Shopping with
Nick Wooster

Even if you don't know his name, you've likely seen his face. Nick Wooster is one of the most interesting people in menswear today and has become something of a street style celebrity thanks to his rugged, sharply tailored look. After stints at Neiman Marcus and Park & Bond, he announced he was taking a position at J.C. Penney, where new CEO Ron Johnson (of Apple Store fame) is turning the idea of a department store on its head. We caught up with Wooster, VP of Brand, Design and Trend about the store's new label of smartly tailored affordable basics, dubbed "jcp", that's now in stores.

We built our brand new jcp men's collection to reach a modern guy; we want to be the store where he goes to find everything from chinos and denim to woven shirts and sweaters ... at incredible prices.

While I didn't have the opportunity to work directly on the fall collection, you will begin to see more of my influence in the spring collection and beyond. It's important we offer "go-to" staple pieces like the perfect dress pant and button-down shirt. The unifying element to the collection is a great fit; our jcp collection offers some of the slimmest, most modern cuts on the floor.
Honestly, it is stuff that I want to wear.

I can confidently say customers will be really surprised with what is coming from us. The jcp team has been empowered to challenge our suppliers to give us the best quality possible. As a result, customers will see blended cashmere cotton in sweaters, which feel great, outerwear that is a blend of nylon, cotton and wool and we'll even have 100% cashmere sweaters for holiday. I will have our cashmere V-neck sweaters in all colors this winter. They're ideal for layering.

Hands down, my favorite item is the gray, two-button flannel blazer. It is the fashion-forward, modern "navy blazer" for the fall season and will be the staple I wear constantly. The Oxford cloth shirt in solid and university stripe is another standout option. And that navy and orange striped cotton cashmere V-neck sweater should be in every guy's wardrobe.

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