J. Press Fall/Winter 2026: New collection combines American tailoring and British fabrics
New J. Press collection for the fall/winter 2026 season is marking the third runway presentation since Jack Carlson became the American menswear house’s creative director. The show took place on Wednesday, September 9, as the 124-year-old label approaches its 125th anniversary. For the new season, Carlson turns his attention to the relationship between traditional American tailoring and the British Isles, drawing heavily on British mills and heritage fabrics. The collection also introduces a collaboration with Barbour and marks the return of a women’s capsule to J. Press for the first time in fifty years.
The connection between J. Press and British style goes back much further than the current collection. Jacobi Press founded the company on the Yale campus in 1902, establishing what would become known as “Ivy style,” a distinctly American interpretation of classic dress associated with New England. Yet many of the elements that came to define that style originated across England, Scotland, and Ireland.
According to Carlson, Press himself had arrived in America from Latvia, with his family originally intending for him to become a rabbi. Instead, he entered the menswear business and developed his own interpretation of the clothing and environments that inspired him.
Without growing up immersed in British traditions, he nevertheless had the taste and attention to detail necessary to create an idealized vision of Cambridge and Oxford as well as the country estates of Britain. That vision eventually became the foundation of what is now recognized as American Ivy style.
British and Irish craftsmanship remains an important part of J. Press today. The brand continues to offer products made throughout the British Isles, including its well-known Shaggy Dog sweaters from Shetland, English neckwear and outerwear, and Aran fisherman sweaters produced on the islands off Ireland’s west coast. Scottish cashmere and Harris Tweed also feature prominently, alongside Cheviot and English flannel fabrics produced specifically for J. Press by mills such as Fox Brothers and Marling & Evans. In some cases, the company’s relationships with these mills stretch back more than a century.
Among the new arrivals, the Fall/Winter ’26 collection covers the essential elements of the J. Press wardrobe, from traditional tailoring and tweed sports coats to Oxford shirts, repp ties, knitwear, rugby shirts, and classic American footwear.
The suit selection emphasizes traditional American construction and timeless patterns. Three standout models are all made in the United States: a grey Fox flannel Ivy Model suit, a navy chalkstripe Fox flannel Ivy Model suit, and a black-and-white Prince of Wales Fox flannel Ivy Model suit. Together, they represent three classic choices for formal dressing, suitable for everything from the boardroom to a semiformal occasion.
Tweed is another central element of the collection, with several jackets combining American production with fabrics and influences rooted in Britain. The selection includes a brown and rust houndstooth Cheviot tweed Norfolk jacket, a black and white herringbone Cheviot tweed sport coat made with Marling & Evans tweed, and a light brown tic-weave windowpane Cheviot tweed sport coat. Each piece reflects the traditional country-inspired aesthetic long associated with J. Press.
For shirting, the collection includes a blue university-stripe Oxford club-collar dress shirt in a classic fit, made in the United States. The club collar draws directly from 1920s style and brings a distinctly vintage character to the wardrobe. Its retro appearance makes it particularly suited to traditional regimental, repp, and club ties.
Neckties continue the Ivy wardrobe’s connection to British traditions while retaining an important American distinction. British regimental ties traditionally feature stripes running from the wearer’s left shoulder toward the right hip, whereas American repp ties reverse that direction.
J. Press’ selection follows the American convention while drawing inspiration from British schools, rowing clubs, and cricket clubs. The current collection includes the Old Westminster silk repp tie, Thames Rowing Club silk repp tie, Gentlemen of Suffolk Cricket Club silk repp tie, and Northants County Cricket Club silk repp tie, all made in the United Kingdom.
Knitwear brings together several familiar J. Press signatures and traditional materials. The Shaggy Dog sweater remains one of the house’s recognizable classics, while the grey-blue cable-knit version offers a different take on the established style. Made in Scotland, it combines the Shaggy Dog construction with a cable-knit pattern. A pale blue lambswool cable crewneck provides another option, using lambswool as an alternative to Shetland wool.
As temperatures begin to drop, rugby shirts take the place of summer polos as one of the collection’s key casual pieces. The collegiate-inspired shirts feature color combinations reminiscent of university and school colors. The Fall/Winter ’26 selection includes burgundy and white, navy and white, black and orange, navy and gold, and navy and grey triple-stripe cotton rugby shirts, all made in the United States.
The navy and gold color combination recalls the colors of Trinity, while the navy and grey version reflects the colors associated with Jack Carlson’s alma mater, Georgetown. The collection also includes combinations associated with the Ivy League’s Big Three: Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
Footwear continues the collection’s American heritage with the Sperry Brown Authentic Original 1-Eye Boat Shoe. Sperry, like J. Press, is an American heritage brand with roots in Connecticut. The shoe also carries a personal connection for the author, who describes himself as a lifelong sailor and recalls being introduced to Sperry Topsiders by his grandfather, who taught him to sail. The classic boat shoe remains equally suited to those on the water and those wearing it on land.
Taken together, the Fall/Winter ’26 collection demonstrates how J. Press continues to build on its American Ivy foundations while maintaining its long-standing connections to British and Irish craftsmanship. From American-made tailoring and rugby shirts to Scottish knitwear, British ties, and Cheviot tweeds, the collection brings these traditions together across the new season.
Photos: Ivy Style
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