Page De Garde Catalogues But 2018

Okay, so imagine this: I’m sipping my café au lait, scrolling through my phone (because, duh), and suddenly I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia so intense, it almost knocks over my croissant. It's the ghost of 2018, but specifically, 2018 through the lens of… Page De Garde catalogues. Bear with me, it’s weirder – and funnier – than it sounds.

Page De Garde: More Than Just Paperclips (Probably)

First, for the uninitiated, Page De Garde isn’t some avant-garde art collective (though, honestly, the catalogues are pretty arty). It’s a beloved stationery shop in Montreal, purveyors of all things delightful and paper-y. Think notebooks so beautiful you’re afraid to write in them, pens that practically write poetry themselves, and enough washi tape to decorate a small apartment.

Now, picture their catalogues from 2018. Why 2018? Because… well, why not? It's a specific, slightly arbitrary year, which makes it even funnier. It's like choosing a random sock out of the dryer of time. Plus, I actually remember those catalogues, vaguely. Maybe. My memory is like a goldfish on vacation.

But let's try to break down what made them so special (or at least, memorable enough for this caffeine-fueled ramble):

• The Paper! Oh, the paper! You could practically taste the quality. Seriously, don’t taste the paper. That’s weird. But you felt it. It was thick, textured, and probably made from the tears of happy trees. Okay, I'm exaggerating. Maybe.
• The Design! Clean lines, quirky illustrations, a minimalist aesthetic that screamed “I have my life together… sort of.” The kind of aesthetic that made you want to buy a calligraphy set and start writing sonnets… which you would promptly abandon after three lines.
• The Promise! Each catalogue promised a better you, achieved solely through the purchase of a specific brand of fountain pen. It was like, "Buy this pen, and you'll suddenly be fluent in French, a master calligrapher, and you'll finally understand quantum physics!" Spoiler alert: you won't. But you'll have a really nice pen.

The Stationery of Our Discontent (and Delight)

Remember those specific trends from 2018? Let’s see if we can jog your memory, or maybe just fabricate some entirely new ones based on my limited recollections:

• Bullet Journal Obsession: Everyone and their dog (probably literate dogs) were obsessed with bullet journaling. Dot grids were the new black. Page De Garde likely had a section dedicated to stencils, stickers, and specially designed rulers to make your bullet journal the envy of Instagram. Or at least, the envy of your friend who also spent way too much time meticulously planning their life on paper.
• The Rise of the Fountain Pen: Ballpoints were out, fountain pens were in. Suddenly, everyone wanted to feel like a Victorian novelist. Page De Garde likely offered a curated selection of vintage-inspired pens, along with bottles of ink in colours like "Dusty Rose of Existential Dread" and "Midnight Blue of Quiet Contemplation."
• Washi Tape Overload: Washi tape wasn’t just for scrapbooking anymore. It was used to decorate laptops, phone cases, and even entire walls. I bet Page De Garde had entire aisles dedicated to washi tape, in every conceivable pattern and colour. Stripes, polka dots, cats wearing tiny hats – the possibilities were endless (and slightly terrifying).

So, Why Does This Matter? (Besides Being Hilariously Niche)

Okay, okay, I admit it. Maybe this whole thing is just a ridiculous exercise in remembering a specific time through the lens of a stationery shop. But there’s something comforting about it, isn’t there? It's a reminder that even in a digital world, the tactile pleasures of paper and pen still hold a certain allure. And that sometimes, all you need is a really nice notebook to feel like you can conquer the world. Or at least, write a grocery list.

Plus, thinking about those 2018 Page De Garde catalogues is way more interesting than doing my actual work. Don't tell my boss!