I Miss Ann Taylor Loft

I really do. How can you miss a store? For the past almost three years, 90% of my clothes had the Ann Taylor Loft label sewn inside. Everything mixed and matched together, it was fun to get dressed and look and feel good doing so. I was basically on a personal sewing vay-cay as I could find clothes ready to wear cheaper there than the money and effort sewing practically every little thing as I'm forced to now. I ordered from their wide selection of tall clothes online and at any given time I could sweep in and find something nice, usually at a great price. I even had the $25 off card promotion timetable in my PDA. But as my previous purchases are wearing out, I got a little sad and nostalgic. I haven't bought anything, anything in there for almost a year. Are they going for a younger market? Looking at their sale and discount postcards, you think they are. Yet you go into the store and you see women my age scouring the racks, also coming up empty handed. As I enter nowadays, I'm barely greeted and acknowledged as a potential customer. I look at the clothes -- Their prices are higher. The fabrics, not as nice - quality wise. Polyester, thin knits, even starting to fuzz and pill from just being handled in the store. You can tell they are trying to cut costs by cutting fabric - literally shorter. I thought I wandered over to the Petites by mistake. The styles are also skewed younger. I don't mind trendy, but at a certain point, you don't want to look like mutton dressed as lamb. With your tummy showing because it's not long enough to keep it covered. I don't know what store I'll gravitate to next -- I've done the Talbots, Banana Republic, and will even admit a brief Chico's fling, evidence quickly sold on eBay. And shoot me before I fall into Coldwater Creek. Currently I'm J.Jilling, but I really don't fit their size and cut too often. I'm hoping ATL gets right with herself and tries to win me/us back. Please go back to your rack-worthy ways and all will be forgiven...

Whoa! Look at what just posted within the past hour!