After reading an article about Charming Shoppes push to fill the void opened up by stores like the Old Navy, Anne Taylor and Liz Claiborne in the brick and mortar area of plus size fashion I am a little confused by this statement.
Charming Shoppes’ main brands are Lane Bryant and Catherines, along with Fashion Bug, which has both plus and misses sizes. The company has moved to make Lane Bryant more fashion-conscious, which brand President Brian Woolf first saw as a risk.
“We were almost afraid of the fashion side of the business,” he said. “Now we’re driving the business with fashion and trends.”
The part that perplexes me the most is Charming shoppes aka Lane Bryant being afraid of the fashion side of the business. If the buyers of this long time plus size fashion merchant had attended Full Figured Fashion Week and seen or talked to the plus size ladies expressing frustrations with having to come to the Internet only to shop then they would not only be excited but they would be running to embrace the fashion side of the business.
The question again, “How can Lane Bryant embrace fashion if they are afraid of it?” In my experience things that I am afraid of I usually know how to handle it but apprehension of the results keep me from going through with it. Is this the case? Do the powers that be inside Charming Shoppes actually know what is up but they are afraid to execute what may actually work and be profitable for the company?
One suggestion that I have for what Charming Shoppes can do with the Lane Bryant brand is to simply ask the consumers what do they want. Taking to heart some of the suggestions from your Facebook and Twitter account would be a good place to start. Making sure that the models more fit your audience would be another area to concentrate on. I realize that fit models are 5’9″ and a size 12-14, but if you have more real size women then you will sell more clothes. Just my opinion.
What do you think? Do you think that Charming Shoppes is taking a risk by embracing the fashion side of the business or do you think that they should keep doing what they have always done and hope that things just work out? While pondering this question don’t forget to take advantage of the BOGO Sale Valid through 7-26-09 and enter the More to Love Sweepstakes.
I feel like they will be taking a risk, but it is a risk they will have to take because they need a change. I don’t even shop there anymore. Not even for basics.
Just wanted to send a huge kudos for your blog titled “How can Lane Bryant embrace fashion if they are afraid of it”
Great read! Your so right, they need to reach out to their consumer and find out what they want. In addition they need relax, revamp, and restyle.
I love you for (gently) calling Lane out! How can they call themselves, per their ad, the “premier destination for fit and fashion” when they’re afraid of fashion? We their customers aren’t afraid, why should they be? This fear shows in their offerings, which somehow achieve to be both out of step with trends yet dated by the next season. I don’t know how they do it!
Emme,
Hopefully with the debut of Inside Curve and them making a push into social media they will see that it is time to step into the 21st century in terms of fashion.