EXCLUSIVE: J.Jill Taps Influencers for the First Time

J.Jill has tapped influencers for the first time to put a spotlight on denim.

“We have a good denim business,” Mary Ellen Coyne, president and chief executive officer of J.Jill Inc., told WWD. But the difference is that this season, unlike past seasons, “We’re really going after it in a meaningful way.”

She said the campaign, which launched Thursday, features “real women” of different generations wearing the brand’s denim. They’re involved in the fashion industry one way or another. Among the influencers are:

“It’s a mix of different ages, different sizes, all coming together, but they’re all real, authentic people,” said Coyne. The influencers appear on the cover of the J.Jill catalogue, on the J.Jill website, in social media, and on graphics in store windows and inside the stores.

The Quincy, Mass.-based J.Jill specializes in classic, easy-to-wear, and affordable styles catering to middle-aged and older women. Asked if utilizing influencers reflects an attempt to capture more customers younger than the targeted audience, Coyne replied, “We’ve said publicly we need to lean a little bit lower and we are going slightly younger. But this campaign is about denim and appealing to a broad base. The women in our campaign are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and one of them is about to turn 60. So we love that it’s that broad. Generally, Coyne said, “Our customers are between 45 and 65, and we want to stay right in the middle of that zone.” Previously, J.Jill leaned toward women in the 50- to 65-year-old age range.

Regarding the brand’s elevated strategy on denim, “It’s really all about building on the fits that work,” Coyne explained. “Essentially, we’ve taken two of our fit blocks that we know our customers love, and expanded upon them with different leg shapes and washes.” She’s referring to the Authentic Fit Slim Leg designed with a contoured waistband and a fit that sits close through the waist and hips. For fall, it’s positioned as a midrise style with a slim leg silhouette and ankle-length 29-inch inseam. She’s also referring to J.Jill’s Modern Fit Straight Leg, a new midrise designed to sit just below the natural waistline, with a contoured waistband and fit close through the waist and hips before opening into a straighter leg silhouette. The style also features a fringe hem and ankle-length 28-inch inseam.

“So even though the denim assortment is getting much more broad, it’s based on the history we have and what we know works for her,” Coyne said. The range includes legs that are straight, wide, barrel-shaped, flared and with fringe included in the assortment, as well as a new palette of washes, garment-dyed and piece-dyed colors. The denim has stretch and feels soft and lightweight. Prices on the jeans range from $89 to $119.

At all of J.Jill’s 256 stores, the denim assortment has been pulled up to the front. “When you visit, you see the impact of denim in the windows and in the first zone,” Coyne said. There are also fit guides available.

In addition, “We are doing a lot of training with our store staff, because we’re a brand that’s known for exceptional service. So we’ve spent a lot of time training the field team on denim, how it should fit, how you should style it, all of that. We’re just bringing a more personal and approachable denim experience to our customers. We’re making it easy for them. We know customers don’t love to try on jeans, so we’re trying to make this as easy for her as possible.

“While we have these two core fits, we’re doing other fun things in denim,” Coyne said, citing jackets, tailored trousers, and dresses, all in denim. “There’s fashion denim, too, to really to mix it up,” the CEO said.

Within the retail industry, denim is ubiquitous. It’s hard to find a store that doesn’t carry denim. Asked how J.Jill differentiates from the pack, Coyne cited three ways: by appealing to a more mature audience, maintaining a “fit-first” approach, and providing a full, inclusive size range including petites, plus sizes, missy and tall.

It’s expected that the influencer/denim campaign gives a lift to the business. Besides denim, J.Jill sells sportswear, dresses, activewear, footwear and accessories. Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 decreased 6 percent to $144.4 million compared to $153.6 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2025. Net sales for the year ended Jan. 31, 2026 decreased 2.3 percent to $596.5 million, from $610.9 million the year before.

“At J.Jill, we understand that finding the right pair of jeans can feel overwhelming and that great fit looks and feels different for every woman,” Kimberly Wallengren, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “With the expansion of our denim assortment, we’re offering more silhouettes and fits designed to offer confidence, comfort and effortless style. By pairing this collection with multigenerational, creator-led styling inspiration and in-store denim fit specialists, we’re bringing a more personal and approachable denim experience to our customers.”