A Few Words On J.J. Threads Shirts…

A few months back the good people at J.J. Threads and myself got in touch.  They asked me to review their shirts and I was enthusiastically willing.  Now, unlike other shirt makers that I have reviewed (MyTailor and Luxire), J.J. Threads is not a made to measure operation (but they are soon going to begin mtm, thankfully).  And I will really only buy custom/mtm shirts these days, so you may ask why review J.J. Threads?  Two reasons.  First, the styling of the shirts is extremely customizable and the focus is not so much on fit but on styling and construction.  Second, the man behind the operation, Jay Wich, is a lax player.  Given this, I thought the shirts were due proper justice here on FYGblog.

The customization and ordering process of J.J. Threads is, like most sites, simple and straightforward.  The hardest part of the process was deciding what fabrics I wanted to use.  As the options are in abundance and they are not the normal fabrics you see at most other shirt makers.  They are less conservative and less traditional; which is not a bad thing in this case.  Additionally, many of the fabrics hail from the legendary Thomas Mason and Albini mills ($149), so the fabric quality is not in question.

The construction quality is on par with the fabric quality.  Mother or pearl buttons are standard.  The seams are straight and clean and the button holes are tight.  The only critique I have is that the back is not a split yoke, which as we have discussed provides a slightly better fit around the back and generally looks better with patterned shirts.  The pattern on the placket is matched well with the front of the shirt, which is crucial with a check pattern like this.  The pattern is also matched impeccably well around the collar (see photo above).  That being, it is even, symmetrical and the edge of the pattern does not lie on the edge of the collar; which when it does it is a pet peeve of mine.

The second strength of J.J. Threads is the level of customization allowed.  Buttons come in  variety of colors and different fabrics can be used on cuffs, collars and plackets.  This is really the strength of J.J. Threads; the ability to have a different fabric for the shirt, collar lining, cuff lining etc.  The combinations are baffling.  This really leads way to some very unique and novel designs.  I wanted a shirt that could be worn with a suit but still had some flair; subtle flair.  I thought the best way to achieve this was by changing up the cuff lining, so I chose a blue paisley fabric to compliment the purple check of the shirt.  It looks most excellent (see photo below).  The fairer sex also seems to like the contrasting cuff details of my shirt, as a relevant side note.

Previously, I mentioned that J.J. Threads is not a made to measure label.  So you cannot expect the fit to be spot on.  They have a series of preset sizes, for which they include various measurements for each preset size.  Which was a huge help when selecting which size was best for me.  For the size I selected I had them make the shoulders smaller (so there is a small degree of customization on the fit).  If I had not done so the shirt would have been far to large.  Unfortunately, I carelessly overlooked how this would shorted the sleeves so now the sleeves are two short (as can be seen in picture below).  However, the good people at JJT offered to do a remake, which we are going to do once they get their made to measure line off the ground.  The fit of the body of the shirt is baggy; which I expected, given the preset measurements.  But, the fit was better than some of the tents I used to buy at Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, J Press and my beloved Paul Stuart.

I think that J.J. Threads has found a niche for itself, in highly customizable shirts.  The prices range from $89-149, but the quality of both fabric and construction is reminiscent of shirts more expensive.  The only thing I can knock J.J. Threads on is the fit, but that should be a non existent issues once they get their made to measure going, which I am certainly looking forward to.  Taking all this into account, if you are looking for a well fitted shirt for casual or dress wear, it will be harder to find at J.J. Threads than at a made to measure shop.  But that is certainly not to say that it cannot be done, it really depends on your body shape and type.  However, if you are looking for something with a bit more flair and customization and of some more adventurous fabrics, look no further than J.J. Threads.  If you have any questions or comments, sound off below.

Cheers,

Justin L Jeffers