Jones New York

Shop Jones New York

The Jones New York brand is one of the key lines manufactured by American fashion conglomerate, The Jones Group. Founded by Sidney Kimmel as Jones Apparel Group in 1975, the company was burdened by debt throughout its first several years of operation. During the '80s, however, Kimmel was able to steer his business toward profitability by building up the Jones New York line. Though a recession at the beginning of the 1990s crippled many other companies, Jones New York continued to thrive, as women opted for the affordability of the collection over luxury brands. The Jones Group harnessed its success by launching and acquiring a number of other labels, including Stuart Weitzman, Nine West, Gloria Vanderbilt, Dockers, and more.

Even while The Jones Group diversified, it continued to grow the original Jones New York brand. The company launched a men's line in 1998 in addition to branching out into categories like jewelry, shoes, watches, swimwear, eyewear, and handbags. The brand has always done its primary distribution through major department stores like Macy's, Lord and Taylor, Dillard's, and Bloomingdale's. Additionally, the company operates a number of Jones New York Outlets across the country.

Women's Merchandise

Products

One of the ways that Jones New York originally struck a chord with women was by offering dresses and suits that could be worn by business professionals. Today, you'll still find an assortment of work dresses that are formal or semi-formal without being stuffy. The brand also offers blazers, slacks, pencil skirts, and other garments that can be worn to the office. Jones New York's casual dresses still exude an air of class, even as they feature floral prints and less formal cuts. Cocktail dresses and little black dresses are similarly classy rather than being particularly "fun."

Moving into tops, Jones New York offers a variety of cardigans, sweaters, tanks, blouses, tunics, button-down shirts, and V-necks. Designs look almost European in the way that they mimic some of the popular elements featured by much pricier brands. The activewear collection is certainly geared toward style, though options like leggings, workout pants, pullovers, and running jackets also have a functional component. Jones New York's bottoms are made using a variety of fabrics, including wool, linen, and terry. Jeans make up a relatively small percentage of the overall collection, and most of the denim options are non-standard washes like whites, greys, and blacks. The brand's outerwear features coats for all different types of weather--ranging from light jackets to heavy parkas. Non-apparel accessories include fashionable scarves and jewelry as well as cold-weather gear like hats and gloves.

Swap.com's Rating of Jones New York

Jones New York carved out a niche for itself in the 1980s, and it hasn't strayed much from that original vision over the last 30 years. The majority of the clothes offered by the brand could certainly be classified as either business casual or business formal, and the line's key demographic is clearly professional women. Additionally, Jones New York constantly looks to the styles introduced by designer labels and then makes them more affordable. The brand certainly isn't cheap by any means (many garments are still over $100), but compared to European fashion houses, these clothes offer similar looks at much more accessible prices.