The Year That Changed Everything
Part of me is genuinely sad to say goodbye to 2025.
At the beginning of the year, Sarah and I sat down for our annual ritual: a vision board for the company and a single North Star mantra to guide us. Something grounding. Something we can return to when things go right—and when things go wrong.
For 2025, we wrote down four simple words:
This is our year.
It feels surreal to say it now, but that intention became reality.
This year, we debuted at TD Garden with Celtics and Bruins designs—something that still doesn’t fully feel real when I type it out. Seeing a line wrapped around the ProShop, watching that collection sell out almost immediately… it was one of the most validating moments of my career. Unbelievable—and yet, in a strange way, believable—because we were so intentional about making 2025 a breakout year.
Another major shift for us was pre-orders. They fundamentally changed our business. So I want to say a sincere thank you to every single person who waited for their 1987 to arrive. We always deliver within our timelines, but I understand that when you really want something, a couple of months can feel like a year.
There’s a mantra I say quietly to myself during every single drop:
I am grateful for every customer and every purchase that comes our way.
As we grow, it’s easy to lose sight of the individual person choosing to spend their hard-earned money with us. Sarah and I work ourselves to the bone—weekly drops, constant iteration, relentless attention to quality and vision—but it still blows my mind that people choose us. Not because I doubt our product, but because the support has been overwhelming in the best way.
2025 was also filled with moments I never could have planned.
Tate McRae wore 1987—multiple times. Just casually. There’s even a moment I’ll never forget: Sarah was driving a delivery over, and when Tate realized it was that brand she loved, she said she’d happily wait for it. Still unreal.
Then there are the quieter moments that somehow hit even harder.
Walking into Solidcore and seeing a girl at the front desk wearing 1987 head to toe.
Running into someone at the airport in one of our hoodies.
Being able to walk up to strangers and say, “Thank you so much for supporting us.”
Those moments never get old.
My family has felt it too. I come from a huge Italian family, and my husband’s family is just as big—mostly in and around Boston. I hear constant stories: someone spotting 1987 at the grocery store, a whole prep school wearing it, a hoodie being the top silent-auction item, cousins going to TD Garden specifically to buy our merch. That kind of community support is something I will never take lightly.
Sarah and I even celebrated in our own very on-brand way. We’re not big drinkers or partiers, but we dressed up, had a beautiful cocktail at the Raffles Hotel, and went to a Bruins game together (see first video). Seeing our collection in the wild was surreal.
At one point, a woman—who had no idea who I was—picked up a crewneck and walked away with her boyfriend. I overheard him say, “Don’t you already have a few of those?”
And she replied, “Yeah, but I want more.”
I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment.
I get texts all the time with photos of people wearing 1987. So if you ever notice someone discreetly taking a picture of you… it’s probably being sent to me or Sarah. Sorry in advance.
I also want to say how grateful I am for Sarah. She’s been an incredible partner, and I feel like we’re more aligned than ever. That kind of creative and strategic alignment is rare—and it’s something I deeply cherish.
Another milestone this year: Shopify reached out to let us know we’re in the top 1% of fastest-growing stores. In a time when so many brands are struggling, that recognition meant a lot.
None of this came easily. Between 12 Days of Drops, Black Friday, and everything in between, we were working constantly—early mornings, late nights, no real breaks. But I truly love what I do. I know how rare that is because I’ve lived the opposite. Before 1987, I worked a corporate job I didn’t love. I know what it feels like to drag yourself out of bed. And I know what it feels like to wake up energized, creatively activated, excited to build.
As we look toward 2026, I hope—truly—that next year is even better than this one. We’re currently searching for our next North Star, and I’d love your input. Some ideas we’re playing with:
Our Turn
We’re Up
This Is It
This Is Our Time
Brand of the Year
Winning Era
We’ve Arrived
If you have a phrase that resonates, I want to hear it.
Mostly, I just want to say thank you.
It still stops me in my tracks when I see someone has ordered from us 20+ times, or when TikToks surface showing closets filled entirely with 1987. That was always the dream—to create something you didn’t expect to wear every day… until you did.
When people tell me, “My partner won’t take it off—please tell them to wash it,” I take that as the highest compliment.
If you’ve ever purchased from us, this is your win too. You are supporting a female-led, independent brand. You are directly making our dreams possible every time you click “purchase.”
We will always have room to improve—but 2025 showed us that we’re listening, evolving, and hitting the mark.
I’ll leave you with two final things:
First, I’m extremely bullish on fleeces. I truly believe they’re about to explode, and I want 1987 to own that category. Tell me what you want to see.
Second… Q1 is bringing something I am so excited about. Think: two hoodies in one. That’s all I’ll say for now.
Thank you for making 2025 unforgettable.
This really was our year.
— Jen DeAngelis McNamara
Founder & CEO
1987