The much-anticipated Madewell men’s collection is now available.
Madewell, a brand primarily known as a leader in women’s denim, has officially released a 38-piece capsule of men’s jeans, T-shirts and jackets. The collection was released concurrently on Madewell.com and through Nordstrom distribution channels.
The jeans and denim apparel takes center stage in the new collection, and men will be able to choose from three new fits when they shop for Madewell jeans: skinny, slim and straight. The brand said it crafted its denim to have “an old-school rigid look and a super-comfortable feel” with no break-in period necessary.
“Our goal was to make a wearable collection, rooted in denim,” Madewell president Libby Wadle said in a statement.“These are classic-meets-modern pieces that fit exactly the way our Madewell guy would want them to, in washes that only get better with age.”
Madewell’s skinny jeans are available in 28-36 waist with three inseam options at 30, 32 and 34 and with a 13-inch leg opening. The fit is extra skinny through the hip, thigh and leg—with a hint of stretch to guard against rigidity. Madewell describes its skinny jeans as “easy” and “a pleasant surprise.”
Featuring a larger 14.5-inch leg opening and with options for a slightly expanded waist (ranging from 28-40), the men’s slim jeans by Madewell are right down the middle. The hip and thigh of the straight remain fitted, while the leg is straight. The straight fit from Madewell has a roomy 15-inch leg opening and feature the same size options as the slim. Along with another straight leg, this style adds room in the hip and the thigh for a looser fit and higher wearability.
All three fits are available to Madewell men in 21 styles and retail starting at $115, which positions the brand as competitive among the premium denim category.
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According to Wadle, Madewell’s expansion into men’s wear came as a response to what it felt was an unfulfilled demand.
“As we expand the Madewell point of view into new categories, men’s was a logical step for the brand,” Wadle said. “After two years of incubation, we’re excited to bring our denim expertise and laid-back design sensibility to a new customer where there’s an opening and need in the market for premium quality jeans at an accessible price point.”
Madewell and parent organization J. Crew, have been actively involved in expanding their customer base in recent years. In February, Madewell expanded its size range to 23-35 for its women’s clothing. Now, the brand is bringing its experience and success in the women’s denim and apparel sector to men’s. J. Crew has also announced an expansion of its sizes, along with the upcoming rebrand by the heavily-leveraged company.
A mainstay in the American malls for decades, J. Crew has fallen on hard times. Madewell sales, on the other hand, were up 29 percent to $121.7 million in the second quarter of 2018 and up 28 percent, year-over-year.