Well I do have Dickens on my mind, what with my Dickens dinner only 10 sleeps away.
Who can forget the happy Scrooge, the poignant Scrooge, who looks upon his past wistfully, so close to what he cannot touch, for in truth, it is gone forever?
the memory of what is past half makes me hope you will—have pain in this. A very, very brief time, and you will dismiss the recollection of it, gladly, as an unprofitable dream, from which it happened well that you awoke. May you be happy in the life you have chosen!” She left him, and they parted. “Spirit!” said Scrooge, “show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture me?”
Oh this could be Dickens writing about Wendy and Mickey, not Scrooge and his lost love. For if truth be told, there was a year, a distant year, in which all was happy and lovely in the Wendy/JCrew World. I clasped Mickey to my bosom in great delight. Then all grew dark and shoddy.
But unlike Scrooge and Belle, old Wendy can go back in time, thanks to Ebay.
It is Christmas 2007. I weigh less than I weigh now. Worry not - we can get there again...
It is the perfect collection for one with a certain colouring...
So I decided recently to begin to troll the second hand world for the items I love. First stop: the Cheshire jacket above, in tomato and on me below.
100% thick wool lined in silk. Sigh.. It is divine and I have worn it twice in one week.
And the silk purse below from the same holiday rollout. I think it was called the Juliet purse? Simply lovely and fun to carry about.
The quality of both of these items is shockingly dissimilar to the items I have purchased in the last year or two; there is a real craftsmanship and quality here that seems to (perhaps) be relegated to the most expensive of their items.
I now have a list of things I am trolling for and I hope to add to my collection over time, while continuing to reduce my other items.
How about you - are you trolling the net for old favourites these days? Do tell!
Have a great Wednesday and stay safe out there!
Sigh....
ReplyDeleteJacket was meant for you.
I DIDN'T BUY IT FROM YOU, DID I? ;-)
DeleteNo, that was my inner green-eyed monster sighing for days of old.i don't sell on ebay - I have to remove those obnoxious hard-edged labels because they raise awful red welts on my neck, and buyers want tags. I don't blame them, so do I, but...
DeleteLet's look at what makes the jacket so perfect for you. Unfussy high neckline, exact right length, smooth shoulder. You can hunt to replicate those.
I haven't embraced this king of shopping...buts it's beginning to appeal to me. The quality of most new merchandise is just crappy. Love that jacket in you. The color way is stunning:-)
ReplyDeletewell I must say I got both pieces for a song. New, with tags still on. I forgot to talk a picture of the jacket lining - plaid silk! I had forgotten the thickness of the wool then...
DeleteI have the same jacket but in the black and white sourced from Ebay too! I've purchased so many old school items from Ebay and rarely buy anything from the current offerings. So far, I've managed to purchase the. Library dress, 2 lexington blazers (grey/white and ivory/citron), Bella in azalea, and the heloise collection coat just to name a few gems from Ebay. It's so fun to discover such great finds and usually in EUC! The items are out there, just have to be diligent and if pays off!
ReplyDeleteOh good for you Wendy! I would love a Bella jacket! once you have a few items on your wishlist it is easy to look for them and patience is a virtue!
DeleteOh, you look so good in red!! Christmas must be a great time!!! I love being able to find things on eBay...I just recently found a madewell skirt i've been seeking for years!
ReplyDeleteha! I hardly have any red - isn't that weird! IRL, this is a real coppery red meets tomato red. I need technical assistance with your site - for some reason, I keep being unable to leave a comment! you looked good in your ruffles!
DeleteMe too, two red things that's it, I know I suit it but find it so glaring, I have to be in a look at me mood to wear it.
DeleteI have that yellow merino jacket in the third picture! But in the persimmon/ orangey colour. I loved it. Gave it away last year, as I'd worn it so much I was sick of the sight of it. But it was GREAT quality - thick, so like a jacket, but comfy like a cardigan. Never pilled. The things I've bought more recently haven't been a patch on it. But you know, that was back when J Crew wasn't selling as well as the olden days - people were saying they'd lost their way... it's all a lot trendier now, but the quality is disappointing, as you say.
ReplyDeleteLove your yellow purse & red blouse too. xx
Heidi - interesting point! I thought 2007/08 was the beginning of the turnaround when Mrs. O wore Crew during the during the election campaign but I may be wrong as I wasn't paying too much attention then! It was harder to buy things and I only shopped there now and then. I love that jacket - would love to find that one!
DeleteLove the jacket on you- great find.
ReplyDeleteI have to say for me the "old jcrew" is not really my style, but i can see the appeal with the better quality.
I just found the rose bracelet,that i regretted not getting last summer!
There is a striped floral tee in the new BR l'wren scott collaboration that just screamed Ina to me!
DeleteI am a definitely big believer in eBay acquisitions -- not so much becayse I hate today's quality or missed out on treasures from the past, but more that I just like to acquire new things and I chafe at paying full price for them. A big part of my 2013 wardrobe refresh came from eBay, and I admit that the hunt was a great part of the fun. Have not bought anything save for an antique garderobe off of eBay since relocating, but you never know .... You look terrific in that jacket.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am just so impressed you fit into all your old clothes after twins! I salute you!
DeleteDo you know the name of the yellow jacket? I had it in red and unfortunately had to throw it ou two years ago... a hole. I would love to find one. I have quickly developed a big like for ebay. I have discovered a new favorite jean, hermes scarf, and a trench. Do love the jacket on you...just the right shade of red.
ReplyDeleteI will see if I can find the name and send it to you - maybe someone else here knows too?
DeleteI think it's called the Sophie. I found my nwt red one on ebay by searching sweater jacket...
Deletethanks Anon!
DeleteHaha! I found it for $15. Hoping it's what I'm expecting. Thank you both.
DeleteIt was called the Sophie! And it was expensive at the time...
Deletewhen I looked at the old catalogue on line a lot of the nice stuff was expensive, though not as bad as the new prices.
DeleteI think I also have that jacket in navy, must look for it. Can't believe those clothes were only 6 years ago, what a change in design aesthetic. I like the idea of ebay and recycling clothes but balk at some of the prices. I refuse to pay more than the original price. 100% wool lined in silk, congrats on those treasures. Can't wait for a rundown on your Dickens party.
ReplyDeleteMarie - I hear you - would never pay some of those prices - that is nuts!!!
DeleteWow that red is amazing on you! I love that jacket. I have that yellow velvet purse, it has survived. Well, it's so pretty isn't it, I have put it in the archive chest along with the bright green clutch from spring 2008.
ReplyDeleteThat catalogue was one of those times I liked EVERYTHING. And now I look at catalogues and I don't like ANYTHING.
Good luck on your search to find the old good things!!
Dani - why don't I have an archive chest? That is the best!
Deleteand me too, I wanted all of it back then and now I want nada.
DeleteI do wonder if I will be completely out of style, but it is such a quirky little jacket that I don't give a hang! I have no archive chest either Tabs!
DeleteGreat finds Wendy. The jacket looks like it was made for you, and you wear it beautifully. The quality at J.Crew used to be a major factor that influenced my shopping and now the lack of it is also an influence - to shop elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI gave up on ebay in April this year and haven't looked back. Several of my friends are still buying and selling. In September I gave one a box of J.Crew clothes and accessories to unload. She said she made out quite well and took me and another friend out to dinner with some of the proceeds so that was nice.
I have never tried to sell anything - I usually just donate or consign. You are right on quality - I compared it against a wool skirt I bought there last winter and it was a shocking difference!
DeleteOh!!! I love those vibrant colors!!! The red jacket and the yellow cardi just above are wonderful. The jacket looks terrific on you. And this purse looks lovely. How do you look for those items? You know their name/year or you just browse by the brand until you find them?
ReplyDeleteI saw this on a blog and have just searched by it. I think I stumbled upon the purse! thanks - I really love them!
DeleteSTYLE ARCHIVE WMM, that jacket does look a treat on you. I have several enduring items from HOL 07 & 08 that I still wear and get big compliments on this time of year, a chic little bracelet sleeve version of the lumberjack plaid jacket, a velvet Bella etc. I do lament that the quality has gone badly downhill in terms of leather soles, linings, fabric, interfacing, buttons. But JC is not the only retailer with that mass/ price/ profit issue. And fashion generally seems to have become really fast/ disposable (along with housewares etc.)
ReplyDeleteI have scored a few winner items on EBay recent years, a Lexington jacket, a brand-new pair of oxfords, plus some Brora cashmere. But like Ina, I think my style has also evolved to be a little edgier and less "ladylike" than it was back in JC of yore. And I tend to mostly avoid EBay, like Pintrest, because they can be a time suck/ gimme more for me. I think I OD'd when I had to work troll for old CP hotel postcards, silverware/ china etc. for a milestone anniversary and has never held quite same appeal for me.
Revel in your excellent finds!
I just gave my daughter that plaid jacket this weekend. It fit her better. I couldn't help but notice how nicely it was lined and constructed. I am sure she will enjoy it.
DeleteI have never tried EBay for clothes. I guess I am afraid the items will not be in perfect condition and heaven knows I still have clothes from those years in my basement closett!
The red jacket is lovely Wendy.
I hear you GF - I don't go on much either - I just check once a week on three certain items I am scoping! I actually find BR even worse - it is all poly now, which I am personally okay with in small doses, but despair when I see the prices!
DeleteThat jacket looks great on you Wendy! I can't buy on eBay. I got a dirty, smelly, stained blazer a few years ago and the seller turned out to be a liar. I had to open a dispute and even though it turned out in my favor, the entire experience left a really bad feeling with me. I occasionally look, but don't dare bid anymore.
ReplyDeleteAs for jcrew quality, it has made me shop at other stores and I am really happy!
A - I sell uber expensive perfect things for tuppence!
DeleteA, I've had a couple of similar experiences and also a terrible buyer who seemed to want the item for free and made various threats and then left scathing feedback about the item that was totally false. At that point I said, "Enough!" Not worth the headache.
DeleteI guess I am really lucky then, so am feeling good!
DeleteLoved that top picture and your treasure trove of goodies and that pic.The jacket is lovely on you.
ReplyDeleteJust dragged my tree up the road, 9 ft behind my 5ft 4, had to stop about 30 times for small a weep about tomorrow's torn muscles - it's making noises, is that normal?
did you bring the squirrels in too! ;-)
DeleteIt is just acclimatizing itself to your little world and settling in!
We put ours up last night - makes me happy!!!!
That jacket is made for you, wmm! Those poctures above (that full skirt!) really make me miss J. Crew, what it used to be. I haven't bought anything from there in a while, but would buy a lot from the catalog above. I think if I were to find something with a silk lining I would just buy it on principle. Silk vs. polyester makes such a huge difference! I can no longer wear the latter, it
ReplyDeletemakes me itchy and sweaty (so much for TMI).
DeleteYou are on team Dani on that one. For me it is the 'swish swish" sound!
DeleteI have three cheshires, still searching for the black. I do all of my J.Crew shopping on eBay nowadays. The new stuff is just meh, on so many levels. Can you imagine them making silk lined cute little jackets today? I sure can't.
ReplyDeleteI just bought a gorgeous coat from 2006 for $50, it is so nice, and a fraction of what it would cost to buy a current one. And it is cuter. Go secondhand!
And you just have to let the bad transactions roll off, as I am sure you will. I have had a few, but it is ridiculous to say you won't shop on eBay at all anymore because you encountered a few hideous sellers. You are only punishing yourself! Sorry, but that attitude really makes no sense to me. But I can't see you ever having that attitude. There is alot I will put up with to get those coveted older items :)
ReplyDeleteOh I am definitely going to pounce on another if I see it! I am not too worried about a bad experience myself - my worry is only about whether it will fit or not - this was perfection so I am good to go!
DeleteLove the jacket on you W! I have mostly quit eBay. I never bought or sold a lot, but it seems like most of my purchasing mistakes have been on eBay. I've found I need the option to return things that don't suit or fit me well. I have also had a few frustrations with damaged items. Basically, it is like shopping J. Crew Final Sale :D Not a good idea for me!
ReplyDeleteCate - I hear you - I had about 4 J Crew final sale disasters before I finally wised up!!! I don't buy much on ebay, nor do I think I will become a big aficionada of it, but I have also down well with the JCA exchange!
DeleteI buy lots of Lilly Pulitzer on eBay - it's just too hard to buy anything from the site during their sales. On a side note, I went into J Crew today to buy a suit. You know that they did not have a single one? *sigh*
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in NYC last March I noticed that there was not a lot of suits in the store anymore. Where will you check next?
DeleteAs a general matter I think it can be hard to find nice, interesting suits that aren't either exorbitantly expensive or super cheap-looking/cheaply made. If Ann Taylor stopped making suits I would be completely screwed.
DeleteI LOVE the Cheshire jacket on you!!!!!
ReplyDeletethanks Rynetta!
DeleteYour red jacket is so pretty, as is the little purse! I have bought lots of old school J. Crew on Ebay. I missed out on much of the clothes in 2007 and 2008 because my attention was elsewhere, and only realized afterwards on all the great items I had missed out on. I'm still hunting for a Lexington jacket in black after all these years but that's the last item on my list, everything else I've managed to score on Ebay for a decent price.
ReplyDeleteOh good for you! I bought a few things then, but my only real regret was missing the Giverny skirt in the summer of 08, when ironically, I went to Giverny for the first time!
DeleteWhat a fantastic find! I love ebay, but recently the shipping prices have gone too high to make it worth purchasing from the US... I used to trawl ebay for J Crew stuff, but now the shipping is often $40 or more, so no point... it's sad.
ReplyDeleteI love the yellow bag, too.
Such a shame that J Crew has gone so rubbish. There are so few things that catch my eye there at the moment.
I am hoping they will eventually have a renaissance, like the gap, who seem to have found their roots again. In the meantime, I find myself shopping elsewhere most of the time now. There is the odd exception - I ordered the verdigris cashmere t on the supersale a couple of weeks before for Barry to give me for Christmas as I loved the colour.
Delete