J. Crew Brings Back a Discontinued Swimsuit Just Because One Superfan Asked Nicely

Open letters to brands rarely work, though it might help your odds of success if you happen to be a fashion writer for New York magazine and The Wall Street Journal.

Last August, freelance writer Jenni Avins penned an impassioned plea in New York magazine's The Cut blog, asking J. Crew to bring back its scoop back tank swimsuit.

"What I want is smooth, taut fabric that stretches from my shoulders over my chest and ribcage, with hip-high leg holes and an open back to expose my skin to sand, sunshine, and seawater. I want it available in evocatively named colors like hibiscus, marine, and bottle green (in black, it's simply unstoppable.)"

The letter touched the fashionable heart of J. Crew creative director Jenna Lyons, who immediately responded, saying she'd see what she could do. A few months later Lyons announced the swimwear's triumphant return in a two-page New York ad with a sassy, handwritten note that reads, "Dear Ms. Avins, Your wish is my command … within reason. XO Jenna."

It's an excellent example of a brand listening to and responding to the wishes of a loyal customer, buoyed by the PR boost of that customer being a writer for a high-profile publication. The only thing sad about it is that we, even those of us who are writers with decently large audiences, don't expect brands to actually listen.

So congrats, J. Crew, for being decent human beings who just couldn’t let a woman drown in a sea of shitty swimsuits.




Filmmaker Still Getting Paid to Wander the World, This Time in a J. Crew Suit

Viral filmmaker Casey Neistat continues to milk brand marketers for a personal travel allowance in his new clip for J. Crew's Ludlow Traveler suit, which he wears around the globe while offering vague tips on "how to travel in style."

The video shows Neistat and his dorky haircut doing all sorts of fun stuff in the suit, from impressing local ladies with bike tire maintenance, surfing and snowboarding in business attire. He also digs some random holes in the ground at one point.

Neistat has built a career on taking marketers' money and doing unexpected things with it, like jetting around the world with a friend on Nike Fuel's ad budget or taking $25,000 to promote the film version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and instead using it to help typhoon victims in the Philippines

This time Neistat plays it a bit more straight, though he does try really hard to be quirky. (Look at his tiny skateboard! Isn't he just precious?) , but the video's all in good fun, and he's not wrong about dressing up for travel. It really does make the whole experience more pleasant. The only way to make it even better is to have someone else foot the bill.


    



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