J. Crew has blamed its recent sales slump on poorly-designed sweaters.
The company's sales fell 5% at its namesake brand to $508.7 million in the most recent quarter, compared to the same period last year.
One sweater in particular, called the "Tilly," really missed the mark, according to J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler.
"We made a big mistake in the 'Tilly,'" Drexler said on a call with analysts last week, Quartz reports.
Made of merino wool, the Tilly is the "slightly shrunken cousin" of one of the company's best-selling sweaters, the "Tippi," according to J. Crew's website.
The crew-neck sweater was originally $75 and it has since been reduced to $39.99.
Drexler said the company also failed to deliver the "perfect" cardigan and v-neck sweater this season.
"We didn't have the right cardigan," he said. "We had a cardigan, but it didn't fit that well, so that was one problem we had."
In addition to a number of fashion misses, the company also sold out early of the best-selling Tippi.
"The Tippi we didn't buy enough of, and we got too much Tilly," Drexler said. "We just made mistakes."
Another problem for J. Crew could be the high prices for some of its sweaters. Pieces made in collaboration with designer Comme des Garçons, like the one shown on the far right (below), run as high as $585.
