A Headlong Dive.

I like lunch. I’ve yet to like a lunch box since my tin Batman version that came with a matching thermos. Since adolescence I’ve rocked the boring brown sack, the reused retail bag and the insulting insulated cooler. Thankfully that’s all coming to an end with the arrival of the Waskerd Lunch Box Tote. Coming in Simmental Brown, Angus Black and Hereford Red (seen above) and hand made in Manayunk, Philadelphia, my lunches are now living in leather. And while this leathery interpretation doesn’t boast an embossed Batman or come with a thermos, I’m back to packing my lunch with pride.

From Waskerd, “Handcrafted, hand-tailored, and hand-stitched from 100% top quality full-grain leather. Durable polyester thread with reinforced stitching at major stress points. Waskerd signature logo on the front and handles. Split shank leather handles are strong and comfortable. Perfect size for commuters. Outer Dimensions: 9″ tall x 8″ wide x 4.5″ deep. Made in America.”

Take a scroll through the photos and find more details at Waskerd.

- DJS

Quick, what shirt merges both nautical traditions of sailor and pirate? Too late, it’s this blue striped Reno shirt from WGACA. Just don’t try to pronounce the abbreviation Wa-Gahh-Ka. People will think you odd wearing mariner/marauder attire with such a strange name.

Find it at Stag.

- DJS

- DJS

Need Supply has teamed up with Alden to produce this exclusive blue suede beauty. You’ve always been a nonconformist with traditional taste in shoes. Now you can get that understated advantage coupled with a boho blue.

Only at Need Supply.

- DJS

An unstructured suit, made in the U.S. from washed Italian denim that comes in around $350. No other words necessary.

Get you ass over to Taylor Stitch.

- DJS

At some point in time we’ve all experienced poor customer service. Sooner or later we all have a run-in with an unhelpful store associate or cranky customer service representative but the way I see it, an unfavorable incident will rarely define my view of a brand. It’s what follows that demonstrates the caliber of a company. In other words, it’s the response to the unsatisfactory experience that determines whether or not I will remain a loyal customer or end up a disenchanted devotee.

Most of us are wise enough to know that the person behind the counter or at the call center doesn’t speak for the brand and even the best of us can have a bad day or be misunderstood. One person or one exchange rarely defines a brand’s image, unless it’s the person at the top. And with Mickey Drexler at the helm, that’s where J.Crew triumphs.

The above screen shot is from an email I received from J.Crew with the subject reading: “For a one-of-a-kind wedding plus, in stores & online, shop a Cardmembers-only sale.” Being a long time J.Crew card holder (because of such benefits) and having a summer wedding looming where I was in need of a specific suit, I thought it appropriate to take full advantage of the sale situation. To make a long story short, the discount code didn’t work and upon calling and speaking with a J.Crew associate, things went down hill quickly. After dismissing my concerns, stating they had no record of the email, I was referred to read the fine print, which states suiting being excluded from the sale. I was then told the worst words anyone in the customer service industry can utter, “there is nothing I can do about it.”

I felt misled, as the email I received at the very least suggested that such attire was indeed under the sale umbrella. I also didn’t appreciate the inference that I was misrepresenting their email communication, trying to pull a fast one just to save a few bucks. But ultimately it appeared I was wasting my time speaking to someone who not only didn’t seem interested in helping but suggested that they couldn’t even do so if they desired. With my customer service representatives hand’s effectively tied, I had to ask myself, “who in this company has the power to help me?” Not knowing where else to turn I sent a brief and explicit e-mail to J.Crew’s chairman and CEO, Mickey Drexler, simply stating what had transpired and alerting him to take a look at the emails being sent to customers, making sure they are more straightforward regarding such sale information. I wasn’t sure I’d hear back but at the very least, I wouldn’t be silent. 9:25 am, email sent.

At 9:29 am, I get a message back reading, “Thanks for sending- On it! Mickey.”

In a matter of 4 minutes flat, the chairman and CEO of J.Crew, Millard “Mickey” Drexler, managing a company with over 12,000 people, over 300 brick and mortar stores and revenues of somewhere around 1.7 billion had responded to a random customer’s concerns. Within an hour’s time I had a phone call from a J.Crew associate apologizing for the misunderstanding and offering the make good on the email’s promise. Obviously someone cares about J.Crew’s customer experience and that someone is Mickey Drexler.

If there is one point I would like to make clearly, it is this: it is not about the money. I could honestly give a damn about getting the discount. Fortunately in this stage of my life a few dollars wouldn’t delay me in procuring something as specialized as a suit, as it’s rarely a rewarding venture to scrimp on suiting. It was in the response that J.Crew reminded me that they care and in a globalized world where a man has more purchasing options than ever before, care is invaluable. Because Mickey cares, J.Crew cares.

Any Business 101 course will tell you that it costs five times as much to get a new customer as it does to keep an existing one. By mastering this simple principle, Mickey is not only revolutionizing J.Crew in terms of detail and design, but with emphasizing the customer experience. And granted, care is a relative term. At the end of the day, Mickey runs a company that is in the business of selling goods that make money. But it seems he realizes the important truth that all business is people business.

That’s why I continue to return to J.Crew. Of course they carry first-rate menswear that has a penchant for innovation with roots in the classic. Aesthetically, they’ve learned to go one step forward without going five, which makes their clothing infinitely wearable. But in this day and age of e-commerce, I can get that experience elsewhere. What I know I will get at J.Crew is that feeling of being taken care of along with quality garments. Typically this is the experience I have with any level of J.Crew associate; one of knowledge and care that emphasizes the customer experience. I’m sure I’ll have another misunderstanding with J.Crew at some point but it’s not about getting it right all the time, it’s about making it right. A company will undeniably reflect it’s leader. J.Crew cares because of Mickey Drexler.

Many thanks Mickey.

- DJS

Nike keeps throwing heat. This time their chukka’s showing up in a woven variety done in an understated beige. Such innovatory design juxtapose to the inconspicuous coloration sneaks up on you like a ghost then hypnotizes you with it’s easy on the eyes, overlapping pattern.

Get over to Need Supply while they last.

- DJS