Having grown up a town over at the same time - oof! Perfect throw back (except i was more hemp necklaces than j crew) but working a million jobs all summer and saving up for Birks? Yep - got mine @ Canterbury Leather in Chatham tho!
I hope someday our stars align and we become bff with a shared history of cape theater and overworked children > business badasses. 🫶
Haha I love it. Overworked children made me cackle. People ask how all three of us (my two sisters and I) have such strong work ethics and it is 1000% from growing up in a restaurant! Also, Canterbury Leather was awesome!
OMG this takes me back!! The J. Crew catalog really was the Bible; I remember pouring over it after seeing “My Father, the Hero” (!!!), and had forgotten, until now, the accompanying paper slip. Love this post!
Dawson’s Creek was actually filmed in Wilmington, NC. A (at the time) pretty, quaint town on the NC Coast! One Tree Hill was also filmed there and The Summer I Turned Pretty filmed some there too! My best friend grew up there and regularly saw Katie Holmes and the rest of the crew!
I know! It cracks me up. I wish I saved my things (though a lot were in terrible shape by the time I was done with them!) I forgot about the tassel clogs - those were IT!
Oh my goodness, I’m 41 so grew up in the same era as you ;) and can so relate to this post! I absolutely wanted to have Joey Potter’s hair and all of her clothes! And I shopped at all the same places as you. So fun to think back on it all!
I grew up in California, and JCrew (appropriately) felt east coast to me! We were all about Delia’s (earlier on) and Express. Doc Martins were *the shoe* along with all the more ‘surf’ shoe brands…fun to think about the difference of each coast! But AMEN to LEI 🤩
I ordered a custom leather belt from an Etsy shop called ThePathLessTraveled, they come in 2 different widths, a couple different leather colors and buckle finishes. I’m a convert! Such great quality and always a perfect fit at an amazing price, I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere else for belts for a long time.
How fitting because right now I’m reading “The Kingdom of Prep” all about the origins of JCrew!! I was also obsessed (but I was in highschool in 2011 and live in Texas... but I pined for the east coast preppy life). It was a sad day when the JCrew closed at my local mall. I do feel like the quality has gone down since then unfortunately. But I have hope!!
I loved reading your post - it just made me smile and remember those high fashion days. Oh how I saved up for those Abercrombie cargos - my mom came with me for the purchase, leaving with a headache and a discussion on the appropriateness of the models on the walls. I wore those cargos proudly with my Doc Martin sandals and layered two thin strapped ribbed tank tops (white and maroon) and thought I had arrived…
When Old Navy first came out, we called it “The Gap Outlet.”
It WAS the Gap Outlet. Gp Outlet started making it's own designs and the first ones were the fleece half zip and the graphic tee which had "Old Navy" on them. Gradually they added more and actually became one of the first retailers who designed for the Outlet vs the Outlet being the overstock or gently damaged goods.
It's in 1994 that Old navy became it's own brand and most of the outlet stores that were NOT in an outlet mall started to change to Old navy.
OH! and in addition, how you felt about JCrew was how I felt about Delia's and Ill never forget moving to MA and going to the Natick mall and they actually had a Delia's STORE!
Loved reading this. J.Crew was the Bible - the color block bathing suits??? I was deeply obsessed. My mom also loathed Abercrombie!! Also, adding every one of these books to my TBR!!!
Having grown up a town over at the same time - oof! Perfect throw back (except i was more hemp necklaces than j crew) but working a million jobs all summer and saving up for Birks? Yep - got mine @ Canterbury Leather in Chatham tho!
I hope someday our stars align and we become bff with a shared history of cape theater and overworked children > business badasses. 🫶
Haha I love it. Overworked children made me cackle. People ask how all three of us (my two sisters and I) have such strong work ethics and it is 1000% from growing up in a restaurant! Also, Canterbury Leather was awesome!
This was such a great post!
thank you!
OMG this takes me back!! The J. Crew catalog really was the Bible; I remember pouring over it after seeing “My Father, the Hero” (!!!), and had forgotten, until now, the accompanying paper slip. Love this post!
It was! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Dawson’s Creek was actually filmed in Wilmington, NC. A (at the time) pretty, quaint town on the NC Coast! One Tree Hill was also filmed there and The Summer I Turned Pretty filmed some there too! My best friend grew up there and regularly saw Katie Holmes and the rest of the crew!
I knew that! Stupid typo!!!! Thank you for flagging.
The cape jcrew sale was everything ! The roll neck sweaters, the tassel clogs… is it weird I’d love to do it as an adult as an adult ?
I know! It cracks me up. I wish I saved my things (though a lot were in terrible shape by the time I was done with them!) I forgot about the tassel clogs - those were IT!
Oh my goodness, I’m 41 so grew up in the same era as you ;) and can so relate to this post! I absolutely wanted to have Joey Potter’s hair and all of her clothes! And I shopped at all the same places as you. So fun to think back on it all!
Oh my gosh same same!
I grew up in California, and JCrew (appropriately) felt east coast to me! We were all about Delia’s (earlier on) and Express. Doc Martins were *the shoe* along with all the more ‘surf’ shoe brands…fun to think about the difference of each coast! But AMEN to LEI 🤩
I ordered a custom leather belt from an Etsy shop called ThePathLessTraveled, they come in 2 different widths, a couple different leather colors and buckle finishes. I’m a convert! Such great quality and always a perfect fit at an amazing price, I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere else for belts for a long time.
How fitting because right now I’m reading “The Kingdom of Prep” all about the origins of JCrew!! I was also obsessed (but I was in highschool in 2011 and live in Texas... but I pined for the east coast preppy life). It was a sad day when the JCrew closed at my local mall. I do feel like the quality has gone down since then unfortunately. But I have hope!!
I forgot that we used to call Old Navy the Gap outlet (in Georgia). So funny you remembered that.
Oh my god this was such a fun/disturbing walk down memory lane! The baby tees and Mudd jeans!
I loved reading your post - it just made me smile and remember those high fashion days. Oh how I saved up for those Abercrombie cargos - my mom came with me for the purchase, leaving with a headache and a discussion on the appropriateness of the models on the walls. I wore those cargos proudly with my Doc Martin sandals and layered two thin strapped ribbed tank tops (white and maroon) and thought I had arrived…
When Old Navy first came out, we called it “The Gap Outlet.”
It WAS the Gap Outlet. Gp Outlet started making it's own designs and the first ones were the fleece half zip and the graphic tee which had "Old Navy" on them. Gradually they added more and actually became one of the first retailers who designed for the Outlet vs the Outlet being the overstock or gently damaged goods.
It's in 1994 that Old navy became it's own brand and most of the outlet stores that were NOT in an outlet mall started to change to Old navy.
Random bit of retail history!
OH! and in addition, how you felt about JCrew was how I felt about Delia's and Ill never forget moving to MA and going to the Natick mall and they actually had a Delia's STORE!
Never Saw Me Coming is so good! I am normally not a thriller fan, but my book club read it. Highly recommend!
Loved reading this. J.Crew was the Bible - the color block bathing suits??? I was deeply obsessed. My mom also loathed Abercrombie!! Also, adding every one of these books to my TBR!!!
The Paradise Problem description sounds fantastic! Just added to list.