They Deserted Me

The conventional wisdom is that clothing retailers target people 25-45 years old (or so) because they're the spenders.  But I (barely into my 60s) would spend more on clothes if I could find ones I like.  But over the years, almost as soon as I find a brand, or a store, or an item of clothing, that I really like, the item or brand disappear, and the store changes its fashion line and moves away from styles I like.

Take Episode, for example.  I loved their clothes--very plush silks, long flowing designs.  I still wear items I bought at their DC store about 25 years ago.  Around the same time, stores like Saks Fifth Avenue also carried the Episode brand.  But then Episode disappeared--the brand as well as the store--and I had to regroup.  For a while I really liked Talbots--well made, reasonably priced clothes--but I won't shop there any more.  The styles look like they're trying to compete with ATL, but not at ATL prices.  If you're going for trendy, then price the clothes at a point where a customer won't get upset if it only lasts a year or two.

I really liked Sigrid Olsen clothes--one of her sweaters is still my favorite.  A small boutique near my house used to sell her clothes; so did Nordstrom.  Then the clothes started to disappear.  She was bought out by Liz Claiborne and then at some point dumped.  (I once bought a pair of Liz Claiborne pants; the button fell off as I put them on.  I never bought another Liz Claiborne item--I figured they had poor quality control.)

I've already mentioned that the pair of Cambio jeans I bought at Nordstrom some years ago is (are) the best pair I've ever had.  But Nordstrom no longer carries the Cambio brand.   NYDJ jeans are good, but more iffy in terms of fit (there are so many options--some are much longer than others).

And a few days ago I tried to buy some more fleece turtleneck pullovers from L.L. Bean, only to find that LLB no longer sells them.

I'm the same size I was 25 years ago--actually, I'm the same, but the clothing sizes keep getting larger, so I wear a smaller and smaller size.   In some cases I'm down to a size 0; maybe in a few years I'll be in negative numbers.  The first and only time I tried Chico's, I was told I'd be a size 0 in their store, and they didn't have many of those--I'd have to look around.   Apparently "mature" in retail clothing lingo means "fat".

So clothing retailers have created a self-fulfilling prophecy--designing trendy (short, tight, low-cut, often flimsy) clothes that someone like me finds less appealing.   And assuming that everyone over 50 is overweight and will enjoy wearing large colorful tent-like outfits.   Thus I spend less than I otherwise might if I could find more that I liked.  Clothing makers and retailers they were right not to target me as a customer.  And instead I divert my dollars into yoga clothes, yoga workshops, spa treatments, travel, music lessons.  Well, maybe I'd still do those things, too.