Monday, June 27, 2011

Cool Shirt ... and Made in the USA, too? Whoa

I was sifting through the clothes at COSTCO the other day and stumbled on some shirts I really liked. I do not need new shirts. Not one bit. I have plenty of shirts. As I turned to walk away, I noticed the sign, Made in USA.

Stacks of Made in USA awesomeness
Really? I bought one, took it home and tried it. I love it. It is so soft and so pretty. It is made by SledgeUSA in California. I went back and bought 3 more. I love them all.

I must confess that I am suspicious of all these clothing manufacturers popping up in Southern California. (BedHead is another one.) I can't help but wonder if some illegal immigrant labor is being used, or if the fabric is being imported. Regardless, I'd rather have it being made here, keeping more of the money here, than made in Mexico or over in China.

Hurrah for Costco, and Hurrah for SledgeUSA.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Want great style at low cost? Check out the pajamas!

I hate shopping for clothes. Despise it. But about four times a year, after I get my hair cut at the big Tyson's Galleria mall (Tyson's Corner,Virginia), I give shopping a whirl to see if it is as awful as I remember it. (It generally is.)

Last week, I meandered through several 'designer' stores (with horrible clothes at exorbitant prices) and then ended up in Macy's.  I wandered through Macy's, taking in the horror. Striped, cropped pants paired with a flowered shirt, belted with a bright sash, and accessorized with a sequined scarf. Gad. Everything was just horrible. And the items that weren't quite as horrible were overpriced and cheaply made in another country (usually China). I really needed a pair of black slacks, so I tried on a few, but they were awful. Too tight at the top, huge at the bottom. Do these things actually fit people?

Like my 'sundress'?
I had given up and was getting ready to leave, but decided to visit the ladies' room first. I had to walk through Pajamas/Lingerie (a.k.a., 'Intimates') and Maternity to get to there. And that's when I hit the jackpot. The clothes in these two sections were actually good looking and were generally half the price of the 'normal' clothes.  I grabbed a few and tried them on. Not too bad a fit. Not bad at all. Pretty cheaply made, overseas, but definitely a better value than the rest of the store provided.

My friend Carolina and I would always joke that the best kept secret was maternity underwear (comfy, stretchy, fabulous). It appears now that the whole intimate department may be jumping on that bandwagon. I actually ended up buying several pieces of clothing from what I tried on. I've already worn some of them out, and gotten compliments. I got a pair of $15 black sleek pajama bottoms that I wore for an evening out, with a silver shaw. I also a $19 pajama top that makes a great sundress.

I'm not sure what to make of a world where the only clothes that I like are in the PJ section. Maybe it means I shouldn't get up in the morning. Then again, maybe it just means that the best designers are currently making intimate apparel while they build up enough 'street cred' to move up. I'm sure hoping it is the latter.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Stores are loud enough without this

blah, blah, blah
I was walking through the Giant grocery store the other day, and I realized that in addition to the background music coming over the main speakers, there was something else playing, too. I looked around and finally figured out it was a little screen advertising Nice 'n Easy hair products.

Gad.

In an age where everyone is supposedly asking "How can we save electricity?" the idea that we are putting energy into manufacturing and powering tiny advertising screens like this is frightening. And combined with the noise of the other shoppers and carts and kids and music, it was just annoying.

If marketing folks want to be able to put more information in front of shoppers, I think that the way of the future is the smart-phone-scannable Quick Response (QR) code. Everyone is switching to smart phones. (And even if you don't want to, you're going to need to because your old phone will wear out and you won't be able to get a new battery for it.) Using a QR scan, you can find out more info, get instructions for using the product, get special offers, etc. This is a much better technology to invest in, retail folks. Please don't start investing in your own little in-store TVs.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Why are you merchandising AFTER the register?

Why do stores pile up a bunch of stuff with big sale signs on them right AFTER the cash registers? I have actually thought once or twice, 'Oh, I could use that,' but if I've just stood in line for 30 minutes, there is just no way I am going to get back in line to buy one more item.

I think that maybe the stores are just out of space and don't have anywhere to put these things? It just seems silly.