I received J.Crew's catalog the other day in the mail. Gazing at the pages, I pretended I too was in Morocco and looking fabulous!I really do look forward to receiving J.Crew's catalogs as though it were the regular magazines I pay a subscription for. There are no other catalogs I even "sign up" for anymore, except for J.Crew. In fact, I find catalogs to generally be a waste of paper. But not, J.Crew's catalogs. Their catalogs are different... they are special.
The truth is, I save the catalogs I receive from J.Crew. I have magazine holders full of them. Why? For a couple of reasons. The first being that I find the color of the pictures in the catalog can vary from those online. Not to mention, the images in the magazine tend to be bigger than the online photos. Both of these points makes it easier for me to purchase an item online without seeing it in-person beforehand. The second reason is that I use the catalogs as an idea-book of how to put together pieces into an outfit. I even save the Crewcuts catalogs because the outfits on the little girls are fabulous enough for me to model after.
Do you love or hate J.Crew catalogs? Do you receive them at home or pick them up at the stores? Do you save them like me?
I love them. I think their photography is beautiful and their pictures are inspirational. Each one tells a different story. They are great.
ReplyDeleteJenny- excellent point! :) I find that each catalog does tell a "story" that is different from the others. I really like how they are themed with a location too (e.g. Argentina, Morocco).
ReplyDeleteI love them as well. JCrew and Anthropologie are the only two catalogues that I sign up for. The Crewcuts catalogue are so cute!! I do tend to only look at the women's section of the catalogue and skip through the men's part. I kind of wish they made a separate catalogue for women and men.
ReplyDeleteI also love the catalogs, and receive them at home through the mail. I also keep mine, as well...you can do a "search by item #" on clothing in the catalogs that aren't available online anymore, and most times they pull up and are even ON SALE! I have gotten numerous FABULOUS deals by doing just that!
ReplyDeleteI don't keep them forever like you do Alexis, but I do keep a library of approximately the last 6. I love it when I can get something for a really good price and then go back to the catalogue that it was in and congratulate myself. (I know, I need to get out more)
ReplyDeleteWow that's a great tip fabulousfloridamommy!
ReplyDeleteI collect the catalogs too. Usually I keep them for about six months too, then just tear out the pictures I love. I think, especially over the past two years or so, the photography and design aesthetic has been fabulous. They certainly know how to push a concept!
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I'm still upset that I accidentally threw out my last copy of the Fall 07 catalog in Paris. That has to be my favorite one so far!
Thanks friedwontons! I forgot to mention that if it says it isn't available, then try putting a letter after the number, such as 89536d or 89536a...the letter means "catalog" item. (The manager at my store told me that).
ReplyDeleteI used to keep all of mine, but then I had to move and it made no sense for me to pack them when I already had a ton of books to make room for. So in the trash they went!
ReplyDeleteBut I do love a lot of the shots in the catalog. Especially when they include the kids.
And I love how there are now are Asian models (or at least there's that same one they seem to keep using) in the catalog. It'd be nice if they featured more models of color though. Just sayin' :o)
I agree with those that like to use the catalog as ideas for outfits. The only bad things is that it makes me think I can only work that outfit if I have the JCrew items! I always forget that I might already have something in my closet that would work just as well... oh the power of JCrew's brainwashing!! ;o)
Friedwonton- I agree that I would rather receive an all women catalog with more pages on women clothes.
ReplyDeleteFabulousFloridaMommy: I have done that too! And I have also purchased some steals that way too! :)
Anonymous at 3:24: You should congratulate yourself if you found a deal. A deal is a deal! :)
ReplyDeleteHaus_Frau: They really do some great photography in their catalogs.
Sue.Bee: I get caught up in that "buy the entire look" too. It is hard not to, when it looks so lovely!
friedwonton:
ReplyDeleteI think they do make a catalog version of just women clothing. I'm pretty sure the majority of the catalogs I received in the past were that way...or maybe I'm just making that up.
To FFM:
ReplyDeleteCan you, elaborate, please on how to search for sale itmes using catalog #? Thank you very much!
I save my old catalogues around Christmastime and use the pages as wrapping paper - it's colorful, environmentally friendly, and cheap!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous at 4pm! On the J.Crew website there is "Shop By Item #" at the top of the page under Crewcuts for Kids and Jewelry. When you click it will give you three spaces to enter item numbers, so...take the item # from the catalog of the garment you like (i.e.90815)and enter it into one of the spaces. It will then do a search and either pull up that item or tell you it is no longer available. If it says it isn't available...try putting a letter after the number, such as 90815R, and sometimes it will pull it up for you...often at a REDUCED price, too!
ReplyDeleteTo FFM:
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the tip. It's great! What letter should be placed after the number? Random one? I can totally see how I can go through entire alphabet in hopes to find what I want.:)
Hi again Anonymous! :) The letter appears to correspond with the month...for example February ended in R's, March in U's, and the Morroco catalog ends in F's. Funny you should mention the entire alphabet, as I have actually done that...gone through the entire alphabet with the item number of the garment I wanted! I have found the same garment under the item # but with different letters, so I'm not sure of the true pattern yet...just know that sometimes it works, and that works for me! :)
ReplyDeleteReceiving the catalog in the mail is like getting a letter from an old friend! I love the catalogs--- I use them for ideas and I hold onto them since sometimes the item is not in the store and I cannot find it online! I loved the Fred Leighton jewelry they featured in the holiday catalogs!
ReplyDeleteTo FFM:
ReplyDeletethanks again!It is indeed an amazing tip. I will definitely start using it!
Also try putting "ST" after the number-- this is what the stores use for searching items. :)
ReplyDeleteIts Jcrew style. If you look.. JCrew actually paints the walls in brick/mortar stores to even match the catalogs. The "cash wrap" is one accent wall.. and then if your area store has windows they usually paint the background wall seasonally. Its like a theme... I really liked how last year they made a canvas canopy over the mens section hanging from the ceiling. It was very cool and went with whatever theme they were portraying at the time.. i think like khaki and comfortable. Its neat how simple JCre really is. I mean their clothes are the decoration minus a few wooden tables scattered around the store. JCrew really doesn't spend much on in-store photos, signage, and all that compared to other retailers like Gap or American Eagle (which both change out window signs/displays weekly) JCrew is really good at what they do!
ReplyDeleteI love them! I save them and have them all sorted in magazine holders in our office. I throw them out after a year. I receive them in the mail. I like to pull them out if I see something on sale, but can't remember what it looks like on the model. They come in handy a lot!
ReplyDelete-Suzanne
FabulousFloridaMommy: I have totally gone through the alphabet in my search for an item. I didn't realize that others did the same thing! :)
ReplyDeleteNicole R.: I love them too! I think equating them with a letter from a friend is spot on. :) Also thanks for the tip on "ST"- I didn't know about that.
Daniel Howell: Excellent observation that J.Crew stores match the theme of the recent catalog! :)
I too love the catalogs! I find the suit section of the catalogs especially helpful, since I'm pretty much a dunce when it comes to "dressing professionally." ;D
ReplyDeleteI keep the ones that I love the most (like the one shot in Paris, which is my favorite too, hausfrau!) and recycle the others. Hopefully, all J.Crew catalogs are in someone's home or in the recycling bin. But I love Jennifer's idea of using it as wrapping paper. ^_^
PS. In my store in Boston, MA at the Copley mall, there was an additional 25% additional sale on women's sale items. :) There was a pretty decent selection! I bought the Swiss Dot Dylan tank in navy (in my size, the ever-elusive size 0!) for $13.00. And thanks to this blog, I finally tried on J.Crew's headbands and fell in love with the leapord-print tortoise shell one. I have a feeling it's going to be one of my new wardrobe staples.
ReplyDeleteCatalogs are a great way to see the colors. I also find that they use the same of article of clothing but change the color of an item electronically, making it difficult to see how the real color looks. Also, does anyone remember the old clearance mini-catalogs that you only received if you ordered by mail? I am laughing when I read the posts about ordering by item number! I do that, too. You can definitely save money that way!! I also keep a pen and some scrap paper in my pocket to jot down item numbers in the fitting room. I know...I'm crazy!!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been a J Crew fan for long but since I found out about J Crew, I've been pretty much hooked. I don't know if any of you are like me, but when I get my catalog in the mail, I'll scurry off into my bedroom or office, close the door and scan the catalog cover to cover. Once I'm done, I'll come out and do whatever needs to be done, like fix dinner, etc. My husband thinks I'm a freak.
ReplyDeleteI also flag all the items I want with a sticky flag and on the cover, I'll write the number of items I need to buy (on a sticky)and stick it to the front of the catalog. And as the items go on Sale, I'll buy them and revise the number of items to purchase info on the cover page. I'm sorry but I'm cheap and I refuse to buy at full-price. Anyway, that's what I do with my catalogs. Does anyone else do this or something similar?
FabulousFlA - that advice about looking up old #s was great. I did that tonight and found a pair of shorts that I've been wanting to get for my husband. Dramatically reduced, too! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteAmy: THe Paris one was fabulous! I kept that one too. Also thanks for the tip about the Boston J.Crew. I am sure someone is making a trip to the store today because of your tip! :)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 9:15 PM: Isn't it funny- I thought I was the only one who did that too. Isn't it great there are others like us. :)
Anonymous at 11:44 PM: I totally flag too. Also, you are not cheap, but "savvy" when it comes to the sales. :)
I love the catlogues and until recently, used to keep them for *years*... but every time I make a big move, I throw them out -- and then almost instantly regret it! I still might have a couple from '05-'06 in a box somewhere. I don't mind when they do a destination shoot as they always 'go' well with the collections (paris one in the fall 07 was beautiful), but I sometimes prefer the studio shoots with solid color backgrounds. I like the graphic simplicity of it, and sometimes the clothes don't need a story to go with them, they look good enough on they're own.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, a friend gave me a mock jcrew magazine called jcrewd, and it has fake but similar jcrew products (rollneck sweater, for example) with amusing descriptions.
antropologie had (has?) good spreads as well. I still have one from 2002.
Heather- the mock JCrew catalog sounds great! :o)
ReplyDeleteI like the pictures of the solid background as well. I like them all!
I also like how the catalogs give little tidbits of information: either the locale, the history of the fabric, or who the maker is.
I actually have a problem with the catalog. As much as I love to look at the pictures, I feel that they come too often. We sometimes get 4 of the same catalog. I can't even imagine how many trees they are killing. JCREW definitely needs to clean out their mailing lists so that they aren't sending multiple catalogs to the same family. Also, I've been noticing that by the time the catalog comes out, the clothes are already on sale - which means that I can't always get the size I need.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 11:42AM
ReplyDeleteI used to feel the same way because I would get 4 of the same catalog (just a different cover). Since I moved though, I've only received one, the Morocco one. Hopefully they won't revert back to sending duplicates.
I remember JCrew used to include the catalog with online orders. The last two orders I had didn't include them...just a card about the Honeymoon sweepstakes and a card about the "benefits" of having a JCrew card.
Sue.Bee: I totally didn't realize that they don't put a copy of the catalog with my mail orders anymore! Good catch.
ReplyDeleteI also wasn't a big fan of the same catalog on the inside, but different cover on the outside. I never understood that either.
on a random note: my husband (who never signed up for the catalog) use to get them with special coupon codes for free shipping. However, I (who does all the ordering) would never get the catalog with the codes. Do your catalogs come with free shipping codes (or has that been eliminated as well)?
Anonymous at 11:42PM: Speaking to your last point, I have noticed that many of the items in the catalog have gone "sale" much quicker than in previous years. Good point! :)
ReplyDeleteI really love them, BUT I do not love when J.Crew sells my name/address to other catalogs. At first I didn't mind b/c it can be fun to be introduced to new stores, but the volume has gotten really bad recently and I feel it has become a huge waste of natural resources with all of that paper!
ReplyDeletePlus, every time I order something, J.Crew sticks in ANOTHER catalog, which I usually already have. It would be nice if they would avoid sending them to people already on their mailing list in an effort to be greener!
kellyanne
ReplyDeletesign up to opt-out of receiving junk mail here:
https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/proto1.php#how_to
it works like the National Do-Not-Call Registry except it's for snail mail.
after I moved into my new house, my mailbox was flooded with all sorts of crap every day. ever since I signed up to opt-out at that website I've seen a significant decline of unwanted mail. Now I only get maybe a few pieces each week.
Oops, that wasn't the site I visited. I actually went to this one:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.optoutprescreen.com/opt_form.cgi
but that's for opting out of credit card/insurance/other financial offers.
I think that other site you have to pay $1 to opt out of the other junk mail, but I've heard it works.
Or you can just call up JCrew and tell them to remove your info and not to give it out to any other company.
Kellyanne311: I didn't realize that J.Crew sells our names/addresses. That would explain some of the random catalogs I get.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue.bee for telling us how to opt out of credit card offers. I hate getting those in the mail too!
I absolutely love the catalogs, I find the photos and colors inspiring. I like to tear out the most beautiful pages and put them on my bulletin board, especially the crewcuts pages which have some truly adorable spreads!
ReplyDeleteM.A. I really like the crewcuts catalog too! They are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI am soooo glad to see that there are others that save their J Crew catalogs!! I keep mine for "reference" so that I can get the outfits that I so covet. I too have totally gotten sucked into the idea that I MUST purchase the "complete outfit" shown. I try to do this by waiting until the items go on sale, but sometimes that is just so hard to do!! I can honestly say that there are only about 10 things in my closet that aren't J Crew. Even their most casual clothing gives the look of "fashion know how" when put on.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 8:54 AM- I couldn't agree with you more! :) Most of my closet has been converted mainly to J.Crew (with a small dabble of other brands). I also agree about how even their casual stuff looks super nice. :)
ReplyDeletei love the catalogs. the only times i get annoyed are when they send me a catalog with a different cover but the same pictures are inside as the most previous catalog. i recycle those.
ReplyDeleteI love J.Crew's on-location catalogues. I've kept a copy of the Paris one, because I adore going back and looking at it. I bought three of the wool Bella jackets (azalea, heather carbon and black). I also loved November 2007 - the highlands one.
ReplyDeleteA TIP: If anyone really regrets not having an old catalogue, search for them on Ebay - people do put them up for sale.
I'm so glad I found this blog - I thought I was the only one who felt so strongly about J.Crew :-)
OK, this is funny.
ReplyDeleteI was putting some stuff in my closet and I saw one of my JCrew long-sleeved tees that I love. I haven't seen them in stores or in the catalog for a while, so I thought I'd look up the item number online. Instead, I found an archive of the JCrew winter catalog from 2003. It was fun looking through it! Thought it'd be fun to share with the rest of y'all that don't keep your catalogs anymore. I tried searching to see if there were any others, but that might be the only one Google has... I'll keep looking :)
I take that back. Google has a ton of J. Crew catalogs archived!
ReplyDeleteJust click here. It looks like the archive goes back all the way to 2000 (some of the catalogs don't have the year on the cover so I think the copyright I found said 2000)...
FUN!!! :D
sue.bee: What a GREAT find! I can't wait to get some free time and look...thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteFFM:
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a trip looking at the old catalogs. I can't believe how different everything is these days. I feel like the old JCrew had a lot more classic looking stuff... and you'll find yourself saying,"I remember when they had those!" or "I wonder why they don't have that anymore" or "I never knew they had that!". Heehee. I also had a sense of deja vu looking through them :)
I hope someone scans in their old JCrew catalogs from the 90s. That would be awesome!
La Belle Helene- I know what you mean! I thought I was the only one who thought about J.Crew so much and did certain things (like save catalogs, google search old items, etc.) But after this blog, I realize I am just one of many who do the same thing. ;)
ReplyDeleteSue.Bee: I think it is great that you found that archive. It is such a trip down memory (retail) lane! :)