LL Bean, Old Navy etc

[Anonymous]

Those who love brands like LL Bean, Old Navy etc do you love the quality?
I decided it’s time to become frugal and went into Old Navy store, I don’t know how can anyone wear that? Does LL Bean have similar quality? Seems like one season crap to me. Looks cute in catalogs though!
Where to shop with frugal budget??

[Anonymous]

Athough LL Bean’s quality isn’t what it used to be, it and old navy are very different in terms of quality, price, style, demographic, purpose, etc. Apples and oranges. Where do you usually shop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Athough LL Bean’s quality isn’t what it used to be, it and old navy are very different in terms of quality, price, style, demographic, purpose, etc. Apples and oranges. Where do you usually shop?

Used to shop at JCrew( quality went downhill), free people, anthropologie, Patagonia, REI.
Trying to see where to buy cheaper casual stuff with good quality.

[Anonymous]

Surprised anyone would be interested in both. ON is cheap and trendy. LLB is pricey and basic.

[Anonymous]

Different stores are good for different things. In the fall, check LLBean for sweaters or maybe a coat.

Old Navy isn’t good for much, but I do buy the occasional t-shirt (long sleeved to go under things) and socks there. Gap is actually a better choice for t-shirts and some cute tops or skirts. I also have some of their jeans because they have a pretty long inseam. You might check Banana Republic, but I haven’t found anything there in years.

[Anonymous]

Old Navy has high quality athletic clothing. I work out daily and wear athleisure A LOT. I have two pairs of running shorts I bought from ON in 2006 and still wear them. Like, a couple times per week. Finally this year, there has been some slight lightening and discoloration along the waist band on one of them. But I have gotten 15 years of frequent use out of them. I can point to several items like this. Their athletic tops only last about 2 years of frequent exposure to lots of sweat (I wear them for running and peloton and sweat like a drug runner at customs). They pill and eventually retain smells.

Their casual t-shirts are hit or miss in terms of quality. I recently threw out one t-shirt from 2011 that I frequently wore, due to discoloration in the arm pits.

[Anonymous]

Old Navy is bad quality and I find the fit is often really off. Sort of the definition of mass produced, disposable clothes. I’d put the quality on par with Forever 21, if you ever shopped there.

LL Bean has great quality and many of their clothes are designed to last. I used to stay away from them because it’s a very “middle aged mom” brand, but I recently had to acknowledge that… I am a middle aged mom! I’m still not going to buy pants/jeans there as I think they look a little dowdy. And I prefer buying tees from Madewell or Nordstrom, which are a bit more stylish. But for practical outer layers (sweaters, sweatshirts, fleece), LL Bean is great. I try to shop the sales because the stuff I like there tends to be pricier. Already have a fleece jacket picked out to buy during their Labor Day sale (last year the discounted most things up to 20%).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Old Navy is bad quality and I find the fit is often really off. Sort of the definition of mass produced, disposable clothes. I’d put the quality on par with Forever 21, if you ever shopped there.

LL Bean has great quality and many of their clothes are designed to last. I used to stay away from them because it’s a very “middle aged mom” brand, but I recently had to acknowledge that… I am a middle aged mom! I’m still not going to buy pants/jeans there as I think they look a little dowdy. And I prefer buying tees from Madewell or Nordstrom, which are a bit more stylish. But for practical outer layers (sweaters, sweatshirts, fleece), LL Bean is great. I try to shop the sales because the stuff I like there tends to be pricier. Already have a fleece jacket picked out to buy during their Labor Day sale (last year the discounted most things up to 20%).

lol - same here! I like their stuff and because they have a huge petite section, it actually fits me really well. I think their pant selection is getting a little better in terms of fit in recent years. I have hiking pants and one pair of skinny jeans that don’t give me mom butt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Old Navy is bad quality and I find the fit is often really off. Sort of the definition of mass produced, disposable clothes. I’d put the quality on par with Forever 21, if you ever shopped there.

LL Bean has great quality and many of their clothes are designed to last. I used to stay away from them because it’s a very “middle aged mom” brand, but I recently had to acknowledge that… I am a middle aged mom! I’m still not going to buy pants/jeans there as I think they look a little dowdy. And I prefer buying tees from Madewell or Nordstrom, which are a bit more stylish. But for practical outer layers (sweaters, sweatshirts, fleece), LL Bean is great. I try to shop the sales because the stuff I like there tends to be pricier. Already have a fleece jacket picked out to buy during their Labor Day sale (last year the discounted most things up to 20%).

Exactly. They are not in the same league. I’d shop at Target, Marshall’s, or TJ Max before ON. I haven’t shopped at ON in decades.

LL Bean is great for basics... Ts, flannels, backpacks, lunch boxes, dopp kits, outdoor gear. I buy my kid a new 3-in-1 coat every other year, and they’re still in great shape to pass down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athough LL Bean’s quality isn’t what it used to be, it and old navy are very different in terms of quality, price, style, demographic, purpose, etc. Apples and oranges. Where do you usually shop?

Used to shop at JCrew( quality went downhill), free people, anthropologie, Patagonia, REI.
Trying to see where to buy cheaper casual stuff with good quality.

the clearance sections of REI and Patagonia are extensive and priced below llbean.

[Anonymous]

I buy jeans from Old Navy and they last for years. (Bought 3 pairs for $52 total recently). Same with leggings, bike shorts and sports bras. I also needed all new summer clothes (dropped 4 sizes) so I bought some basic tees and shorts there this year. They were a good value for what I paid (next to nothing) - nothing faded, pulled, or fell apart.

I'll buy flannels or sweaters for DH from LL Bean, but I don't like their women's clothes.

[Anonymous]

ON is fine for baby/kids clothes since they will grow out of them quickly. Other than that, I have no idea why one would choose it.

[Anonymous]

ON: I buy men’s jeans there, for myself. The quality is great in the men’s non-stretch, straight-leg 100% cotton. I also found a couple linen blouses this year that have held up great. You just need to be picky. I shop online, not in the store. The store gives me hives. Otherwise, just quick-dry play shorts for my son but even the quality in those has gone way downhill.

Ll bean and Lands end (in my mind they’re interchangeable; I always check both sites): like others have said - sweaters. (Fit me, in Tall sizes). Tote bags. Swim coverups.

I am also frugal and just shop around. I’ll buy one great sweater, one amazing pair of shoes, etc in timeless styles vs several cheapies that won’t last a season; things like that help keep quality of my clothing up where I’d like it and things last for years. That said, I do have a handful of Target t-shirts that I love and buy in duplicates! Plain, all cotton, no words or weird colors; easy things to mix in with the rest of my wardrobe and I won’t cry if I rip or stain one while hiking!

[Anonymous]

I also buy Target tees and tanks a lot, even though I usually stay away from clothes at places like Target or Old Navy. It’s hard to find cotton tees in good colors that fit well for some reason. The Universal Standard line at Target is great for this. Tanks, in particular, are a favorite there— I like the ribbed tanks, which are soft and stay that way.

[Anonymous]

I buy Old Navy for the kids, as they will outgrow it in a season anyway.

Lands End is similar in styles to LLBean but has coupons almost all the time. I do Lands End coats for the kids.

I find Kohls to be in the middle of these - has coupons frequently and higher quality than Old Navy. Clothes are entirely uninspiring, but can be good for basics.