Tuesday, November 9, 2010

J.Crew of Seasons Past: Fall 2005!

As I mentioned in last week's posts, I search for images of J.Crew pieces from seasons past to collect in my virtual J.Crew LookBook. So far we have seen some images of 2007 (refer to 2007, August 2007, & November 2007).

Today, I thought I would share the images found on the The Terrier and Lobster blog (click here) of J.Crew's Fall 2005 catalog. There is a little something for both women and men! Just click on any of the images to view them larger.


Although these images are from several years ago, they are absolutely lovely. The jackets from this season are amazing! I own several of them (thanks to eBay) and I find the quality is fantastic!

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?

64 comments:

  1. This was the season with all the amazing shoes. And the pink tweed jacket I waited too long to buy. They also got protests because they used mink. But the shoes were the prettiest in Fall 2005 of any year and the pieces were all of amazing quality with fully lined jackets, repp tie trim and contrast piping along the jacket linings.

    I bought so much and still wanted more but I'm so glad I got many of the jackets and this really great black and white tweed coat. I returned a pair of Sabrina heels that I thought might be too ornate. I regret that return!

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  2. Loving those green purses. So ladylike, not those huge suitcases they make now.

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  3. Love fall at JC! I've been lucky enough to snag some older items off of eBay. Quality was a lot better back then - blazers fully lined, seams reinforced, etc.

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  4. I have the pink tweed jacket. I also have a lilac jacket from this catalog that I believe is shown in the yellow shade here and every single critter belt they had out during this time! Love. Still wear both blazers to this day and my belts.

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  5. Alexis, your timing is perfect! The World's Oldest Living Female Inlaw (noone remembers whose inlaw she was, in what degree or for how long, but she's a fun old gal with great raunchy memories) is stopping by later, and I will show her this and the other memory lane posts. Will report her comments later if printable.

    Meanwhile, my comment: mmmmmm....

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  6. I agree with SC, love the handbags. I would wear everything on those pages right now, save the menswear of course. Nary a sequin or ruffle to be seen.

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  7. I miss JCrew skirts that are a length that I can wear. Oh how I wish I had bought them back then...

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  8. Look at those shoes! *drool* And the windowpane plaid jackets.

    Ahhhhhh. Like a happy little vacation for my brain. :)

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  9. For men's styling----I got it down pat now: JCrew circa '05 clothes but @ '10 trimmer silhouette.

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  10. Lovely images, but a little dated for me to wear now and at my age.

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  11. Genny you're so lucky, I didn't plan on missing the pink tweed jacket or the black and white herringbone flats with the green velvet trim. But I wish they would bring those two back so I could snag them (and the Sabrina heels so I could REbuy them!). The shoes and jackets were expensive full price and so I was budgeting and buying all the time, stalking the site, checking off each purchase and then it seemed the jacket disappeared. I missed out on several other shoes too.

    Here's something else that is not mentioned - their jeans then. I have several pair of their boy jeans from then and the denim was thick, no cheap stretchy fabric and they felt expensive by today's standards. I wish they had more dark colors then but the fit and denim, even in the mid-light colors, rival any other jean I own.

    The mink protests were fast and furious. Suddenly they pulled all the catalogs that had the mink insert and pulled the products off the site but I still have the catalog(s) with them in. If I remember right, one was mink pom poms on a style of shoes.

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  12. Elizabath,

    Yes, I agree. The jeans were fantastic! I still have 5 pair from this time. they have worn so well and the washes were nice. Still have them all:) (Yes, I take very good care of my clothes!)

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  13. Yes, some of the styles do look dated mrs.m but if you took the shoes and the jackets individually, you would not think so. Not all the jackets were bright colors. They had and I bought, a brown tweed and a cypress green tweed jacket, dress pants, a navy/grey windowpane wool jacket and dress pant, some cashmere jackets, these were not cheap by any standard and I bought them because you just went ahhh when you tried them on. I ran out of money and time before everyone else was snatching them up. And Mickey was everywhere saying "limited availability". The jacket runs seemed to be small or popular because they would sell out quickly. I believe that era is what gave J. Crew the boost that allowed them to go public.

    I believe some of the jackets would rival many items in old vintage shops. At least that's my perception compared to the quality I'm seeing everywhere (not just J. Crew).

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  14. Genny I do too! I have five of my favorite and then I have about seven of various washes (a couple with the hole in the knee=Crewlade). I don't see $200 jeans at Nordstrom that have the kind of denim I took for granted then and they were $95. a pair in 2005 I believe.

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  15. I loved the old J.Crew! I'm actually wearing that brown herringbone skirt right now. I don't often find anything to get excited about now; after years of unfailing devotion, my J.Crew affair is just about over.

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  16. *sigh* Pretty tweeds, cashmere, varsity stripes...I swoon! Those pieces would mix beautifully with items from 2010.

    Thanks, Alexis! I love these trips down memory lane.

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  17. Elizabeth,

    I hope you got your JCrew jeans on sale:) I know I did not pay more than $20-$30 a pair for mine on sale but you are right I think about the original price. I would have to look at my old catalogs. For some reason I think they were around $75 a pair at the time--not that it really matters. Like you said what matters was the QUALITY of the denim at the time. Outstanding. Last pair of JCrew jeans I bought was in 2007.

    I know my sister loved the boyfriend jeans you mentioned and bought a couple of pairs.

    I am not about to give away my age:) but mrs. m surprises me with her comment. I think these looks can be worn at any age esp. if you style them differently. But everyone has their own comfort level:)

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  18. Elizabeth and Genny,

    I was able to snag the pink tweed jacket on sale but when it came--and I kid you not--the right sleeve cuff was dirty all the way around and the right elbow had a stain on it!!!! Obviously worn many times and then returned and shipped to me as new!

    Of course, it was sold out in my size by then so I missed out on it. I still think about that jacket to this day and almost wished I had just got it dry cleaned and worn it. The fit was great I remember and felt so good on!

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  19. I have every catalogue from 2007 on. I love to look back at the March 2008 and Fall 2007 looks! I just adore it! I wish I knew how to get them online for everyone to enjoy:)

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  20. I remember this catalog distinctly. J. Crew was a short walk from my college, so I would visit often in hopes of catching the brown herringbone blazer on sale.

    I was obsessed with it. However, I thought it didn't look well-made in person, so I passed (and regretted it for months!). Quality wasn't a thing I noticed in those days, either. But, I remember thinking the J. Crew version didn't look much better than the American Eagle version. Maybe it had been on the sales racks for too long.

    I also remember wanting the scarves (men's and women's) and the pink pants (to pair with a navy sweater).

    I like looking through the old catalogs, but I don't see anything I must have [I realize we're seeing a limited amount of clothes]. With a few notable exceptions (among them, selvage jeans, a black tuxedo dress, and a hunter green cardigan with elbow patches), the things I miss most from J. Crew are relatively basic. My wish is for J. Crew to make merino turtlenecks that aren't see through and softer cable knit sweaters, for instance. I'm realizing now that I've found other retailers to fill other gaps, retailers I hadn't even heard of 5 years ago.

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  21. When I first really really noticed J. Crew was their Fall 2004 catalog. I could dig through the stacks but I think it was photographed in Scotland. It really had an effect on me, the jackets were amazing and had this British quality. I kept that catalog in my car and went to every J. Crew in town (three). The difference between the summer 2004 catalog and the fall 2004 is night and day. Summer felt like a catalog, Fall felt like a lifestyle magazine. And getting catalogs was easy. I had them all over my house because they shipped a catalog with every order. when I realized they were taking over, I purged to one each. I wish I had kept two, I would have shipped Alexis that first year's worth a long time ago so she could post them. By Fall 2005, they were really in their stride.

    They also had these really charming cardigans, one I missed was this navy blue with green embroidered vines along the placket on each side. I hate that I can remember so specifically the ones that got away!

    In 2004-2005, I thought I knew this fashion "secret" that not many knew. Now the "secret" is out and it's a bit better than the reality.

    If I walked into a J. Crew store today, without having all the history of those previous years, I don't know if I would keep looking for the hidden gems because its not obvious when you walk into a store that by digging, there's some good things. The catalog is the one thing that keeps their message together and without it, they might get lost in the noise.

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  22. I can appreciate the smiling models and the styling (there are still layers but less layers than today's catalogs) but to me these clothes lack sophistication. It just screams collegiate and suburbs. Obviously this is a small representation of what was available because I know I was buying a lot from JC back then. (I have been a fan for 20 years.) BUT I would not have been caught dead in those shoes or that yellow blazer or critter ANYTHING in 2005 and certainly not now. Not even if I lived on a farm and not in a big city as I do.

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  23. Michele I wish there had been more customers like you! I could have gotten all the shoes for cheap before they sold out :) Guess I'm just a sucker for tweed, suede and velvet ballet flats and kitten heels.

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  24. Those shoes!! I was so lucky to snatch multiple colors up on ebay - both the flat and kitten heeled Marnies and the tartan big-bow flats and several high heels I don't remember the names of off the top of my head. How I love those shoes!!! Elizabeth, I think you're right - they had some heels with mink pom poms that got them in PR trouble.

    I really wish I'd been able to afford more of the clothes. The jackets especially are lovely.

    And of course, the models look happy, healthy and normal - let's just say that's not what we've seen recently. To think, at one time I thought they were overstyled! Thank you so much for posting, Alexis! Keep them coming :)

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  25. Elizabeth, too bad this blog did not exist back then because I would have been more than happy to direct you to my local stores where those flats just sat on the shelf.

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  26. I still love the critters--I would definitely be caught dead in them and I have lived all over the world and in all size towns from small to larger cities and people would stop me on the streets in England and in line at the UK post offices and ask where I got my clothes...and I was often wearing a JCrew piece several years old.

    I was more interested in JCrew clothing and belts and scarves in my early JCrew days so I never looked at the shoes. They sure are pretty!

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  27. PS

    I saw that Talbots did critter pants this spring so they are still popular/in style:)

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  28. OMG I want those colorful pointy toe flats!!!

    JC bring them back!

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  29. Michele, I so agree, I would have appreciated it! I would have taken my unsophisticated self from my Boston, Denver and Seattle suburban environs and snatched them right up. I do know some shoes did languish and like the Sabrinas that seemed so ornate at the time, I wish I could have them now. I would wear those jeweled shoes with jeans and a cashmere cardigan and be so happy.

    I would have really loved this blog then because J. Crew obsession was a lonely business. I would do google searches for anything to read about Mickey and J. Crew, that's how I know a lot of the editorials now are a bit repetitive. Mickey on the microphone, etc. Jenna was mentioned but not featured. He talked about how when he first got there, she would be wearing cargos and heels and he loved the look, started asking her opinion and it grew from there.

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  30. oh what i wouldn't do for those shoes. i wish jcrew would keep more of the classic looks...it's so difficult to find in canada. *sigh* i wish i knew about jcrew in 2005.

    i can never find anything good on ebay :(

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  31. I feel old on here...I was in high school in the early-mid 90s and we loved J Crew then, but it was almost exclusively catalog. I love the Fall 2005 clothes, shoes, and bags...and even though that was 5 years ago, all those outfits could be worn today (even the shoes, though the pointed toe is giving way to the rounded toe now). THAT is classic. It doesn't look collegiate to me...maybe because I was finishing grad school in 2005. To me it looks like stylish city clothes, very sophisticated without being too trendy....I wouldn't have worn those tweed skirts in college.

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  32. I think one reason the shoes may not have sold as well is because they were pricey, especially in comparison to the other clothes, which weren't cheap. I know I wanted some shoes but there was no way I could afford them.

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  33. Emily, you're so right, those shoes felt really expensive then and unless you had unlimited funds, you had to pick and choose. I bought two cashmere jackets and it felt like a huge investment. Those jackets would cost slightly more than a regular full priced jacket today and that was only five years ago. Now a cashmere popover, while very cool but with no tailoring, costs $1200.

    Critters - I only bought one pair of cropped chinos. White with green and yellow angel fish, I thought they were cute for a cruise. They even had critter cashmere and it was cute, but for the cost, I always went to the items I thought would last. Somehow as adorable as a navy cashmere crewneck with a frog or turtle was in Crewland, I couldn't picture myself wearing it too often.

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  34. Elizabeth,

    Don't feel old....I am much older than you:)

    I bought all my JCrew items on super duper mutiple markdowns...I am a bargain shopper to the core.

    I bet I only paid $20 tops for all my critter pants: I have the same ones you do with the fish, also turtles in both tones: green on tan and tan on tan (same tone on tone) as well as the bumblebees. My favorites by far are the navy pants with green/blue/silver dragonflies. Sandra Bullock wore them in the opening scene of the beauty queen movie she was in:) I even have the flip flops to match:) Yes, we in the South are still into everything matchy matcy:)

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  36. I don't remember this catalog...but its clear that the men's wear was still on the old J. Crew Prep track in 2005.

    If you look at 2009/2010 Catalogs the influence of Frank Muytjens is clearly evident. Men's has really come a long way since then.

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  37. JB, you beat me about your Frank Muytjens comment----that is spot on! In the LeBron James September GQ issue (this is a keeper mainly because of The New Business Casual article), Frank shows how it is done on how to break up a classic gray flannel business suit. Man, I still have to give that 'show some ankles' kinda-look (nice undistressed dark blue jeans) with wing tips :-)

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  38. O-M-G..this post was so timely! Thank you, Alexis! I am actually selling my pink/red, tweed blazer from Fall 2005! I had zero info to offer people (other than what is on the tag) as I hadn't started saving catalogs back then. I have it listed in the *items for sale* post, size 2. For ref, it is the jacket in the top left picture-girl on the right side. HTH someone interested to get a better idea! Thanks!!

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  39. Looking at these photos reminds me of my J.Crew-wearing college days. The women's pants were definitely looser. I remember when they brought in the matchstick, which I thought was pretty snug compared to my boot-cuts. Then the toothpick came along... I bought one of those English Leather bags as a gift for my sister and it was gorgeous. Wished I had got one for myself too but a couple years later I got the Frankies and I'm still using them regularly.

    The menswear styles are looser and longer but they were doing the rollup style back then. I guess Frank took it to the next level by removing the socks. *rolls eyes* I do not like that look for men at all, with socks or without. When I see men's pants rolled up I think, "Geez, get a tailor." But that's JMHO

    Thanks for sharing this Alexis, what fun!

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  40. Elizabeth & Genny,
    I am relatively new to J Crew, only since 08. Before that the clothes were too large for my frame even in the smallest sizes.
    As I said, I love looking at the older catalogues. I love the storries they tell and I can appreciate that one can still style them today in a timeless way, but I feel same as Michelle in regards to the look being a bit too collegiate, the bright colors and the critters simply a bit too cute for me.....a woman well over 30.....
    For the way that I prefer to look today, I can relate much more to the styling today, with the exclusions of the super mini skirts, inconsistent pricing and at times questionable quality.

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  41. rtfit_jcrew You've totally nailed it style wise. Someone once said there is nothing new in the world anymore; simply recycling. Looks like they recycling themselves.

    Seriously preppy is petty timeless, so they're just updating classics.

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  42. Thank you so much for these pics, Alexis. It reminds me of how things were when I loved J.Crew to pieces. Now... meh.

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  43. jcrew guy, what do you think of the ties in '05? I like those vibrant colours and I still wear them all year round. Nowadays both GQ and JCrew are pushing for more subdued colours. Plus they are big on separate fabrics for the season like wearing woolen ties (mostly darker colours) for fall/winter and cotton for spring/summer (mostly brighter colours) to match the suit fabrics.

    I think the above strategy looks good but in today's tough economy a lot of men are still wearing year-round suits and ties.

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  44. mrsm.

    I hear what you are saying. I guess that is how I feel about JCrew pants right now and the whole matchstick and skinny cropped looked--not for me. I have the body to wear them yet I don't like the way they look in general. I won't buy them/wear them; reminds me too much of 80's leggings and stirrup pants. I prefer the looser fit wool pants that I own, my 2004-2007 chinos, and the trouser jeans from 2007 from JCRew. However, I am still much older than you and I like the critters still:) I mean even Talbots has them and they definitely cater to older women:) ha ha:) I can appreciate that we all like different things. It would be unfortunate if everyone wore critters!

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  45. I'm 31 and I now shop at Talbots a lot. Maybe 31 is old, but I don't think Talbots is targeting just older women anymore (you can buy pieces and style them in a way that reflects your age). I think Talbots is attracting people who feel alienated by J Crew, people like me. Like any good business, they are filling a niche. I am not missing the Critter stuff...I'm missing the varied and vast color choices, the classic patterns, the pencil skirts that go to the knee, the full skirts, I could go on and on...

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  46. rtfit_jcrew I have ties that I still use from nearly 20 years ago. Luckily they are around 3" or less in width and so I avoid the wide clown tie look.

    As to colours I lean to the more muted side although I have some stronger colours, but none that I would truly say are bright. Over 80% of what I wear falls under the navy/gray side. The balance being green/tan or burgundy.

    I guess the strength of the colour depends on what it's going with. White shirt, chinos and brown shoes look great with a stronger tie. The best rule I ever learned was that the tie must be darker than the shirt. Hope this helps.

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  47. Ladies, I have to say that thanks to this blog I have become aware at how great Talbots is these days. I must admit that I have never set foot in that store in my life.
    I have always thought of it as an old lady store that even my grandmother would find a little conservative. When I kept reading about it here, I will admit I thought some of you were out of your minds, until I checked them out on line and now I totally agree with you. They have really changed their direction and have some very classic pieces. Who knew?
    Funny thing is that when some younger girls whom I teach asked me where I shop, I suggested they check out Talbots..they thought I was crazy. They called it a "fogey" store and don't believe when I told them this is not the case any more.

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  48. J Crew Guy,
    I also tend to lean towards a more muted color palette, maybe with a little pop of color now and then. Maybe it's a Canadian thing. Perhaps we like our prep dialed down just a notch?

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  49. jcrew guy, thanks for sharing your style. Good to talk about style/fashion to another guy on this blog. I agree with what you said. However, having a dark complexion I sometimes wear vibrant coloured ties. I wear mostly white , blue and pink shirts. I also added a couple of blue ginghams.

    Regarding the width of the tie I had to tuck away anything wider than 3-3 1/4 inches and picked up some narrower width (not slim) ones especially for my Ludlow blazer.

    Have you tried any of the JCrew slim fit chinos? I got the khaki. It's an example of traditional clothing but rebooted into 2010 :-)

    Cheers

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  50. rtfit_jcrew I do have several J.Crew chinos, but the narrowest ones I own are the classic fit. I haven't tried the slim fit ones. The trouble with on-line shopping is returns; I'm reluctant to try them and have to send them back. Guess I need to get to a store soon. I agree that it's great to read another guy's opinions.

    mrsm Canadians tend to be more reserved, I agree. I know I am. I like how bolder colours look, but prefer quieter ones for myself.

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  51. jcrew guy, regarding shoes for chinos in your earlier reply you mentioned brown shoes. Are these wingtips? I searched online but Allen-Edmonds and Alden (JCrew) ones cost $$$. Instead, I am tempted to get the Banana Republic wingtips for $ 150 plus the 30% sale starts today (till Nov. 14th).

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  52. rtfit_jcrew I agree that the Alden and Edmonds shoes are pricey. Actually I only have one pair of brown wingtips; from J.Crew from 2 years ago. They work great. Even though they are dark brown I polish them with black polish; it really works well. The polish bit I read in GQ.

    I also have a couple of pairs of dark brown bluchers; one in suede and one in smooth leather. Both also from 'Crew from a few years ago.

    I have two pair from Cole Haan, one is a dark brown suede boot and the other a pair of medium brown bluchers.

    I rarely wear black shoes and have only one pair. I really like the whole Italian way of dressing. I find dark brown works with everything, especially gray, and navy.

    If you're close to a store I'd look at the J.Crew line. Check out Cole Haan as well. The big department stores often have good sales, I scored a great pair of Boss boots for $125; regularly over $450. Do some on-line looking at the department stores if you're not near one.

    Hope this helps. If you need more info let me know.

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  54. Appreciate the tips jcrew guy. I was about to order a pair of wingtips from BR but upon closer look it has a squarish toe. I prefer a more classic rounded (but not pointed) look so I might go for AE.

    Looks like you have the recent GQ manual too :-) I have to try the black polish on my burgundy shoes once in awhile to maintain a darker look.

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  55. rtfit_jcrew Guilty as charged. The GQ style manual is quite well done and a great resource. A little heavy on suits, but I really liked the layout and organization of it.

    I'm not a fan of square toed shoes. I really like a lot of what BR carries, but their shoes are weak and I've had bad luck with them. I'm sure the AE will be much better, style and quality wise. Check out Florsheim Imperials. They come in under $200 and are a great shoe.

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  56. jcrew guy, I checked Florsheim Imperials like you suggested. Looks like the 'Kenmoor' is a good and a lot cheaper option for AE MacNeil. I am thinking of burgundy so I can use it for my summer khakis as well as suits. I just don't like the looks of khaki with black shoes. The AE MacNeil (in burgundy) is a whopping US$ 525! Too bad Dack's went under as there are less choices for brogues.

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  57. rtfit_jcrew Good to know the Imperials could possibly work and save you some serious $$$. Living in a snow belt I need shoes with a rubber sole. Leather soled shoes and snow are not good together. I do wear a pair of Clark boots (Roar) out in the snow, but more than often I wear the shoes in the cat to work. Guess I'm too lazy to switch out my shoes once I arrive. Either that or too vain to be seen wearing toe rubbers over my shoes.

    Keep me posted on how the shoes work out.

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  58. rtfit_jcrew Hey why not email and let me know how things go

    jcrewguyincanada@gmail.com

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  59. sure will jcrew guy. Might have to go to downtown/Eaton Centre and check out which store(s) carries the Imperials. I want to try the AE as well.

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  60. rtfit_jcrew Looking forward to hearing from you. Found this post on Valet, you should check it out.

    http://www.valetmag.com/the-edit/the-find/111010.php?index1_bottom_module

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  61. I remember this season, but alas, no longer have my catalog. I can't recall buying a lot of items because I live in Southern California and it never got cold enough for fall/winter items. The shoes were covetable.

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