We Fell In Love With These 7 J.Crew Catalog Looks From The 90s. So We Recreated All Of Them.
Finger licked. Page flipped. Let’s do this.
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by The Candidly Team
We miss catalogs. Especially in the fall. The arrival in the mail. The warm drink and cozy spot we reserved to devour them. The crispy flick of the pages.
But most importantly, the curated collection of new things from brands that were actually reliable.
Nowadays, we’re so bombarded with options and ads and decision fatigue that we sometimes long for the old system.
Image: Best in Show | Castle Rock Entertainment
In fact, 92% of what we aim to do in our own style section here at The Candidly is to wade through these choices to find the best of things for women who came of age in the age of catalogs.
We also try to find things that are classic over trendy, timeless, well-made, and flattering on real bodies. So basically catalog clothes.
We were embarrassingly excited to discover an entire instagram account dedicated to the catalog looks of J.Crew between the years of 1983 and 1997. It’s called @lostcrew and there are 7 particular looks we found among those images that we would definitely have dog-eared the day they came out but also immediately wanted to recreate today.
And so … we did. And here they are:
1. The Crisp White Button-Down And Crewneck Sweater
J.Crew Garçon classic shirt in cotton poplin
It’s so simple - layer a smart sweater over a white button-down, and poof, you’re styled. Why do we ever forget this little hack exists? Wear it with any bottom you own, and you look like you know exactly what you’re doing when it comes to clothes. Even on its own, a crisp button-down, like this perfect one (from J.Crew of course), can be added to any jeans/ pants/ skirt instead of a t-shirt, and your overall chicness will increase by 87%.
Price: $64.50
Aritzia Wilfred Sonder Sweater
If only you could feel this sweater instead of just looking at it, you’d understand why we write about it ALL the time. It comes in many colors, and the softness is on a level that made us buy it in pretty much every single one.
Price: $118
2. The blazer, relaxed jeans, and loafers
Aritzia Babaton Standout
Blazer - (Re)ssential
If you’re wearing jeans and a t-shirt, adding a blazer will make you look French-lady chic. However, there are so many bad blazers out there that feel stiff and restrictive and fit like a giant rectangle. This one perfectly skims your silhouette without being tight. It comes in black and many more colors we want, because the fit is so superior to anything else.
Price: $248
Social Threads risen Scout Large Cuffed Jeans
These jeans from this brand we just discovered look and feel like designer but are a fraction of the price. We were astounded by the fit … astounded. So naturally, we had to make them part of this classic outfit template.
Price: $74
* Gifted
Quince Italian Leather Soft Loafer
This is one of those miracle shoes that looks good with every length of jeans. Its sleek design and smooth Italian leather comes at an incredible price given its luxeness.
If you prefer a thicker sole, THIS* one is also gorgeous and feels like a tennis shoe it’s so comfy.
Price: $84
3. The DENIM DRESS
Levi’s Quincey Long-sleeve Maxi Dress
The eternally perfect autumn dress that’s ultra-flattering on waists, hips, thighs, butts, arms - the lot of it - as the Brits say.
Price: $59
4. The Cocooning Turtleneck, Suede Skirt and Tights
Quince 100% Yak Wool Turtleneck Sweater
Had Quince been around in the 80s and 90s, it would surely have been one of our favorite catalog brands. Real cashmere, wool, leather etc. but at much more affordable prices. Apparently, yak wool is heavenly soft, not at all itchy, and warmer and more breathable than cashmere, with “naturally thermoregulating and moisture-wicking properties to keep you comfortable without overheating.” If that isn’t catalog language, we don’t know what is.
Price: $70
J.Crew Factory Faux-suede A-line mini skirt
Don’t be scared of the length. With a sweater, tights, and tall boots, this will make your hips, butt and lower tum look nice and smoothed and your legs look longer. But if you must have a few more inches to the skirt, there’s also THIS ONE*.
Price: $69.50
Noosh Play Semi-Opaque Free Hugging Seamless Tights
The only acceptable tights are ones that are wildly comfy, breathable, and damn near impossible to rip. Like these!
Price: $36
5. The Chambray Shirt And Barn Jacket
J.Crew Factory Chambray Shirt In Signature Fit
We’ve been getting a lot of our staples at J.Crew Factory of late. This chambray shirt matches every bottom we wear and makes everything look more styled.
Price: $58.50
Sézane Gabin Jacket
Funny we should find our absolute favorite, wear-with-everything, Americana barn jacket from our favorite French brand, but here we are. And here IT is.
Price: $195
Pairing the denim shirt and barn jacket together is a definite win for looking effortlessly autumn-chic, but alternately, you could just get a barn jacket in denim and wear it most days of the year.
We The Free Lemon Denim Jacket
This one from Free People is our favorite because it’s cute and comfortable but has lots of room to layer underneath.
Price: $148
6. The white crewneck tee and cozy sweater
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Oversized V-Neck Sweater
Don’t let the low price fool you, this is 100% cashmere and the softest, hug-like sweater that we reach for daily. Over a white tee, it’s Meg Ryan in every 90s rom-com we adored.
Comes in other (essential) colors.
Price: $120
Quince 100% Organic Cotton Slub Crewneck Tee
Whisper-soft, organic cotton and the correct neckline to pull off this layered look.
Price: $20
J.Crew Carolyn layered crewneck sweater in merino wool
Listen, sometimes we’re simply too lazy to fuss over layers, in which case we just wear this sweater which has its own, built-in, little peekaboo thing happening that makes us look very sophisticated even when we just toss it on with baggy jeans..
Price: $79.50
7. The Maxi SLIP Skirt And Slouched Sweater
Anthropologie The Tilda Maxi Slip Skirt
We end on a look that will never, ever be far from our minds. The long, proper maxi, slip skirt paired with any cozy, oversized sweater we adore. It’s an outfit so comfy we could sleep in it, but It also carries a Carolyn Bessette Kennedy level of elegance.
There are lots of colors and prints to choose from and it also comes in plus and petite.
Price: $42
J.Crew 2025 Rollneck™ sweater
Another classic from J.Crew. Man, they still got it!
Price: $98
Pilcro Cozy Ribbed Turtleneck Batwing Pullover
What’s more comfy on our arms than a batwing? Comes in other excellent colors and sizes in plus.
Price: $68
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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