Your Mom Was Right About Eddie Bauer

+ J.Jill, Ann Taylor, Land's End, and Eileen Fisher.

Picture this. It’s late fall. Football season is underway. You’ve had at least three batches of your dad’s famous chili. And it’s time for the annual family trip to the apple orchard. Your mom waltzes to the minivan, thermos reeking of perpetual coffee in tow, dressed in head to toe Eddie Bauer. Flannel-lined jeans and sensible leather shoes plus a turtleneck she’s had for a decade. There’s something timeless in this nostalgic vision. And it has a lot to do with the mountain ridge outlined on the tag affixed to her fleece vest.

The girls that get it, get it

This isn’t an ode to any of these brands in their current iterations, though I’m sure there are finds to be found and I’ll write about those someday. This is a celebration of the kind of clothes Chessy wore in The Parent Trap. It’s about pieces that are super high quality, kind of boring, and bountiful on resale sites. My thesis? Buying any of these brands secondhand will result in generally better clothing than their new counterparts. So maybe before clicking “Add to cart” on Abercrombie or Sezane, try getting inspired by the kinds of brands your mom ordered from a catalogue in 1997.

Don’t we all see a little of ourselves in Chessy?

The Big Five: J. Jill, Eddie Bauer, Land’s End, Ann Taylor, and Eileen Fisher

Living for balding man as accessory

Meet the heavy hitters. Yes, J.Crew and Brooks Brothers and loads of other brands could also fit in this list. Vermont Country Store! Fresh Produce! I get it, we have time to obsess over all of them. For now, we’re sticking to these four. Intimidated? Find your 90s catalogue mom soulmate brand below using this helpful guide.

J. Jill—You listen to Sade when it rains and stare out the window with a cup of peppermint tea.

Eddie Bauer—You drink out of a Nalgene covered in stickers and frequently seek wi-fi-free spaces outdoors.

Land’s End—You prefer Montauk to Amagansett and rewatch Something’s Gotta Give every Memorial Day weekend.

Ann Taylor—You dream in 90s rom coms where magazine writers made a living wage and took a town car to the office.

Eileen Fisher—You minored in studio art and drive with the windows down even when it’s overcast.

Now, let’s dive into some picks from each brand you can shop on secondhand sites. I’ll include a few new pieces from the brand at the end of each section just to prove a little digging can go a long way.

J.Jill

There was once a J.Jill sweater I bought in college so divine, so breathable and cool, that

Ruby's Recs

bought a matching one. Then both of us forget about the brand for eight years. And then last week she was like, “Remember your J.Jill phase?” and this entire letter was born.

Here’s what I like about J.Jill: the brand offers petite, tall, and plus sizes. That’s huge! The pieces can lean a little “swingy separates” so I’d stick to basics like tshirts and sweaters.

This cotton shirt is $30 and I think it would be cute with denim and Frye boots.

Here’s a cute fleece jacket for $18 on ThredUp (I’ve never shopped here!)

I take back everything I said about swingy separates! This 80s dress is fab! And $18.

Sheer, floral, lettuce hem, $15—need I say more?

I’m going to say something that’s going to hurt your feelings. If I told you this was Bode, you would spend $600 on it. This is J.Jill and it’s $35.

Medium petite denim barn jacket with dreamy cuffs for $35.

I was pleased to find these on the site. You know how I feel about comfortable Mary Janes…

Ok two piece linen set! In tall/petite/plus! I see you! J.Jill is essentially Midwest Sézane and I mean that as a compliment.

Eddie Bauer

I once dated a gay man who tweeted about my love for Eddie Bauer. Let that sink in. It’s true, I’ve always had a soft spot for the outdoor brand. And I have my mom to thank. She and my dad were true fans (see tall sizing and durable quality). While I found it a bit drab growing up, I’ve come around to its timeless consistency.

Ref is shaking in its boots. This linen dress is $16!

Fine, I’ll give you another one. This one’s $35.

Pink and red! My MIL’s favorite color combo and one of mine, too. It’s $25.

Need a new suede tote? Why not an Eddie Bauer one for $25?

I’m telling you, owning a green down vest has changed my outfit game for the better.

Again, if I told you this was Elder Statesman not Eddie Bauer Tall for $30, you’d believe me.

Maybe it’s an Iowa thing, but I’ll always love a flannel-lined jean.

Can you tell I’m having a moment with this color green?

Land’s End

LL Bean gets all the credit. How about a little love for its Midwestern counterpart? Land’s End also offers petite, tall, and plus sizes. They monogram a lot of their stuff, or at least offer it. And you’ll have these pieces for way longer than the trendy version. Plus, people aren’t as up on this brand on the resale market, so gems abound.

Am I the only one who’s obsessed with this saying “WWW”? And it’s $20.

This with a Doen-y white blouse and loafers. Come on! It’s $16.

Try out a plaid vest, why don’t ya? This one’s $24.

Travel in style with this vintage duffle. It’s $60.

Here’s a simple rugby shirt for $15.

Very 2020-core but I would leave these at the beach and lounge all day in this look. It’s $20 for both.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m too good at my job, which is finding you all affordable pieces that strangers will compliment you on. This is $17!!

This is a fun summer bag option! Don’t forget to monogram.

This swimsuit silhouette is FUN!

Ann Taylor

For reference, this is the tag we’re after.

Where to start? Vintage Ann Taylor is the stuff of legends. And I sort of considered not mentioning it because I shop it so frequently. It’s affordable, comes in a thousand different styles, and always ends up being something I come back to in my closet over and over again. Shop this brand for statement pieces that you’ll lean on for special occasions and those moments you need to upgrade a simple outfit.

Here I am in an Ann Taylor blazer years ago

90s velvet halter top for $36.

A fab set for a wedding or summer event. This is $45.

This feels like a fluke—this LBD is $5.

You’ve always wanted a denim jacket but can’t find a style that’s you? This is $13.

A very Carrie Bradshaw dress for summer. It’s $32.

This shape is to die for. It’s under $30!

Mini silk skirt! So flirty! This is $27.

Kind of into this sweater shell from new Ann Taylor. I’d pair this one with the skirt above!

This jacket looks great for the price point.

Eileen Fisher

And we end with the GOAT, the absolute reigning queen of preloved clothing, Eileen Fisher. The brand is doing incredible things for sustainability and I would feel proud/excited to buy from them new. But OMG the goldmine that is vintage EF. Expect great linens and wide leg pants galore. You’ll have to search a little longer and be willing to pay a little more, but when you acquire a piece from the brand, you’ll have it forever.

You could buy these new OR you could great this perfect pair for $27.

Think of this $30 jacket as an option for you if a brighter quilted jacket feels like too much.

Silk blend maxi dress for $54.

Calling petite smalls! This $30 silk top was made for you.

These jeans were made for summer. I love the cargo detailing.

This subtle funnel neck is SO Eileen Fisher.

Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can shop my favs here, follow along on Instagram + Tiktok, shop my Notion template, and as always, respond to this dispatch for my direct line x