I wore one of them -- a blue and light blue striped model with shield crests -- and the bottom started to fray after only a day of wearing. Some of the ties seem to be of a higher quality than others, but it does seem the quality of silk and finishing isn't as high as J. Crew or even Land's End. JC Penney does have a great return policy and I returned them without trouble.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I purchased an American Living black/white houndstooth sport coat for $139 last week and am extremely pleased with it. 

I thought the American Living suits were also an excellent buy. I think they are currently priced at $209; however, they only come with pleated pants. While my tailor can easily remove the pleats, the cost of this alteration pushes the price of the suit up. Besides I'm retired and don't wear suits that often these days anyway. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

If nothing else they get points for using a Allison Krauss song in their ads.


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

Thom Browne's Schooldays said:


> If nothing else they get points for using a Allison Krauss song in their ads.


Yes, especially one written by John Prine and sung with Robert Plant. I never paid any attention until I heard that track. Somebody at their ad agency has good taste in music.

I may check out their swimsuits (in person) to see how obnoxious the logo is.

Scott


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## JordanW (Jan 8, 2007)

joeyzaza said:


> The ties are pretty nice. They have some solids and repps that look pretty good. The width is thin, but not too thin.


The website advertises 4". If they were to shave about a half inch off I would consider them.

https://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.asp...=https://www.jcpenney.com/products/C55631.jsp


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

hockeyinsider said:


> Overall, I have been impressed with the way the American Living brand has been rolled out, and I really like the commercials and soundtrack. As a public relations practitioner (in addition to being a full-time student), I'm completely taken in by the ad spots. They remind me of classic Americana -- I get a warm feeling and begin thinking about my childhood in a small middle-class community with thoughts of baseball, apple pie and the Fourth of July.


Me too, don't know if I'll ever buy any of their clothes, but I do like their commercials.

Brian


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## joeyzaza (Dec 9, 2005)

JordanW said:


> The website advertises 4". If they were to shave about a half inch off I would consider them.
> 
> https://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.asp...=https://www.jcpenney.com/products/C55631.jsp


The website appears to be incorrect. There is no way the ties I saw in the store are 4" ties. I ususally wear the regular BB ties and these are slightly thinner.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

Naval Gent said:


> I may check out their swimsuits (in person) to see how obnoxious the logo is.


I was in JC Penney yesterday and they had some nice American Living swim trunks in a variety of styles. They weren't too bad in terms of logo placement.


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## enecks (Apr 25, 2007)

joeyzaza said:


> The website appears to be incorrect. There is no way the ties I saw in the store are 4" ties.


I noticed the 4" on the website as well. Having seen the ties in person, I'm reasonably certain that's a mistake on the website.


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

hockeyinsider said:


> I was in JC Penney yesterday and they had some nice American Living swim trunks in a variety of styles. They weren't too bad in terms of logo placement.


Checked them out this afternoon and was happy to see there was a sewn-on label and not an embroidered logo. I got the green plaid suit, and quickly dispatched the label. It's worth $30.00, I think. Off to Florida tomorrow.

Scott


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

I've yet to check out the men's stuff, but I will say the women's stuff is a godsend. My wife and I went shopping this afternoon for an Easter dress for her, something simple and classic, and came up empty at Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Banana Republic, White House Black Market, Ann Taylor Loft, and Dillards. Then we stroll into JC Penney and they've got 3 great dresses on the mannequins as you walk in, and a host of other classics in the dress section. It's ridiculous how hard it is to find simple, classic women's clothing.


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## ComboOrgan (Aug 28, 2006)

PSA: there are clearance prices right now on some decent trad stuff in the American Living line at JCP. I picked up an unlined cotton 3/2 khaki jacket for only $33 today. They had nice cotton blazers and madras jackets also, for about the same price.

The fellow at the register told me the American Living line is made by RL.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

Ohh, they had an OK looking unstructrured navy blue cotton jacket that would be a nice budget alternative to Press'.


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## Reddington (Nov 15, 2007)

Thom Browne's Schooldays said:


> Ohh, they had an OK looking unstructrured navy blue cotton jacket that would be a nice budget alternative to Press'.


Yes, they do and it's actually quite nice. 3/2 roll, 2 patch / flap pockets and one patch pocket. Darted though. 

Picked one up the other day for under $30. However, they only come in S, M, L, & XL, so some alternations may be necessary, thus pushing up your total cost. Still, a good buy though. Just be careful not to buy the blue jacket with the gigantic logo on the chest pocket. :icon_smile_wink:


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

Reddington said:


> Yes, they do and it's actually quite nice. 3/2 roll, 2 patch / flap pockets and one patch pocket. Darted though.
> 
> Picked one up the other day for under $30. However, they only come in S, M, L, & XL, so some alternations may be necessary, thus pushing up your total cost. Still, a good buy though. Just be careful not to buy the blue jacket with the gigantic logo on the chest pocket. :icon_smile_wink:


Just went and picked one up!
Don't mind the darts all that much (not one of the first things I look at in a coat), but the double darts are a bit much.

The "M" wasn't too bad, a bit full in the chest. It was short on me but 1) I prefer shorter jackets anyways and 2) I think a casual coat like this looks better on the shorter side. Sleeves a bit long too but "eh". Maybe should have hunted down a small.

Still, $34 is 10% of what I would have paid for the one at Press (though press did have 36Rs...)

Got a good look at the rest of the AL stuff too.
Surprisingly not terrible, the pants and shots are all useless because of that gaudy eagle on the back, but there were some nice shirts sans-eagle and a few with the embroidery on the pocket (remove the pocket and presto!).


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## Graft (Apr 7, 2008)

I got a pair of American Living flat front pants that are pretty nice. No eagle logo, just a small square label above the rear pocket a la RL. I don't know if I'll keep the label despite it being pretty unobtrusive. Cost me $15 with a sale coupon.


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## Zot! (Feb 18, 2008)

dpihl said:


> I can forgive the spread collar, and also the lack of choices for "golf" (club) or "tennis" (plain point) collars. But barrel cuffs in contrasting fabric?
> 
> Ewwwww!


I found that to be one of the most annoying trends in men's fashion of the '90s, NBC's Tom Brokaw being a frequent and conspicuous offender. On the same network, Conan O'Brien typified another: shirts in neon shades of blue, orange or green with matching ties. Unfortunately, this one refuses to disappear.


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## fruityoaty (Jan 18, 2008)

I had caught the blue unconstructed jacket on clearance too. It's certainly worth $30. My problem is I'm reluctant to get the sleeves taken up because it doubles the price. Maybe I'll just roll the sleeves up and try to start a trend.

I looked at their other offerings, but the ubiquitous giant logo was a turnoff for most of it.


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## Helvetia (Apr 8, 2008)

The only blazer I saw had a giant eagle on the breast pocket...are there some without?


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## fruityoaty (Jan 18, 2008)

Helvetia said:


> The only blazer I saw had a giant eagle on the breast pocket...are there some without?


Yes, there is an unconstructed chino blazer without the logo.

https://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.as...ttrtype=&attrvalue=&CmCatId=55617|55618|55625


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## Reddington (Nov 15, 2007)

Helvetia said:


> The only blazer I saw had a giant eagle on the breast pocket...are there some without?


Yes, but it was not prominently displayed in the JCP I visited. So, you'll have to search around for it. I found it on the 60% off rack. Also, I see online it's on sale for $49.99, but in the store it's $39.99 & 60% off that. Not a bad deal at all.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

$16!

That's insane.

I might go back and try and find some un-logoed pants there now.


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## ComboOrgan (Aug 28, 2006)

I don't recall seeing anything for $16. At my local store, the listed "regular price" was $100, and at 60% off it was $40. There was an additional $7 off for the clearance price.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

that unstructured chino blazer is a steal.


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## thomj513 (Apr 7, 2006)

It's a nice product line. Don't know how long it will last considering the short life of the JCP authentic khakis from a couple of seasons ago that have disappeared. I bought a pair of the patch madras shorts which are fairly well fabricated. They're not worth the "retail price" but with on-going sale price combined with a store coupon discount and putting it on your Penney's card, which I promptly pay in store as soon as the transaction is complete, they are a decent value. Got mine for about $20.00 after all the discounting was done. Agree about the large logo print on some of the jackets, shirts and pants; don't care for that at all. However, some of the items aren't imprinted that way. Don't know what the reasoning is there. Only time will tell how well this product line develops or dies off in favor of another new fad.


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

I picked up one last night, as well. The jacket was marked down to $39.99 (from $100), then an additional 20% off brought it to $32. The sleeves are long, so I'll have to figure out what to do with those, but it's a good price. Ought to work well when a jacket is a needed but even a blazer is too formal.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

Went back for a closer look, some nice tissue weight, logoless chinos (cuffed!)-$14.
They also had some nice logoless shorts, seersucker and Madras- $16 (I'm cutting back on the madras so no dice).


upon examination, the cuff of the unstructured sportcoat could VERY easily be converted to one with working buttons and button holes.
All you would have to do would be; take off the buttons, pull 1" of stitching off, rip out the button holes, re-sew buttons and restitch.


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## fruityoaty (Jan 18, 2008)

^ Funny, I had the same thought. Cheap clothes tend to encourage my inner amateur tailor.


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## nringo (Oct 5, 2007)

This sounds like a great deal; I'm making a trip to JCP tonight to check it out. Even if it needs some alterations its going to be so much cheaper than any of the alternatives.


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## nringo (Oct 5, 2007)

Wow, quite a deal. Picked up the blazer, a pair of madras shorts (logo-less) and a shirt (logo-less and actually is pretty much identical to a Polo one I saw at Bloomingdales) for about $60. The blazer was I think $31, then they gave me 15% off (I mentioned having a coupon code for 20% off which they couldn't give me but at least gave me that).


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

They're $14.99 now...


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## SuitUP (Feb 8, 2008)

Over the past week or so I have been to JCP three times. For what I use the clothes for, I like the AL line a lot! I could go to BB in the same mall and get similar items but for much more money (admittedly better quality). I get business and dress clothes from BB but for something more casual I'd rather spend less money and AL fits that need pretty well.

For instance, we are having a guys weekend and the activities include grilling, fire pits, golf (I did get my golf outfits at BB though) and swimming. I want something that is casual yet something I still look good in. The logo is somewhat large but I like it, what's more American than old glory & an American eagle.

I found some good items, a navy pima cotton v-neck sweater for $30, some casual nantucket reds for $30 and even a sturdy beach bag for $8.50. I looked every where for swim trunks that weren't really long and expensive ($60 for the koala bear trunks at BB) and I found a beautiful pair of AL plaid swim trunks for $16. https://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.as...ttrtype=&attrvalue=&CmCatId=55617|55618|55627.

I am going back after work to get the madras beach bags for my sister & mom for birthday & thank you presents. I wouldn't buy the items at full price but on sale I they work for me.


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

Does anyone know if the chinos have an alterable waist band. The smalles size they come in is 32. I take a 30 or 31. 

Thanks


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## radisri (Dec 12, 2003)

I picked up a Madras shirt a few weeks ago for $14 and carefully removed the pocket with the eagle logo. Its been washed a couple of times cannot even tell there was a pocket there to begin with.


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

Thom Browne's Schooldays said:


> Went back for a closer look, some nice tissue weight, logoless chinos (cuffed!)-$14.
> They also had some nice logoless shorts, seersucker and Madras- $16 (I'm cutting back on the madras so no dice).
> 
> upon examination, the cuff of the unstructured sportcoat could VERY easily be converted to one with working buttons and button holes.
> All you would have to do would be; take off the buttons, pull 1" of stitching off, rip out the button holes, re-sew buttons and restitch.


I went over to my local Penny's and bought one of the Navy blazers for $15 I couldn't believe it was that cheap. They had a nice madras blazer that was $50 but I'll hold out until it drops to $15 :icon_smile_big:

They had lots of really nice shirts. All of them had the logo. I really liked the chinos but they were all 32W. It looks like they didn't have an alterable waist. Oh well , can't win them all.


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

Reddington said:


> Yes, they do and it's actually quite nice. 3/2 roll, 2 patch / flap pockets and one patch pocket. Darted though.
> 
> Picked one up the other day for under $30. However, they only come in S, M, L, & XL, so some alternations may be necessary, thus pushing up your total cost. Still, a good buy though. Just be careful not to buy the blue jacket with the gigantic logo on the chest pocket. :icon_smile_wink:


I bought the M the other day. It fits perfect except for the sleeve length. It looks like it was made for someone with a 34" sleeve. Even after paying for alterations, it's still a deal. They were originally $100

Do any of their shirts not have the logo? I like the way the look but can't stand that eagle.


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## dwebber18 (Jun 5, 2008)

Yeah that eagle is a little big for my tastes, but they do appear to be some good clothes. I enjoy the styles


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

I think the "dress" shirts are sans eagle, some of the casual shirts have the eagle on the pocket and removing the pocket is a fairly easy operation.


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

wnh said:


> I picked up one last night, as well. The jacket was marked down to $39.99 (from $100), then an additional 20% off brought it to $32. The sleeves are long, so I'll have to figure out what to do with those, but it's a good price. Ought to work well when a jacket is a needed but even a blazer is too formal.


The sleeves are very long. I'm a 15 33 in my dress shirts and the sleeves hit me at the second joint on my thumb. I took it to the tailor yesterday. They are going to shorten the sleeves but I'll loose a button. I didin't feel like paying to have a new button and hole put on just to say I had 4. My total cost for the jacket and tailoring is still under $35m which is a steal.


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

^ I've not decided what to do with mine yet. There's enough material below the bottom button that I think I can turn under the excess material, tack it, and have the jacket still look okay. It'll be something worn casually, so I'm not too concerned about it.


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## nringo (Oct 5, 2007)

I have the blue one and the khaki color; still haven't gotten around to taking them into a tailor. How much $ am I looking at to get the sleeves shortened?


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

nringo said:


> I have the blue one and the khaki color; still haven't gotten around to taking them into a tailor. How much $ am I looking at to get the sleeves shortened?


They told me about $20 for the sleeves. I haven't had that mod done in years so, I don't know if that's expensive or not.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=84836


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

The sleeves are a bit long on my chino jacket, but I'm thinking of just making the cuff buttons functional (really easy on this coat) and them"cuffing" the cuff back and pressing into place...or not.


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## nringo (Oct 5, 2007)

hockeyinsider said:


> https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=84836


Yeah I wouldn't think to buy one of the wool suits from American Living; but the khaki sportcoat is pretty solid quality, especially for the price.


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## Asterix (Jun 7, 2005)

Saw a bunch of shirts, ties and pants on sale for $19.99 at JCP's outlet store a few minutes ago.


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