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!

Ann Taylor Loft's new denim skirt

I love ATL's denim skirts! I have two from last fall (the 23" and 25"). I was disappointed in this fall season's earlier button-front version and passed on it. I thought it was shaped/pegged oddly at the hem. But I was happy to discover their newest one is black denim!

Look how cute the back is -- the belt loop, pockets and three pleats, 21-1/2" long. The same denim is also used in pants and jacket, but they weren't long enough for me. As soon as the temperatures drop below 88 degrees, they'll look great with tights, too.

Ann Taylor Loft $25 Gift Cards

They're back! From now until September 9, every $50 you spend you'll get a $25 savings gift card redeemable September 10 to October 21. If you're also a budget-savvy fashionista, you'll combine your 15% off Loft Giveway Contest coupon (good through August 31) to save even more for now and later. I like the new colorways they are bringing out -- purple, blue, gray, black and khaki, they look so great together. I couldn't resist the striped short-sleeved henleys that were surprisingly flattering and fun looking. And doesn't the pixie on the ATL card bear a remarkable resemblance to me?! (Nan, I can hear you choking and spitting out your coffee clear to Texas!)

Surprise Secret Ann Taylor Loft 15% off coupon!

Did you know -- If you go to the Ann Taylor Loft.com/giveway Great Escape InStyle Magazine vacation contest, you'll get a 15% off coupon on $75 or more (which also includes free shipping if you are shopping online) when you vote. A fun surprise, nothing is mentioned about it on the flyer or website. But a word of caution, when it says "Vote Now" on the same page it will also say "Print Coupon". Wait! Don't vote yet and go to the next page, print the coupon then and there. Because it is a pop-up page, you can't go back.

And as an added bonus, you can "vote" every 24 hours and earn another 15% off coupon each time! ATL will even send you an email to remind you.

This afternoon I was able to combine their 'take an additional 40% off sale prices' items to a total of $75.19 - ka-ching! I kept $11.28 in my wallet from that total just for dreaming of winning a vacation in Alaska or Hawaii or Europe!

Skirt Crazy

I know, it's now June 2 and did I sew/complete a skirt for May skirt month? Well, my intentions were good - I did get patterns and fabric to make skirts, but -- (excuse time) so too many activities, early dismissals, back and forth trips.

But I have to say, Ann Taylor Loft certainly stepped up to the plate. They had darling summer skirts stocked, and at their low prices, sales, and discount promotions, May was still Skirt Month for me.

I think I'm turning into a skirty-flirty girl. These are much more fun to wear, more flattering and cooler (heat and fashion-wise).

Skirt in a day

Only one more day to make a skirt for Sew Mama Sew's May Skirt Month. Oops! Just a little busy here with end of school flurry of activities, etc. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon. . . In the meantime, I've been buying some cute skirts at Ann Taylor Loft! (fun styles, summery fabric and great sale prices and deals). How to resist? This is not supposed to be "Buy Mama Buy" skirt month, but apparently it is for me; no skirting around that issue!

Things that make you go, "hmmm"

Random thoughts bouncing inside my head today --
1) Ann Taylor Loft $25 off purchase cards. They expire today. But have you noticed when you racked up those cards with earlier purchases a month ago, there was lots of good stuff to chose from...and the cards piled up in eager anticipation of redemption...fattening up the wallet because they are attached to the receipts...because ATL is afraid you will sell them on eBay?! Yet, when it's time to redeem, they seem to have "junque" in the stores. Black, beige, gray, maybe a little blue, that's it! And some in lesser quality fabrics, especially the knit tops already starting to pill and fuzz just from the racks. Where's the color? Where's the love? I have 2 cards which will just go in the trash tonight. Not from lack of trying or shopping. Watch by the end of this week and next, there will be the better quality items back in the store. Probably along with another $25 card promotion...
2) L and I stopped by Hancock's today. That store is off our stop-by list now. Still stingy with the markdowns. And we both think they have repriced the remaining fabric! I was going to get an USMC print to make my hubby our traditional Father's Day shirt when I saw they raised the markdown percentage to 30% off, but ... it looked like they re-stickered the price to $7.99! Huh? We both could have sworn that last week it was $6.99 and 20% off. Yes, that equals the same price, but still that's a little hoodwinky, isn't it? In fact, there were lots of new bright yellow stickers on the bolt ends. And they restocked their Hot Patterns display. I wonder if they are pulling merchandise from other stores?