Such an interesting topic! I've never shopped at J Jill or Chico's because in my mind that was where older "matronly" women shopped for patterned tunic shirts and loose muumuu dresses. It was like the equivalent of Sears or JC Penny to me, just too old and dated to even look at. I guess that's my bias, because I never even really looked at the clothing there. They probably have stuff that I would wear! I suppose I'm at the age now that I'm a "middle aged woman" in their target demographic. So why am I not attracted to it and why has the marketing not targeted me? (Now watch, my Facebook ads will all start to be J Jill and Chico's ads, LOL).
I know I'm somewhere in between shopping at Hot Topic/Forever 21 and J Jill's/Chico (I also put Talbot's and Eileen Fisher in that category), but where is that line? I feel like I probably dress younger than my age (we sometimes say "appears older/younger than stated age" in our patient histories). Like right now, I was shopping the AllSaints online sale, and bought a bunch of items to try on, figuring I'd return whatever didn't work or fit. I really like that Alexander McQueen/AllSaints mix of rocker/dark/edgy/skulls and lush feminine florals and ruffles. But my guess is AllSaints is targeting a younger demographic than me (I'm in my 50's), probably more like 20's and 30's. But the price point isn't great for that age range, women 20's-30's usually don't have the same earning power that women in their 40's-50's do. Even I'm kind of choking at the prices, and only buying stuff that's on sale.
So does our fashion sense evolve toward more "age-appropriate" mature styles as we get older? Because I would still buy stuff at Hot Topic, they have cutesy Hello Kitty and rocker stuff, but I don't have the body to be wearing midriff baring crop tops and miniskirts anymore, alas. But the AllSaints metallic ruffle skirt in 3 is almost as high as the Hot Topic miniskirt in 2, just seems a little more grown up. Hot Topic seems to be kind of like an AllSaints for YA/Juniors. (But they do apparently have a kids' version called SmallSaints!) Is there a time when I'm going to say "God, this AllSaints clothing is suddenly too young and twee for me, I'm going to graduate from them and shop at J Jill's now"? Or is it we just gravitate toward a certain aesthetic and stay there for the rest of our lives, like those aging rockers who are still doing rock concerts in their 70's despite having had hip replacements? Is there a "mature" brand for AllSaints lovers I should be looking at?
I looked at the J Jill and Chico's websites and there were a few things that I'd probably wear, but a lot was not my style, too pastel, too plain, and that shirt material reminds me of Ann Taylor pantsuits. But I do like loud tropical 60's tunics and heart sweaters so I guess I'd wear some stuff from there. But for example, the black pleated skirt dress in 5 from AllSaints seems much more "me" than the version in 6 from Chico's. I like the asymmetric hems and zippers instead of boat neck satin top, that seems kind of grandma-ish to me. Even though I'm considering an AllSaints dress in 7 that's the same exact neckline! That one doesn't seem matronly to me, I guess because of the color and the fuzzy sweater instead of plain fabric. The All Saints oxblood heart sweater in 8 looks "edgier" to me than the Chico's version in 9.
Nothing wrong with "granny style" (and not to say that people that shop there dress like grannies!), I just don't see how I will get from AllSaints to Chico's in the next 10 or so years? Also like you guys said, maybe they need to do a better job of marketing! My style is rather eclectic, and I do like classic/preppy brands as well as edgy/rocker brands (hence the whiplash from shopping La Ligne to AllSaints), so maybe I should broaden my horizons about where I shop! Thanks for an interesting discussion!
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