J.Crew Group, Inc. is an American multi-brand, multi-channel specialty retailer of women's, men's, and children's clothing, shoes, and accessories, including items like swimwear, outerwear, lounge-wear, bags, sweaters, denim, dresses, suiting, jewelry, and shoes. The company traces its origins to 1947 when it was founded as Popular Merchandise, Inc. by Mitchell Cinader and Saul Charles, initially focusing on affordable women's clothing through catalogs and in-home demonstrations. In 1983, Arthur Cinader (Mitchell's son) and his daughter Emily Cinader launched J.Crew, Inc., building on the catalog model with a focus on preppy, high-quality casual wear. The brand experienced rapid growth in the 1980s through its catalog business, launching a secondary catalog called Clifford & Wills in 1985 for more affordable women's clothing, and opening its first retail store in Manhattan's South Street Seaport in 1989, followed by expansions in key markets like Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California; and Costa Mesa, California.

Owned by the Cinader family for much of its early history, J.Crew Group saw significant ownership changes starting in 1997 when Texas Pacific Group (TPG Capital) acquired a majority stake, holding about 62% by 2000, with the remainder split among management and the Cinaders. The Clifford & Wills brand was sold to Spiegel in 2000. The company went public with an IPO on the NYSE in 2006 under ticker 'JCG', but was taken private again in 2011 by TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners, with former CEO Millard Drexler maintaining a significant investment. J.Crew expanded to over 450 retail stores by 2016, operating brands like J.Crew, Madewell, and J.Crew Factory, alongside catalogs and online sales. It generated $2.54 billion in revenue in 2019 and had 506 locations as of 2018, with key executives including CEO Libby Wadle and CMO Julia Collier.

Amid challenges from private equity debt and the COVID-19 pandemic, J.Crew Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 4, 2020. The company successfully restructured and exited bankruptcy in September 2020, reducing its debt load. Today, it continues operations as a private entity, focusing on multi-channel retail through stores and online platforms, with initiatives like sourcing certified regenerative cotton to support U.S. farms.