Today, I thought I would share the images I found on the The Terrier and Lobster blog (click here) of J.Crew's August 2007 catalog. There is a little something for both women and men! Just click on any of the images to view them larger.
Fantastic. I can't get over how much I love, love, love these images!!! I want to wear so many of these outfits (from head to toe!)
Wait there will be more! Tomorrow I plan on posting images from J.Crew's Highland Catalog of November 2007. They are truly stunning too. :)
What are your thoughts on these catalogs from the past? Do you enjoy looking through them for outfit inspirations? Do you find these looks classic (like I do) or do you think they are dated?
Those looks will never be dated, but they seem so staid. I had forgotten that, I can't remember buying anything but bottoms from J. Crew then now that I think back. I like my preppy sexed up. That said I don't own any sequins or any of the embellished tees, but I've bought plenty of other things. I'm a sucker for the occasion bags which I wear with jeans. Maybe I'm more of a new J. Crew person wishing for old J. Crew quality.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alexis for posting these images. I remember this catalog and it almost brings me tears that I've passed up on so many goodies back then. Darn, I missed out on a black wool herringbone bella today and I'm kicking myself for not bidding higher.
ReplyDeleteI have several items from back in the days I've purchased and collected from eBay and JCA exchange and plan to wear them as much this fall/winter. :-)
I think the looks are classic and classy. Though I'm not a big fan of saturated bright colors I like the pop of some colors to instantly transform the outfit.
I get that sequins and loaded jewelry is the new trend along with short skirts, I just can't go out during the day all sequined out with chunky jewelry wearing short short minis. I guess it all depends on what part of the country you live and your lifestyle, but the new JC is not getting much attention from me besides the classic pencils skirts, jackets and coats.
And please JC, bring back the quality you took pride in!
So lovely, this was before my time but I really wish they'd go back to this classic styling.
ReplyDeleteI *love* those olive/deep-chartreuse pants! I really wish they'd release some skinny cords in that color (looks like "burnished olive," like the Jackie cardigan...).
ReplyDeleteVery cute.
ReplyDeleteLove this! I have quite a few pieces from this catalog and they've held up very well. Love the double-breasted Sophie sweater jacket, and now I'm inspired to wear it today.
ReplyDeleteGasp! Dare I say it? I think I like these images more than the beloved Paris catalog images! Please don't flog me...
ReplyDeleteThese images just remind me what J Crew used to be! They are stunning and so classically timeless. If only J Crew would stop over-styling and return to these roots! These images are definitely ripe for inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLovely images. Lovely clothes.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of Boden's clothes, though. Especially the bright pop of color and unexpected pattern.
I still don't entirely understand the outrage over the "changes" in J Crew in the last few years. I think they have added a lot of new looks and sillhouttes, but I still see a lot of core pieces similar to the garments in these layouts. I like the simple styling in these pictures as I am not one for piling on 10 layers, but I think most of these looks could be recreated with things from the current lineup.
ReplyDeleteI really prefer some of the newer styles they have as I wouldn't be buying anything from these catalog pages. The colors are just too weird for me and the looks as a whole are a little too "borrowed from the boys." I agree with SC, I think the new look is sexed up and I like that.
It would be nice to have J Crew go back to more of a varity of colors and I want the old dependable quality back. And I would like to have more variety in skirt lengths, fewer sequins and less sythetics fibers.
Thank you so much Alexis! I really enjoyed the styling, and found some inspiration on how to wear a few of my older items. Would it be possible to do a post on pics of older JC catalogs? I'd be willing to contribute images if this idea goes through :) Maybe other JCA's would be interested?
ReplyDeletekitsmommy: I totally agree. I think much of the angst for current j.crew offerings comes from their overstyling and drab catalogs. Yes, the pieces are not the same, but taken away from the outfits photographed with very mundane backdrops, they are not bad at all. I looked through the most recent catalog last night and it was so boring (someone in another thread nailed it...looked like they were hanging out in an office building). So much so that I couldn't even finish flipping through, and definitely couldn't focus on the individual pieces of clothing. The catalogs influence us more than we think.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! I just love them! I wish I was shopping then, but I wasn't since I was working on shedding the baby weight.
ReplyDeleteFunny how current these looks from 2007 are. Today's colours are more muted, more gray and such; could the economy be part of why colours are so much more conservative.
ReplyDeleteThe mens' cuts aer slimmer, but besides that it is quite close to the offerings today. Womens' clothing is definitely the one showing the nmost change. Great post Alexis.
Oh, the good ole days. I bough so much from these 2007 catalogs. I am so glad I did. I loved the styling and the colors and EVERYTHING about JCrew then.
ReplyDeleteLike another poster mentioned I barely looked through the current catalog. I tried twice too. So boring. I agree that the catalogs do influence my purchases and desire to make trips to the store which I rarely do nowadays.
I have saved all catalogs starting in 2004. I am truly doubtful I will save my Oct. or Nov. catalogs.
AppGal and kitsmommy make great points. I'm looking at it from a quality perspective - there are still quite a few items I like the look and design of and want to purchase, but the quality is just not there. Even the more 'classic' looking items out now are constructed poorly, which is just a bummer.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the current styling is just too much when you can't get a good look at the items (both in the catalog and online). Combined with the shortcuts taken in producing the clothes, sometimes the styling just seems like a sleight of hand to hide poor construction/fit/whathaveyou.
The older catalogs represented (for me) a little more "what you see is what you get". The catalogs generated an excitement that continued when I got to see the pieces IRL. I don't feel like that's the case anymore when the clothes are hanging in the B&M with dangling sequins, raw edges, pills and splitting seams.
Gorgeous clothes and pictures, great colors. Sigh. Just took out some laundry, yet another J Crew slub t-shirt came out with a hole under the arms. Sigh. Wish I could branch out into other brands, but it feels like too much effort, I feel like I already spend too much time browsing the J Crew website. But I don't want any more holes in my clothes!
ReplyDeleteAhhh...back when Bermuda shorts were actually Bermuda shorts -- not 9 " inseam!
ReplyDeleteSO lovely! All of it. And even more significant is how HAPPY those images make me, not just because of the beautiful clothes, but because there is a story/context behind the pictures. I used to wish I lived in the world the catalogues created, but no longer. I'm still a big JC fan, but the catalogues just aren't the same.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting, Alexis.
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ReplyDeleteI can't decide if these photos make me happy or sad. I should be happy since I own so many of the older pieces and happy because it means I don't need to buy as much now (lol).
ReplyDeleteBut it all contrasts so sharply with what's being sold right now. I can't recall a time I was less interested in going to the store or looking at the site. I'm not sure if that's because I just don't much much fall or winter wear or if it's just the styling I'm not feeling.
*le sigh* these catalog shots are like a trip back in time, back to a happier time (for me).
Come back old J.Crew,we miss you!
ReplyDeleteOh, JcrewPhd, I'm sorry, but I think I'm the one that got the Bella you were bidding on. But tell you what, I was taking a rist on the size , so if it doens't fit me, I can contact you first thing if you want a 2nd chance!
ReplyDeleteI have the plaid taffeta skirt from the third image... it has the cutest enamel buttons. Sigh. I've only worn it once... thank you for posting this pic so I now have some new styling ideas!
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have bought more, too. I was not as into J.Crew back then, because I thought it was way too expensive. Which is true... but I should have been more vigilant about stalking final sale, obviously! Hehe, oh well. Like others, I have bought lots of stuff on eBay from 07. The plaid skirt I got at the Asheville, NC clearance store in fall of 2008... I wish I would have bought literally everything in the store then. Now they get less and less of the good, older stuff.
Oh, and I'd just like to add... I like J.Crew clothing from '05-'08 much more than the current offerings... but I never liked things they had such as argyle vests. Some of the older stuff was too preppy/staid for me. Still better than offering 4 different sequined/beaded tops for $400+ each.
ReplyDeleteI also really miss the older shoes. I remember going into the Somerset Collection store with my mom starting probably about 10 years ago, and drooling over the J.Crew shoes that we thought were sooo expensive (they were like $98 then for a pair of all leather flats, sheesh). Should have bought them!!! I do not like any of the current shoe offerings except for the camden brogues (which I could buy at any other shoe retailer right now) and the glitter printed calf hair toe cap flats. Remember when the Penelope peep toes, heels and flats came out? I was sooo excited about those when they came out. I HAD to have them. I do not feel that way about anything at J.Crew now. Sad face.
These photos are wonderful! The colours are so lively! Thanks for posting them, Alexis!
ReplyDeleteWhen I looked at these pictures just now, two words came to mind: beautiful and classy. Now, a retailer has to vary styles over time, but J. Crew went too far into the "hip" catagory and left behind the "classy." I guess I should be grateful though, because the current styles are helping me save a lot of money!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, color! I remember when you appeared on every page of the J. Crew catalog. So refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with kitsmommy & appgal. Comparing this catalogue with a current one makes the current seem so drab, but when I look piece by piece, I prefer the current offerings to those of the past. I think it's just that the old catalogue really draws you in and makes you want that JC 'lifestyle.' It's similar to Anthropologie's draw for me. When I look at their catalogues, I feel drawn to the lifestyle the images capture.
ReplyDeleteI too prefer the 'new' JC and wouldn't buy much from the past, however I can't stand the current overstyling.
Some of the looks here are definitely classic and actually don't seem too far off from some of the looks from the catalogs of the past year. Cords and button downs? Still around. And the men's doesn't seem to have changed much. I do love that plaid skirt, skirts in that style are very in right now, but definitely don't seem like JCrew's style right now, but that's OK. Some of the stuff looks dated to me, the hat and the striped sweater somehow looks cheap to me. Also, I will never understand Bermuda shorts. I think they are just so unflattering. And the argyle is classic prep, sure, but argyle is so far from in right now. Abercrombie and Fitch used to have argyle as well, and they don't have any argyle pieces anymore either. While it may be a classic staple of a certain style, that style just isn't really "in" right now.
ReplyDeletethis is great. thanks. One thing i noticed for men: the mention of the "limited edition" sutherland trench. Well, here we are in 2010, almost 2011, and that trench is still available. So how "limited edition" was it? J. Crew certainly has a way with words.
ReplyDeleteI'm always wondering about whether looks in the past that were touted as "classic" have really stood the test of time. Anyone have images from the mid to late 90s that we could compare?
@egyptomaniac: I feel much better now knowing the lovely Bella went to another JCA. I actually really want the Herringbone gray one since I already own so many black jackets. However, if it doesn't work out for you please do let me know. :-)
ReplyDeleteOT, but more markdowns on the website. Here's a sample:
ReplyDeletePetit jardin mini #30440
now $39.99
Notte tweed pencil skirt #29764 -- now $79.99
Lace tee #31958 -- $69.99
Dream zip henley #31359 -- now $69.99
Arrow sweater-jacket #29002 -- most colors now $89.99
Silk two-way tee $59.99 #28582
loooove it all. thanks so much for sharing, alexis! why didn't i buy that little ring necklace when i had the chance? so cute.
ReplyDeletei miss the inspiring catalogs more than anything else. there are still cute clothes (quality issues aside) but the catalogs do nothing to celebrate them.
Let. . . it . . . go . . . The vast majority of Americans don't want to look like Republicans from Connecticut.
ReplyDeletei love these pictures, and remember this catalog - it's just so autumn and preppy and classic.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of old JCrew. I have worn many of my items from Fall 2004--7 and people are constantly asking me where they can buy the items. I have even had store clerks at various shops offered to buy my clothes if/when I ever tire of them.
ReplyDeleteJCrew used to do classic with a twist and they no longer do much but trendy clothes.
Glad others like the change that is fine but I don't think any of us older JCrew fans will ever "let it go." EVER.
yeah, i don't think i would actually open my wallet to buy any of this stuff. some of the new stuff and styling is definitely too out there for me or too casual for my lifestyle but i am still buying more now than i used to from JC.
ReplyDeletewe ARE a diverse group! The only thing I would wear from that catalog are some of the sweaters in that stack. Those rainboots strike me as too silly to put a child in. I am one of those subtle people who likes the neutrals I guess.
ReplyDeleteThe expense of shooting on location is why we only see a few catalogs like that a year.
I have been shopping at JCrew for 20 years and I have totally "let it go." I think some of us need to stop living in the past and get with the times. I would not buy the majority of what I see in these images just like I don't buy everything JCrew releases now. JCrew is still putting out some great pieces. The only difference is the styling. And I have enough imagination to see through the layers and know what works for me.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that look with the grey short sleeve cashmere sweater over a bright yellow cami and grey cords. I'm thinking I can recreate that with grey toothpicks and I have a grey short sleeve cashmere sweater. Just need something like that yellow cami.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think that preferring the "old J. Crew" is living in the past or being a white Republican (whatever). To be blunt, J. Crew is just a clothing store, and if I don't like the current offerings, then I look elsewhere. I do have to agree, though that while a lot of the pieces are still there, it's the styling that has changed. Well, the current styling isn't motivating me to buy like the old did. Oh well, no big deal.
ReplyDeletei love, love, love these older images - they seem so bright, healthy, and HAPPY. the lack of smiles on more recent catalog pics is what i notice is missing the most.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting to read all the comments- either you really love these images (like me) or you really could care less.
ReplyDeleteI am the first to admit that I am guilty of "not letting it go". But I don't see that as a bad thing, as I still enjoy many of the clothes that J.Crew puts out today. (My credit card can back me up on that last point!) ;)
As for posting these images... I really do love the styling in these earlier catalogs (from just 2-3 years ago too!) I find catalogs (from all clothing companies including Anthropologie) to be a source of how clothes look on a real person (i.e. not pinned on a mannequin), as well as clothing inspiration (to recreate looks from head to toe). And most of us have these pieces, so it's great to see how we can wear them. :)
I prefer the men's selection now compared to the ones in these images. The colors don't do anything for me----I want vibrant colors for weekend wear. No kidding but this is where (today's)Land's End has an advantage over JC----in shirt selection----more choices at reasonable prices.
ReplyDeleteAs to the women's clothing, I like the '07----they are sexy yet very classy! If I see someone on the street wearing those kind of clothes, I would feel like saying, ok when are we going to do a shoot?
some interesting tidbits.... the 770 brownstone in the images is actually a real building in boston's back bay. the "770" was superimposed as a nod to j. crew corporate headquarters -- 770 broadway in nyc. also, this was shot with several different versions, including at least one in which the male mdel wore a red sox cap, and the female wore a yankees hat. customer feedback was over the top -- some of which reaching the highest levels of the company! (you-know-who!)
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting and diverse group we are. I wouldn't dress head to toe in all colours or all drab neutrals. I do find the old catalogs inspiring in that the clothing are presented in a way that's understandable and lets me see how it fits on a body, and not a mannequin. And yeah, the models are smiling and healthy looking. The location shoots let me "travel" and channel that good ol' east coast (non-partisan) preppy style . Oh, and those rain boots! If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you'd see them all over the streets from November to March. How much fun is it to sport something cheerful when the weather is so depressing.
ReplyDeleteI get that styles are changing, but what I don't get is JC moving towards what everyone else is doing. I can find similar cargo pants and big drapey sweaters at almost every store in the mall. There's not much that's unique to JC anymore. Colours. I keep saying, bring back the colours!
JB: focusing on trench coats, I think that the classic '90s coat length was around calf length while today's classic is slightly above the knees. However, on the streets I still see a lot of men wearing '90s style trench/top coats. Also today's coats are a lot trimmer. One last thing, the salesman's advice before is to get a coat larger than your suit size i.e. for example if you wear a size 40 suit, you should get a size42 topcoat. Now it's 40 on 40.....plus the trimmer silhouette the fit is more snug than ever.
ReplyDeleteI love looking at older styling, if nothing else, it's interesting! And as people say about the new offerings, you can also deconstruct the older styling and see many individual items that can and do work with today's wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteI'll be 25 before the end of the year and I am one who makes a conscious effort to avoid trends because frankly, some are just not flattering at all and I want to look good, period. Could not care less if people think I am a fashion dinosaur, classics are my favorite go-to's and they are classic for a reason, because they are good enough to stand the test of time. I would rather look good than on trend *any*day*of*the*week*. Fortunately, I still find quite a few classics at J.Crew.
Thanks for sharing these photos Alexis, very fun.
For those who think it's silly to share the love for past seasons, let that go and let people have their fun reminiscing. :^)
one of my favorites. i still wear my burnished olive cords all the time.
ReplyDeleteegyptomaniac,
ReplyDeletewhat size was the herringbone bella you won?