J.Crew at 40

A Catalog for the Ages

J.Crew just celebrated 40 years in business. This is significant for many reasons. We love to see companies with longevity - especially those that have been such a large part of our lives. And they just released a commemorative book, “Forty Years of American Style.”

J.Crew has meant a lot to me over the years. When I was in summer camp in 1989, we took a trip to the South Street Seaport in NYC. I was eleven, just about to turn twelve that Fall, and at the time was very into wearing jean shorts and heavy metal t-shirts. My counselor, a prep school kid saw the store front for what was then the first and only J.Crew physical retail store in existence. In his excited state, he said he just wanted to pop in to look. My friends and I groaned as he perused the shelves of khaki shorts and oxford shirts. Little did I know that one day I would share more in my counselor’s enthusiasm for the store than my friends and I did at the time.

Fast forward eight years. My personal style in high school did not evolve much beyond what it had been when I was twelve. I still preferred ripped jeans and band tees over oxfords and chinos, but had started adding preppier elements into my wardrobe in the most punk ways I could think of. When I started college in Fall 1995, I still wore mostly Old Navy, but began forming an interest in J.Crew after seeing catalogs left on tables in my fraternity house. In January 1997, I decided to leave school in Oneonta to move home to Long Island for a semester and figure out what I wanted to do. I enrolled in a couple of classes at Nassau Community College and went over to Roosevelt Field Mall to find a job. Ultimately that job would be at J.Crew, and my journey with the brand would continue.

I only worked there for one year, but it left a lasting impression that has stayed with me to this day. I still look forward to seeing their new monthly drops. A good fifty percent (or more) of my casual wardrobe remains J.Crew. That number, however was significantly higher about ten years ago, and it started around the time #menswear was gaining steam. And I can trace the obsession back to the August 2009 catalog. How do I remember this? Because I kept the catalog, of course.

I loved everything about this catalog. The styling, the setting, the activities. See, at the time I fancied myself a writer of fiction. Or at least I was hoping I could get there. I had been taking writing classes and had written several short stories. But I wanted to be a novelist. And this catalog embodied that. Indulge me for a moment.

Starting with the opening spread, here’s our model making notes while drinking a beer. Next to that photo is John Steinbeck’s The Moon Is Down - which if you’ve never read it, I suggest you do. It’s a wonderful book. The clothes on these pages capture the mood. They feel more early fall than summer, which I think was the idea anyway. I’ve owned several J.Crew oxfords. The Officer’s Chinos were also a favorite. They still have a version of these from their Wallace & Barnes line which are great, but a little wide in the leg for my taste. I also purchased and still wear to this day, the broken in chino Jack Purcell Converse sneakers and the Ray Ban Caravan sunglasses.

Straight Fit & Vintage Sim Fit jeans. Oh, how simple the times were…

I never did get the whole Red Wing boots obsession, but I did love this Fatigue Jacket. I own something similar from Old Navy, but am always keeping an eye on eBay for the real deal.

I owned several of these cotton-cashmere sweaters over the years. They were great, but I sold them or gave them away. At the time I was considerably heavier, so they no longer fit. They still make these and maybe one day I’ll need another.

One of my favorite images from the catalog - the writer at work. On an old typewriter. My daughter wants an old typewriter like this but for other reasons. She’s obsessed with the show Wednesday. IYKYK. I had also owned several Secret Wash shirts over the years. I think I finally gave away the last of them earlier this year. They don’t last forever.

One of the first Ludlow Fit jackets to be released was this one in wool herringbone. I had one in green and brown. It was always a little long on me, and I sold it several years ago. I still wear J.Crew cashmere sweaters religiously throughout the fall & winter.

J.Crew Broken-in tees > J.Crew slub tees. Change my mind.

I bought these Sperry chukkas at a J.Crew sample sale. I still own them and wore them just the other day with 770 jeans.

I still think J.Crew makes great jeans. Though they were better during this era. Hoping they will dig back into these archives for upcoming drops. I also own a Barbour Bedale jacket, that I purchased at a Barbour outlet store. I love the way it’s styled in these pages and I still wear mine in this way.

The Broken-In chinos are also a favorite of mine. I have pairs in khaki and green and navy. I’d like to get a new pair in grey. I had them at one point, but no longer. Again, weight drop. I always loved the Stockton Leather Racer jacket. My friend Stuart had one, and instead of buying one for myself, I just envied his.

Same with the chino shorts. I used to own a pair of the suede Macalister boots though I wore them to death. I still wear suede chukkas, but mine are now from Velasca. Not to say I wouldn’t wear these again. They still make them and they are great!

I have owned a couple pairs of Bowery Pants. Never really cared for the cut of the dress shirts.

This was, I believe the first introduction to the Ludlow suit. The Aldridge suit on the right had been their mainstay, but was phased out over the next couple of years. They’ve since introduced the Crosby suit which I believe is similar in cut. The slim Ludlow remains their most popular though.

More basics.

It was around this time that I tried a couple of the J.Crew shoes. They were not great. I still have a pair of suede wingtips that I wear in the fall and a pair of Ludlow loafers that were introduced later. I also had a cord jacket that I wish Id bought in a medium instead of a large. Oh well.

And here we are at the end. It was fun taking this trip down memory lane. And I may even purchase the book. At $125 it certainly isn’t cheap. But for a brand that’s meant so much to me since 1989, it’s worth it! and who knows what other catalog memories I’ll discover.