Ann Taylor Loft: why the hate

[Anonymous]

I love Loft. Yes, it's hit or miss but my favorite things always seem to come from there. I actually think the quality is better than jcrew. I'm sick of the holes and my hems coming out of jcrew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who said I wear the same size at Loft as at places like Nordstrom that have different brands. I wonder why some of us wear different sizes? Maybe it's the type of items/cut of items we are choosing? I am genuinely curious about this.

For what it's worth, I typically wear a size 6, including at J. Crew and Banana Republic. Can't wear a size 6 at H&M or Zara, though - I wear an 8 there. I am also surprised by the 5'2"/150 person wearing a size 4 at the Loft. I'm that height and weigh 125 and I can't stuff myself into a size 4. Maybe I'm doing it wrong!

Me again - I also have an ample behind and bust, so maybe that's my problem?

I'm the same size as you, PP, with a bigger chest and hips (thanks, babies). I can on RARE occasions wear a 4 from Banana, but it's mostly 6 or 8 (always petite). I'm still mostly a 4 at Loft. I also find it really hard to believe that someone who is 5'2 and 150 can wear a 4 there. Maybe there's a difference between petite sizing and regular sizing? I hear a lot about vanity sizing and to me, 5'2 and 125 is not TINY but certainly not overweight, either, so size 6-8 seems about right to me? So much depends on how you carry the weight, but when I see someone who says they are a 00-2 at a mall store (Banana, ATL, Gap) they generally look the part.

[Anonymous]

Early 30s here. I buy LOFT for play clothes - casual summer skirts, sweatshirts, maybe some of their loungy line of items. Most items I find too casual for my work environment, though they have fine gauge open cardigans that are awesome and I wear a lot, own in many colors, both at work and on weekends.

As others said, the quality is really poor. I look at LOFT clothes as 1-2 seasons of wear. I know if a buy a LOFT t-shirt for the summer it won't hold up to wear the following summer. But I am OK with that because I'm paying $20 for a t-shirt and not $60 for Theory.

[Anonymous]

The quality has gone downhill. I do like it for tanks and tees, and the Modern Straight fit pants are actually great on me, so I do stop in from time to time. I think they are missing their market--I'll see a cute dress, but it's SO short on me that there's no way I could wear it. I used to buy suits from ATL--they fit well, were cute, and very affordable for a young professional starting out. They don't really carry that kind of stuff anymore--the clothes skew early 20s while their customers skew 30s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The stuff is horrible. The material is so thin and cheap. "Tissue thin shirts" are the worst invention ever. Who decided that was a good idea, and then decided to sell it exclusively at ATL?

Not at all exclusive to ATL. It's everywhere - and often at a higher price than ATL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cheaply made. Their size 0 should be a size 6.

Oh, stop. Look at the size chart. This is urban legend continued by size 0s who think they're above something as "mainstream" as Loft.

Not pp, but I often wear a 0-2 at Loft, when I'm a 4-6 at other stores (J.Crew, Banana, etc). I think their vanity sizing is almost as bad as Old Navy's, and that's saying a lot.

It might have more to do with the shape/cut. I wear 0-2 at ATL and Banana Republic. I have narrow hips and not much of a waist. The 0 or 2 Marisa at ATL is usually perfect.

This makes sense. I'm an 8 in Loft and a 10 in J Crew because J Crew is cut for women with flat behinds.

You're right!! That's why I can't wear J Crew pants. I could never figure out why they absolutely never fit - but it's because I have a butt (and I cannot lie).

Re: ATL - yeah, I think people mock it because they think they are too good to be a middle-class 20 or 30-something. I find some great stuff there. My favorite tank top is from there. I've gotten a couple of chambray shirts off their clearance rack ($3.98 and $9.99 each). The sweaters make me sneeze, but they've got some really cute, reasonably-priced stuff that has lasted just as long and worn just as well as way way more expensive items in my wardrobe.

[Anonymous]

I would never pay full price for their stuff, but when you can get in on super sale I think it's fine. The vanity sizing is ridiculous, though.

One area that I think they do very well in is their maternity clothing. Again, I won't pay full price, but they do have a good number of attractive and flattering items in their maternity line.

[Anonymous]

Why do people care so much about vanity sizing? You just need to know what size you are at any given store, right, so you can get clothes that fit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people care so much about vanity sizing? You just need to know what size you are at any given store, right, so you can get clothes that fit?

+1
It's a humble brag. Vanity sizing only seems to be "so awful" when you're a size 0-4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people care so much about vanity sizing? You just need to know what size you are at any given store, right, so you can get clothes that fit?

+1
It's a humble brag. Vanity sizing only seems to be "so awful" when you're a size 0-4.

Well, I used to be a 14, now I'm a 2-4. But I know first hand it's easy to ignore vanity sizing when you're bigger. It's there - but it's more flattering and a "humble brag" at any size, because it makes you seem smaller than you are at any size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The stuff is horrible. The material is so thin and cheap. "Tissue thin shirts" are the worst invention ever. Who decided that was a good idea, and then decided to sell it exclusively at ATL?

I think J Crew started that fad, actually - that, and their cousin the "embellished" tees, which I think have finally died a long-overdue death. Ugh. If I wanted threadbare shirts with rhinestones all over them, I'd wear my clothes for 15 years and bedazzle them myself.

I'm another person who thinks ATL is crazy with the vanity sizing, and I am no skinny humble bragger. The fact that they've had to introduce XXS says it all.

As for the snobbery - it's because ATLs are ubiquitous, unremarkable, appeal to the mainstream middle-class (gasp! the horror!), and sometimes, but not always, drift into dowdiness. I have a few cute things from there, including a few tops I loved and wore all summer, but facts are facts, there's a lot of frump in there too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The stuff is horrible. The material is so thin and cheap. "Tissue thin shirts" are the worst invention ever. Who decided that was a good idea, and then decided to sell it exclusively at ATL?

I think J Crew started that fad, actually - that, and their cousin the "embellished" tees, which I think have finally died a long-overdue death. Ugh. If I wanted threadbare shirts with rhinestones all over them, I'd wear my clothes for 15 years and bedazzle them myself.

I'm another person who thinks ATL is crazy with the vanity sizing, and I am no skinny humble bragger. The fact that they've had to introduce XXS says it all.

As for the snobbery - it's because ATLs are ubiquitous, unremarkable, appeal to the mainstream middle-class (gasp! the horror!), and sometimes, but not always, drift into dowdiness. I have a few cute things from there, including a few tops I loved and wore all summer, but facts are facts, there's a lot of frump in there too.

This is not unique to ATL by any stretch.

Unless someone is shopping exclusively at boutiques and Barney's, it seems those criticisms of ATL could be made of any chain. The ATL hate seems aimed more at middle age/middle class - not surprising targets and sad commentary on our society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The stuff is horrible. The material is so thin and cheap. "Tissue thin shirts" are the worst invention ever. Who decided that was a good idea, and then decided to sell it exclusively at ATL?

I think J Crew started that fad, actually - that, and their cousin the "embellished" tees, which I think have finally died a long-overdue death. Ugh. If I wanted threadbare shirts with rhinestones all over them, I'd wear my clothes for 15 years and bedazzle them myself.

I'm another person who thinks ATL is crazy with the vanity sizing, and I am no skinny humble bragger. The fact that they've had to introduce XXS says it all.

As for the snobbery - it's because ATLs are ubiquitous, unremarkable, appeal to the mainstream middle-class (gasp! the horror!), and sometimes, but not always, drift into dowdiness. I have a few cute things from there, including a few tops I loved and wore all summer, but facts are facts, there's a lot of frump in there too.

This is not unique to ATL by any stretch.

Unless someone is shopping exclusively at boutiques and Barney's, it seems those criticisms of ATL could be made of any chain. The ATL hate seems aimed more at middle age/middle class - not surprising targets and sad commentary on our society.

Didn't say it was unique. Quite the opposite - Anthro is terrible with vanity sizing, too, and that's a more upscale/youthful store. I'm just stating a fact. And I agree with the rest of what you're saying - sneering at ATL is really sneering at the middle aged and middle class.

[Anonymous]

ATL is the new Talbots! Dowdy.

[Anonymous]

I used to quite like the store. But I am a size zero and literally nothing there fits me anymore. It is all too big. I seem to be able to make banana republic and gap work but ATL just isn't small enough anymore.