No one in Boston wears that.
*but they will*
This year feels different. For the first time since launching 1987, the financial pressure has started to ease. Of course, it’s never completely gone when you’re building a self-funded business, but it’s not the same suffocating weight it was in the early days. Back then, everything I had was tied up in 1987. Like many founders, I faced the reality that if things didn’t work out, I could end up in a worse position than when I started.
But I believed in what I was creating. I believed that if we focused on quality, style, and a story deeply rooted in Boston, then if we built it, people would come.
The Early Days: Doubt and Conviction
When I first began posting about 1987, I remember the skepticism vividly. One of my earliest TikTok posts showed me in a hoodie and joggers with the caption suggesting it as an outfit for Back Bay. Someone commented, “No one in Boston wears that.”
I replied simply: “But they will.”
That moment captures the conviction I had. I wasn’t just designing clothes; I was imagining a cultural shift. And looking at the streets in 2025, it’s undeniable — loungewear has become a staple. Thanks in part to the 2020 loungewear boom, hoodies and joggers now move seamlessly between the couch, brunch, or even a night out.
Our First Step Forward
The very first prototype we developed was called The Back Bay. It wasn’t your traditional oversized hoodie. It was cropped in just the right spot so the waistband of the joggers tucked the silhouette in, and the joggers themselves were tailored — designed to give shape instead of swallowing it.
That detail mattered. Fashion is always shifting, but from day one I wanted to create pieces that didn’t just feel cozy, they elevated the way people looked and felt. Today, our bestsellers are wider, more relaxed fits — proof that style evolves — but the principle is the same: ultra-comfortable pieces that are also undeniably flattering.
Betting on Boston
What really set us apart was our voice. 1987 has always been Boston-inspired — from the language we use to the vernacular woven into every collection. That identity gave us roots.
When I moved back to Boston from New York, I had three duffel bags, one Instagram post, and every cent of capital tied up in my first production run. That was it. It wasn’t glamorous. It was a gamble. But that gamble was anchored in something real: belief in this city, and belief in what we were building.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Sometimes I think about those early days and how little evidence there was that it would work. But I also think about that quiet certainty I carried: that if we stayed true to our vision, people would come.
And they did.
1987 is no longer just a brand I bet everything on — it’s a community, a culture, and a statement that Boston style belongs on the global stage.
✨ For anyone building something right now and hearing the voices of doubt — trust the work, trust the vision. If you build it, they really will come.
-Jen DeAngelis McNamara
Founder & CEO
1987
