Why the {LUXURY LINE}?
When life shifts, design shifts.
When I first launched 1987, I was in a very different era of my life. I hadn’t yet met my husband. I was living in the city, always out at restaurants, bopping around with friends, and still coming off of 2020—the loungewear era. Hoodies, crewnecks, quarter zips. That was my uniform, and naturally, it became the heartbeat of our first designs.
Sarah (1987 co-owner and our CGO) and I design everything in-house, and our earliest pieces were shaped around what our community wanted—and what we were actually wearing. The Core Collection was created for the everyday: the sweatshirts you throw on for class, the quarter zips that take you from Trader Joe’s to brunch, the crewnecks that feel like home on a chilly Boston morning. Then came Home of Champions—designed for game days, watch parties, and celebrating Boston’s championship legacy.
But as I grew up, got married, and found myself in new settings, I realized something was missing. I wanted to wear 1987 everywhere, but there were places a hoodie couldn’t go. A brunch at the country club. A dinner on Nantucket. A polished moment when loungewear wasn’t the answer. And I found myself shopping outside my own brand for those moments. That didn’t sit right with me.
So the {LUXURY LINE} was born.
This line was about creating pieces that feel as at home in a Seaport townhouse as they do on campus—cashmere knits, wool blends, structured silhouettes. Elevated details like custom 1987-engraved zippers, tonal embroidery you only notice up close, discreet denim appliqués. It’s quiet luxury through and through: refined, timeless, and subtle in its branding. A knit that whispers 1987, instead of shouting it.
It’s also about patterns and play. We’re moving out of the beige era—people want freshness. Florals, textures, stripes, double-lined v-necks, high neck knits.
The kind of pieces that nod to East Coast heritage but feel current: Blair Waldorf at brunch, Rory Gilmore on campus, Elle Woods stepping onto Harvard’s lawn.
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Luxury also expands our audience. While our hoodies resonate deeply with students and twenty-somethings, I wanted to open 1987 up to a wider reach—your mom, your aunt, your brother, your dad. Pieces that allow everyone to step into the 1987 world, regardless of age or personal style.
On a personal note, the luxury line has reignited my love for design. In 2024, I felt a creative drought. But this collection challenged me to push into new fabrics, new cuts, and those “devil in the details” moments that I obsess over. Things like a striped lining inside a floral hoodie, or designing a cardigan with a matching one for your dog (yes, that’s coming).
And the best part? The feedback has been incredible. People are raving about the softness of our cable knits. Friends of customers are placing orders the moment they see the pieces in person. It’s a reminder that this category isn’t just an experiment—it’s a new pillar for us.
We’ve proven we can make the perfect hoodie. Now we’re proving we can make the cashmere sweater you’ll wear on the golf course, the tennis court, or to dinner at the club.
The goal is simple: to make 1987 a brand you can live in, 24/7. From your college dorm to your country club brunch. From your first championship game to your first big promotion. Core. Home of Champions. Luxury. It’s all 1987—it’s just a matter of where life takes you.
-Jen DeAngelis McNamra
