I would put Loft on the same level as J Crew right now with synthetic materials but that being said my Loft items lately have held up better. As a petite, few do it better than Loft and it is one of the only places I can go at the last minute for jeans or a dress without needing alterations. I am finding that some of their fits lately are a bit inconsistent than years past but returns are super easy. I am also super psyched about good after Christmas Aerie deals, I can probably stock my lingerie drawer until next year! Happy holidays to all of my Blogger friends!
You had a post last year about their bralettes that caught my attention and now I am hooked on all their lingerie, great prices and selection. I'm an in between size for bras typically and many are too tight or too loose around my rib cage, or don't work with my cup size, they have something for everyone.
It's like the Anthro designers from the past headed over to Sundance and picked up where they left off, even the product shots remind me of old Anthropologie. I personally liked those before they went to model shots only. My only issue is the overall lack of petite offerings but due to the manufacturing it's probably not practical. I'm seeing that more often with many retailers. Even still, they have lots of pretty things to look at, thanks for sharing!
I really wish some of their apron designs would translate into their dresses
This seems like a trend overall in ladies apparel. They also need to stop offering just so much stuff, 8 pages the other day when I looked at the new arrivals. I think Roxy's assessment of identifying your core customer base and discard the rest seems like a gamble but I think the quality over quantity model will win out. I don't mind a design trend to be integrated into a design or two, but everything OTS or cold shoulder, or with bell sleeves is too much. It's like that bell sleeve is good but let's take it up a notch until it dominates the item which won't really have a shelf life after this year. J Crew is drowning in the same bad and unwearable clothing. A lack of notice to details in product descriptions and fabric quality makes it impossible to want to spend 70+ on a synthetic sweater that will pill after one wear. When Old Navy holds more of my interest for making the cost per wear reasonable, other mid price stores will lose every time.
I picked up a rainy day mac from Boden a few years ago and it is the most reliable and attractive piece of rainwear I have. It's great for work since it's practical but also not too casual for dresses and skirts. The hood actually keeps rain off your head. I just received my Boden catalog yesterday and it is always fun to look through, I wish there was a store since I always find their sizing tricky for me.
Honestly the first picture made me think I was looking at one of my Grandmother's Butterick sewing patterns from 1978 or a Sears catalog, blech.
I love Boden but I am always in between sizes for whatever reason, everything is either a smidge too big or too small. They also don't have as many petite dresses as they used to. I do have their Rainy Day Mac coat which is my most favorite coat ever, cute and practical. Returning can take a while although they have made significant improvements in the past year or so and their customer service has always been good.
So many pretty shoes that are well outside my budget but so much fun to look at. I can't do the pointy toe style and those Lenora Adele Pumps are gorgeous.
Lands End has even been disappointing lately. I used to be able to depend on them for certain basics and good petite items but even their items don't seem to be holding up as well. Has anyone bought from Brooks Brothers? I wonder if they still have the quality or are moving in the same direction as other retailers.
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