Why do people HATE Chicos so much?

[Anonymous]

But you have to get over it. Brands are just that - a portal for buying clothes. You can get something great from Forever 21, the Gap, Chico's, BR, whatever. I shopped Chico's when I was younger in fact, and moved to Anthropologie and Desigual more recently. No one can guess my age from my clothes. And I am not embarassed to enter any of these stores. It is about going for whatever your style is at the time, and that constantly changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 51, tall and slim. Too old for Banana Republic, hate Coldwater Creek, Chicos, and find J Jill VERY boring. So, I hate to shop.

Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. And I would add that I find J. Crew cheaply made and overpriced.

To be fair, all clothes these days are cheaply made, and overpriced..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52yo and wear a 12P. I color my hair and can't see anything without my reading glasses. I can't wear uncomfortable shoes anymore, and I need clothing for a professional work environment. I'm the targeted demographic for Chico's.

I try to stay away from Chico's because I think their clothes are cheaply made and overpriced for what they are. I don't mind their basics (plain-color shells, pants) but their prints scream "And Then There's Maude" to me. (I'm dating myself but you 50+ DCUMers will know what I mean.)

Unfortunately I don't know what the alternatives to Chico's are, without spending boatloads of money. Talbots is cut too slim for me; Lands' End works but is a bit dowdy; regular department stores, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic all seem focused on younger women (unless you look at their "missy" elastic-waisted stuff in department stores, and I'm not going there). I've tried Travelsmith and Norm Thompson for certain things but the overall look there is dowdy. Coldwater Creek stuff is matronly and the clothing is cheap-looking.

So, while I don't love Chico's, I understand the niche it fills.

Have you tried J Jill? And I don't agree that Ann Taylor is just for younger women.

[Anonymous]

Every time I read one of these threads, I am appalled at the rampant fear of old people. It's so sad, since old age comes for most of us.

I'm in my early thirties, so not really interested in Chico's, but my only anger toward the store is based on their old commercials, "It was a Chico's kind of day... all week long." It just got under my skin, probably because they seemed to play it at every commercial break for a year.

[Anonymous]

I read that article about the history of Chicos. Explains a lot. At one time, a fun boutique store (ong ago) Now a mega retailer of cheap clothes. At least they make clothes for fat people. That Boston proper -- always looks like Boston Hos to me.

[Anonymous]

I like Chicos on other people. Pre and post kids anything on looks awful. When I was slender and small chested it was downright awful on me. Now that I'm more of a pear with more boob to me, though not big boobed at all, it still looks atrocious on me. The people I know who look fantastic in Chicos tend to be more apple-shaped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't hate chicos. But I am terrified of getting old.

To me it's like the metro. First stop, j Jill. Next stop, cold water creek. Last stop, chicos.

I can't step foot in j Jill for that reason. It's a mental terror.

This made me laugh.

It's funny because I spent so much of my twenties dressing older-lots f Talbots and Ann Taylor (much nicer back then) for work. I wanted to be taken seriously. Now that I am older, I want to look young enough to still be relevant, but I don't want to look like a middle-aged woman desperate to be 21.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't hate chicos. But I am terrified of getting old.

To me it's like the metro. First stop, j Jill. Next stop, cold water creek. Last stop, chicos.

I can't step foot in j Jill for that reason. It's a mental terror.

This made me laugh.

It's funny because I spent so much of my twenties dressing older-lots f Talbots and Ann Taylor (much nicer back then) for work. I wanted to be taken seriously. Now that I am older, I want to look young enough to still be relevant, but I don't want to look like a middle-aged woman desperate to be 21.

[Anonymous]

I love the fact that Chico's has bright colors. It's nice to see happy colors when other stores are doing drab and dull. Some of the stuff is awful, but most clothing stores have awful sections or lines. I think J. Jill is for people who are depressed with lots of money. I don't know what I'll do when I go back to work. I have an hourglass shape. J Cew and Gap are too slim cut and I prefers knits to button down shirts (a la Ann Taylor and Banana Republic).

[Anonymous]

I don't "hate" Chicos - the style of their clothing is not for me. One of my coworkers, who is in her 60s, shops there, and the style works for her. My mom, who is in her late 60s, would not shop there - just not her taste. Chicos has its niche, it just isn't for everyone.

[Anonymous]

That's the best line I've read on DCUM in ages:

J.Jill is for people who are depressed with lots of money. So funny, and so true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like Chicos on other people. Pre and post kids anything on looks awful. When I was slender and small chested it was downright awful on me. Now that I'm more of a pear with more boob to me, though not big boobed at all, it still looks atrocious on me. The people I know who look fantastic in Chicos tend to be more apple-shaped.

+1 Most larger sizes are not for the apple body. And the apple body is also called middle aged spread. So not fun.

[Anonymous]

wow, lots of real ugly people on this board with a lot of disrespect for older people. guess what? we're all going to get older. hope the door doesn't hit you all on the way out. seriously - you're just mean. is this how you think of your mothers and grandmothers?

as for chicos, i think it's all about the item itself. you can find good and bad stuff anywhere. it's all about knowing what to pick.

[Anonymous]

I don't hate Chicos, but when I walk into a Chicos store and they immediately scream out my name, it kind of freaks me out. It's a little creepy, particularly if you haven't been in a store for a year. If the salespeople could just let you walk in anonymously, it would be much better. But when I walk into a Chicos where I haven't been in months and someone screams my name, it's very creepy.

[Anonymous]

I am tall and slim, and some chicos pants fit me very well. But the other stuff is mainly to hide figure flaws. Since I am young, I don't need to focus on hiding my stomach with some awful print. So I just buy the pants, and maybe a few basic items there. And not much else. Overall, the way they have salespeople approach you and cry out your name is kind of annoying; it would be nice to walk in anonymously.