Legends never die, at least in the pantheon of the menswear world and its many greatest hits across the past 15 or so years: Take Wallace & Barnes, the workwear and Americana-inspired, in-house brand at J. Crew, which is now roaring back to life in a thoughtfully curated new collection.
The 2011 debut of Wallace & Barnes marked J. Crew’s first proper entry into tried-and-true workwear staples, while vintage uniforms and 1950s workwear staples remain key sources of inspiration in the retooled lineup. “We were inspired by New York City in the 1950s—a time when people knew their neighbors and things were made to last,” said J. Crew Creative Director Brendon Babenzien. “That’s the core of the Wallace & Barnes ethos: Building innately stylish pieces that defy passing trends.”
And while Wallace & Barnes pieces dotted J. Crew collections throughout the years, there hadn’t been as much variety or depth available in recent times… until now, naturally. In its heyday, Wallace & Barnes spoke to the J. Crew ethos of classically inspired menswear pieces with a fresh twist.
J. Crew, after all, did help reinvent accessible tailoring for the modern man with its razor-sharp Ludlow line of suiting, and at the same time gave well-dressed modern guys some seriously stylish yet more easygoing options in the way of expertly faded denim, perfectly cut chinos, chambray shirts and business-casual-approved cotton polos and Oxford shirting — like a less stuffy, much cooler version of venerable American retailer Brooks Brothers, perhaps.
And for the man who preferred more rugged flair, there was Wallace & Barnes: Meticulously crafted outerwear, hunting coats, burly sweaters, flannel-lined chinos and even vintage-style faded T-shirts dotted the W&B lineup. The new collection hues closely to that same vision, without veering too far into the “urban lumberjack” territory, and that’s a great thing for the guy who values a sense of easygoing, roguish appeal in his clothes (without overthinking it, of course).
The collection leans into heritage style all around, led handsomely by a collaborative Schott NYC x Wallace & Barnes leather Harrington jacket, bridging the gap between the British subtlety of the Harrington jacket silhouette and the devil-may-care appeal of Schott’s wildly tough leathers.
A series of wool cable-knit sweaters would make Hemingway proud, while classic cotton chinos and thermal base layers deliver both form and function day in and day out. A hefty, handsome baseball cardigan and a suede elbow-patch sweater are envy-inducing, and only missing a brisk autumn morning or a cool winter’s night with a dram of whiskey in hand. The new Wallace & Barnes collection also includes leather belts by Brooklyn tastemakers Maximum Henry, while a series of dependable workshirts round out the layering potential of the collection in proud, sturdy fashion.
Just in time for fall layering aplenty, the new Wallace & Barnes collection is available now online at J. Crew and in select stores starting at $55. It’s built from the ground up with pieces that the brand says are “built to last and be handed down to the next generation.” Like welcoming back an old friend after a long time away, menswear fans should be glad to have Wallace & Barnes firmly back in the mix at J. Crew.
