A big "thanks!" to Audrey who had a {great} suggestion for a poll...I think it may be a fun post ...to ask/poll the community how long they've been sipping the Crewlade, their first purchase, etc.I love the topic and I l-o-v-e the line "sipping the Crewlade"! I agree that it would be fun to find out how long we have been fans (or fanatics, like in my case!) of the brand. So here it is...
Quick Poll: How long have you been "sipping the Crewlade"?
Also, "thanks!" to Clicquot (in this post) who came up with the following suggestion:
Since you do this post every Friday (Seek & Find), how about doing a follow-up post on Mondays about "What Did You Score This Weekend"? I'm always wondering what the JCSs found on their weekend shopping excursions :)I think this is could be a great idea and wanted to see how much interest there is in it. (It would be nice to find out what happened after the weekend is over.) Since I am in a polling-kind-of-mood today, here is another one...
Quick Poll: Would you be interested in a weekly "Sought & Found" post for Mondays?
Seriously my DH thought I was the only one "crazy" over JCrew all these years, but I'm so glad I have found fellow JCA's here on your wonderful blog, Alexis! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have been sipping the Crewlade since university -- I believe it was around 1992 when JC started shipping to Canada? We must have received a catalogue, because almost immediately my sister, brother and SIL fell in love with their stuff. I remember the first JC item I got (begged my mom to get it for Christmas) -- a blue, boxy, shaker-knit cardigan with wooden buttons. I think Mom was shocked by the shipping, duty and taxes to ship to Canada, LOL!
ReplyDeleteI have been hooked ever since, although there were a few years between then and now where I went off the Crewlade -- easier when there aren't any B&M stores here. But I've been making up for lost time these last two years, let me tell you! My work wardrobe is easily 75% JC.
i've been a fan for a good amount of years but i've been seriously OBSESSED (aka an aficionada) for over a year now. i think that when i moved to the east coast and was in the market for a nice coat i started to sip the crewlade slowly and now i can't stop! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been wearing jcrew since freshman or sophomore year of high school, so about 13-14 years. The height of my crewlade consumption was between 2000-2007, and has been waning since. Right now, I don't see myself buying any new jcrew this spring/summer unless it's replacements for basics like tees or jackie cardigans.
ReplyDeleteI remember going to some massive outlet when I was 10 and picking up a black knit cardigan. That must have been J.Crew in 2000 or so. I wasn't aware of the brand then, but I loved the cardigan! Now I'm 20 - so I guess I've been loving the brand for half of my life! :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I LOVE the phrase Sipping the Crewlade. It's a keeper.
My first purchase was at the end of the 90s, about 11-12 years ago, and it was a black tank top for $20. I remember their tops were really short in length on me-- maybe that was the general style, because jeans/pants were cut higher?-- but, despite that, I got hooked through the catalogue (which is kind of odd because I was near a store, but there's something well-lit and well-edited about the J. Crew catalogues vs. the Eddie Bauers, LL Beans, Spiegel, etc. floating around a decade ago).
ReplyDeleteMy first visit to a J.Crew was when I was 16 on vacation to California. I think the store I stopped at was in Santa Monica (does that sound right? It was by the water...) I got a sweater shell with flowers on it, a light blue v-neck cardi, and a thick sweater-jacket. I loved those things so much and kept them until I lost some weight and couldn't wear them anymore, but I was in high school with no income. I didn't start buying again until I was in my early 20s. Now I'm hooked, and of course this blog has helped feed the obsession.
ReplyDeleteWhen Pentagon City opened its doors when I was in high school, I fell in love with J. Crew. So that puts me at 20+ years. Yes, I am old. ;)
ReplyDeleteI remember the days when I was in middle school & high school and looked so enviously at J Crew through the window but never went in, because I couldn't afford anything. About the best I could do was browse around Banana Republic and hope to scratch up some sale items from the back of the store, or maybe one of those safari-designed tees they made back then (anyone remember those?).
ReplyDeleteThen once I graduated from college and got a real job in NYC, I swung 200% in the other direction and got stuck on boutique designers like Theory, Nanette Lepore, Trina Turk, etc.
Once I left NY to move to the South, I had nowhere to wear my fanciful clothes (or my suits for that matter, aside from job interviews). So all the fun & fancy stuff was cast aside and I started gravitating back toward BR and JC, which I could finally afford.
My addiction has really gone overboard in the last few years, though. Every season I say "I have enpugh clothes, I don't need anymore!" But yet here I am, amongst my JCA peeps and still snapping up deals!
In all honesty I'd say 90% of my wardrobe is J Crew now. The other 10% is Marc Jacobs.
And so it goes.....
I have been shopping at J. Crew for more than 20 years - anybody else buy a "barn" jacket, or their silk shirts? Shopping for me used to be entirely through catalogues as all the retail stores were at least a three-hour drive, and no internet back then. I still love their clothes, but wish the sizing was more consistent. I am the same size, but I still never know if the clothes will fit. Lately the XS has been way too big.
ReplyDeleteSorry, this is OT, but if anyone sees a Stained Glass cardigan in a Small, can you please email me with the store info? Or, if you have it in your closet and decide you don't love it, I'll give it a good home! I just found a hole in the arm of mine (never worn, tags still on) and I want to find a replacement before I return it! TIA!
ReplyDeleteAs far as drinking the Crewlade... I've sipped it for years, but only recently became a Crew-a-holic! Not great for my wallet, but I've noticed I'm not shopping at other stores as much and try to only buy sale stuff at JC other than a key 2-3 items each season!
I discovered JC at college in the preppy mid 80's. I loved my brick red barn jacket. Oversized, of course!
ReplyDelete(kerrie)I have a blue silk shirt from around 2005/6 that I still wear and love.
ReplyDeleteI remember looking through the catalog for the first time in 1986 but could not afford anything.
Next catalog I looked at was 2000 and I was pregnant. But I did buy my first item in 2001. Did not go crazy until 2004--2008. Now, pretty much buy 2-3 items a month vs. the large quantities I did for a few years. This month I have only bought one item. Amazing for me but once you have sipped the Crewlade for a long time your closet is full of many repeat items if you are not careful!
Lindsey B - I just returned a stained glass cardi, size small, to the store in Schaumburg, IL (Woodfield Mall) on Sunday b/c I decided I had far too many cardis...would be worth a shot to call and see if they still have it! Amy
ReplyDeleteOh, I always loved those Barn Jackets, but never got one. I did have a couple of the roll-neck sweaters, though :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know what's more embarrasing, to admit how long I've been buying J Crew, or to admit I still have the first thing I ever bought.
ReplyDeleteIt was 1996, and I had gotten a catalouge that I was so excited about I took it with me to my High school Sophmore Spanish class and filled out the form there. (Yes, a paper order form that I then mailed in-can you believe it?)
I have such a distinct memory of making that first order. I ordered a grey v-neck sweater, and its still sitting in the closet of my old bedroom in my parent's house. Maybe if I wait long enough, it will become an antique! And as a side note, it still looks good! Minimal pilling, still retains its shap after countless washings. If I wanted, I could still problably wear it!
I started with Clifford & Wills because I loved a silk blouse and stretch ponte knit skirt from the catalog. C&W was J.Crew's professional wear line, which was sold to Spiegel about 10 years ago. For someone starting out in the work world it was a great source for those basic pieces every woman needs: nice-fitting cotton and silk blouses, pencil skirts, tailored wool jackets and pants. I still have most everything C&W that I ever bought, the quality was phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteI rarely bought from J.Crew in those days but I did get a red barn jacket as a Christmas gift and picked up some jeans and a couple of cotton rollneck sweaters too. After C&W was dropped J.Crew started adding more professional wear to their line and I kept buying it, along with more casual wear. The trendier pieces are hit and miss for me but the suiting and classic pieces are still among my favorites. J.Crew does a great job with professional wear and dressy/formal wear too. I like the beaded, sequin and sparkley pieces they offer during the Holiday rollout each year. For some reason theirs seem more wearable than a lot of other Holiday pieces.
I'd say my wardrobe is almost half J.Crew with the exception of jewelery and shoes. I don't wear costume jewelery and although the shoes are often cute I would rather spend more elsewhere for better quality.
There wasn't a JC in the town where I grew up while I was living there. All the cute older boys that went to the "nicer" HS across town wore J Crew rollneck sweaters that looked oh so suave over their soccer shorts in the fall. (And yes, Elaine, they probably had on BR safari tees underneath!) Shopping the catalog was wish fulfillment in more ways than one! We'd hit the Lancaster outlets a couple times a year, back when the Crew even had bras and panties, anyone remember that?
ReplyDeleteThe oldest piece I have from JC is a grey cardigan. It wasn't my first grey cardi, but it was my first from the Crew, and it's one of my favorite articles of clothing of all time. It's hip length, boiled wool, with zip pockets and closure and a crew neck. I've worn it on dates, the day I finally passed college algebra, and home from the hospital after I had my daughter. Just this winter the elbows have become sheer, and I'm still searching for the right patch to fix this tragedy.
Great post, Alexis, and great idea, Audrey! I love reading everyone's trips down memory lane.
OT PS: The Ann Arbor store today had one of the crystal Coletto necklaces for $59.99. It was the black version with clear stones. NO extra percent off in stores, unfortunately. Thanks to Ema, I think, that had so much good info on the Colettos the other day. I would never had noticed the difference in stone sizes since the local store doesn't have the two types together.
I have a spring green puffer jacket from the late 80s- my one vintage piece. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have to say it was the Paris Video that pushed me over the edge. I'd play that thing at least once a day to find my "happy place". Is it the ecomony that keeps them from creating the mood by media for each seasonal collection? It is extremely effective. The Paris tune is skipping along in my brain right now...
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ReplyDelete(raises hand) Also a buyer of that oversized barn jacket years ago :)! I still remember when JCrew had little guys with a crew shell and/or oars on their logo tag!
ReplyDeleteETA: Oh My Gosh, yes, the rollneck sweaters! I had one in dark brown wool and this beautiful blue color...When I was pregnant with DS, I bought a tiny rollneck sweater just to commemorate the "full circle" JCrewdom LOL!
You forgot to add a section on your first poll... I sipped for a long time but now don't anymore. I used to love JCrew but in the past 1.5 years the quality has been so horribly bad and the designs have just turned me off... I am sad to say JCrew is now an ex-lover for me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI've been drinking the crewlade for less than 2 years. Even though there's been tons of comments about reduced quality at JC but I keep on drinking because of the colors and styles. I used to be strictly a Banana girl but I was really drawn into the sophisticated yet youthful styles of JC. I do wish the price points were little lower because I don't think some of the prices are that reasonable but I think the super sales + promos are definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteElaine, I *so* remember the safari Ts from Banana Republic. I begged my mom to buy me one when I as in junior high. Between that and my ESPRIT sweater, I felt pretty hot to trot. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI started drinking the crewlade in 1993. Got my first catalog as a college freshman. Bought a brown men's donegal sweater, and it was on backorder. I *loved* that sweater. I also bought a corduroy jumper at one point. Feel free to gag a little -- I just did. Currently my oldest piece is a lawn print shirt from back in the days when Molly Sims was a model.
Elaine - Yes! The safari theme at BR... Anyone remember the Jeep they had in the stores? And when everything was taupe and camouflage? I still have a pair of flannel-lined pants that I use for skiing that I got from BR in the 90s.
ReplyDeleteI am seriously cracking up at these posts ... HOW could I forget the iconic barn jacket and how I sobbed when my mom got me a knockoff for my birthday ... yes, I was kinda bratty about such things back in the day.
ReplyDeleteAnd I found the first rollneck sweater I ever got in a consignment store and I was sooooo excited. That was back when the labels were off-white and the writing was green and there was something red on the tag too.
OMG I'm psychotic! LOL
Yes Cheesy, I do indeed recall when the Crew made bras & underwear. Back then I was still tiny enough to sport it! Ha!
And yes Audrey, I totally remember the jeeps in the BR stores. If I close my eyes I can see it right in front of me, just as it was. And I still remember the sound of my shoes on the wood floor of that store and how excited I always was to be in it (closest BR was 45 mins away so we rarely went).
Ahhhhh, memories.....!
Clifford & Wills, the JC "Barn" jacket. Anyone remember Tweeds too? Now that brings back memories for me! I started buying JC in high school back in the 80s. Yes, I'm another oldie in the 20+ years category! One of my favorite JC skirts was a long pleated number (REALLY dowdy by today's standards) in a size 6. The waist measurement on the skirt was 25 inches. You know vanity sizing has gotten out of control! Thanks so much Alexis for keeping up this blog. It's always fun to read.
ReplyDeleteOf course the 25 inch skirt was meant to be worn AT the waist. This was before the low-cut, hip-slung craze started!
ReplyDeleteCheesyGoodness,
ReplyDeleteI loved the white cotton low rise bikinis JCrew had around 2002 and 2003. Wonderful. I bought a ton of packages when it went on sale online and then in store for like $2 a pair. I still have two unopened packages in my cedarchest!
Add me to the list of BR safari tee lovers! I wore mine to death! And their catalogs were great back then too.
ReplyDeleteI bought a JC bikini for spring break my junior year of college. That would have been 1992. I wish they'd reissue the rollneck sweaters in a figure flattering style. I think I'd have to get one!
"Our style editors can't get over this season's barn jackets and rollneck sweaters, brought to you from the pages of vintage catalogues stored in the vaults of our venerated HQs in Greenwich Village, Manhattan..."
ReplyDeleteTweetle Beetle I don't remember Tweeds but someone, maybe you, has mentioned them on this blog before. I'm intrigued.
ReplyDeleteLast winter Eddie Bauer and Land's End had barn jackets for men. DH tried them both and bought the EB version. It's his dog-walking jacket and he looks like something out of an old J.Crew catalog wearing jeans, chukkas, a turtleneck, his barn jacket and walking our golden retriever. Of course, that could be a current J.Crew MENS catalog look too. :)
Audrey you may not be far off!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/CrewCutBrowse/Boy_Feature_Assortment/OnlineExclusives/outerwear/PRDOVR~97169/97169.jsp
audball, your comment about buying the CC sweater for your son gave me the warm fuzzies big time! I have my daughter in her little grey JC cardi weekly.
ReplyDeleteGenny, I'm so glad there's another hoarder around here! (With me it's socks, though.) I must have spent hours at the outlets pawing through bins looking for my size in JC bras to no avail, but I did get a few pairs of undies that held up nicely. I wonder why the line phased out?
Audrey: I remember the Jeep in BR stores!
ReplyDeleteWho remembers Outback Red? I thought I was hot stuff in some OBR gear!
I remember buying from the J Crew catalog my first year of college...that would be 1997. Actually writing a check and mailing it in...wow, thanks to the internet, everything is so much faster.
My BR at the Short Hills Mall in NJ had a jeep in the back, and all sorts of safari-themed decorations. And Tweeds! I had a good friend in grad school in the 80's who loved Tweeds. Recently, I've been seeing the Tweeds label in TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Not sure why...went out of business and/or sold the name?
ReplyDeleteHello JCAs! It is great to read everyone's fond memories of J.Crew. I too remember the barn jackets at J.Crew and the jeeps at BR. :)
ReplyDeleteAppGal: For creating the polls, I use Blogger's poll creator and copy the HTML code for the post. Hope this helps. :)
OT: I was in-store today purchased what I thought was the celosia cardigan, but now I see it is call carolyn on my sales slip. Does anyone know the difference????
ReplyDeletePS been sipping the crewlade since high school and i'm in college now!
Yes, I've been wearing JCrew since 1984! Totally remember the stitiched little man with the crew oar. I've always loved it, except for an unfortunate time in the late 90's I think when they went all khaki/beige. I remember buying an entire outfit because I saw a picture of Emily Cinander (her dad founded Jcrew) wearing it -- black gabardine "dress" pleated shorts with a chartreuse thin turtleneck. Dress shorts! Ugh! Wore them to work with tights. Loved Clifford & Wills suits. I remember Tweeds, too. I'm old (42) and I love JCrew! But I'm sick of the ruffles and embellishments! Enough already! I was happy to see a return to "matching" clothes at Milan fashion week. We'll see it at Jcrew S/S 2011 or F/W 2011.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alexis!
ReplyDeleteSunny: A lot of times an item will have a different name in the retail stores than online. It could have very well been the Celosia...its retail name is just Carolyn.
I'm actually a relative newcomer - didn't give them much thought until the London catalogue, which I believe was fall/winter 2005. It was full of smashing tweed items - skirts, hats, bejeweled shoes ... I bought quite a lot that season - but not as much as the Paris catalogue. Ooh la la, did I swoon over those offerings, from the fabulous azalea Bella to the skirts to the accessories. Haven't bought nearly as much since - this past fall & winter was a dud for me, an I'm always far more intrigued by their cold-months collections than spring & summer. I've also been disappointed in their quality the past two years - I now have a do-not-buy j.crew list that includes their cashmere and dream sweaters.
ReplyDeleteThanks Appgal, I can't seem to find any differences....
ReplyDeleteI miss Clifford and Wills SO MUCH! I agree wholeheartedly that their durability and lasting power...I still have ALL the items I bought from them when I was starting out as a working girl in 1998.
ReplyDeleteI almost cried when I realized I could never buy from them ever again.
But now that I know that they were/are associated with J. Crew, huh, no surprise I love J. Crew so much! :)
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I first ordered from JC when I was in college, probably 17-18 years ago. I have bought their pants for the last 6-7 years, but really became a steady shopper with the beginning of JCA. Now, I would say 40-50% of my closet is JC and that probably increases a little more every month.
ReplyDeleteI am a 20-year veteran as well, a dark gray cotton rollneck sweater was my first purchase, followed by a tan-colored barn jacket. Then silk ribbon belts, cable knit sweaters and bright polos! My wardrobe today, actually, is a much higher % of JC than back then, maybe 75%, because I buy accessories, jewelry, and bags as often or more than clothes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alexis for reminding us of our relationship w JC (however long that may be) and how things have changed.
My Mom has some gorgeous Clifford & Wills scarf-print silk blouses. She has let me borrow them and they are so lovely to wear. Occasionally I ask her when I can have them and she always says, "They're in the will, honey."
ReplyDeleteI'm a relative newbie to J.Crew and have a small collection of heirloom-worthy pieces already, although none of them are jewelery. The tulle cascade skirt, the shimmy dress, Ellora print silk dress, Duchamp Astor jacket, wool suits and suiting separates like the collection tweed skirts and jackets and several wool coats that look like new after a few seasons as well as every shearling thing I can get my hands on. I also bought a leather "Scooter" jacket on ebay that was from 2000 and is really cute. Quilted lining, thick yet soft leather, made in India. i wear it to death and it still looks great. That's one I'll probably have in my will. ;-)
Oh, man. This is such a great topic! I got my first J. Crew item - a completely standard turquoise pocket tee - in 1989, in sixth grade, when my grandfather decided it was more my color than his. The second - a pink and orange-striped shirt out of my allowance - in seventh grade. The third - the brick red barn jacket I saved up for from babysitting jobs - in eighth. Oh, and those rollnecks! I lived in them during high school. With Umbros and Tevas. And I'd wear them just like that all over again. :)
ReplyDeleteOh Alexis, this is the best topic ever! I’m absolutely grinning ear-to-ear while reading everyone’s posts!
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t convince my mother to buy me anything from JCrew (it was just too expensive in her opinion, even back then!) until winter of 1994. I knew it was only a matter of time before JCrew sent their clearance catalog (remember those!?) so the moment it arrived I went through it vigorously with post-its in hand. Sadly, by the time I made my perfect list of item #s, colors, and sizes and called customer service almost everything was sold out! I already had my mom’s blessing and credit card in hand and I refused to hang up empty handed, so I bought a men’s black wool winter cap (the kind that rolled at the edges like the rollneck sweaters) and I at least felt a little victorious with my first—-albeit tiny--purchase.
My dear mom saw how deflated I was and agreed to take me to the store (@ Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, NY) to buy a new winter coat to go along with my little hat and I bought a men’s boiled wool zip-up coat. I felt like a million bucks wearing that coat for several winters until it fell apart.
I wish I saved some of those clearance catalogs from back in the day. I can picture them in my mind (on the thinner, less expensive paper stock and cut in a trim size that was a few inches more narrow than the regular catalog) and it takes me back!
Boy do I ever remember BR’s safari-themed days! My dad still has a fishing vest from BR (the one with all those pockets for bait and whatnot) and I chuckle every time I see it just remembering BR’s roots.
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane, everyone!
I loved Tweeds! I have several cashmere sweaters from circa 1998 that are still in fine condition and still in my wardrobe rotation. And needless to say, these 11-12-year-old sweaters look better than my recent JC cashmere :-)
ReplyDeleteI've ordered from JC since the early 90s but I have to say that the Crewlade didn't really kick in until 2005, and then it amped up once I found this blog!
Lol, that was supposed to be a sad face :-( Sad face for JC cashmere!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone ever see the J.Crewd?? That was so funny! It was a mock J.Crew catalog.
ReplyDeleteBluenana - Shout-out on the clearance catalogues, even down to the smaller dimensions and the thinner paper!
ReplyDeleteAudrey--love that someone remembers the clearance catalogs too! There's a small part of me that is convinced that a stray 1995 clearance catalog is stuck in one of my old school binders, packed deep in my parent's attic. I sense a nostalgic mission brewing in my mind.
ReplyDeleteJCrewCC--looked up J.Crewd on Amazon and it looks hysterical! It's out-of-print, so I think I might try to get it used somewhere.