Question re catalogs of yore

[Anonymous]

Not everyone had furs. Nothing yo do with PETA. Income, places to go wearing fur at that income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seemed higher end to me circa 1980 when my aunt was the only person I knew who had the catalogue and every time we went to her house I’d page through it and wish I could have Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.

+1

It was a great catalogue. My mom was on the mailing list. She was a SAHM in a 5 bedroom colonial in a DC suburb with kids in private school and a breadwinner husband with a white collar career. My mom also shopped at Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, and Woodies/Hechts/Macys.

PP with the long post. Yes, this is a person from a demographic who would buy bridge sportswear. Core UMC department store shopper. Too financially prudent to shop in the Saks/Neiman Marcus price range. If they wanted that price range for a special occasion, they might have moved to the most expensive brands at their customary store. Generations earlier, this demographic might have considered owning at least one fur. Like a mink jacket.

I mean, most women had a fur coat in the 1950s/60s/70s/80s.

Fur didn’t go out of style until the 90s.

I am rewatching the 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie on Prime, and there’s an episode centered around a fur coat. They were all over 1980s tv. The Reagan 80s were all about overtly showy luxury/wealth.

+1
Agree. Lots of fur in the 80s.

Yeah and remember Dynasty and similar shows? They had furs and hats with fur.

[Anonymous]

PP with the long posts - could you please stop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone had furs. Nothing yo do with PETA. Income, places to go wearing fur at that income.

Geez, people.

This is Dcumlandia.

If you grew up *here* in the 70s/80s, then chances are your mom, aunts, grandmothers, etc. had a fur coat. You saw them at thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE parties, weddings, etc.

And you saw them on tv.

It’s almost like you people totally missed Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Love Boat, etc.

Ever see I Love Lucy? Heck, Mrs. Cunningham had one and she was solidly middle class.

Heck, even Kate & Allie dedicated an entire episode to it. Of course, as divorcees, they couldn’t afford one. But the fancy lady with a corporate job had one. So did the mistress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone had furs. Nothing yo do with PETA. Income, places to go wearing fur at that income.

Geez, people.

This is Dcumlandia.

If you grew up *here* in the 70s/80s, then chances are your mom, aunts, grandmothers, etc. had a fur coat. You saw them at thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE parties, weddings, etc.

And you saw them on tv.

It’s almost like you people totally missed Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Love Boat, etc.

Ever see I Love Lucy? Heck, Mrs. Cunningham had one and she was solidly middle class.

Heck, even Kate & Allie dedicated an entire episode to it. Of course, as divorcees, they couldn’t afford one. But the fancy lady with a corporate job had one. So did the mistress.

A) We're talking about Spiegel - which was national.

B) I agree that there are richer people in DC (also rich people from foreign countries/ embassy types - fur was really big in Russia for example).

C) TV and movies are aspirational and far fewer people dressed like that than watched it. Have you read any of those takedowns of how the "Friends" would never have been able to afford their apartments? Who lives like "Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Love Boat, etc." My grandma never took fur on the cruises I went on with her and we never met Charo either.

When's the last time you saw anyone you know personally look even remotely like they were dressed for the Oscars or the Met Gala? If that isn't unusual for you, perhaps you might even own a fur today...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP with the long posts - could you please stop?

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone had furs. Nothing yo do with PETA. Income, places to go wearing fur at that income.

Geez, people.

This is Dcumlandia.

If you grew up *here* in the 70s/80s, then chances are your mom, aunts, grandmothers, etc. had a fur coat. You saw them at thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE parties, weddings, etc.

And you saw them on tv.

It’s almost like you people totally missed Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Love Boat, etc.

Ever see I Love Lucy? Heck, Mrs. Cunningham had one and she was solidly middle class.

Heck, even Kate & Allie dedicated an entire episode to it. Of course, as divorcees, they couldn’t afford one. But the fancy lady with a corporate job had one. So did the mistress.

A) We're talking about Spiegel - which was national.

B) I agree that there are richer people in DC (also rich people from foreign countries/ embassy types - fur was really big in Russia for example).

C) TV and movies are aspirational and far fewer people dressed like that than watched it. Have you read any of those takedowns of how the "Friends" would never have been able to afford their apartments? Who lives like "Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Love Boat, etc." My grandma never took fur on the cruises I went on with her and we never met Charo either.

When's the last time you saw anyone you know personally look even remotely like they were dressed for the Oscars or the Met Gala? If that isn't unusual for you, perhaps you might even own a fur today...

Most people dressed formally in the 50s and 60s.

ICYMI: women didn’t really wear pants in public. They wore dresses when they went grocery shopping.

If you look at old pictures of everyday people in cities like DC or Baltimore in the 50s and 60s, men were in suits and women were in dresses. And if it was cold, you’d see fur coats.

Fur was dressy, but it was something women scrambled to own back in the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was born in 1969. Worked in a department store equivalent to Macy's one summer in 1987. In misses' clothing.

I remember the name Spiegel but my family did not buy through that catalogue. My mom was a department store customer and my grandma also (plus Talbots and Pendelton).

The mention of the brands Ralph Lauren and Liz Claiborne in the TV ad place this fashion in the department store brand category today. Ralph Lauren's regular department store price level (not at the higher stand-alone store level, although the merchandise might overlap). Liz Claiborne was very successful in creating a company that sold versatile women's careerwear. Eventually it ran out of gas, the company transformed into a conglomerate of cooler brands (i think they had Kate Spade, Juicy Couture, etc.) and let Liz Claiborne and Claiborne (for men) be sold to JCPenneys to become JCP house brands.

These fashions were maybe considered "bridge sportswear" although I don't know the exact price positioning. Here's an AI explanation of "bridge sportswear".

"Bridge sportswear refers to a fashion industry category originating in the 1980s that bridges the price and style gap between higher-priced designer clothing and mass-market brands. It offers premium, career-oriented, or versatile clothing at a more accessible, mid-tier price point.

Key Aspects of Bridge Sportswear:
Positioning: Located in department stores between the designer and better sportswear sections.

Target Audience: Consumers looking for quality and style at a moderate price, often referred to as "investment dressing".

Components: Includes a mix of tailored career apparel, stylish casual wear, and versatile pieces suitable for work or weekend.

Examples of Brands: Historically and in the 90s, this included brands like Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, DKNY, Coach, and Michael Kors.

Evolution: While highly popular in the 80s and 90s, the category evolved towards "contemporary" fashion or "accessible luxury" in later years.

It is often associated with "diffusion lines," which are secondary, lower-priced collections created by high-end designers.

Thanks for sharing this - very fascinating! I vaguely remember this but I was a kid during this time period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone had furs. Nothing yo do with PETA. Income, places to go wearing fur at that income.

Geez, people.

This is Dcumlandia.

If you grew up *here* in the 70s/80s, then chances are your mom, aunts, grandmothers, etc. had a fur coat. You saw them at thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE parties, weddings, etc.

And you saw them on tv.

It’s almost like you people totally missed Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Love Boat, etc.

Ever see I Love Lucy? Heck, Mrs. Cunningham had one and she was solidly middle class.

Heck, even Kate & Allie dedicated an entire episode to it. Of course, as divorcees, they couldn’t afford one. But the fancy lady with a corporate job had one. So did the mistress.

A) We're talking about Spiegel - which was national.

B) I agree that there are richer people in DC (also rich people from foreign countries/ embassy types - fur was really big in Russia for example).

C) TV and movies are aspirational and far fewer people dressed like that than watched it. Have you read any of those takedowns of how the "Friends" would never have been able to afford their apartments? Who lives like "Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Love Boat, etc." My grandma never took fur on the cruises I went on with her and we never met Charo either.

When's the last time you saw anyone you know personally look even remotely like they were dressed for the Oscars or the Met Gala? If that isn't unusual for you, perhaps you might even own a fur today...

Most people dressed formally in the 50s and 60s.

ICYMI: women didn’t really wear pants in public. They wore dresses when they went grocery shopping.

If you look at old pictures of everyday people in cities like DC or Baltimore in the 50s and 60s, men were in suits and women were in dresses. And if it was cold, you’d see fur coats.

Fur was dressy, but it was something women scrambled to own back in the day.

Wearing hats and gloves, sure. But mother was a secretary, daddy was disabled and she didn't have a fur.

[Anonymous]

I recall JC Penny from the 80s better pretty nice quality. Certainly way better than the garbage clothes they sell today.