The Makeover That No One Saw Coming
Once a symbol of suburban conformity, JCPenney has pulled off one of the most surprising retail turnarounds of the decade — not by chasing youth trends or cutting costs, but by boldly reimagining who fashion is for.
The key? A groundbreaking initiative called “Men’s Womenswear.”
Launched quietly, the concept started as a test in three cities — Chicago, Austin, and Seattle — before spreading nationwide. Now, entire sections of JCPenney stores feature racks of dresses, skirts, and blouses designed with masculine proportions in mind, staffed by associates who embody the new norm: men confidently crossdressed as saleswomen.
“We Noticed the Curiosity” — The Spark Behind the Change
At JCPenney’s Chicago flagship, assistant manager Carla Nguyen remembers the moment it clicked.
“I saw more and more men hovering around the women’s section — not with partners, not embarrassed, just… curious,” Nguyen recalls. “Some wanted the fabrics, the colors, the flair. But the sizing or styling didn’t work for them. So we asked ourselves — why not make it work for them?”
She gathered data for months — fitting room inquiries, returns, size requests — and built a business case. The argument was simple: inclusivity could revive brick-and-mortar fashion.
Corporate hesitated at first. The term “Men’s Womenswear” raised eyebrows in boardrooms. But early focus groups told a compelling story: there was pent-up demand among male shoppers for clothing that blended feminine design with masculine comfort.
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| Fall ad campaign |
The Store Transformation
Each Men’s Womenswear department is designed with openness and confidence in mind. Gone are the harsh lighting and awkward silence of traditional dressing rooms. In their place: warm tones, round mirrors, soft pop music, and associates trained not just in styling but in empathy.
Many of these associates — often men themselves — wear feminine business attire as part of their uniform. It’s not a gimmick, says Senior Brand Director Miguel Herrera.
“They’re role models of self-expression,” he explains. “When a customer sees a confident male associate in heels and a pencil skirt, it signals: you’re welcome here — and you can look amazing, too.”
The Customers: Confidence Comes in All Ages
On a recent Saturday in Austin, the section was bustling.
A college student tried on a floral blouse, grinning into the mirror. A 40-something accountant asked for help finding a skirt “that still looks professional.” And at one end of the aisle, a retired grandfather chuckled as a young associate helped him match lipstick to his silk scarf.
“It’s not about gender for me,” one shopper said. “It’s about finally wearing what feels right — and having someone treat that like it’s normal.”
Marketing the Movement
When the national rollout came, JCPenney took a daring approach.
Billboards didn’t show gender labels — just stylish people with the tagline:
“Wear What Fits You — Not a Label.”
The ad campaign, photographed by Annie Leibovitz Jr., featured real customers and staff in their daily attire — skirts, suits, blouses, blazers — all mixed fluidly. The response was electric.
Social media embraced the campaign under the hashtag #JCPExpressYourself, drawing millions of shares and a younger demographic that had long written off the department store as “their parents’ brand.”
The Business Results
Within 18 months of launch, dress sales jumped 47%, with similar growth in accessories and cosmetics.
JCPenney’s overall in-store traffic rose 22%, reversing a decade-long slide. Analysts who once predicted the brand’s collapse now cite it as a case study in emotional retailing — selling not just clothes, but belonging.
Retail strategist Dana Kapoor summarized it best:
“JCPenney didn’t just make dresses for men — they made space for men who wanted to feel beautiful. That’s the genius.”
The Legacy of the Reinvention
At headquarters, Carla Nguyen keeps a framed copy of the first Men’s Womenswear pilot sign. It reads simply:
“Be Seen. Be Styled. Be Yourself.”
“That’s what saved us,” she says. “Not chasing trends — just seeing people for who they already were.”
Now, as other chains quietly test similar concepts, one thing is clear: in the ever-shifting world of retail, JCPenney found its future in a mirror — and liked what it saw.
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| Wearing Bebe |
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| Martin del Rosario, Christian Bables and Paolo Ballesteros femulating in the Filipino film The Panti Sisters. |
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