Lands’ End: Is it just for Mom?

When most people (including me) think of Lands’ End they usually think of a certain style of clothes. Oh sure, the company calls it “classic” and “durable” and who knows what else, but in reality that all to often translates into “shapeless”, “boring” or “retiree style.” I have nothing against 60 year-old women; it’s just that at age eighteen I’d rather not dress like one. Case in point, take a look at these items from their Fall ‘09 collection:

From left to right, Women's Regular Cotton Horizontal Shaker Cardigan Sweater, Women’s Regular Terry Travel Slippers with Bag, Women’s Regular Solid Necessary Knits Long Skirt.
   
Dowdy sweaters, grandma slippers, and long knit skirts with clunky sandals. Am I just totally missing the potential here?
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Okay, so those pictures (above) are what I usually think of when I see Lands' End. Every so often though, I notice a catalog (like the one that came in the mail the other day) and I start to second guess my presumptions. Do these clothes just look cute because of the scenery, professional photography, and physically near-perfect models? Are my eyes just playing tricks on me? Has it been to long since I saw some good fashion? Am I out of touch? Should I start looking for gray hairs on my head? What do YOU think of the following?


The shirtwaist one has got to be my favorite.
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I’m not sure if I like this sweater…or if it’s just her hair and pearl-drop earrings + the quaint little tea room back-drop that caught my eye.

Again, this outfit would probably look horrible on me, but on her—with that stunning autumn landscape—it looks sort of English-pastoral, don’t you think? Still, I’d have to say that I’m on the fence about this look. (hahaha).












Pretty shoes, no? Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find them on the site…must be sold out.

This spread is from the catalog. The one dress is the same as the very first dress pictured (it’s in brown there, though).

The swingy coat, wavy hair, quaint house, vintage car, and sunlight filtering through the trees all make for a nice picture. But is it buy-worthy?

I really want a pair of skinny jeans to wear with a long comfy sweater. Probably not exactly like the ones pictured here, though.

These shoes are one of the things on this page that I REALLY love. Honestly, I want a pair in every color!! Then again…I’m kind of fond of patent leather. Still, I think these are just darling in every way. So versatile, too.

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My verdict: While I certainly like some of these items, I don’t know if I would actually buy most of them. Plus, although they may look cute in the catalog or online, who knows how they’ll actually fit in real-life. I guess that’s true with any clothes item, but I still would feel a bit timid to order from them (even if I had the money) because of my fixed notion that they cater to an older crowd. Still, I had fun looking at the catalog and if I had oodles of spending cash I would probably look into the shirtwaist dress and a (or a couple!) pairs of those charming little flats.

What do you think about Lands’ End clothes? Have you ever ordered anything from them? What was your experience? Leave a comment and let me know!

*Hugs*

Source: You can find most of the pictures I used here at LandsEnd.com or just click on the photo to follow a link to the item. Note that the images with non-white backgrounds are taken from the online edition of the current print catalog, which you can access here.