values

Every company has "The Code".  No, not the secret code they use to talk about their supervisor behind his or her back and bash rival companies.  All companies have the Code of Ethics and Business Practice, how they run their company, what they value, and what they promise to give to you.  J. Crew is no different.

Although ethics and values may sound ambiguous and boring, they play an extremely important role in a company.  A person with no ethics may be willing to rob a bank, and a company with no values may be willing to rip you off.  J. Crew makes it very clear that they are not out to scam you, nor anybody else associated with their process. 

Sourcing is a huge part of J. Crew’s production.  From Italian leather to Australian wool, textiles and products from around the world end up in J. Crew stores across the country.  J. Crew is very aware that other countries’ employment laws are oftentimes less stringent, and they are very careful not to take advantage of this. 

J. Crew Hands Helping Haiti shirt-
100 percent of profits are donated
to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
J. Crew’s Code of Vendor Conduct, which touches on child labor, wages, hours of work, etc., explains the guidelines for their suppliers.  They also audit their suppliers, making sure that everyone is in line with their rules and helping suppliers fix the problem if they are not.

But why go through so much trouble?  Is it for cheaper goods?  No.  It is for the quality and craftsmanship that can only be found certain places.  Recently, Jenna Lyons, President and Executive Creative Director for J. Crew, and some of her staff traveled to Italy.  There they filmed a three-part documentary about why they go to Italy to design shoes, select fabrics, and make suits. 

When asked about why Italy, Lyons said, “At the end of the day there aren’t that many people actually making and taking the same care and quality and actually producing some of these fabrics. . . . That’s why we’re here.  Because we want to preserve and highlight and continue to actually support that kind of production.”

J. Crew also supports a variety of local and international organizations.  To see the organizations they are involved in, click here.

And that is their code.  Quality.  Integrity.  Social Responsibility.

Watch the documentaries here: About a Shoe  
                                                         About a Thread Count  
                                                         About a Print

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Aspiring writer. J. Crew fanatic.

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