Opinions wanted on Lane Bryant Catalog
Robin King
came across the lbcatalog.com website. I was amazed -
they actually seemed to have some really nice items,
in some nice materials, and good prices. Even wide-
width shoes and boots.
Well, from ancient experience, I've never ac-
tually trusted the Brylane people (or, as they've been
affectionately called around here, Lame Giant). So
I thought I'd check in with you folks and see if there's
some kind of catch here. Has anybody ordered items
from the catalog in say, the past couple of years who
would like to comment pro or con? Has the workman-
ship improved beyond its former infamous shoddiness?
Are the stated clothing sizes reasonable approximations
to the actual size of the garment? Are returns accepted
with a smile instead of a snarl?
My only recent experience with any of their clothing
lines has been with Venezia pants. They fit me nicely, hold
up reasonably well, and are quite comfortable.
Their web site is well designed, IMHO. It is not hard
to find what you're looking for. Many of the garments even
have a pop-up screen to show you an alternate view. The
screen might show a photo of the item from a different angle,
or some of the other colors in which it's available.
Every time Lane Bryant has been mentioned in the fat
acceptance groups, out pops a crop of "Lame Giant sux"
stories. And I could hardly disagree that for many years, they
DID suck bigtime. But now that there's competition out there,
I'm wondering if they have, in the recent past, learned a little
something about how to treat us.
Robin
Miss Lira
> I was surfing the web for some clothing, and
> came across the lbcatalog.com website. I was amazed -
> they actually seemed to have some really nice items,
> in some nice materials, and good prices. Even wide-
> width shoes and boots.
I know that if you order via phone (I don't know if you can order through
their website yet because it's fairly new), they'll helpfully give you the
calf measurements of their boots and how their customers feel the size runs.
(ie: small/true/large)
> Well, from ancient experience, I've never ac-
> tually trusted the Brylane people (or, as they've been
> affectionately called around here, Lame Giant). So
> I thought I'd check in with you folks and see if there's
> some kind of catch here. Has anybody ordered items
> from the catalog in say, the past couple of years who
> would like to comment pro or con? Has the workman-
> ship improved beyond its former infamous shoddiness?
> Are the stated clothing sizes reasonable approximations
> to the actual size of the garment? Are returns accepted
> with a smile instead of a snarl?
I can't speak about returns, but the clothing is of average quality. But
they frequently have things on backorder. So that's a downer. On the upside,
they are cheap and their phone people are fairly helpful. When their stuff
is in stock, it arrives fairly quickly. I'd say that their sizes run big, as
I order their stuff in an 18 when I'm normally about a 22.
Of course, YMMV as I tend to mostly order casual things, like t-shirts and
pyjamas. Hopefully someone else can give you better info on the more fitted
items, like suits.
--
miss lira (np: big hair, broken heart; betty blowtorch)
Visit Super Mel's Sheep Ranch! http://sheepranch.home.mindspring.com
Big Rob:// I love that attitude. Like he wrestled a bear to the ground. It's
a rifle. If a woodchuck had opposable thumbs, he could have killed the duck,
too.
ConnieG999
> I was surfing the web for some clothing, and
>came across the lbcatalog.com website
Robin, here are two links for you:
http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/links/fashion.html
and
http://www.cat-and-dragon.com/stef/fatfaqs/us.html
I personally use Lane Bryant for slips, nightgowns, caftans, and some shoes. I
don't care for most of their items. I have found their return policy to be
extremely easy though; you simply send it back and request a refund, credit, or
exchange, no questions asked.
I buy my bras and panties from Decent Exposures, and most of my clothing and
dresses from Making It Big. Both of these places are EXTREMELY helpful.
Once I accidently ordered the wrong size (differing from my first order) from
Decent Exposures, and they contacted me by e-mail to check to see if I meant
what I had ordered. And you can call MIB and ask them any question about any
item of clothing they offer. I will personally vouch for the quality of both
companies; the cost may be a bit higher than Land Bryant, but I have cotton and
rayon clothing from MIB that I bought, and have worn regularly, at least 7
years ago. They also take returns with no questions asked.
I hope the two links I sent are helpful to you.
serene
>
> I was surfing the web for some clothing, and
> came across the lbcatalog.com website. I was amazed -
> they actually seemed to have some really nice items,
> in some nice materials, and good prices. Even wide-
> width shoes and boots.
> Well, from ancient experience, I've never ac-
> tually trusted the Brylane people (or, as they've been
> affectionately called around here, Lame Giant). So
> I thought I'd check in with you folks and see if there's
> some kind of catch here. Has anybody ordered items
> from the catalog in say, the past couple of years who
> would like to comment pro or con?
Yep. Con, con, con.
> Has the workman-
> ship improved beyond its former infamous shoddiness?
Not in my experience, no.
> Are the stated clothing sizes reasonable approximations
> to the actual size of the garment?
Not even close, in my experience. The shorts were a good three
sizes too small. The fabric was thin and flimsy, with no give. All
Wrong.
>Are returns accepted
> with a smile instead of a snarl?
Sure, but I pay postage both ways, so I ended up spending quite a
bit of money on stuff I don't want. Bleah. That'll teach me to
give them a second chance.
serene
--
"She comes to me and wants to know what to do. I say
I do not know. She comes to me and wants to know if it
will ever be all right. I say Yes but it will take a
long time." Ron Koertge, "For My Daughter"
Robin King
those of you who don't think particularly well of LB/Roamans
could tell me where else I might find some of the things I was
looking for.
Originally, I was looking for a slip. A full-length *cotton*
slip with maybe a touch of lace. A cotton half-slip would be
nice, too.
A pair of wide-width, wide-calf boots that don't look like
rainwear, and come in some color other than black or dark brown.
The heel should be low-to-medium, and the toe area should be
rounded or a bit boxy, i.e., NOT pointy. A bit of extra styling is
a plus. I do not want custom-made. I HAVE a pair of gorgeous
custom-made boots, as it happens, and they cost big buck$$$.
A storm coat, with some sort of warm lining, suitable for
wear-
ing in temperatures from about 30 to 50 degrees. The coat should
come down approximately to my knees, and come with a hood. It
should flare a bit towards the bottom. It's not hard to find jackets
with hoods, and I have never understood why longer coats with
hoods are hard to find.
In the LB catalog, I found a full-length cotton slip, an item
I
could not find elsewhere. I also found what looks like a comfy pair
of short, western-stylish suede boots. In addition, there was a storm-
coat that met most of my requirements, at least in the picture.
If there are better-quality stores that could supply me with
any
of these, please please let me know.
TIA,
Robin