Age/Style Question

[pooks]

My immediate tongue-in-cheek description of their target demographic is as follows:

Middle aged (40-60) middle-class WASPs who live west of the Mississippi. If they mated... Coldwater Creek and Eddie Bauer.


NB: I'm replying without having read past the first post in this thread. I'll read the rest of the replies once this posts.

Love it. And right on target!

Let's see, I live in jeans and tees, am most likely to shop at LLBean via catalogue. I luuuuurve Chucks -- have several pair, and my "business" wear is jeans, white tee, black blazer and black Chuck Taylor hightops, but that's because I'm a screenwriter and casual is the name of the game. Also, I could do without the blazer if I lost some weight. (Lightweight blazer, nothing too structured.)

Since I started cycling, I've done lots of shopping but not much "keeping." The jerseys are usually too tight -- I'm not used to wearing stuff that formfitting (again, a weight issue) but as i continue to lose I assume that will change.

And yes, lately I've spent a lot of time in bike shorts and jerseys!

The two things I've bought from TA and love are:

this sweater, worn with jeans or cords

and this jacket, again worn with jeans or cords

And now that I think about it, maybe the reason I got those compliments is simply because people were so relieved to see me in something besides jeans and tees!

When I check out this site/catalog, I'm always looking for something to dress up jeans a bit.

[pepe6599]

I'm not a catalog shopper for two reason 1) I lilke to try on my clothes before buying them, which catalogs shopping makes it to compicated to do. 2) I have a interesting body type so my size differs from brand to brand.

I have seen some catalogs, such as Delias and Alloy, I like their stuff but I always can find it at a store or mall.

My style is more like Classic mixed with some new. I'm the girl at work who wears the preppy clothes and punk it up a little, weather it be with diiferent fabric or patterns. I don't wear skirts and anything above the knee.

At home I'll admit I'm a bit of a tom-boy. Some bermuda shorts and a baby tee will work for me.

[SouthernBelle]

This turned into a fun thread. It's just an OK catalog.

I like the Eddie Bauer store near me, mostly because it's an outlet. But I doubt I would order much from the catalog.

Like JJill better than Coldwater Creek. CC is a little on the shapeless, primary color side sometimes.

I've also realized that I hardly ever wear jeans anymore. Pants, not jeans. Whodda thunk.

[eclectic]

My immediate tongue-in-cheek description of their target demographic is as follows:

Middle aged (40-60) middle-class WASPs who live west of the Mississippi. If they mated... Coldwater Creek and Eddie Bauer.

NB: .

Well I am finally almost middle aged (I plan on living to at least 100 and the middle is 50), I live west of the Mississippi, I am middle class and a WASP. So I fit all the demographics BUT I don't like any of the clothes (there was 1 cool pair of shoes and a nice sweater I must admit) I find them all a little dowdy and 1 dress looks exactly like one I bought in the late 80's PULEEEZE don't tell me those styles are coming back (I did love the colors though - teal and magenta - I wonder what I did withe those shoes )

My dress style is pretty much capris and variations on the t-shirt, in the winter boring pants and solid color sweaters. For work I don't get too contemporary because I work with high school students and for the most part they don't want their teachers dressing like them, especially the ones over 30. And I don't want to dress like them, even I feel people who are 50 and try to look 18 are a little tacky

[pooks]

You mention colors --

I realized last night that the main thing that appeals to me in that catalog is that they have a lot of what I consider true fall colors. LL Bean is still tossing out all sorts of pastels and weak colors in their women's clothes. I'm a redhead with green eyes and would wear dark greens, golds, browns, oranges, purples and such all year round if I could find them!

[Bluetree]

Middle aged (40-60)

Wow, 40 and middle aged! As I'm heading towards the big 4-0 soon, I hear a sound of its approach... it sounds like the Darth Vader death march!

[pepe6599]

I tend to buy dark colors, I can't seem to keep light colors clean. Don't get me wrong i own a couple of light colors shirts but not very many. I do love the salmon color, which is one of the very few light colors I can keep clean, I have about 5 woven shirts that color.

[Kitsune06]

ARGH.

That's one of my huge gripes- pastels. My 'casual' look leans toward casual, comfy jeans or cargo pants, and a tee (or if going for a 'look', a plain shirt with collared overshirt left open)

My less casual/more work-friendly look leans toward a bohemian black/white/grey with something subtle to either go with my eyes or hair...

Nowhere in there do pastels fit in, and it's just outrageously hard to find what I want (at normal prices...)

[SadieKate]

You mention colors --

I realized last night that the main thing that appeals to me in that catalog is that they have a lot of what I consider true fall colors. LL Bean is still tossing out all sorts of pastels and weak colors in their women's clothes. I'm a redhead with green eyes and would wear dark greens, golds, browns, oranges, purples and such all year round if I could find them!

Pooks, I completely agree with you. Where are all the beautiful rich jewel tones that actually make people look alive? The current fashion trend for so many seems to be true neutrals and pushed neutrals. I am so sick of grayed out colors. They aren't even true clear pastels. I just cruised JJill. There are a few things that are classic fitted jackets much like Territory Ahead and then there is the shapeless grandma's curtains and antimacassar look in old rose and mildewed turquoise. Call me an old fogey for liking rich colors, but at least I don't look like my clothes sat in granny's attic for years.

[tygab]

You mention colors --
LL Bean is still tossing out all sorts of pastels and weak colors in their women's clothes. I'm a redhead with green eyes and would wear dark greens, golds, browns, oranges, purples and such all year round if I could find them!

I think of pastels as pink for some reason, and I hate the color pink. I don't fortunately see much pink in their catologues and I generally wear the following colors:

white, black, grey, blue, beige. On an odd day I might wear dark green, maroon, or brown.

One thing I like about LL Bean is that they have a lot of solids. I don't like stripes, paisleys, stitched stuff, flowers, tie die, or anything else that seems uselessly adorning. Putting this into words, I must sound like a really boring dresser, and I'm only 34.

But the truth is 90 percent of the time for work I am wearing their jeans (as dark blue as possible, I save faded ones for at home), black socks and shoes, and a solid shirt and/or fleece or sweater in one of the above colors. I want clothes that I don't have to think about, and these are what work for me...

When its free time, I wear synthetic clothes more appropriate to hiking or something outdoors because that is what I try to do with most of my free time. Zip off pants, and a mesh type shirt are perennial faves.

Now all that said, my favorite color for a cycling jersey? YELLOW! Preferably with some cool graphics to look at too!

[Kano]

Wow, 40 and middle aged! As I'm heading towards the big 4-0 soon, I hear a sound of its approach... it sounds like the Darth Vader death march!

Oh no! Not a death march at all!

40 was about when I started being my own person -- this has been a GREAT decade!

Karen in Boise

[Quillfred]

I think The Territory Ahead is a great company. I like to catalog or on-line shop and they are one of my favorites. Their catalog is enjoyable to look at with nice travel photography. I have ordered several things now and am pleased with the high quality. Their fabrics tend to be pretty natural: cotton, wool, silk, tencel and leather. The textures are better than what you usually find.

The clothes are comfortable and causual. I especially like their pants--cotton velvet with spandex, alternating-wale corduroy. The linen shirts are nice. The sales are outstanding.

To sum it up--classy but comfortable.

[Cassandra_Cain]

You mention colors --

I realized last night that the main thing that appeals to me in that catalog is that they have a lot of what I consider true fall colors. LL Bean is still tossing out all sorts of pastels and weak colors in their women's clothes. I'm a redhead with green eyes and would wear dark greens, golds, browns, oranges, purples and such all year round if I could find them!

Woo Pooks

You and me both - total fall types. I've lost count of how many brown and olive tops I have - answer? never enough!

Pastels and the like fit a very different color type than ours - yes I can't stand those spring lines full of peaches, limes, and other offending hues . So like you, I also look for places and styles that have flattering colors.

[emily_in_nc]

Pastels and the like fit a very different color type than ours - yes I can't stand those spring lines full of peaches, limes, and other offending hues

Hehee, I am a "spring"! I look good in greens (but not olive), peach, ivory, aqua, yellow.... Different catalogs for us all, I guess!

Emily

[Kano]

Since I started cycling, I've done lots of shopping but not much "keeping." The jerseys are usually too tight -- I'm not used to wearing stuff that formfitting (again, a weight issue) but as i continue to lose I assume that will change.

Hee hee, Pooks -- yeah, form fitting can be a scary thing when we don't have "model forms," can't it? I don't know who's more scared by "form fitting" when I wear it: me or the genneral public!

Karen in Boise