Suit of the Week: J.Crew
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For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional. Also: we just updated our big roundup for the best women's suits of 2025!
Wow: we haven't seen this in a while… the shrunken blazer, aka the schoolboy blazer. I'm so fascinated to see it return! I always liked the style, and you could often find it at J.Crew Factory in both a cotton and sweater knit, but the shrunken-blazer-with-collar has all but disappeared from many other suiting stores.
(Reader favorite Going Out blazer was always a bit of a close fit, but because it's collarless I often think of it in its own category.)
What are your thoughts: yea or nay?
J.Crew is offering the shrunken blazer in navy and black in a bi-stretch cotton blend for $248 new (marked down today to $199). The blazer comes in sizes 000-24, 00P-12P, and 2T-20T; the matching pants have a slight flare around the ankle.
Looking for something similar? Definitely check J.Crew Factory, as noted above. On the pricier side, this classic blazer from Smythe has a very fitted look, and L'Agence often has blazers and sweater blazers with a shrunken fit.
Sales of note for 2/7/25:
- Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
- Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
- Boden – 15% off new season styles
- Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
- J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
- Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+
Is the fashion cycle getting much shorter, or is J Crew just out of touch? It seems like only two or three years ago that we were getting rid of our shrunken blazers and replacing them with giant grandpa blazers.
I think the fashion cycle is getting much shorter. But I also think that for a lot of women, because the fashion cycle is getting shorter, closets are less trend-sensitive – for example, I have ankle pants and flares and baggy jeans and wide leg jeans and boot cut jeans all in my closet simultaneously. (No skinnies because I never liked them!)
This feels like a classic cut to me, one that you could wear anytime regardless of trends.
No, shrunken is not classic. It may seem classic to you because it was the look when you were entering the workforce.
Agreed, this blazer looks fresh out of 2007.
In fairness, “shrunken” on a 5’10” model is a properly proportioned blazer for many women.
I’m 5’10” and per the poster above, 2007 was a tough time for me.
I guess that didn’t read as “shrunken” to me, but whatevs. It still looks better than the grandpa blazer!
To my eye it would look more proportionate (and classic) if the first button was removed and the stance was lowered to the second button.
As a short person, I refuse to wear the loose, long blazers that have been thrown at me for the last year or so. The proportions are wrong for me even in petite sizing. I look like I’m playing dress up in Mommy’s clothes, or like some sort of professional cosplay clown. I just ordered this suit in navy and am grateful for the link.
Lol, same. Short in general, but my crazy short torso means most crop tops cover my stomach completely with a bit to spare. The long tshirt hems of the 2000s did me, my short torso and my wide hips no favors.
Yes! I’m very short with a short torso and I love cropped/shrunken blazers because they look normal and cute on me.
I would call this fitted, not shrunken.
The retailer calls it shrunken.
My (very liberal) husband and I made an interesting observation the other day while trying a network TV show my mom had recommended – it was FULL of what the right would call “DEI hires”. Lots of boxes checked, sometimes multiple boxes checked in one character — the goth lesbian Black police chief. We started thinking about all of the mainstream network TV shows that do this — all the CSI/Law and Order type shows, often with a central character who is a white male. In other words, shows our grandparents are watching are having DEI shoved down their throat in a clumsy, non nuanced way. We primarily watch streaming shows (HBO/Netflix/Prime) and it was an interesting contrast.
I mostly watch streaming shows too, but I don’t think they’re all that different, though in the last few years they’ve become somewhat more likely to actually star someone who isn’t white. But other common tv/movie tropes are the Black female judge and therapist and the Black or Asian best friend. Those have been around since the 90s at least, it isn’t a new woke thing.
Agreed. There’s a lot of token-ism on streaming too. Most recent streaming show I watched was Sex Lives of College Girls which was about a group of four college friends: one Indian-American, one Black, two white and one of the white girls was a lesbian. Then the lesbian character’s actress left the show, so (spoiler alert) they had another character come out as bi.
All-white shows like SATC and Friends feel pretty dated to me now.
I mean, pictures of my freshman dorm hallmates looked like Benetton ads from the 80s.
Yeah, I just watched that show too, and I was also thinking of another another Mindy Kaling show, Never Have I Ever. But I also think that’s genuinely representative of the generation they’re portraying. I’m in my 40s, but I’m a professor, and my classroom is at least half not white, and it would be weird for a show about the sex lives of college girls in 2025 to be only about straight women.
I think the larger point is that people 60+ think it’s a DEI hire when white people aren’t at the center because they grew up in primarily white spaces and people 30 under have not. Gen Z is the last white majority generation (with 50% white). Pop culture has changed because society has. My grandparents wouldn’t have expected to see cultural diversity because of Jim Crow. We should in fact see fewer white main characters not because of DEI but because we will soon be living in a non-white majority country.
+1
The majority non-white country is the real thing behind all the anti-DEI stuff I think. They feel threatened because they might not be the majority anymore.
+1
Also what’s with the “shoved down their throat” phrasing? I’ve never heard anyone say that except when talking about diversity in media. It sounds so gross. And it makes no sense — no one is forcing anyone to watch these TV shows (I don’t want them! For other reasons).
That’s what I say to my parents all the time! There are way more options than they ever had with 3 networks or even basic cable.
This also was a surprise twist to me. The cast include various identities as supporting to a White protagonist – how is the mere visibility of these characters ‘shoving DEI down their throats ‘? That’s quite a jump.
I think this is very true. I grew up in an almost-entirely-white suburb in the 90s and my parents were still thrown by the smattering of Asian and Black people in our orbit. Now I live in Los Angeles and when they visit, they seem overwhelmed by the number of non-white people (even though I live in a ritzy area that’s pretty white by LA standards).
No show is worse for tokenism than the Sex and the City reboot. It’s apologizing for the all-white primary cast of the original show in the most ham handed way.
I raise you The Wheel of Time.
The books are very descriptive of different cultures, and the Amazon series was all but impossible to follow because characters whose whole storyline was woven through with descriptions of their appearance (and some of those descriptions were material to the plot) were cast as completely different races in the series. It’s inclusivity to a ridiculous level. Like, the insular community that hasn’t seen a non-incestuous romance in generations because literally everyone is cousins being portrayed by dozens of divergent and different multi-ethnic actors just doesn’t make sense.
I will be up all night wondering what the deal is with the secret cloak and dagger art purchase from this morning’s thread. That’s all.
Yes. Pls post an update or even imagined back story.
I, too, enjoyed all the imagined backstories.
Imagined backstory: OP is a college friend of the artist, who is the most famous alumna of the college’s art program. OP is asked to chair a committee formed by the college to honor the artist as part of the university’s 100th anniversary celebration for its art program. She secretly purchases a large work to be hung in the foyer of the art building. The committee invites the artist to be the guest speaker at an event, during which they surprise the artist by unveiling her painting in its place of honor.
That is a lovely story, Anonymous at 3:02. You are a person with sparkles inside.
Usually we don’t keep secrets based on joy though outside of close family. Artists at that level deal with legit shippers and insurance.
My guess is that OP knows the artist but stole her boyfriend after buying two pieces and wants to complete a triptych now that that boyfriend is out of the picture.
That would be satisfying. But it’s not the story.
LOL!
Me too!
My guess: it’s a friend or family member she wants to support but doesn’t want them to know that their first big sale is to a loved one.
Like they wouldn’t see it though?
Maybe to give it to someone else?
There have been commenters here before who have mentioned their fiction writing. I hope somebody can use this as the basis for a fun novel or short story!
Seriously!
I missed all the comments on the art purchase thing. There’s much less intrigue than folks imagined. And my use of “ghost buyer” as opposed to “straw buyer” is just evidence of a lack of sophistication in this world.
The piece isn’t commissioned, and it isn’t by a known artist. The artist is a relative of my ex. I got divorced 10 years ago. I first saw the painting almost 20 years ago, and I’ve not stopped thinking about it. I’m getting a partner office at my firm, and I now have a suitable place to hang it. I’ve always wanted it and, specifically, wanted it in my partner office. But there’s no way to buy it without my ex thinking the purchase is about him–evidence of my still carrying some kind of torch. I don’t want my ex to know I am buying the painting, because it is very much NOT about him, so I can’t let the artist know I’m buying the painting.
hahah thank you! This commenter got pretty close… :)
https://corporette.com/tuckernuck-carlton-pants/#comment-4655700
Yes they did!
Yes! There is no deception of my romantic partner here (or my law partners). They all know the story and think it’s a great caper.
Also, I can assure you that this transaction isn’t going to give rise to any CTRs. Not enough money, though that would be nice. Nor is the “ghost” buyer receiving any remuneration (beyond, perhaps, a nice flower arrangement when we’re done). But I agree it would be a fun gig if one could find the market! She is a friend-of-a-friend, someone I met recently whom my ex doesn’t know. No NDA, either–she’s just in it for the fun. But she works in the art world and has particular interest and expertise in this style of art, so she could credibly inquire about buying a painting based on a listing on a website that hasn’t been updated in 9 years.
I love everything about this!
That was me!!!
(Happy dance)
Thank you for the clarification. I will freely admit to “a lack of sophistication in this world,” if “this world” is the art world.
I’m glad you are getting the picture of your dreams in your fabulous new office!
I love that you’re finally getting this piece you’ve had on your mind! Congratulations!
Congrats on making partner!
This is exciting, and it totally makes sense!
And I guess this situation just shows that the world is not as full of intrigue as we imagine.
UNLESS this is exactly the post an art forger/destroyer/thief/stalker would make to hide her tracks…..
Ohhh…the plot thickens. Now our nascent novel moved into the cozy mystery genre.
Congrats and get insurance for the replacement cost. Otherwise, you could get the cost of a new canvas (which is actually expensive). The bill of lading and address may out you so be careful with that.
I have another friend in town who’s accepting the delivery to avoid the bill of lading issue.
I came really close!! I said it was a family member of your current guy’s ex.
This is awesome!
Shades of Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain. Crank it up and enjoy your new art!
WWYD? Someone in my office reeks of weed. IDK if they are smoking si much at home it has seeped into their clothes. Surely not on smoke breaks. It isn’t legal here. IDK what an office visitor would think but it was obvious when nearby. We don’t do surgery or air traffic control but could mess up wire transfers and money, things like that. Or people have to trust that we wint mess this up.
If you’re in a financial institution and you think someone might be using drugs inappropriately I think you should report it via your hotline or say something to your manager or HR to cover yourself (and your customers).
It could even be that a roommate is smoking at home and it seeped into their clothes. One of the worst things about that smell is how it gets into things and lingers.
I would deal with it like any other unpleasant office odor. Which is to say do nothing unless it’s creating a problem for you. And generally the do something approach is for you to move somewhere away from the offender. The solution will probably make your life more difficult not theirs.
And don’t get me wrong, I feel you on this. I’m pregnant so my nose is off the charts rn I had to leave the room recently when someone came to talk to me after taking a (cig) smoke break. The odor was so strong I was choking and removing myself seemed less rude/dramatic than reacting in front of them (not that I should’ve felt badly, I guess, since it was a salesperson in a baby store of all places, but still). Yesterday I had to turn my chair away from the person sitting next to me in a meeting because she’d just sprayed hairspray and I couldn’t stop sneezing/my nose was running nonstop and I had to sit next to her for presentation purposes. Basically sat with my back to her as much as possible or held my breath when facing her. For better or worse, when you’re the one with the problem, it’s kind of on you to fix it.
Is it just today or every day? If it’s just once, I wouldn’t worry about it, but a repeated issue is more of a concern. Reminds me of a guy I worked with years ago who smelled terribly of skunk one day. Everyone was politely trying to ignore it until he started telling us about how his dog got sprayed by a skunk that morning and then admitted that maybe some had gotten on him too, at which point everyone told him yes, maybe it had! And for anyone wondering, in this case, the smell was definitely skunk, which were very common in our area, and this guy was just the kind of guy who was clueless enough to not notice he reeked of skunk until he’d been at work for several hours!
It was probably smell blindness rather than cluelessness. If his dog really reeked, he likely wasn’t capable of smelling it on himself after smelling it on his dog!
Yeah, absolutely a fair point! And when I call him clueless, I don’t mean it in a bad way, I’m smiling thinking about it now. It was funny!
It is funny; I’ve seen people do this before too. Next comes all the advice about tomato juice!
Maybe give them a quiet heads up that they smell of it. They might not know and maybe wouldn’t want to get fired because of it. Couch it on those terms, that you don’t want them to draw the wrong attention, you’re just looking out for them. That would be my first step.
I was really excited about this until I saw the measurements for the sleeve length. Even in the petite sizes, the sleeve length is more than my inseam! So much for shrunken.
Advice on how to get a person with dementia symptoms to get evaluated by their doctor? My mom’s longterm BF (30 years) has always had these “glitches” or loops where he just sort of checks out. I’m not sure how to describe it. Like, if he’s hanging a picture, he will continue to hammer nails into the wall one after another until he “wakes up.” He is completely unresponsive until he snaps out of it. This has been going on for years and my mom thought it was an alcoholism byproduct. He stopped drinking maybe 5 years ago. Recently he’s been having more of these glitches and also memory lapses. He’ll make multiple trips to the store because he forgot what he was supposed to get once he gets there, even though he has a list. He gets agitated if she brings it up or if you try to interrupt him during his glitches. His mom had Alzheimer’s.
I’m worried about his and my mom’s safety. She doesn’t drive much and relies on him to drive her. I don’t think he should be driving if he’s having neurological issues. My mom wants to go to the doctor with him to make sure the doctor knows about this (BF says he tells the doctor and she said it’s nbd but that’s obviously a lie) but he won’t let her come/lies about when his appointments are. They’re not married and she will not marry him. Does she have any options here?
When the situation was getting dire with my father, I called his doctor between appointments to talk about the situation. I don’t know if you can do this with any doctor, or if it helped that it’s a relatively small town. But I’d have her do that. The doctor or nurse won’t be able to release health info to your mom, probably, but they can listen to your concerns.
Does he have other family? I have family / in-laws in a similar position- long term relationship but not married. The boyfriend reached out to the girlfriends’ adult kids. It took a lot because there were a lot of emotional issues.
Could your mom and her boyfriend sign any agreements while he is OK now, before things get worse? He could get her to be his POA or whatever. I wonder if part of his fear / discomfort with getting a diagnosis or even monitored is “what if she leaves me” and if your mom won’t marry him, does she want to stick around, and if so, how to show it, plan for it, get help, etc.
This sounds potentially dangerous, especially if he is driving your mother. What if he has a spell while driving? These could be tiny seizures, which is not uncommon in someone with a history of alcoholism who may have a lot of brain changes and possibly injury secondary to this.
She can try talking to him about it again, and be honest. She is afraid something is going on. What if they are small seizures and he has one while they are driving and they crash and hurt someone and themselves? What if it is something treatable? Better to know.
Yes, it sounds like he shouldn’t be driving.
It is up to your Mom to say that she doesn’t feel safe. And I have certainly reported directly to my father’s primary care doctor when he was having behavioral changes and I knew he wouldn’t bring it up himself. Doctor was great and got my Dad on the appropriate meds and referred him to a specialist.
And honestly, if he is developing dementia, it is better that she not marry him. She could become impoverished paying for his long term care. But if they aren’t married, he will qualify for Medicaid sooner and she can help supplement his needs, without losing everything.
You have probably already received advice to have her call the doctor ahead of time, but she should know there is a real risk that the doctor will tell BF, “Your girlfriend called me, and she said A, B and C.” Ask me how I know! And trust that it was not pretty.
This is a heavy handed approach, but most states allow you to report potentially unsafe drivers to the DMV, which will then re-evaluate their licensure. That would solve the part where he is a danger to others.
Obviously, I’d seriously weigh whether this was appropriate before deploying it.
At least in my state, this can be done confidentially.
Sounds like he may have focal seizures which are common with dementia. If he ever sees his doctor, it’s ok for her (or you) to call the doctor’s office ahead of time and pass on your concerns, even if he doesn’t want your mom there.