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Another pet peeve: when I see an item I like on a mannequin, but I can't find it anywhere on the racks, let alone the ones right next to it. It is unbelievable how often this happens.
I don't go to department stores. I go to Fred Meyer where I can buy groceries, jeans, hardware, and fertilizer all from one store, one check stand. It saves time and hassle, since I don't have to trundle around to different stores. The clothing selection isn't as great - would be better at a department store. But I can find something to wear there, and if I can't, I go to Cabelas. :-)
Many are closing and I have heard women say they prefer shopping online or even if they go they don't have the kinds of clothes they want etc. etc. What do you think dept stores should do in regards to stay relevant and be able to serve/attract the customer better?
Great question! I just wish store buyers and management would read the answers and take them seriously.
As a plus-size shopper, I have to find most of my selections online because they don't have them in stores...or only a small percentage.
1. Clerks who are visible, available, knowledgeable, honest, and friendly. They just don't exist anymore.
2. Quality clothing. Attractive colors, well-made clothes, in comfortable fabrics. There are way too many garments made of rayon/spandex/polyester.
3. Quality clothing. I could repeat this 80 more times. Almost everything in stores now in my size is ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly.
4. Uncrowded clothing racks. I guess stores want to stick it all out of the floor to cut down on employees who have to spend time restocking. But when you can't move through the clothing on a rack to look at it, why even go to the store?
5. Clean stores. Well-lit stores. Stores are way too dark, and there's no excuse now with LED lights available. Too often I see overflowing trash cans, garbage on the floor, dust on molding.
I don't go to department stores. I go to Fred Meyer where I can buy groceries, jeans, hardware, and fertilizer all from one store, one check stand. It saves time and hassle, since I don't have to trundle around to different stores. The clothing selection isn't as great - would be better at a department store. But I can find something to wear there, and if I can't, I go to Cabelas. :-)
Honestly? If you want quality clothing learn to sew. It's not really that difficult, adjusting on the flat pattern is easy once you get it and you get clothing that you can wear and love and live in and not the baggy saggy pulled on knits we all have to wear now.
There's lots of classes, you tube videos,and machines at various price points, although I don't recommend cheap machines. Or Singers, unless they are old. But often you can get a great used machine loving tended by the owner who is trading up from a local sewing store...
Now...sewing isn't cheap. You aren't going to make a shirt for five dollars. And the first few things you make will be a nightmare, as you learn.... but once you find a pattern you live and works you can make multiple shirts and change the sleeve length and collar and people won't see it's the same pattern...
But it's the only way out of this clothing hell.
I would agree, but when fabric got to where it was cheaper to buy something already made, I quit sewing.
Our small city's only fabric store was Hancock's, and now they're gone. Even when it was new, I went in once and asked if they had any linen. "There's some linen/rayon over there," they said. "No, I want real 100% linen." They had no idea what I was talking about. Forget wools. Most of the fabric was for quilts and crafts, very little for garments.
I just don't like their clothes. Very blah. Love the shoes, handbags, makeup, not the clothes. I guess maybe have more in season clothing, more mannequin displays.
Well for me, as a person who sits as a straddler in terms of sizes at around 16, it would be great to have more clothing options. There are some items, like blazers, I need to go up a size, but there is no parity in terms of fit and style from misses to plus. Apparently people who wear over a size 16 like mumus or skimpy club wear. No work clothes. No suits. And it is way in the abandoned corner.
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This. There is a limbo area between 1X and size 14 missy. There are a few size 16s, but almost no selection. I like the 0X or 14W for myself, but these sizes are very, very scarce. When I lost enough weight that 1X was almost always too big, I could find nothing at my local Dillards. Nothing!
Department stores chase the young and thin. So many of us are neither, but we do have disposable income and occasions we have to dress for. I can find a few things online because often the XLs run larger than in department stores. And often I can find things that are decently made that are not too adolescent or sexualized.
There are some good, quality plus size clothes now. But there is a size gap between the largest sized missy clothing and the smallest sized plus clothing.
There are other problems as well. Department stores like Kohls carry larger sizes but I have found that tee shirts, for instance, are not exactly the same size within a line. I suspect this is due to using different vendors. And tees from Kohl's shrink. I can get better, more consistent quality online.
I miss the old floor plans, where each department had it's own registers and salespeople who actually knew the merchandise for that department.
It would be nice if they actually stocked smaller sizes in pants and skirts in the grownup section. Juniors departments may have a few, but they're usually cheap, trendy junk.
It would be nice if they paid the staff a little better.
This. There is a limbo area between 1X and size 14 missy. There are a few size 16s, but almost no selection. I like the 0X or 14W for myself, but these sizes are very, very scarce. When I lost enough weight that 1X was almost always too big, I could find nothing at my local Dillards. Nothing!
Department stores chase the young and thin. So many of us are neither, but we do have disposable income and occasions we have to dress for. I can find a few things online because often the XLs run larger than in department stores. And often I can find things that are decently made that are not too adolescent or sexualized.
There are some good, quality plus size clothes now. But there is a size gap between the largest sized missy clothing and the smallest sized plus clothing.
There are other problems as well. Department stores like Kohls carry larger sizes but I have found that tee shirts, for instance, are not exactly the same size within a line. I suspect this is due to using different vendors. And tees from Kohl's shrink. I can get better, more consistent quality online.
Yup! I am busty, so depending on shape/fabric I can wear L, XL, 14, 16, 18, XXL, 0X or 1X. But switching between misses to plus can be a nightmare. You may have a favorite brand that fits well in misses but in plus has a weird shape that is unflattering. (Ahem Michael Kors)
Those 0X/1X shirts have the worst shape ever! No shoulder, weird lengths that are between shirts and dresses, overly baggy arms and large shapeless waists. Looks horrible on everyone.
And the blazers are garbage. Cheap fabric, bag fit. You need to spend a lot on tailoring to get something passably flattering.
So yes, I just go online. ASOS and Dorothy Perkins are good for cute average quality stuff. Still looking for cute, well fitting higher quality clothing.
I'm a guy, but my biggest pet peeve is how stores stock shelves. They put small sizes on the top shelf and the XXL and larger sizes on the bottom shelf. HELLO! The short people can't reach the top shelf and the tall people have to stoop way down. Shelves should be stocked so tall/large sizes are on the top shelves and the small/short sizes are on the bottom shelf.
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