“Calling All Chubbies”: Lane Bryant Whiplash
The picture of an old-timey Lane Bryant ad came from Roger Ebert on Twitter, who described it tongue-in-cheekily as a picture of a “tragically fat young woman.”
And speaking of Lane Bryant, my dear friend Pippit sent in a link to an article about Full Figured Fashion Week that ran in her local paper, the Austin-American Statesman.
I was shocked to hear the president of Lane Bryant say that their plus-sized customers are more interested in elastic-waist pants and caftans than on actual fashion. Well, I’m paraphrasing. Here’s the real quote:
Lane Bryant, the retailer offering sizes 14-28, believes its customers are most concerned with comfort, then fit and finally style. “She’s not there on the cutting edge of fashion,” President Brian Woolf said. “She might be a year behind.”
Don’t let the fatshionistas hear you say that, buddy.
I was pretty surprised, considering that our own Marie Denee, the Curvy Fashionista, just attended a Lane Bryant bloggers conference. She wrote about her experience here, and Fat Chic (another blogger who attended the conference) had this to say:
I was absolutely fascinated by the creative process used to come up with the different styles each month. The designers and merchants know their competition, are inspired by it and are also determined to keep on as leaders of plus size (specialty size) fashion. They really do try to have something for everyone, as their envisioned customer is quite eclectic.
The major thing I learned: high fashion really does filter down to the commercial, and while I question why that’s necessary, for a company that produces new styles on a monthly turnover schedule, I can understand the need NOT to reinvent a wheel over and over.
So are they fashion backward or fashion forward? Do they believe in Fatshionistas, or do they believe we’re not interested in following the latest trend? Are their clothes overpriced or worth the money? Do you still own a pair of Right Fit jeans? Does it all, in the end, come down to your personal taste? Someone, anyone, TELL ME WHAT TO BELIEVE!
Posted by mo pie
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For me, fashion comes down to my personal taste. I wear what I like, in the colors/prints/patterns/styles I like, and that I’m comfortable in. If other people don’t like it, too bad. As for the Right Fit jeans, nope, don’t own any of them any more. Didn’t matter what size/style I tried, they were always too tight in the waist and ended up being too loose after wearing them for more than half an hour. I replaced them with the relaxed, boot cut leggings from Roaman’s (I have 10 pair, in as many colors, and am ordering 2 new colors). Woman Within has also just come out with 5-pocket ponte bootcut knit jeans (poly/rayon/spandex). I plan on ordering a couple pairs of them also. They have 7 different colors, so I’m having a hard time deciding which ones I want most.
Well, that explains why, after a few years of selling genuinely cute clothes, Lane Bryant is back to producing “Omar the Tentmaker” blousy ugly hugely flowered stereotypical fatty fat fat clothes.
Thank goodness J. Jill sells cute plus sized stuff, though it’s only through their catalog.
Its been a long time since I’ve been in a Lane Bryant since there aren’t any near me, I usually indulge at Catherine’s or The Avenue.
Thank God I’m a proud fat woman in a world where you CAN get nice clothes in your size elsewhere. I remember the days of ’16 Plus’ when I was a teenager where I could buy all the ‘bound for the casino bus’ casual wear I could get my hands on.
Ugh, “a year behind”? Do they think that both fat and not-fat women are really THAT concerned with what’s in at this exact moment… can’t they just make excellent-looking, fun, decent-quality clothes that don’t look like sequined tablecloths?
That said, god I love those Right Fit jeans. I think I have five pairs at this point. The red triangle-shape ones fit me better than any jeans in the world ever have, and they last forever.
I’ve noticed Lane Bryant hasn’t been as good lately. The last few times I’ve been in there, nothing has really caught my eye.
Lane Bryant Outlet, OTOH, is a totally different story. Not only are the prices reasonable, the clothes, which are technically supposed to be “out of season”, are a lot cuter.
As one of the bloggers quoted – and one present at the LB conference – I’ll summarize it this way:
they’re confused. There is no clear vision of WHO the Lane Bryant customer is, and the company just had a massive staff change involved in all of it. There are also a LOT of cooks. They have three branches:
1)the in-house designers
2)the lingerie designers
3)the merchants
Merchants are the people that travel the world and pick up from other clothiers to fill out the rather massive clothing turnover Lane Bryant has. It’s where a lot of those “made in China” and “made in India” labels come from.
They really are trying to serve EVERYONE – and that includes people who aren’t into fashion, along with those who are. But it’s also really obvious just looking at how people dressed for work at Lane Bryant headquarters was that these people are very much into fashion themselves.
Diana, that’s really interesting. It sounds like the stores end up with kind of a mishmash, although it doesn’t mean there won’t be hits amidst the misses. And at least it’s a store where you can still go and try on plus-sized clothes, which is sadly a rarity.
I have an Avenue around the corner from me and I never go. It’s just that everything I see in the windows looks like tragedy.
mo pie> I’ve actually found good stuff from Avenue, it’s just never what they *promote.* At that same conference I got to know a former brand manager from RedCats (owns Avenue, Jessica London, most of what sells on OneStopPlus) and I guess they had kind of a design clash, too. I shop online so I don’t have to dig as much, but believe me, I understand about wanting a place to walk into.
I think the problem with Lane Bryant may be that they tend to lean more towards trendy clothes instead of staple classics. That may be where this quote is coming from. She is definitely looking at the numbers from sales. What plus size companies forget is that many of us want the basics just like everyone else. J. Jill, CJ Banks all seem to have crisp white shirts, black pants, cardigans/twinsets, knee length skirts, and blazers…the basics you can mix and match with shells, tanks, shoes and jewelry.
So much of what I see on the plus sized clothing sites comes in fluorescent orange, pink or blue, has mega floral prints (which aren’t bad at all-just not my taste), or are so trendy you know they won’t be wearing it in 3 months. Basic tees, comfy and fashionable jeans and leggings, cardigans, basic skirts and dress pants…..the stuff most people buy and mix and match or build upon. I have no problem with the trendier stuff..there’s just so much of it and never enough of the basics because that sells first. YMMV.
I just want something without ruffles….seriously limited there. Why does everything need ruffles?! DAMN THEM!
>.<
It also seems like Lane Bryant often designs for an imaginary person who, for the most part, doesn’t exist. Like, they’ve put out a bunch of sun dresses in the past few years which were cute, but were cut so that you couldn’t wear a bra with them. OK, what size 26/28 woman doesn’t need a bra? So I’m sure their sales numbers WERE down, which probably convinced them that we don’t want cute sundresses, when really they’d just produced an item that was completely impractical for their customer.
You bring up a good point O.C. I am a 26/28 with a rack of doom. I need to wear a bra with everything, and that includes sleeveless dresses. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find strapless bras in my size, so that leaves me unavailable to do tube-style and halters, and it seems this is all LB and other plus-size retailers make these days. It is possible to make sundresses and maxi dresses that are bra-friendly, I have seen them. Or, and here’s a novel idea—make summer dresses that actually have sleeves! There are still women out there who don’t feel comfortable showing off all their arms, and quite a few workplaces don’t allow anything sleeveless. It wouldn’t kill LB to put sleeves on some of their stuff!
I’m a Canadian fat, so Lane Bryant isn’t on my radar… instead, I get to tromp around AdditionElle and get all harumphy over the lack of things that I actually like. It’s the same problem in a different setting. And it occurs to me, reading this discussion, what that problem may be.
There are like, ten blazillion straight size stores, right? Seriously. Ten blazillion. If one store isn’t to your taste (too much trendy stuff, too much basic stuff, too much bass on the background music, I don’t know), it’s easy to just stroll along to the next place and keep looking. There are PILES of things to pick from. In the plus sized shopping world? Um. Maybe three, four local stores if you’re super-lucky? The choices are SO LIMITED, that a temporary lack of stuff to your taste in one of these results in a massive trimming of your dress-up options. Lane Bryant can’t be everything to everyone… but it’s in a position where it sortakinda HAS to be.
My style is very basic but I like to mix in a few trendy pieces each season if they appeal to me. But, like Lampdevil said, my biggest frustration is the lack of choice. If the trendy things that season are not my taste, I can’t get anything new because it’s my only option. I can’t go to one of the other million stores to find something that suits my tastes.
I was never impressed with LB Jeans. I’ve had a few pairs over the years and there’s usually something about them that doesn’t feel quite right to me. I can’t praise Avenue jeans enough, though. Love. Also, I’ve had luck with Roamans though the pair I have from them right now are a bit loose around my waist even though they are my size. The size smaller – couldn’t breathe.
I am not a fan of Lane Bryant because everything in store is made for women of Amazonian proportions. I’m 5’2 and Lane Bryant’s clothing often makes me look like a kid playing dress up in mommy’s closet. Below the knee dresses/skirts there hit 3 inches above my ankles, similar problem with shirt sleeves, I end up swamped in fabric.
And that’s on the rare occasion they have something that suits my personal style. I tend towards mixing up classic pieces with neo-Victorian/steampunk, punk, and goth styles. So, I’m often shopping online or at Torrid (which runs shorter thanks to junior sizing). Lane Bryant and their sister store Fashion Bug are too on trend all the time to keep steady business from me.
I echo the frustration with lack of options as far as stores go. Lane Bryant has been good to me, though. The Right Fit jeans fit me perfectly, but I haven’t had the same luck with the Avenue. When Old Navy actually let me shop in their stores things were hit or miss, but I could usually find something cute and cheap to wear on the weekends. As I’m getting older and more willing to spend money on clothes I’ve liked Silhouettes and my mom keeps convincing me I need to check out j.Jill and Coldwater Creek, but I’m afraid their stuff will be too matronly.
I used to shop at LB a lot. For a few years there, they had lots of cute, flattering styles that fit me (size 16-18) very well. Then a few years ago, they were taken over by Charming Shoppes, and the quality plummeted. They changed the sizing of all their clothes such that the size I used to buy was too tight, but the next size up was too big (I know, because I still have many of the things I bought before this change, and they still fit the way they did when I bought them). Those “Right Size” jeans are horrible on me. Even the bras don’t fit anymore. On top of this, they downgraded a lot of the fabrics to cheap-o synthetics. For example, one top I really liked that cost about $30 started to pill after the first wearing.
So I decided to stop wasting my limited shopping time in their stores. Just about the only place I’ve had good luck buying current fashions in my size is Target. I’ve tried buying clothes online, but that’s hit or miss (mostly miss).
O.C. > I’m a 26/28 with a comparatively small bustline, so I can wear those dresses without the support. Even at high end of plus sizes, there’s no guarantee on body specifics.
And I did ask while I was there about how they come up with their measurements – there are studies on women size 36-44, but they rarely go outside that parameter and they clearly need to broaden their bases when deciding on measurements.
Huh, this is really interesting. For a long time I’ve been perplexed that nobody seems to like LB, but half the people say they hate it because it’s not trendy ENOUGH, and half because it’s TOO trendy.
It seems like part of the issue is that there are so few bricks-and-mortar stores selling plus-size clothing that all of them feel they have to appeal to a broad market, so the range of designs gets too jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. I wish plus-size stores were able to specialize more, or specify different collections for different kinds of customers, like department stores do with their in-house brands.
I haven’t bought anything from LB in years. I went there the other day and I completely remembered why I stopped shopping there. The sizing of the clothes seems off. The selection in this particular store was minimal. The prices were high for clothes that are not of great quality. Lately I have been going to Talbots which always has the staples and seasonal trendy stuff. I know it can sometimes seem like your granny’s fave store but they have some seriously cute stuff and the quality of the material is amazing.
Shopping for plus sizes is an exercise in frustration. If so damn many of us are over size 16, why are there only a couple of stores for us to chose from if we’re lucky?
I agree with poster O.C., LB is back to the Omar the Tentmaker school of thought. For a few years there I was thinking “Finally, LB has got it together an I could find cute work classics” and then about 2-3 yrs ago, we started going down the crap rabbit hole again. They really DON’T know their customer and service none of them well…I would like to be able to shop there for more than a tee shirt, but their professional selection leaves everything to be desired. (unlike the clerk, who when asked about needing something for a meeting presented me with cropped pants and a sleeveless top… which *might* pass for business casual somewhere, but doesn’t come close to business professional) I loved right fit jeans… finally, the blue fit me perfectly, and of course, those went away… only to come back with that awful crotch “whiskering” that looks good on oh…. no one. LB drives me nuts, but I’m in that 26-28 range so I can’t shop plus at Macy’s or Dillards, an sometimes I need something and don’t have the time for online purchasing. I wish at least LB would make a better quality clothing…then I wouldn’t be angry about buying stuff that I don’t especially like, AND it’s poor quality… *sigh*
Diana, I hope I didn’t offend you with the sundress/bra comment! Let’s imagine I’ve edited my previous comment to say that it’s the rare size 26/28 woman who can wear a sundress without a bra, huh? :-)
Another point about LB: What, four years in to the “right fit” jeans line, and they STILL smell bad! Could they not find dye and finishing chemicals that don’t smell fishy by now?
I don’t shop at LB. They’re expensive for what are cheap clothes. But when I had a job interview, I needed a suit and went there only to find they had two options that were vaguely suit-like, and only one of them had a top and bottom in the right size. It appeared that the store just didn’t replace sizes as they sold, which was ridiculous with suiting (who wants just the jacket if it’s not marked on clearance?)
Avenue’s a bit better for office separates, though I’m a pale white woman and, though I’ll buy their black and white pieces, their color palate seems to be designed to really look good on black skin tones (the models and the black women in the store sure look good) but they often look spectacularly bad on me. (Lane Bryant’s stuff doesn’t really look good on anyone *g*).
I’m a fan of Torrid (when it’s on sale). They do a lot of black pieces that can be office-adapted. They tend to have nice black trousers that look stylish and fairly classic (you can’t go wrong with a nice pinstripe).
This might be my first post here, if so, hi! I’m 47 years old so I’ve been shopping at LB for a long time. Up until 15 years ago, it was truly hideous, and it was all we had. Now they’re way too trendy for me, in some areas.
I don’t like being sleeveless all the time! I do like lower cut tops because my boobs hang low, and I hate wired bras. I’m right on the edge of size 24 and 26 so for some things can shop at Macy’s and Nordstrom (usually the Rack). Their wireless bras last forever.
I only buy at LB with a sale code or coupon. Never pay retail!
I usually have liked Lane Bryant and had been very happy with their “right fit” jeans. (Lately I don’t like their stuff so much, but I’m also trying to cut down on spending and leave more room for my fiance’s clothing, so a crappy selection only helps!) Avenue jeans never fit me right, my waist seems to be a size smaller than my hips in theirs so if it fits my waist it’s way too tight around my hips. I need to absolutely love something to be willing to wear a belt with it.
I’m usually not a conspiracy theorist type, but I do need to wonder about the surplus of sleeveless/halters considering how many shrugs they try to sell that I always see on sale at the local stores because those tend to look really ridiculous. Or the short sleeved cardigans that I’ve always thought have limited usefulness. Seems like they’re trying to create a demand for those, and it can only be done by limiting other options and making people buy two items instead of the one that they wanted.
About 15 years ago, I worked at Lane Bryant. At the time, it was a descendant of The Limited, and the clothes were fabulous. They were flattering, well made, and even sexy.
After a few years of working there, we moved and I started a different job.
The current stuff at Lane Bryant is *nothing* like they used to sell when they were owned by Limited Inc. It’s cheaply made, cheesy, and overpriced. I shudder walking into the store.
I’ve been more pleased with Avenue lately (though not ecstatic). Usually if I hunt around, I can find things I like. I happen to like Avenue’s jeans. A lot.
Former LB employee and fan.
I still like lane bryant, though because I don’t work an office job where things are more formal I find their offerings somewhat limited (I work with 4-yr olds so things have to be comfy, and I prefer cotton/natural fibers). The few things I do find that are cute there are just more expensive than I’m willing to pay. I have much better luck at fashion bug these days, more cottons/rayons for about 1/2 the price of lane bryant. I’ve also had good luck with many online retailers, and I happen to be lucky in that there are a lot of plus-size brick-and-mortar options in my city.
Lane Bryant has its usefulness. They’re the only place I buy bras or panties anymore (I love those lacy plunge bras and the string bikini panties so much…).
I like the idea of Right Fit, but I’ve noticed that a lot of the stuff I’ve bought/tried on, while fitting right, is still not an attractive cut on me. It’s kind of disappointing.
Plus, their quality has tanked over the past few years. Between the ugly polyester shirts and poor stitching, I’ve been shopping elsewhere. Oh, AND they have the gall to raise their prices. WTF, seriously.
I shop a lot less at Lane Bryant now that half the stores near me (and all the ones in closest proximity) have closed. And this is in CHICAGO. These days, if I’m going to take the time to go to an LB store, I check the website to make sure there’s stuff there that will make the 35-minute trek worth it. Often there isn’t, or else I’ll find that the thing I wanted can only be found online.
I’m sure it takes a lot of work to have a “find item at a store near you” feature on the website, but it would go a long way in a demographic where so many choices are online only.
I’m 64, fat, arthritic, bad knees and hips, really bad feet, and had several surgies on my tummy which eventually damaged the nerves. So I like elastic pants that can be pulled on. I no longer wear “chic” clothing, partly because I simply can’t wear cool shoes anymore — very expensive shoes yes — just not cool. And flat, chunky shoes look best under pants. So I honestly think wearing in-style clothing is somewhat a matter of age and as we age, comfort becomes more important because we do “hurt” a lot more. That said — honestly, have you looked at what are called “non-fat” people these days in those hig-hugging jeans / slacks with the rolls of belly fat hanging over the top and emphasized by the stretched too tight shirts? Almost everybody looks bad in them. I certainly don’t choose to wear them — and when I was a size 11 I didn’t wear things that emphasized my pear-shaped (bottom heavy) figure. The current styles just aren’t very appealing for anybody right now. So being two years behind (or two years ahead) in my fashion sense is probably a good thing. For my age group, did you see the wonderful clothing worn by the “Golden Girls?” It wasn’t what was in fashion — it was what they actually looked good in and could walk around in. Six inch heels just aren’t for me in my dotage.
Lane Bryant is very hit or miss for me. I’m definitely no fashionista, in fact everything I like seems to be out of style anyway.
That aside, I have a 15 inch difference between my waist and my hips, and the Blue Right Fit Jeans are the only jeans I’ve ever found that fit around my hips while not being gargantuan in the waist.
There isn’t a lot that Lane Bryant has right now that I’m interested in, since empire waists are no longer as in as they were a couple of years ago, but without Right Fit jeans I wouldn’t have any pants at all!
About 15 years ago, I worked at Lane Bryant. At the time, it was a descendant of The Limited, and the clothes were fabulous. They were flattering, well made, and even sexy.
I loved that iteration of LB. The clothes were classy, with a good mix of classics & fun stuff. I still have a pair of canvas khaki shorts that are still in great shape I bought back then.
In fact, in those days I could also find a number of items at Limited that fit & worked well. Alas those days are no more.
I think the last thing I bought at LB was a white camisole last summer. I spent an hour in there trying on bras a few months back & since none of their in-store bras have any elastic in the shoulder straps, they did not come home with me.
I have some Right Fit jeans and they work for me, and the last time I went into an LB (around December, I think), I tried on about a zillion things and managed to find 5 or 6 things I liked. I have the same issue with the sleeveless/halter type tops – I need to wear a bra and I’m not wearing either of those items to work. I have an upper-arm tattoo, so I have to wear sleeves to look professional. Don’t even get me started on those stupid little cap sleeves, they’re SO infantilizing…. Anyway, I have noticed a decline in LB quality in the last few years, and a decline in the number of places I can try things on. I refuse to buy trousers online – 9 out of 10 trousers I try on look AWFUL, and I’m not going to pay shipping on ten pairs of pants to see if one might fit. Most of my business casual clothes right now are from Lands’ End (except for the pants), LB, and Coldwater Creek (which isn’t matronly, but it isn’t Forever 21 either – it’s kind of middle-of-the-road casual wear). My more dressy professional clothes are higher-end stuff (like Liz Claiborne and Ralph Lauren) that I find at discount joints (like TJ Maxx).
Target is a freakin fiasco for me: they always mix up the maternity and plus-size gear, which annoys me and probably bugs the pregnant ladies, too, and the Target near me has a teetiny selection of plus sizes.
I would love to be fashion-forward and stylish at all times, if I could afford it, but on my budget and with limited shopping options I am settling for up-to-date clothes that fit well and look good on me. I think a lot of people at all sizes are dialing back their spending on trendy, one-season, splurge-y clothes. Since LB has been focusing on just that market instead of stocking some reliable basics with classic styling, they’re losing sales.
I generally prefer Torrid to LB. It’s a little pricier compared to the quality, but the pieces are funkier and more youthful.
The only thing is, THERE’S NO TORRID IN NEW YORK CITY. It’s ridiculous. There are about 7 Lane Bryants, several Avenues and Ashley Stewerts, plus we have Re/Dress and Lee Lee’s Valise. Clearly there are fat chicks buying clothes. So where the F are you, Torrid? Just because there’s no suburban mall in the middle of the city doesn’t mean we won’t shop there. Come on!
/rant
OC> No offense taken. I just wanted to remind folks that there are a LOT of body variations out there. :)
wmnslibr> my mom keeps convincing me I need to check out j.Jill and Coldwater Creek, but I’m afraid their stuff will be too matronly.
I can’t speak to j.Jill, but I can about Coldwater Creek. I finally went into a store last year, and I am so glad I did. They make almost everything in 1X, 2X, or 3X that they do in misses & petites. Their cuts are a little off – you can’t just pick something up and take it home, expecting it to fit, and not just for plus sizes. My “misses” friends say the same thing. However, the colors are fantastic, they have a lot of classics, and I get compliments every time I wear something of their’s. Just one caution – wait for the sales!! They have frequent 70% and 80% off sales. Staff at some stores are more helpful than others, but overall, I’ve been very pleased with their products and service.
Lately I’ve become increasingly aware that I’m in a demographics ghetto. I’m 24, pear-shaped, newly married, and have kind of an eclectic preppy aesthetic. I find myself too old for Torrid now that they’re gearing themselves so much towards 14-20 year-olds and I’m seeing styles I remember from my early childhood. (Somehow, acid washed jeans with a Blossom hat seem less fun if you remember them from the first time round.) I’m too young and too preppy for Avenue so most of what I get there are their extremely well fitting and well priced jeans with little or nothing else.
As for Lane Bryant… ::sigh:: They don’t make clothing for me. Their right fit jeans fit wrong. I have too big a waist for the Blue fit and my hips are too big for the Red fit. I need Purple fit. Most of their tops are cut for women that are much much more busty than I am with huge arms. Their bottoms cut for the slim hipped. Let’s not even get in to how the colors look on someone with an olive complexion. If there is a shade of a color that will make me look sallow, green, or gray Lane Bryant will make their entire collection of it. My husband has piped up that their pajamas and lingerie are nice. And I will agree with that with the caveat that woman cannot live in pajamas alone.
@Liza There’s a Torrid in the Staten Island Mall along with Lane Bryant and Avenue. … never mind. There used to be when I was a teenager. WTF.
LB is so hit or miss now. I agree with many above- the quality isn’t nearly what it used to be. I’m SO tired of carefully shopping (and happily redeeming coupons) only have my clothes destroyed by one simple wash (in cold water with Woolite, yes Woolite). The clothing goes in one way and comes out another. Quality clothing does not do this. Quality clothing does not fade dramatically after one wash nor pile up. I’m so frustrated. This used to be a store I could depend on. Now, it’s a step above Target or Mandees. Boy, how I miss my Casual Corner right about now!!
I used to LOVE lane bryant because i could get a lot of my more business casual stuff there (have a mad cute vest that i adore) but i’ve noticed lately that they are starting to carry clothes with BFS (big flower syndrome) now granted some of it is falling in the bohemian style of summer but still… I tend to shop more at Dots and Rainbow (i’m from western PA) because they carry really trendy clothing for a cheaper price. My problem is now that LB is starting to carry crappy clothes, where am i supposed to find things that look good and are fashionable on a 20-something? especially in the business and business casual ranges without spending a fortune??
@Liza–totally agree about there being no Torrid in NY. I blame real-estate prices; I always think it must be hard to clear a profit in NY because you’d spend so much on rent.
I believe they’re going to try to sell us whatever they think we will buy.
I buy Lane Bryant’s clothes, not for the fashion of the quality — which is laughable — and definitely not for the price — which is often way too high. As soon as I have more options in my area, I will jump on them.
I’m sorry to know that one of the people in charge over at Lane Bryant is so far out of touch with his clientèle, though I’m not shocked. For him, this is about making money. For us, this is about our self-esteem.
His comment certainly doesn’t encourage me to shop at his store, that’s for sure.
First off its a clothing store, not a healing tent, they are not going to have everything for everyone.
Second, if you can’t afford to shop there, go to wal-mart because you can’t afford macys or any other semi decent place in the mall.
Newsflash, not everyone buys clothes just for work. I am a 31 year old single woman, and I take pride in how I present myself to the world everyday.
I am sorry that you all think that you have to be covered from your neck to your ankels to be able to go out in public
, but we don’t all feel that way. I don’t live in white button downs and work pants. I wear dresses and skirts and I show my arms. I love a halter top, I love a great bra and for both items I will pay good money.
Lane bryant is not a community project, they are a bussiness and they want to make money. if your clothes “don’t last”
I would say maybe you should take better care of them, not everything can go in the washer. I make no apologies for the woman I am.
I am not ashamed or embarassed, I am confident, classy, and a lady. If you think the sizes are “all wrong now” maybe you should check the size of your behind instead.
I have worked for both LB and Torrid, and almost every woman who said the phrase “your sizes run small” was just in denial about her size.
Get over yourselves YOU ARE FAT! I am fat we are all on this page for a reason. In the end you have to care about what you put on your back, if you want to get something on the cheap, go to Goodwill.
@Rebecca: I’ve bought a few things in Dots at the Rockvale Outlet in Lancaster. The prices are very good. Rainbow is hit or miss for me, they’re cut very small and being a 3X/4X, I can’t size up.
Cupcake,
You miss the point entirely. We are (rightfully) upset because LB is no longer giving us the quality it was once known for. If you had read carefully, you would have seen that this is the main issue, not price or style. Cheap quality clothes do not compromise. Whatever you do, it will fade, shrink and/or pile. I hate to say it, but if you think LB clothes are great you need to up your game.
Cupcake,
Classy doesn’t doesn’t deliver self-righteous lectures. Your advice about getting over yourself? Take it. The sizing does indeed fluctuate at Lane Bryant. I can’t think of any other explanation for a 14/16 woven button down shirt with no appreciable stretch factor I bought there 12 years ago fitting consistently through the years while 14/16s from five years ago hung off me and 14/16s today are hit or miss. And newsflash, when I- and others here- have bought work appropriate clothing at a store for years, we rather reasonably expect that we will continue to find work appropriate clothing there. Which- newsflash- doesn’t mean covered up from neck to ankle to most of us. What it does mean to most of us is attractive clothing that doesn’t display two or more inches of cleavage and won’t otherwise cause an interviewer to toss our resumes in the trash. And if the tag says it goes in the washer, I damn well expect it to.
And now for the intended comments about LB’s current offerings…
The long camisoles with the lace and adjustable straps are wonderful! I’ve been on a two year quest for the perfect camisole, and it finally exists! Definitely stocking up.
The knit v-neck shirts with the elbow length sleeves are nice, too.
And count me among those disappointed by LB’s work appropriate offerings. Hell, most of the casual offerings, too. I have to say, though, that Omar the Tentmaker didn’t occur to me. Dorothy Zbornak, on the other hand…
And hearing that whats-his-face says LB is about a year behind the trends doesn’t surprise me- I started seeing the reincarnation of Dorothy Zbornak when I worked at NY & Company last year.
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