I need a new black skirt – nothing fancy, just a default black skirt such as the one that I currently wear about once a week (which is showing signs of having been worn once a week for a couple of years). Knee length, simple, fullish or straightish; pockets would be nice. Checked LLBean, they don’t have one; checked Lands’ End, and their no-big-deal skirts are $70 and $80.
:eek:
Those ain’t couture prices – but they’re significantly more than I would expect to pay. When did they get so pricey?
When they got bought by “Sears?”
I think they have gotten a little more expensive, although they’re still very reasonable for the quality. Particularly their cashmere, IMHO.
I’m not looking for cashmere – I’m looking for a simple black skirt, denim or twill, something reasonably sturdy and inconspicuous. I was thinking it would be $35 or $40 – not twice that.
I’m looking at Kohl’s and they have skirts that are a lot cheaper than Land’s End. You might try there.
Robin
Yeah, I’m a big fan of Kohl’s.
It seems to happen the other way around, too. I always thought of Sears as a place to get decent power tools and Everyday Clothing at Everyday Prices*.
I went into a Sears a year ago. Whoa! Even the non-Land’s End stuff was pricey. For a few bucks more, I could go to Macy’s and get nicer stuff. Never stepped foot into another Sears since. Methinks “Tar-zhay” is the new place for bargain clothing
*I just made up that slogan. If it belongs to some Ad Agency, well, mea culpa. They can have it back.
LL Bean has this one:
Knee length, twill, comes in black, with pockets. Sizes 4-20.
Damn – and only $30. You da person! Thanks!
When did Land’s End get so expensive? Hasn’t it always been?
Hey you’d be surprized what you can pick up onthe sale rack at the gap. I stoped in last week and got two fitted primium shirts (IN MY SIZE NO LESS!) for about 40 bucks. Hey, its always worth a look ya know.
i always thought lands’ end was on the high side. that’s what preppy does. charges you high prices for clothes that last 50 years.
i’ve got a denim skirt from them that i’ve been wearing to death. i may stop wearing it 30 years from now.
Preppy? I always thought of them as “mom”.
Yeah, I was looking for basic khaki chinos type pants and they only have them starting at $44. I don’t mind paying up to maybe $30, but I can get them for $20 at KMart when they are in stock. It’s when they decide to stop stocking them that I will be SOL.
I wear a lot of knit tops and the only ones that I get any wear out of are the ones from Land’s End. I’ve got some that are five or six years old, and they still have bright color and they kept their shape. Other knits go all wonky after one washing.
I’m on my 5th year in my Land’s End winter coat. I’m heartily sick of the coat, but it still looks like new, so it’s hard to justify buying a new one.
Their sales and overstocks prices are awesome!
In terms of stuff lasting and lasting, they can’t be beat – though LL Bean can match them, at what I consider more reasonable prices. And whether you want to call them “preppy” clothes or “mom” clothes (or, as I prefer, “classic” clothes) – this is what I wear, and wear, and wear. I’ve got sweaters that are 20 years old, or older, and I totally get the “price per wear” calculation on that.
At the same time, however, $80 is more than I’m willing to spend on a skirt, even a very well made skirt.
I don’t usually like Old Navy, but I got some cheapo pants for around the house there and I really like them. Plus they come in tall.
http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/product.do?cid=7520&pid=315537
I go back and forth on Old Navy. I like some of their stuff, but it doesn’t last very long. Then again, it’s cheap so I don’t care.
If you do go the Old Navy route, try on everything. The fit varies widely (I have clothes from XS-M & 6-10 that all fit from ON). Even if you just want to get a different color of the same item, try it on.
Once I mentioned this to a worker at Old Navy and this is what she told me: When the clothes are cut out at the factory, cheap places like Old Navy but out big stacks at a time, so from the item on the top of the stack to the item on the bottom of the stack the size changes. If you have ever tried to cut out a shape from a stack of papers you know that they don’t end up truly uniform. It is faster and cheaper to cut out things this way though, so cheaper places end up with widely ranging sizes. More expensive and quality places don’t cut in big stacks like that, all the way up to couture where they hand cut one at a time. I don’t know if it is true but it makes sense.
I like places like Old Navy and Target for kid’s clothes and trendy items but I don’t expect them to last more than a season. When I want items to build my wardrobe now I have learned to spend more. In the long run it’s worth it because I don’t have to keep buying the same pieces over and over.
The buyer/owner of a women’s clothing store told me this as well. I think it is true. This is why I’m willing to try on several sizes of the same garment to get one that fits.