JC Penny, Clothier For The Common Man



All-purpose JC Penny Jumpsuit, circa 1977. (image via photobucket)

This financial mess which, according to multilateralist Obama-endorser Fareed Zakaria's economist contacts could last anywhere from one to four years, has everyone a little rattled. The rich, too, appear to be highly conscious of how they are portrayed in the press with regards to their sartorial conceits (eyelash couture, anyone?). One of the first questions that popped up in The Corsair's mind after the bailout was: How will the downward slide of the economy affect the wealthy and their envy-inspiring depictions in the glossies? Will haute couture suffer? Whither the annual Costume Insitute Gala? Is this the end of conspicuous consumption? Will celebrities keep their vacation home purchases more on hush-hush? Will the outrageous Oscar fashions be toned down?

From The New York Times' interview with Chris Buckley:

"'He arrived for an interview dressed in standard Washington attire, the blue blazer, over a royal blue-and-white checked shirt that looked as if it had come from some London haberdashery. He insisted it had not.

"'J. C. Penney, I think,' Mr. Buckley said wryly, tugging at the collar. 'Do you want to see the tag?' He was being facetious — 'O. K., Lord & Taylor, I’ll cop to Lord & Taylor,' he said — but the implication was clear: William F. Buckley Jr. would never have worn J. C. Penney."

Similarly, at the Charlie Kaufman film premiere via Style:

"Wednesday night's Cinema Society screening of Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York wasn't your typical popcorn-and-paparazzi fest. The celebrated screenwriter of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was presenting his latest brainteaser, and guests—Julian Schnabel, Spike Jonze, and Juliette Lewis among them—had to show up with their thinking caps on.

"Keeping things simple, we asked the first-time director about fashion. Has his personal style changed, now that he's an established filmmaker? 'I stopped wearing open flannel shirts with T-shirts after I saw Adaptation,' Kaufman confessed, referring to the autobiographical film in which he was played by Nicolas Cage. 'I thought, 'Oh God, that's what I look like?' He was sporting a pinstripe suit, but didn't seem too invested in it. 'I think it's JC Penney,' he shrugged."

We cannot fail to note that at even at JC Penny, September sales dropped 12.4% for the period ended Oct. 4.