In praise of Olive Garden and Hampton Inn; praise YOUR lowbrow favorites!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totino's pizza (not the pizza rolls- never had those)- I could house one in just a few minutes. I also swear it was called Tostino's and was stunned to find out as an adult there's only one S in the name.

Also another huge fan of Olive Garden salad and breadsticks.

There's a gas station/mini mart where my parents live in Charleston that is amazing- Refuel. The whole family runs there to get junk food/slurpees.

IKEA vegetarian meatball platter is worth the trip down 95 to Woodbridge.

Cranberry sauce from the can- my husband makes an amazing homemade cranberrry sauce with whole berries and Grand Marnier- but I like the stuff straight out of the can.

I love this too. Totino’s party pizza. I have had trouble finding it in recent years. I prefer it over all other frozen pizza.

[Anonymous]

How about onion dip made with sour cream and a packet of dried onion soup, served with a bag of chips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is lowbrow about Ann Taylor clothing?
I am genuinely confused

Ask in the fashion forum.

My hot take is that some women wore too much of it in their early career and now they have more money and it reminds them of being relatively poor. These people are buying pieces that are 100s of dollars per piece now. Less famous brands that are upscale and often foreign.

OP here. I used to work at Ann Taylor in the early 2000s as a side gig. I loved it. The cashmere, the lined pants, the Merino wool, the suits. We used to open boxes in the back and want EVERYTHING.

Now, the materials are cheap, the “fit” is boxy, there are no sleeves are darts, the quality is abhorrent. I forgot myself and bought some things on sale last year online, but when I got them home in my hands, I realized how cheap the fabric was and how poor the quality was. Never again. It’s a shame, but Ann Taylor is terrible quality and far too overpriced for what it is. It’s junk fashion. It’s the junk food of fashion. You know it’s bad, but you consume it anyway. And I say this as a former employee and brand fan!

PP. You are correct that quality has dropped but it's also true that's pretty much true across the board until you start spending $300+ per garment piece. So no reason to single Ann Taylor out if you have to criticize mass mall brands. The people who dump on it seem to prefer indie/European brands.

OK, you’re taking it very personally. I also think Banana Republic and similar mall brands have declined in quality, but not as much—not such a steep drop-off. You can still find pieces at Banana. You cannot find anything at AT, and it’s because both the fabrics AND the fit are so awful now. There is nothing good in there. I still get birthday rewards via email and literally have gone in to get something basically for free or a steep discount, and walked out because nothing was worthwhile, nothing. You can disagree. And I would ask if you were the great-granddaughter of Ann Taylor or something, but I know from working there that there is no Ann Taylor!

This is really depressing. I was thrilled after college when I could finally afford it.

+1

When I was in law school I bought the perfect interview suit there. Wore it to court for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Olive Garden. Love it. I think the food is really good.

I'm an expat and have lived in London, Berlin, Vienna, Singapore, and Dubai, and I've eaten at many "good" restaurants around the world. I still love Olive Garden, and I still think the food is good. Whenever I visit family in the US, I always go to Olive Garden with my sister, more than once in a visit, because I love it so much.

I also like that powdered salad dressing mix that you mix in its cruet with oil and vinegar. I can't remember what it's called, but when I go home for Christmas, I'm stocking up on that too.

And Big Red gum. I love that stuff and will take back many packs with me.

My French relatives take back boxes of instant pancake mix when they visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May I never be at a point in my life where I feel the need to "admit" to eating at places like Olive Garden or Popeyes.

Yawn.

Just say you like it and go lol. This whole "OMG I know it is sooooo bad and embarrassing, usually I am so much KlAsSiEr than this but I must admit to liking OMG *gasp* fast food twice a year!!!11!!1!" is...bleh.

Agree. These threads come up periodically and they are so cringey.

+1. It's the same people who claim to never eat McDonalds or drink Coke.

Uhhh, do you think both of those things are sold on every corner in the US because they taste bad?

NP. I rarely eat and drink those things because when it is so infrequent, it is so amazing. If I have a regular Coke 3-4 times a year, it’s unbelievably good and enhances the movie popcorn or the pizza or whatever. But if I drink it all the time, it’s no big deal. I truly enjoy the “bad” things I have because then they’re amazing. I’m not saying I don’t eat my fair share of “bad” things, it’s just really an indulgence because it’s in more of a rotation, if you will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May I never be at a point in my life where I feel the need to "admit" to eating at places like Olive Garden or Popeyes.

Yawn.

Just say you like it and go lol. This whole "OMG I know it is sooooo bad and embarrassing, usually I am so much KlAsSiEr than this but I must admit to liking OMG *gasp* fast food twice a year!!!11!!1!" is...bleh.

Agree. These threads come up periodically and they are so cringey.

And yet, here you are. Making the thread longer and bumping it to the top. Because your anti-thread attitude is soooooo superior and you’re Not Like Other Posters.

Not saying I am superior. It is just that a lot of these places are just normal places to me at not at all low brow. So I am actually inferior. DCUM poor and DCUM low class if you will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is lowbrow about Ann Taylor clothing?
I am genuinely confused

Ask in the fashion forum.

My hot take is that some women wore too much of it in their early career and now they have more money and it reminds them of being relatively poor. These people are buying pieces that are 100s of dollars per piece now. Less famous brands that are upscale and often foreign.

OP here. I used to work at Ann Taylor in the early 2000s as a side gig. I loved it. The cashmere, the lined pants, the Merino wool, the suits. We used to open boxes in the back and want EVERYTHING.

Now, the materials are cheap, the “fit” is boxy, there are no sleeves are darts, the quality is abhorrent. I forgot myself and bought some things on sale last year online, but when I got them home in my hands, I realized how cheap the fabric was and how poor the quality was. Never again. It’s a shame, but Ann Taylor is terrible quality and far too overpriced for what it is. It’s junk fashion. It’s the junk food of fashion. You know it’s bad, but you consume it anyway. And I say this as a former employee and brand fan!

PP. You are correct that quality has dropped but it's also true that's pretty much true across the board until you start spending $300+ per garment piece. So no reason to single Ann Taylor out if you have to criticize mass mall brands. The people who dump on it seem to prefer indie/European brands.

OK, you’re taking it very personally. I also think Banana Republic and similar mall brands have declined in quality, but not as much—not such a steep drop-off. You can still find pieces at Banana. You cannot find anything at AT, and it’s because both the fabrics AND the fit are so awful now. There is nothing good in there. I still get birthday rewards via email and literally have gone in to get something basically for free or a steep discount, and walked out because nothing was worthwhile, nothing. You can disagree. And I would ask if you were the great-granddaughter of Ann Taylor or something, but I know from working there that there is no Ann Taylor!

PP. Not taking it personally. I'm interested in retail fashion as a business because I worked as a clerk at a Macy's level department store for a summer. I never fit into Ann Taylor clothes. I am petite but was never a slim, delicate petite. So Ann Taylor/Banana Republic/J Crew never worked out for me. I had most luck with Kasper suiting, which barely exists anymore. (The brand's been bankrupt several times in the past decade.) Strangely I've discovered in the past 10 years that Ann Taylor Outlet is much better than the main store. And I can find things there while still not having any luck at the main mall stores. It's become one of my go-to stores.

I think wool fabrics have been cheaped out across the entire mall store fashion lineup. Also at indie fabric store near me. It has to be a systematic issue.

I do appreciate your perspective as a past retail employee. I am at least glad that "dresses came back" to the industry in recent years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about onion dip made with sour cream and a packet of dried onion soup, served with a bag of chips.

The best!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totino's pizza (not the pizza rolls- never had those)- I could house one in just a few minutes. I also swear it was called Tostino's and was stunned to find out as an adult there's only one S in the name.

Also another huge fan of Olive Garden salad and breadsticks.

There's a gas station/mini mart where my parents live in Charleston that is amazing- Refuel. The whole family runs there to get junk food/slurpees.

IKEA vegetarian meatball platter is worth the trip down 95 to Woodbridge.

Cranberry sauce from the can- my husband makes an amazing homemade cranberrry sauce with whole berries and Grand Marnier- but I like the stuff straight out of the can.

I love this too. Totino’s party pizza. I have had trouble finding it in recent years. I prefer it over all other frozen pizza.

Oh my God. I loved the combination Totinos but they were $0.95 in 2016, then they doubled to $1.95 during the pandemic and now hover around $3.00 At that point I may as well just buy Red Baron supreme on sale and get twice the pizza.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is lowbrow about Ann Taylor clothing?
I am genuinely confused

Ask in the fashion forum.

My hot take is that some women wore too much of it in their early career and now they have more money and it reminds them of being relatively poor. These people are buying pieces that are 100s of dollars per piece now. Less famous brands that are upscale and often foreign.

OP here. I used to work at Ann Taylor in the early 2000s as a side gig. I loved it. The cashmere, the lined pants, the Merino wool, the suits. We used to open boxes in the back and want EVERYTHING.

Now, the materials are cheap, the “fit” is boxy, there are no sleeves are darts, the quality is abhorrent. I forgot myself and bought some things on sale last year online, but when I got them home in my hands, I realized how cheap the fabric was and how poor the quality was. Never again. It’s a shame, but Ann Taylor is terrible quality and far too overpriced for what it is. It’s junk fashion. It’s the junk food of fashion. You know it’s bad, but you consume it anyway. And I say this as a former employee and brand fan!

PP. You are correct that quality has dropped but it's also true that's pretty much true across the board until you start spending $300+ per garment piece. So no reason to single Ann Taylor out if you have to criticize mass mall brands. The people who dump on it seem to prefer indie/European brands.

OK, you’re taking it very personally. I also think Banana Republic and similar mall brands have declined in quality, but not as much—not such a steep drop-off. You can still find pieces at Banana. You cannot find anything at AT, and it’s because both the fabrics AND the fit are so awful now. There is nothing good in there. I still get birthday rewards via email and literally have gone in to get something basically for free or a steep discount, and walked out because nothing was worthwhile, nothing. You can disagree. And I would ask if you were the great-granddaughter of Ann Taylor or something, but I know from working there that there is no Ann Taylor!

This is really depressing. I was thrilled after college when I could finally afford it.

Same. It was aspirational as a young professional. I remember thinking it was expensive and dreamed of getting all my work clothes there “someday.” Ah, the 90s.

[Anonymous]

Once or twice a year, I make a sodium-bomb "church cookbook" style casserole involving some kind of canned soup. It's always delicious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May I never be at a point in my life where I feel the need to "admit" to eating at places like Olive Garden or Popeyes.

Yawn.

Just say you like it and go lol. This whole "OMG I know it is sooooo bad and embarrassing, usually I am so much KlAsSiEr than this but I must admit to liking OMG *gasp* fast food twice a year!!!11!!1!" is...bleh.

Agree. These threads come up periodically and they are so cringey.

+1. It's the same people who claim to never eat McDonalds or drink Coke.

Uhhh, do you think both of those things are sold on every corner in the US because they taste bad?

NP. I rarely eat and drink those things because when it is so infrequent, it is so amazing. If I have a regular Coke 3-4 times a year, it’s unbelievably good and enhances the movie popcorn or the pizza or whatever. But if I drink it all the time, it’s no big deal. I truly enjoy the “bad” things I have because then they’re amazing. I’m not saying I don’t eat my fair share of “bad” things, it’s just really an indulgence because it’s in more of a rotation, if you will.

An ice cold Coke in a 12 ounce can is probably the most delicious thing one can drink.

[Anonymous]

I love these threads

Taco Bell
Olive Garden
Grocery store frozen pizzas
Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza
Chuck E Cheese
Medieval Times
Jeepers (anyone remember that - in Rockville)
Sheetz gas station food
7-11 slurpees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once or twice a year, I make a sodium-bomb "church cookbook" style casserole involving some kind of canned soup. It's always delicious.

Hey, that's my go to recipe - broccoli casserole!

[Anonymous]

For me:
Hampton Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
Cracker Barrel
Aldi
Lidl
Samuel Adams/Boston Beer Co
Quiktrip
Ikea
Bustelos
Nescafe instant coffee
Tim Hortons
Panera Bread
Atlanta Bread Co (too bad most of them closed)
Carrefour--unfortunately not in the US/Canada
Amazon