J.Crew Quality: Up Or Down, And Why?

"Thanks!" to Casual Crew (in this post) who suggested a great post topic: "I would like to see a question about the declining quality i.e. Which item would like to see JCrew improve/upgrade the quality on?..." I think this is a great question since some of you have noticed that certain pieces (e.g. cashmere sweaters) have not stood up over the years, compared to its older counterparts.

I think it would also be interesting to find out which J.Crew pieces you believe improved (in terms of quality) over the years. For me, I think it would have to be J.Crew's jackets and coats. I love that J.Crew has paid more and more attention to the small details of its jackets and coats (e.g. adding ribbon to the inside liners, elaborately designed cuffs and buttons).

Which items have you noticed a decline in quality? Which items would you like to see be improved? Which items do you think have only improved in quality over the years? What are some reasons behind your choices? ;)