Anyone else heard of them? I guess they’re all over the country, but I never really heard of them until I went to a tea party in October to benefit our local cancer support chapter and they put on a fashion show.
I am planning to buy a new Christmas party dress (I’ve lost thirty pounds, and I had cancer this year, so dammit, I want a new party dress) and they have some nice ones. I don’t think their prices are too out of line.
I found this dress on line, but I’m looking for more of a floor-length dress, since our office Christmas party is a bit on the formal side rather than cocktail side. There’s also an outlet store in Orlando(ish) that’s close to my work, so I might swing by on my lunch hour and see what they have.
I like some of their clothes. I strongly, strongly recommend trying several things on at that outlet store before you buy anything online, though – I think their sizes run big. That looks great with some of the the drapier styles, but not so great if you want something fitted like the pretty red dress.
Love hearing the past tense in the parenthetical phrase, by the way! Woot! Had!
Oh, OK. Well, I think their designs are generally flattering and they use yummy fabrics and colors. Their long skirts are never floor-length on me, though, and they don’t carry tall sizes. If you like the Coldwater look but really do want something that goes past your ankles, I’d recommend Soft Surroundings… EXCEPT that (d’oh!) you say you don’t buy clothes online – and they have no Florida stores. Hrmph. See how helpful I am.
I buy a lot of my dress clothes from them. Well, “a lot” is relative, but an outfit or two a year, I guess. I like them and haven’t ever had a problem with sizing, and I’ve only shopped online with them.
Yeah, they used to be overpriced Teacher Clothes (come on, you know what I’m talking about!) and while there’s still some of that, there’s also some really nice stuff. I think their usual prices are ridiculous, but I’m a Target and Thrift Store shopper, so there you go. But I’ve gotten some fantastic deals on quality clothes through the Outlet section of the website. The cool thing about ordering online is that you can return anything you don’t want, free of charge, to any of the stores!
I love Coldwater Creek and I’m picky. If I ever had to wear a dress again, theirs actually tempt me. However - we have found that the selection at the outlet stores is pretty pathetic compared to the selection at their regular stores. My mom has returned a few things to them and says their customer service is fine, and returns are easy.
OK - I just realized who all I know who likes CC - Us (two butch dykes), my Mom - (an 82 year old very proper matriarch), and my neighbor (self -proclaimed “Jewish Princess”) I guess they have appealed to a pretty wide audience!
In fact, if you are feeling flush - I’ll take any jacket or vest in the latest catalogue - size 12.
I used to work at a store about four years ago. While the prices can be kind of high, the customer service absolutely can’t be beat. During training we were literally instructed to take a return on an item we knew the store had never carried, if it was a regular customer and that’s what it took to make her happy.
The other nice thing is if you go to a store and they don’t have the dress you want, you can order it then & there, it gets shipped free to your house, and if you don’t like it you can return it to the store.
And yes, generally the sizing was generous, but once in a while a certain item would be sized weird, so trying on is a good move.
Congratulations on being a skinny recovered chica! Definitely treat yourself!
I’ve never bought anything from them – they were a little out of my price range before, and while I make more money now I no longer live in a store that has one – but I used to go in and try things on during sales. So I can’t speak for how their clothes hold up, but I like a lot of their styles and they provide really good service in the stores. Coldwater Creek may be the only store I’ve ever been in where the dressing room attendant actually offered to go get me another size/color. I’m sure that happens all the time in more upscale stores, but it isn’t common at places at the mall.
Incidentally, my aunt is a fashion designer and does some work for Coldwater Creek. My mother says she often recognizes things there as being her sister’s style. Sadly, this family connection doesn’t get us any free/discounted clothes!
While I am usually a Thrift store shopper, I have to say that Cold Water Creek has some nice stuff. Well made, nice material. Holds up well to washing. when I see their stuff at the Salvation Army, it always looks in good shape.
I think their sizing is geared for the real woman’s body, not the Emaciated Super Teen Shoppers out there.
I order from their Outlet section on the web a lot, and there have been a few times that the sizes were wrong. The return policy has been easy as pie - call them, have the new size mailed out, return the old size in the same package that it came in with the included return label, or go into the store. I’ve actually never even BEEN in one of the stores, since the mailing return process is so painless. Their clothes are good quality, and last a long time. I’ve also been lucky enough to score some shirts of theirs in my local Goodwill.
WhyNot, given that I am a professor and a lot of my colleagues shop there as well, you made me
I like their stuff. Whoever writes their catalogs has a very distinctive way of describing the clothes. I used to work with a woman who talked like that, so it always made me think of her.
I love Coldwater Creek. Clothing is well-made, doesn’t fade, and doesn’t shrink. I will say, it does run about a size larger than normal, but once I figured that out, it was fine. Returns and customer services are superb, and I’m willing to pay a few extra bucks for clothes that fit and feel comfortable and will last me a few years.
