Is J.Crew Really Worth $5 Billion?

There's no doubt that the past few years have been very good to J.Crew. Under CEO Mickey Drexler and creative director Jenna Lyons, the company has evolved from a cult-followed basics brand to a fashion pacemaker. Whether showcasing bejeweled baseball caps or print-mixing madness, where Jenna and Co. go, the fashion world follows. And, now, it looks like J.Crew may be poised to monetize all that good mojo.

Bloomberg reports that J.Crew's parent companies, TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners LP, may be considering going public, with an initial public offering in the U.S. later in 2014. According to anonymous sources, J.Crew's 451 stores and $2.4 billion in annual sales may make its initial valuation as much as $5 billion. It should be mentioned that TPG and Leonard Green paid $2.64 billion for J.Crew just three years ago. So, the past few years haven't just been good for the retailer — they may have actually doubled its value.

What do you think? Would you line up to buy shares? Either way, it looks like J.Crew's super fans may soon have a whole new way to invest in the brand. (Bloomberg)