Madewell

Classic Favorite

Trendiness score

59 of 100

Popularity score

94 of 100

0

Brand fans

31

Product saves

New Bedford, Massachusetts

https://www.madewell.com

Style keywords

Timeless

Vintage

Denim-focused

Masculine-inspired

Casual

About the brand

Madewell is a contemporary American fashion brand with a complex heritage story. The original Madewell company was founded in 1937 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, as a workwear manufacturer by Julius Kivowitz, an immigrant who created denim overalls and sturdy clothing for New England dockworkers. However, the modern Madewell brand as we know it today was created in 2004 when J.Crew's CEO Mickey Drexler acquired the dormant trademark and logo, relaunching it as a women's clothing company that opened its first store in 2006. Positioned as J.Crew's younger sister brand, Madewell has built its identity around premium denim, leather goods, and timeless pieces with masculine-inspired fits. The brand successfully tapped into millennials' love for vintage aesthetics and heritage-focused branding, becoming a major growth driver for J.Crew. Recently, Madewell has evolved to appeal to Gen Z with looser, baggy silhouettes inspired by '90s and Y2K fashion, while maintaining its core focus on quality denim and effortless, lived-in style.

New Bedford, Massachusetts

https://www.madewell.com

Instagram

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What people are saying

ELLE

Katie Holmes's expensive-looking Madewell tote has all the makings of an heirloom piece. It's crafted from high-quality leather designed to hold up to frequent wear, and reviewers rave about the wide shoulder strap that makes it surprisingly comfortable to carry—even with heavy loads.

Oct, 2025

The Strategist

The curvy fit is extremely effective at eliminating waist gap, and that combined with the 100 percent cotton denim made these jeans feel like winning the vintage Levi's jackpot.

Mar, 2025

Harper's Bazaar

This Fashion Week is a wet one, so I've been slipping on this classic single-breasted trench from Madewell. It's water-resistant (necessary for on/off rain showers) and cut to a slightly oversize fit that's perfect for layering over a thick sweater.

Feb, 2025

Who What Wear

I've been wearing the brand's denim for years, and honestly, it's never been better than it is right now. I especially like the classic styles like this pair of the '90s Straight style, which I grabbed in black.

Dec, 2024

Jo-Lynne Shane

Madewell jeans are a really nice marriage of style and quality. Considering most PAIGE and MOTHER jeans retail for well over $200, I feel like you're getting a really good bang for your buck with the Madewell brand.

Aug, 2024

The Cut

For a straight pair of jeans that promised a more relaxed fit, the fit was more snug than I would've liked... I sized up because I wanted that true relaxed fit, but alas, they fit just right.

Feb, 2025

Thingtesting

I find that their basics break down pretty quickly (i.e., cotton turtlenecks becoming see-through or getting holes). But high rating is because I love their jeans so much.

Jan, 2025

I tried on literally every pair of jeans yesterday and they are all awful. Either they crawled up my a— no matter what size I had on or they just did absolutely nothing for me. Can they put a little stretch in anything and make something that actually flatters a woman's body?

Feb, 2025

I definitely think it's changed the styles it offers, it used to offer a pseudo-creative, elevated classics wardrobe for young professional types.. now I would say the brand is lost in terms of who its audience is and that shows in what they make.

Feb, 2025

I can't wrap my head around why the prices keep going up while the fabric contents of their pieces keep going downhill. And what's with the influx of dry clean only pieces?

Jan, 2025

Sitejabber

I've had two pairs of jeans from Madewell that I have had to throw out within 6 months. The first pair ripped in the crotch area and the zipper broke on the other pair. I also had a shirt from there where the sleeves started to fall apart at the seams. And it's not like their stuff is cheap.

Dec, 2024

I think it's worth noting that there's been a huge shift in quality as well. $130 silk dresses are now $130 polyester dresses. Jeans are ripping, shoes are falling apart.

Nov, 2024

ELLE

Katie Holmes's expensive-looking Madewell tote has all the makings of an heirloom piece. It's crafted from high-quality leather designed to hold up to frequent wear, and reviewers rave about the wide shoulder strap that makes it surprisingly comfortable to carry—even with heavy loads.

Oct, 2025

The Strategist

The curvy fit is extremely effective at eliminating waist gap, and that combined with the 100 percent cotton denim made these jeans feel like winning the vintage Levi's jackpot.

Mar, 2025

Harper's Bazaar

This Fashion Week is a wet one, so I've been slipping on this classic single-breasted trench from Madewell. It's water-resistant (necessary for on/off rain showers) and cut to a slightly oversize fit that's perfect for layering over a thick sweater.

Feb, 2025

Who What Wear

I've been wearing the brand's denim for years, and honestly, it's never been better than it is right now. I especially like the classic styles like this pair of the '90s Straight style, which I grabbed in black.

Dec, 2024

Jo-Lynne Shane

Madewell jeans are a really nice marriage of style and quality. Considering most PAIGE and MOTHER jeans retail for well over $200, I feel like you're getting a really good bang for your buck with the Madewell brand.

Aug, 2024

The Cut

For a straight pair of jeans that promised a more relaxed fit, the fit was more snug than I would've liked... I sized up because I wanted that true relaxed fit, but alas, they fit just right.

Feb, 2025

Thingtesting

I find that their basics break down pretty quickly (i.e., cotton turtlenecks becoming see-through or getting holes). But high rating is because I love their jeans so much.

Jan, 2025

I tried on literally every pair of jeans yesterday and they are all awful. Either they crawled up my a— no matter what size I had on or they just did absolutely nothing for me. Can they put a little stretch in anything and make something that actually flatters a woman's body?

Feb, 2025

I definitely think it's changed the styles it offers, it used to offer a pseudo-creative, elevated classics wardrobe for young professional types.. now I would say the brand is lost in terms of who its audience is and that shows in what they make.

Feb, 2025

I can't wrap my head around why the prices keep going up while the fabric contents of their pieces keep going downhill. And what's with the influx of dry clean only pieces?

Jan, 2025

Sitejabber

I've had two pairs of jeans from Madewell that I have had to throw out within 6 months. The first pair ripped in the crotch area and the zipper broke on the other pair. I also had a shirt from there where the sleeves started to fall apart at the seams. And it's not like their stuff is cheap.

Dec, 2024

I think it's worth noting that there's been a huge shift in quality as well. $130 silk dresses are now $130 polyester dresses. Jeans are ripping, shoes are falling apart.

Nov, 2024