After five years as men’s creative director at J.Crew, Brendon Babenzien is leaving the brand to focus on Noah, his own NYC-based label. Over the course of his tenure at the legendary American retailer, Babenzien managed to nod to the tastes of hard-boiled menswear enthusiasts and translate them to the masses—educating everyday shoppers on the virtues of tweed blazers, pleated trousers, and, yes, pants that don’t taper like an ice cream cone. He brought back the iconic oarsman logo, revived the Wallace & Barnes sub-label, and helped open the new men’s flagship store on Bond Street, complete with a coffee bar and the occasional celebrity sit-down.
J.Crew has yet to announce a replacement, and we don’t expect Babenzien’s legacy to be erased from its archives—or its store shelves—any time soon. In case you’re worried, though, here are 5 defining pieces we’d familiarize yourself with from his run at J.Crew, a period that left the mass-market stalwart sharper, looser, and far more interesting than how he found it.
The Genuinely Viral Chinos…
When J.Crew finally hoists the Giant-Fit chinos into the rafters like the jersey of a retired NBA great, Kenny Loggins’ “This Is It” should be blaring on the speakers. In the last five years, I can count on one hand the menswear releases that have truly gone viral from a brand of J.Crew’s size—and this one isn’t just on the list, it’s fighting for the top spot. Turns out, all it took to get the mil-spec purists foaming at the mouth was a straight-from-the-archives silhouette, a sturdy 8.5-oz. cotton twill, and a duo of proper sewn cuffs. I’d say they deserve a slow clap, but they’re still selling like hotcakes five years after debuting. The applause feels implied.
…and the Oxford Shirt to Match
J.Crew
Giant-Fit Oxford Shirt
Think of the Giant-Fit Oxford as a direct byproduct of the Giant-Fit chino—a couple of pant legs widen, and suddenly guys across the country are reevaluating the proportions of their entire closets. Most vintage Oxfords were cut roomier to begin with, designed to tuck cleanly into loose, languorous khakis exactly like the ones J.Crew made in the ‘90s. So when the brand brought the bigger silhouette back, it wasn’t entirely a gamble—and its success wasn’t entirely a surprise. You can thank Babenzien and his team for the glut of similarly-proportioned shirts on the market right now.