For over 30 years, St. Johns Bay has been creating high quality, comfortable clothing for men and women who appreciate classic style, attention to detail, and exceptional value. Since its launch in 1987, St. Johns Bay has grown into one of America’s most beloved and recognizable clothing brands.
Our History
The St. Johns Bay brand traces its roots back to 1987, when parent company JCPenney made the strategic decision to launch a new private-label clothing line aimed at providing customers with affordable, yet stylish everyday apparel. The name “St. Johns Bay” was chosen as an homage to the natural beauty and relaxed lifestyle of St. Johns, Michigan, where JCPenney founder James Cash Penney had opened one of his first stores in 1907.
Inspired by the timeless fashions found in seaside towns along North America’s coastal regions, the first St. Johns Bay collections focused on traditional, East Coast wardrobe staples reimagined in soft fabrics and easy silhouettes perfect for weekends and getaways. Crisp Oxford shirts, canvas boat shoes, poplin jackets and cotton polos were all given a fresh, modern twist and offered at prices working families could afford.
From this solid foundation, St. Johns Bay continued adding to its family of products, introducing new categories like denim, outerwear, sleepwear, and accessories to meet growing customer demand. While selections have expanded over the decades, the brand has never wavered from its initial commitment to deliver enduring classics infused with grace and subtle maritime style.
Our Brand Values
Since day one, St. Johns Bay has held an unwavering belief in the power of timeless, uncomplicated clothing made for real life. The principles that have guided us from the beginning continue shaping our brand today:
Quality Materials & Construction
Every St. Johns Bay garment begins with fabrics and materials built to last. We source durable cottons, breathable linens, rich textured knits and soft leathers all constructed with careful attention to detail. From the shape of a collar to the stitching on a pocket, our clothes are thoughtfully made to maintain their integrity wash after wash.
Effortless Style
The St. Johns Bay aesthetic balances classic silhouettes with casual ease and flexibility. Our clothes move with you from season to season and occasion to occasion. We design for comfort first, creating shapes that naturally flatter different body types. The result is a versatile wardrobe that transitions effortlessly from workdays to weekends and everything in between.
Attainable Value
Since launching with JCPenney over 30 years ago, St. Johns Bay has remained dedicated to making stylish clothing accessible at fair prices. Our collections offer sophistication and quality comparable to premier brands but at substantial savings passed down to our broad customer base. We believe looking put-together and feeling confident shouldn’t cost more than it should.
Coastal Inspiration
From maritime stripes and breezy linen to weathered leathers and nautical rope accents, subtle coastal touches influence everything we make. The easygoing sensibility of seaside living permeates our color palettes, patterns and textures. Our clothes capture the sun-washed hues, windswept shapes and salt-aired spirit of life along the water’s edge.
Our Commitment to Customers
The St. Johns Bay team pours passion into our brand because we know the joy of finding that perfect pair of jeans, the confidence that comes with a great fitting dress shirt, and the delight of receiving a compliment about how you look. We aim to build a lifelong relationship with each customer. Here’s how we achieve that:
Listening to Feedback
Customer input guides everything we do at St. Johns Bay. We listen closely to reviews, survey results, store associate conversations, and direct correspondence to understand the clothing people want from us. Your shared thoughts on fit, fabric, construction and style directly inform our design process and business practices. We know we’re succeeding when your feedback confirms we’re meeting your needs.
Adapting to Changing Tastes
Fashion always evolves with the times, and St. Johns Bay moves with it. As silhouettes come in and out of vogue, as new technologies become available, and tastes shift with each generation, we’re right there staying current without forfeiting our signature sense of timelessness. We monitor trends, conduct focus groups, and leverage data so we can give customers contemporary styles while still feeling like the comfortable St. Johns Bay they know and love.
Making Shopping a Pleasure
The confidence our clothes provide starts long before an outfit is purchased. We want every touchpoint with St. Johns Bay — whether in-store, online, or over the phone — to be welcoming, hassle-free and human. Our retail partners and customer service teams are trained to be knowledgeable, patient and solution-focused, so your experience is as enjoyable as wearing the clothing itself.
Giving Back
St. Johns Bay maintains an unwavering commitment to corporate social responsibility and ethical business practices. We partner with vendors and factories that demonstrate trustworthy working conditions and environmental stewardship. We also support impactful charitable causes like disaster relief, children’s welfare, medical research and military veteran assistance. Everything we accomplish as a brand, we strive to do through compassion and integrity.
The St. Johns Bay Difference
Great style, outstanding quality and lasting value. These principles make St. Johns Bay who we are and set us apart from other brands on the market today. Here are a few key things we do differently:
Expert In-House Design
Our talented in-house design team has over 200 years of combined apparel experience. They stay on the pulse of the latest trends while remaining true to our heritage. Their deep understanding of our brand DNA lets them reinvent classics season after season in ways our customers love.
Responsible Sourcing
We only work with factories whose business practices align with our ethical standards. We closely audit working conditions, environmental impact and sourcing methods of partners to ensure no harm is being done. This care results in quality clothes you can feel good about buying.
Premier Fabrics
Every visible and hidden detail matters with St. Johns Bay, right down to the materials inside a finished garment. We meticulously test fabrics for durability, feel and performance before cutting a single thread. If it doesn’t meet our benchmarks for excellence, it doesn’t make it into our collections.
Personalized Fit
Finding the right fit shouldn’t require frustrating guesswork and multiple returns. We offer an inclusive range of standard and big & tall sizes, along with collections tailored specifically to men or women. No matter your body type, we have flattering, confidence-boosting options.
Lasting Construction
Our clothes are designed and built to stay new-looking and fitting for the long haul. We reinforce high-stress points, test button security, and examine finished pieces for defects before shipping. When you invest in St. Johns Bay, you’re investing in years of sustained wear.
Hassle-Free Returns
If anything ever fails to meet expectations, we make returns and exchanges worry-free. Just bring or mail back the item within 90 days along with your receipt. We’ll handle the rest quickly and cheerfully – no cumbersome process or extra questions asked.
Personal Customer Service
Real people are available 365 days a year to quickly address any needs or concerns you have. Our US-based team can assist with orders, returns, product information and styling advice conveniently over phone, email, online chat or social media direct messaging.
The Future of St. Johns Bay
As we embark on our fourth decade as a leading American brand, the St. Johns Bay team looks forward with energy and optimism. While so much has changed since 1987, our core values remain fixed. As long as there are closets to fill, bodies to flatter, and confidence to nurture, we will keep perfecting the classics. Our brand has grown up with our customers, adapting as their tastes and lifestyles evolve. We can’t wait to see what the next generation has in store and look forward to facing it in our favorite pair of St. Johns Bay jeans.