My new favorite is White House Black Market. I like their styles and they fit me well. I usually wait for sales, but I can find my staple pieces, and they have held up so far.

I miss Talbots petite section. When they closed the Talbots stores at White Flint I tried AT and the quality did not compare. I miss Talbots!

I used to buy my work clothes there in the late 80's to late 90's. I remember paying $98 for a pair of very nice tailored slacks. It was a lot at the time, but they lasted forever and were very classic. That is $194 in today's value. If they priced their clothes like that now, they'd lose a lot of customers. So, they keep the prices low, have their clothes made in Bangladesh, and now you see the result.

Manufactureres are more interested in turning over cheaply-made trendy clothes, than quality pieces that will last a while (in terms of style as well as material).

It's almost a rarity to find something made of 100% cotton these days. Everything's polyester, rayon, "modal," or some other crap.

I still find some good pieces at Ann Taylor. You just have to be willing to try on, or in my case, order online because I wear a 00P and they don't carry them in stores (grrrr!!!) because of this oversizing they are doing, and maybe return a few pieces. But if you have the receipt they are fair. I have never had a problem with that. It goes right back on whatever card I used.
The quality has changed but I bought 4 beautiful dresses that I've gotten many compliments on this spring and summer, and also excellent quality shorts and white pants, plus several tops. You just have to try them on. when you walk in there they don't look that great on the hanger... you absolutely MUST see them on. In my case, I do that when I get it in the mail! It's so hard to find good petite clothing that I can't possibly eliminate AT!

I'm a true LL Bean believer.

Are there any stores that carry well-made clothes? I would rather buy classic pieces that hold up well for several years than shoddy garments that fade/fall apart/look bad after a few months. It seems as though cheaply made, over-priced garments are the norm in retail/department stores.

While I agree with you regarding their clothing, I really like their shoes.

Anonymous wrote:I think I stopped shopping at Ann Taylor when I returned online orders to a store and was given a merchandise credit that could only be used in the stores, not online.

I stopped when I was given a very sizeable gift certificate that was purchased for me online, but it turned out I could only use it online. That doesn't work for me, as they never fit right. I swore them off forever. What a short-sighted company.

OP here- I agree about GAP and Banana republic going down hill too. Old Navy is my favorite of the "family." I see some junk, but some decent stuff too. It's not high quality, but the prices are great especially with all the sales they have. I don't get upset when things fall apart because I paid so little. Their yoga pants are so comoftable by the way.

I will say JCrew has some stuff that is really high quality. I bought a beyonf my budget-never spent that much for one article of clothing- coat with thinsulate that I can use as an every day coat, work coat and dress up coat. It is better made and warmer than any other coat I have owned. Looks even more expensive than it was. I feel all fancy smancy when I wear it. Love their jeans too, though they only last a few years sometimes.

I always found LLBean too boxy. I do have some stuff from there and it is well made though. Plus they are great about returns if something falls apart. I never liked Lands End. The quality is not the great from my experience. I am pear shaped so the clothes at both places hide my small waste and accentuate my big butt-oppositive of what I want to do.

And what about that clothing store where all the sizes are 1,2, or 3 so you don't have to feel bad about sizing? What is it called? The stuff looks pretty and flowy but it is horrid on my body-too big where I am small and too tight in the areas I want to hide.

I think I stopped shopping at Ann Taylor when I returned online orders to a store and was given a merchandise credit that could only be used in the stores, not online.

As for Lands End and LL Bean fit...

In Banana Republic and J. Crew I'm generally an 8 on top and a 6 on the bottom. In Lands End "modern cut", I am a 6P or S on top and a 4 on the bottom. Lands End Canvas, a Small on top and a 4 or 6 on the bottom. LL Bean I'm a S on top and S or 6 in dresses. I haven't found any bottoms from LL Bean that I want to try.

I get good basics from Lands End. Nothing trendy, but things like white shirts and Ts. Sweaters. Cords.

For more fun and trendy items, Banana Republic, Boden, maybe Gap or Old Navy.

AT is crap. After I had my baby, I bought my whole post-baby wardrobe at AT and a year later, the pants have not held up and the shirts are getting holes in them.

Anonymous wrote:You know what clothes wear like iron? Lands End and LL Bean. No shit, you can have and wear the same pair of pants for 11 years if you wish.

Now I know most of you are thinking -- because you like the Ann Taylor youthful look -- goodness, Lands End is for my grandmother in Akron. And you are correct about 85% of their offerings.

But, if you focus on the 'Canvas' line of Lands End and/or pick carefully through the regular LandsEnd offerings, you can definitely find current, stylish clothes. Not many, but enough. If you're patient enough to "shop" Marshalls and pick through the citrine, see-through T-shirts there with rhinestones, then you can muster the same energy for LandsEnd.

So my M.O. now is to buy lined black pants and skirts, etc, at Lands End and LLBean. Anything you'd wear 3x a week. Coats ... and then I round out my wardrobe with trendy, bright, cheaply made crap from H & M and Zara and Target. Tissue Ts, scarves, $4 bracelets if I am so moved.

Wow - you wear the same thing three times a week. You must be a pretty smelly nelly at work!

Anonymous wrote:NP here. I too have noticed AT going downhill the last few years. Maybe it was with the advent of The Loft? They should just combine the two stores now because the quality is about the same. I'm so glad it's just not me getting older that's the problem (nearing 40 now - ugh!). I agree with the PP's about the Land's End clothes being sized larger than what they are too. Buy smaller than you think you need. I'm still not a big fan. Any other suggestions on where to shop? I'm still clinging to a few skirts I got at AT back in the good old days (about 8 years old and they still look new!) *sigh*

I've had good luck with dresses and such from the department stores. Macy's usually has a really good dress department with a nice selection of work-appropriate clothes. I usually hate department store shopping, but I've gotten some good deals at Macy's, especially when you can combine a 20% off coupon with stuff that is already on sale.

I too have some old AT and AT Loft clothes that I have been clinging too...both stores are really just not good anymore. I also used to have some decent work clothes from the Gap and Banana, but not anymore...

NP here. I too have noticed AT going downhill the last few years. Maybe it was with the advent of The Loft? They should just combine the two stores now because the quality is about the same. I'm so glad it's just not me getting older that's the problem (nearing 40 now - ugh!). I agree with the PP's about the Land's End clothes being sized larger than what they are too. Buy smaller than you think you need. I'm still not a big fan. Any other suggestions on where to shop? I'm still clinging to a few skirts I got at AT back in the good old days (about 8 years old and they still look new!) *sigh*