Please market to me
Friday, May 05, 2006
I know I'm getting old when out of the blue I walk into a Talbots and see several articles of clothing that are really stylish and cute. What? I associate wearing clothes from Talbots with conservative republican 50+ women, and housewives in SUVs paying $60 to fill their tank, none of which I am, which leads me to believe that Banana Republic better woo me back soon with a better clothing line that isn't made for patchouli wearing hippies, or else. Or else what?
When I go to the mall these days, I'm surrounded by stores marketing to teenagers and girls in their early 20's. Girls that don't really have money other than their parents credit cards. Girls that still have skinny hips. So where does that leave us 30 somethings that still want to be cute and stylish and not end up looking like soccer moms? I feel like no one is marketing to me. Someone, please anyone?! Are you out there? Am I invisible? Don't you know that we've finally come into our own success and have some money for the first time in our lives, after paying off our college loans and our car and now we can afford to buy some nice outfits to wear to work that don't look like 1) we are headed on a trip to Vegas going clubbin' or 2) living the life of a drugged out hippie. Is it too much to ask?
By AllBeehive Friday, May 05, 2006
7 Comments:
I'm with ya, sister! I hear your pleas, and I sympathize. I worked in a clothing shop, and I know a couple of things.
Yes, the majority is targeted to teenagers because there beanpole bodies are easy to make clothes for. Just make it shapeless and with spandex. The teenager will look good in anything. So it's cost-effective. When you need to put thought and design into clothes to make it fit correctly and look good on curves, $$$$. LA is the leader in garment world, and as you know from shopping here, it's almost all crap.
Also there are enough older women who still desperately want to be teenagers and have their beanpole bodies, that they buy these clothes.
There are clothes makers who make beautiful, sophisticated clothes for women. They are difficult to find.
tell it like it is Christy! my kid may take soccer lessions, but that doesnt' mean i want to wear the clothes of a 'soccer mom'. I not afraid to look my age, but i'd prefer not to wear such boring plainjane clothes. I have no desire to look 50 (talbots), nor to look republican (please no!), nor to look like i'm 10-20 yrs younger and didn't give birth twice (um... hips anyone?). Once you find that cool hip urban store with clothes that actually fit a 30 something woman's body... please take me there!
It's even worse when you're a size, um, well, a really big size. I'm not saying what! I can't even go into small boutique stores since they never have my size. The only store I can stand is Lane Bryant, and they swing widely from Hippie to trashy to conservative each season. I currently have 4 v-neck t-shirts, two short sleeve and two long, and that's about all I wear. Ever. booorrrrinnng!
Have you tried the big department stores? I used to go to Macy's for work clothes, they had some nice clothing lines that didn't make me feel 40.
I've had some good luck at Ann Taylor Loft, sometimes at J Jill and department stores can be hit or miss.
Eddie Bauer still works on occasion but the Gap, Limited and even J Crew (except some of the fall stuff) are pretty much dead to me.
Yep, it's a real problem when you are in your 30's and looking for clothes. It seems like everyone markets for ages 12-24 and then 45+.
What about everyone in between?
Right after reading this post I saw an article discussing how the fashion industry is changing sizes on garments, so that what was 8 is now zero. They mentioned J.Jill as being a 30-something store. Any luck there? And does this mean I can say I was once a size 0?
I as well have had luck with Ann Taylor loft. And actually they do market to us. At one point, 70% of my wardrobe came from this store. Unfortunately their clothes though cute of design, often shrink in the wash, or change shape and end up being lumpy and unflattering.
Another store which has been my favorite in the last year is Janeville. We only have one in colorado that I know of. Though 1/2 their line is really cute and 1/2 is border line soccer mom.
As for sizing, it's all a bunch of crap and a big marketing ploy to make us think we are thinner. A 30" waist is a 30" waist no matter what size they call it.
after attending my daughter's soccer practice saturday morning, I can fairly attest to what a 'soccer mom' wears: anything that's clean (if it fits well/is flattering or not is optional). I think what you're really describing is suburban conservative (talbots, lands end, llbean, etc) and yes, the wagon was the smallest car in the parking lot, could barely find it in the sea of SUVs and Minivans
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