Or, if you want to go the really cash-conscious route, make your own.

roguewallet.com (Thanks to Wells!)

Dear J Crew,

Re. my recent order:
1. Invoiced for $9208.50 in shipping charges. Scan of invoice attached.
2. Baby sized shirts shipped. I ordered men's medium sized polo shirts. (Size M as in the invoice). Photo attached.
3. Cannot sign into website, JSP_EXECUTION_FAILED, screenshot attached.

I would like to
1) Return the shirts for a refund - they are completely the wrong size.
2) Not be charged $9,208 for shipping
3) Not have to use the website to do this, as I can't log in

Can you reply to my email at as soon as possible? I am worried about my credit card being charged for the incorrect shipping cost.

Thanks
Per

He also attached this image of the tiny, tiny shirt that he received. How sad.

We're reasonably sure that no self-respecting credit card will allow a shipping charge of over $9k to go through without calling, but if the charge is incorrect, Per can call and do a chargeback.

J Crew Customer [Blogspot]

From Macy's own press release yesterday afternoon:

An internal investigation conducted by Macy's, however, discovered that no Macy's goods were found in Jin Shun. But a factory named Zheng Da Inc. in Long Island City, which also was inspected by the Department of Labor and also cited for labor law violations, was making apparently counterfeit goods with labels from a Macy's private brand. These goods, which were neither ordered nor authorized by Macy's, were private brand prints from previous seasons and of inferior quality to those made to Macy's specifications. Macy's, Inc. is considering legal action against the owners of the Zheng Da factory for unauthorized manufacturing of counterfeit goods under a label owned by Macy's.

Moreover, independent third-party monitors retained by Macy's twice inspected the Jin Shun factory in 2007 as Macy's was evaluating potential suppliers for its private brand merchandise. In both instances, the Jin Shun facility was rejected and removed from consideration because of incomplete employment record-keeping. All Macy's vendors are required to conform to the company's stringent Vendor/Supplier Code of Conduct that sets out specific standards and requirements for any vendor doing business with Macy's.

As for the other companies involved in the story—the Gap, Banana Republic, Urban Apparel, and Victoria's Secret—we've seen no similar statements so far.

"Macy's Goods Were Not Produced in Long Island City Sweatshop" [Marketwatch]
(Photo: Eddie~S)

• cheated its workers out of more than $5 million in pay;
• instructed workers to lie to state inspectors;
• required 6 and 7-day workweeks, sometimes for up to 120 days at a time;
• didn't pay overtime or minimum wage;
• kept two sets of timecards to fake-out inspectors.

Urban Apparel, which apparently faced a large inventory issue, took more practical steps:

The Labor Department announced that on Wednesday morning it placed special tags on more than 10,000 items of Jin Shun’s apparel, stating that the garments were produced under unlawful conditions.

Within hours of that tagging, the clothing company Urban Apparel paid state officials $60,000 to have the tags removed. The money covered the amount of wage violations that the department found had occurred when employees were making the tagged garments.

The factory, which was previously named Venture 47 and has recently been renamed Garlee NY, was quite blatant about lying to inspectors:

State officials said that the instructions given to employees, written in English and Mandarin, told them that if government inspectors ever asked them how many hours they worked each week, they were to respond, “Not sure, depends on the workload.”

The instructions told the workers that if inspectors asked how much they earned, they should respond, “I don’t remember, because sometimes I work more hours and sometimes less.”

The instruction sheet told the workers that if they were asked, “What is your hourly wage?” they were to answer, “Not sure, but always over $7.75 depending on the job complexity.” Even though the workers were paid at a fixed rate per piece of work performed and partly in cash, they were told to answer that they were always paid by the hour and through direct deposit.

You may be wondering how you can enforce your own anti-sweatshop policy when shopping, but of course without strict oversight from the big apparel companies, you're not left with many choices. One thing you can do is try to shop from companies that have taken a strong anti-sweatshop stance, such as American Apparel, or from companies like Busted Tees that use American Apparel shirts. Other than that, you have to rely on "made in ___" labels—Dana Thomas from Newsweek tells NPR that in general, U.S. labeling laws are far stricter than European and can be trusted more, but the Queens factory proves that's not always the case. You can also demand stronger oversight from officials and apparel companies—although how you "demand" such a thing is a rather good question.

"Apparel Factory Workers Were Cheated, State Says " [New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

We know shipping accidents happen, but what's unacceptable about J.Crew's response is how they keep putting Kimberly off instead of working with her to resolve the problem.

My credit card was charged on the day of purchase for the full amount of my order. When I first called on the 8th the rep had suggested for me to wait the full 7 days, I did not have a problem then with the wait. On the 11th I checked their website and noticed the aforementioned status change that led to another call immediately.

I was refunded $49.99 on the same day on the item that was supposedly returned but I never received, but their rep did not even want to look up my address to see whether or not it was sent to the wrong address. When I insisted that he check, he told me that they had the correct shipping address but I should wait 10 days to call back anyways.

It's not like Kim's a novice shopper who doesn't know how shipping works. Now the question is: is there anyone at J.Crew who knows how shipping works? You two should talk.

She sent us her polite letter to Brooks Brother's CEO:

Dear Mr Del Vecchio -

Today, I received a Brooks Brothers catalog in the mail, addressed to Benjamin James Tate-Booth (sic). Benjamin Tate-Boothe is my three-week old infant son. I assure you that he has no need of Brooks Brothers suits at this time, especially as he tends to soil garments quickly.

I am concerned at how your company gained my son's name and address in order to address an unsolicited catalog to him. The customer number present on the envelope is #004388918, and the accompanying letter states that a request for this catalog was placed. Brooks Brothers may have purchased his name from another mailing list, because I doubt Ben is signing up for clothing catalogs at such a tender age.

I am addressing this to your attention as your name is on the letter accompanying this catalog. I am hoping you will look into the source of Ben's catalog request, and stop any further unsolicited mail going to our address.

Sincerely,

Jillian

Who says this is a mistake? Stain-resistant ties! Maybe they come with matching bibs. Benjamin could charge them to his brand new American Express card, you know, once as he learns to scribble his name.

Michael seemed as confused as us:

I'm not sure what to make of it. "Nominee for 2008 Stupidest Web 2.0 Idea" comes to mind, along with "something I'd expect from Fox News before CNN". Or maybe it's funny, if I enjoy walking around with "40-lb. hunk of metal hits driver in face" on my chest.

• Sleepy bear can't stay awake
• Baby found in house of filth
• 7-minute battle with death

Alvin writes:

I wanted to praise an online company that I happened to order custom printed apparel from. Spreadshirt Inc.or spreadshirt.com is one of many online services that customize shirts for a low price. I have used many of these sites because I graphic design on the side and enjoy putting some of my work on the clothes I wear. I want to let you know of the numerous sites I have used Spreadshirt has shown the greatest consideration of their customers. I made a mistake of getting one of my designs in a "silver" flex print which really ended up being a glittery reflective print. It made my fraternity letters look, lets say less manly. It was at my bad judgment but they were more than willing to redo it for me at no charge. I called them and left a message the night before and I am happy they were willing to call me back the next day. Hopefully, someone would recognize this great company too.

Our question: can security personnel really arrest suspected shoplifters?

Go easy on the fat insults, y'all. The guy's dead.

"Dead shoplifter identified" [MercuryNews]
"Coroner ID's Suspect Who Collapsed At E. Bay Mall" [CBS5.com]
(Photo: Gato Azul)

If you are one of the many Americans who are opposed to real fur, the problem is obvious: you bought "faux fur" and received real. Or—if you are ok with some types of fur—you thought you were purchasing one species but instead took home a garment trimmed with fur from a species of dog.

But even if retailers and designers were to stop falsely advertising and labeling raccoon dog fur today, consumers would still be left with less than ideal information about what is really on the jacket they're purchasing.

That's because, despite "raccoon dog" being this animal's common name (that is, the non-Latin name which is generally used), the Federal Trade Commission inexplicably decided in 1951 that this animal should be referred to as "Asiatic raccoon" in advertising and labeling under the Fur Products Labeling Act.

"Investigation Results Find Raccoon Dog Most Misrepresented Fur Sold in America" [Humane Society] (Thanks to Pierre!)
(Photo: hokkey)

Research has shown a link between sexualized images of teens in the media and mental health problems in girls, including eating disorders, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, according to the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

(Thanks to Darkwing Duck!)

"Group: Hospital should nix retailer name" [BusinessWeek/AP]
(Original photo before it got corrupted: D'Arcy Norman)

I'm a woman of "ample girth" but still have a figure. At 226lbs, I have a 38J cup. We're getting married on leap day and I have had issues with bra shopping before. So I went to "Penningtons," an above average store that should have had bras in my size. They didn't.

Here's part of the email she sent to Penningtons' corporate offices:

I'm a bride to be and will be married on the 29th of this month. I am searching for a bra to wear with my dress and entered your store. First off, there was only one woman out on the floor, the other two were hiding in the back. I had to go to the woman at the cash registers and ask for help in order to get any.

The next part really hurt. Although she wanted to sell me a bra, she realized that at 38J, your store doesn't have any in my size or even near my size. In the ensuing conversation, she told me that I should have a reduction.

I have been on a waiting list since my now 5 and a half year old son was 10 months old. I was told that I would have to wait half a year or more after my children finally stop nursing before I could have a reduction. My youngest is 16 months and won't be giving up nursing anytime soon. This is entirely besides the point anyway, what she said was offensive and insulting to say the least.

To tell a customer to "get a reduction" when not only is day in question less than a month away, 20 days in fact, but to even suggest it is absurd and insulting. It has left me in tears and I will never walk through your store doors again no matter how good the sale seems.

It is hard enough to go bra hunting without being humiliated once again because the sizer thinks they know better. Or worse, to suggest that my body is inconvenient to them so I should change it surgically for their convenience.

Thanks a lot, Penningtons. Don't expect me to shop there anytime soon. And I will let all my friends know about how I was told to get a reduction.

We appreciate your comments as they are important to us.

As you know, we pride ourselves in our customer service; therefore, we are very disappointed to hear that you had an unsatisfactory shopping experience in one of our stores.

The Director of Sales & Operations along with the District Sales Manager of this particular region needs to be advised in order to coach the employee in question to ensure that the service level meets our high standards.

Please provide us the store that this happened.

We hope to see you again in our stores.

I know this is not the reason you sent the email, but I would like to congratulate you on your upcoming wedding. I hope you have a beautiful day!

So to "North of 49," we suggest you continue to communicate with the CSR who originally responded to you, and make it clear that you don't think this salesperson should be making such suggestions to customers. Their email seems halfway between a stock response and a sincere attempt to solve the problem, so do what you can to tip the scales in favor of "sincere attempt."

The best thing you can do with this situation is work with Penningtons to make sure they properly train their staff to avoid future incidents like yours; the worst is to come across as someone who can't be pleased, because then they might disregard the very real problem you encountered.

(Photo: Getty)

"B" is the sales lady, and "S" is Seattlest:

B: What color do you want? Grey? Black?

S: Brown, actually.

B: Brown. That's a different choice for a wedding.

S: That's the idea.

B: Light brown? Dark brown? Tan?

S: Dark brown.

Bitchy pulls out a black pinstriped suit and brandishes it at us.

B: This is dark brown. Is this what you're thinking?

It isn't. It's black.

S: Well, not really.

B: It's dark brown. But we won't have this in August.

She hangs the suit again and stares at us.

(Thanks to James!)

"Men's Wearhouse Presents: How to Lose Customers and (Negatively) Influence Sales" [Seattlest]
(Photo: Getty)

The drop-off, which the credit card company described Sunday as "surprising," bodes poorly for chains like Chico's FAS and Ann Taylor, which specialize in women's clothing, and could result in steeper-than-expected discounts on their merchandise in the final week before Christmas.

Expect some bargains as the shopping season wears down:

The drop-off, which the credit card company described Sunday as "surprising," bodes poorly for chains like Chico's FAS and Ann Taylor, which specialize in women's clothing, and could result in steeper-than-expected discounts on their merchandise in the final week before Christmas.

"Even when the dust settles, it is likely to be one of the weakest categories in retail this season," said John D. Morris, senior retail analyst at Wachovia Securities.

So why are sales of women's clothing down? Hmm, could it be the fugly clothes? Or maybe you're broke? What do you think?

Retailers Face an Ominous Holiday Sign [New York Times] (Thanks, Molly!)
(Photo:mainfr4me)

For additional information, contact Old Navy at (866) 580-9930 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, Saturday between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, and Sunday between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET, email custserv@oldnavy.com, or visit www.oldnavy.com.

Old Navy Recalls Boys' Jackets; Drawstring at Waist Poses Entrapment Hazard [CPSC]

According to the State of New York:

Effective September 1, 2007, Clothing and footwear worn by humans and costing less than $110 per item is exempt from the 4% New York State sales and use tax. This exemption does not apply to any locally imposed sales and use tax, unless the county or city imposing the tax elects to provide for it.

Effective September 1, 2007, recently enacted legislation (Chapter 82 of the Laws of 2007) provides that all clothing, footwear, and items used to make or repair clothing (hereinafter "clothing and footwear") are exempt from the 4% New York City local sales and use taxes, regardless of the cost. However, sales in New York City of clothing and footwear costing $110 or more per item or pair remain subject to the 4% New York State sales and use taxes and the ⅜% sales and use taxes imposed by the State in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD).

On Saturday I purchased a belt at Express here in NYC. They charged me sales tax.

There is no sales tax on Clothing under $110 per Item. Belts included. The store would not refund my money.

I filed a complaint with New York State Dept Of Tax and Finance (800) 698-2909.

I also complained to Express Corporate office (614) 415-4633.

After filing the complaint Express has agreed to refund me the tax $2.89

Sales Tax Clothing and Footwear - Permanent Exemption Information [State of New York]

NPR talks with Amelia Gentleman, the New Delhi bureau chief for the International Herald Tribune. She's visited illegal embroidery workshops where children put in 16 hour days sewing sequins onto clothing and are paid about $2.50 a day. She says that even though the story got a lot of media coverage, there hasn't been much of a push to close the workshops down.

"There are so many of these workshops in the streets of central Delhi, just freely visible, and in the immediate aftermath of this Observer expose, which was very heavily reported here, there didn't seem to be any large scale police action to try and shut these workshops down."

She says that some companies, like IKEA, get it right. IKEA not only inspects factories, but also farms where cotton for its textiles are grown.

Gap Pledges Better Work Conditions in India [NPR]

The Gap, Nike, and Levi Strauss actually have comparatively large inspection teams for U.S. companies, but "large" in this sense means about 90 inspectors for the Gap—the number of inspections-per-plant for the Gap in 2006 still worked out to about one every six months.

The current inspection process has only been around since the early to mid-90s, and clearly the current level of inspections aren't working:

A forthcoming study from the Worker Rights Consortium examined 50 factories serving these top companies and found major problems at each location, like verbal abuse, lack of access to drinking water and bathrooms, and the inability for workers to organize. In 84 percent of those factories, workers didn't understand how their salary was determined.

Will it work? The last batch of celebs to try to rescue the brand included Kyra Sedgwick and Chris O'Donnell, whom, we can only assume, were located with the same time machine GAP uses to design its clothes.

OK! Sneak Peek: Amy Poehler's New Gap Ad [OK!]

"It will increase the number of Hilfiger shops in high-volume Macy's stores, renovate and upgrade existing shops and feature Hilfiger collections in its marketing campaigns," according to CNNMoney.

Tommy Hilfiger will still operate its own free-standing stores and sell merchandise on its website, but the rest belongs to Macy's. Is Tommy Hilfiger still cool? Macy's thinks so:

"This is a very big deal for us," the chief executive of Macy's, Terry J. Lundgren, told the New York Times. "Tommy is very significant brand."

Whatever you say, Terry. Ours is not to reason why.

Macy's and Hilfiger Strike Exclusive Deal [New York Times]
Macy's enters agreement with Tommy Hilfiger [CNNMoney]

Bowie has inspired Duffty since childhood and, through his music, taught the designer to experiment across different creative mediums. Duffty applies this lesson to his eclectic encore collection that debuts on October 14 at most Target stores and at Target.com. ... Several of the collection's key pieces draw direct inspiration from characters and songs by David Bowie. The tuxedo, vest and pants were inspired by David's Thin White Duke persona, the song "Station to Station" and his most recent album "Reality." The dress shirts and trench coat are references to David's first movie role as Thomas Jerome Newton in "The Man Who Fell to Earth." In addition, the gray button-down shirt features Bowie's "Let's Dance" lyrics scripted onto the fabric.

"David Bowie has always brought left field ideas to mainstream pop culture and has defined his own unique aesthetic and personality," Duffty said. "Target strives to bring creativity and individuality to its guests, making this collection a perfect fit."

Rock legend David Bowie is inspiration behind limited-edition mens collection (Press Release) [Target via BuzzFeed]
(Photo:Target)

Self-confessed "PR lover" and Southwest CEO Greg Kelly said:

"From a Company who really loves PR, touche to you Kyla! Some have said we've gone from wearing our famous hot pants to having hot flashes at Southwest, but nothing could be further from the truth. As we both know, this story has great legs, but the true issue here is that you are a valued Customer, and you did not get an adequate apology. Kyla, we could have handled this better, and on behalf of Southwest Airlines, I am truly sorry. We hope you continue to fly Southwest Airlines. Our Company is based on freedom even if our actions may have not appeared that way. It was never our intention to treat you unfairly and again, we apologize."

Southwest also took this opportunity to launch something called "Mini-skirt fares." Not kidding. Being serious.

Southwest Airlines Issues an Apology and Lowers Fares to Match Now Infamous Mini Skirt (Press Release)

In true second-hand fashion, we've collected a bin's worth of suggestions on how to maximize your thrift store shopping, added a few of our own, and thrown it all together in no particular order:

• Go often - turnover is high in thrift stores.
  
• Shop for quality - learn how to spot vintage linens, original recordings, depression glass, or whatever it is you're interested in.
  
• Take your time - more than normal retail, thrift stores reward shoppers willing to spend half an hour going through a long rack of clothes item-by-item.
  
• Try on clothing at the store - and wear something easy to change in and out of, or something you can pull clothes over in case there's no dressing room. If it's cold outside, leave your coat in your car.
  
• Test all electronics on-site - carry common batteries with you if you're looking at used consumer electronics or toys that are battery operated.
  
• Factor in the cost/trouble of delivering any furniture you purchase - most thrift stores won't deliver.
  
• Decide on a category before you enter - don't shop for books and clothes; focus on one thing exclusively
  
• When clothes shopping, learn to look for color, then texture, then style. Also, learn to identify material by sight. This way you can use color and texture (and fabric type) to quickly identify pieces you'll want to actually pull off the rack to inspect further.
  
• Avoid the temptation to make clothing-related jokes while you shop - yes, that Mr. Furley blazer is hilarious, but now you've wasted another 30 seconds in a store that smells like a basement.
  
• If you suffer from severe allergies, stick to Wal-Mart. Many thrift stores are filled with dust or worse, and can wreak havoc on allergies.
  
• Take water to drink - it will help alleviate any reactions you do have to dustmites or mold.
  
• Eat before you go.
  
• Use the bathroom before you go.
  
• If you want to avoid crowds, try evenings.
  

RELATED
"Tips for Thrift Store Shopping" [Associated Content]
"Thrift Store Shopping Basics" [Associated Content]
"How to Shop Well for Clothes in a Thrift Store" [WikiHow]
"Thrift Store Shopping" [The Sideroad]
(Photo: Chris Walters)

The tests concluded that some clothes had concentrations of formaldehyde 900 times the "level that causes harm." Formaldehyde is used as a preservative and as an embalming fluid and may cause cancer. From the Washington Post:

"Target" production manager Juanita Dobson said the garments tested were "randomly selected items" that are "readily available from common outlets round New Zealand."

"We are not releasing further details" of brand names or importers ahead of the show airing on Tuesday, she told The Associated Press.

A woman with the media office of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, who gave only her surname Xia, said she had not heard of the New Zealand case. The administration is China's product safety watchdog.

People who answered phones at the China National Garment Association and the China Textile Industry Association also said they had not heard of the case.

"We were tipped off by a consumer who contacted us because her son had bought 100 per cent cotton pants and had an allergic reaction to them," she said.

"So we started looking into the types of chemicals that are used in production and manufacture of clothing and treatments that they receive along the way. For example, something like formaldehyde is used to prevent mould and mildew, things like that."

"Quite often we hear about formaldehyde in building materials and things like that, so it was quite hard to find out what it would mean on clothing, but basically there are worries about it being cancer-causing and things like that.

"The laboratory we spoke to was really surprised at the results and actually went back and double-checked that they'd done everything right because our results were so high."

NZ Investigates China Clothes Imports [Washington Post]
NZ tests find formaldehyde in Chinese-made clothes [ABC News, Australia]
(Photo:Getty)

The business continues to hemorrhage money. Starting today Gap, INC. has yet another new CEO, and this one has no apparel experience.

Here at Consumerist, we're pro-success. In the spirit of a new beginning, we thought we'd let Glenn "Stop The Bleeding" Murphy, Gap's new CEO, know what he needs to do to fix the Gap.

These comments were all written by you, the shopper. If Glenn wants to turn it around, he'd better listen up.

How To Fix The Gap

by The Customers Of The Gap

• "Stop charging so much for the same shit you sell at old navy for 50% of the price."

• "Old Navy/Gap seem to have boring clothes, costing more than the more interesting things I find elsewhere. I'd rather have a clearance designer shirt from Lord & Taylor, than an overpriced plain t-shirt from The Gap."

• It seems to me to be a combination of allowing Old Navy to sell extremely similar items for much less and also offering a selection that pales in comparison to that same store. Though I have to say, I've been enjoying my Old Navy options less and less these past couple of years, and the quality has seemed to decline dramatically. Perhaps that's why Old Navy isn't doing that well either.

• The prices are high for teens and young adults without the cachet of the Abercrombie or AE or BR label/logo. For the last few seasons, they have featured a lot of boring colors. Tans, washed-out stuff, browns, blah. Plus, I can get a similar polo shirt for a fraction of the price (for my sons) at Old Navy.

• You can try on 6 different pairs of the same jeans in the same size, length and cut and all 6 pairs will fit differently - that kind of piss-poor quality control is why I stopped shopping at the Gap. The marketing onslaught for skinny jeans when maybe .01% of the female population actually look good in them sealed the deal. (I stopped shopping at Old Navy as well when it became clear that ultra-ultra-ultra low-rise was their starting point). I guess I'm at the age where I realize that shelling out $50 for crappy fitting clothes makes less financial sense than shelling out $80 for clothes that fit well and will stand the test of time.

• The only reason to shop there is to be able to brag to someone else that I got this at the Gap! Same shit for half the price at Target. Plus I do most of my cloths shopping twice a year at Costco. Name brand CK, Polo, Ralph Lauren etc. and the most expensive items are still under $30.00 there.

• I've found that the jeans I've bought there in the past went threadbare before Levi's of a similar age would have been broken in. Also bought the only shirts I've ever managed to wear out the elbow of, while working a desk job.

• Last time I went into a Gap store there seemed to be about twenty employees there.

  None of whom seemed to want to help me, despite my polite requests.

• Low-quality fabrics, unflattering cuts, boring clothes. Also, they still make flare jeans (I'm not talking boot-cut, which are fine, but like bad retro flare). Too many whiskers and such on them as well.

• The whole sweatshop thing bothered me when it broke a few years ago, and aside from getting $5-10 shirts and pants from the sales rack, the stuff is far overpriced.

  I have a hard time shopping there without a guilty conscience.

• the fit at everything at the gap is RIDICULOUS! the "small" clothing has larger measurements than a "large" at clothing companies that are doing well, like american apparel. everything at the gap is short, wide, and has a "belly pouch" sewn in (ie, extra fabric so that giant bellies can hang loose). the only clothing that is fitted somewhat well with a range of sizes and fits is the women's pants.

• Why shop at The Gap when I can get the same quality (and better work clothes styles) at Old Navy? Or when I can go some place like Macy's or Nordstrom's and pay the same amount for better quality?

  On a related note, I had to laugh a few months back when they raised the prices on their skirts ~$10 and had them "on sale" for the old price.

• I love the Gap's clothes. I hate the Gap's prices.
  We all know that the third-world value of those clothes are like $7 — why charge $79.99 for a fucking sweater?

• I think the GAP has just lost its way. The GAP started as a place for everyone to shop-it was the place to bridge the generation gap. It offered basic, good quality clothes that most anyone could and would wear at reasonable prices.

  Now they don't seem to know who they are, half of the clothes are too young and too trendy and the other half are really boring and frumpy. And all of them are far too expensive relative to the quality and what you find at other stores.

  I also think there are just too many GAP stores - there is absolutely nothing special about going into a GAP, it's about as special as a neighborhood gas station.

• To me, everything they sell in the GAP looks like something I might have worn or considered cute back in 1992.

• Frankly, the middle market is disappearing. Just as the gap between rich and poor widens, most consumers are shopping either significantly more upmarket or more downmarket. There were actually days when wearing clothes from the GAP was really very hip, and the clothes were not any more expensive than they are today.

  Nowadays, the cachet clothes cost easily two or three times more than comparable clothes from the GAP. Consumers with the cash are shopping at higher end labels, and consumers with less money are not going to shell out money that will stretch their finances for brands that do not have the cachet they once held. They'll buy clothes from Old Navy, H&M, or Zara.

• I lost faith the day they hired Sarah Jessica Parker to shill the Gap.

  Her face looks like a foot.

• I worked at an Old Navy for two years, and during that time, I only used my employee discount to buy things at Gap. Why? Because Old Navy's jeans felt like sandpaper and their graphic tees (which are basically the only kind of shirt I wear) looked like they were designed by a 12-year-old who just learned Photoshop.

• As a 29 year old female who does a lot of shopping, I have to say the Gap is one boring ass place to shop.

• As for Old Navy....my cousin bought me a nice blue sweater with a red stripe running horizontally across the chest. Two washes later the red stripe ran pink and red all over the sweater. I'll stick to Macy's and JC Penny's.

• I hate the Gap and Old Navy because, as several other people have noted, they plaster their names/logos all over their shirts (especially Old Navy) and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for the privilege of serving as a walking billboard for a multinational corporation.

• I hate the Gap because of that BS Audrey Hepburn commercial. That, and the Lyrcra in everything. Just try to buy a pair of non-Lycra jeans at the Gap. I dare you.
  

To Summarize (We know CEOs are busy):

Gap sells boring, low quality clothes at prices that are not competitive. The customer service is poor. The materials used are substandard compared to what can be purchased for the same amount of money at other retailers. The sizes are inconsistent. The styles are either boring or too trendy with nothing in between.

The brand isn't well-regarded, and is not worth paying a premium to own. Gap, INC. logos on clothing are embarrassing to wear. The spokespeople are annoying.

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you, Glenn. Good luck!

We know this, but Walmart's Apparel Chief Claire A. Watts didn't. She's resigned from her position after Walmart's attempt to snag some of the trendy clothes market failed miserably.

From the Washington Post:

Watts's duties will be split between Mark Larsen, who oversaw merchandise for babies, children and men, and Dottie Mattison, who worked for Walmart.com.

Marshal Cohen, a senior analyst with consumer research firm NPD Group, said Watts's departure did not mean that fashion was dead at Wal-Mart. But he said the retailer needed to refocus on the desires of its core customers rather than chase after trendsetters.

Wal-Mart's Fashion Maven Departs As Trendy Merchandise Languishes [Washington Post]
(Photo:ashcroft54)

"When the bikini first arrived, its revealing cut scandalized even the French fashion models who were supposed to wear it; they refused, and the original designer had to enlist a stripper instead."

The very origin of the name "bikini" is tied to the nuclear tests conducted on Bikini Atoll, which explains why attractive bikini-clad ladies were known as "bombshells." So next time your significant other salaciously eyes a bikini, let him off the hook - he is merely appreciating history.

The Right To Bare Tummies [Slate]
(Photo: Todd Ehlers)

GapKids recently featured a white, crocheted string bikini you'd likely see Anna Kournikova wearing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. The bikini was for a 12-month-old.

Racks at Target held several bathing suits perfect for a Hawaiian Tropic bikini competition. The crocheted and camouflage-designed suits started at Size 4 in the little girls' section.

Inseams on "classic" shorts at stores such as Abercrombie Kids and Hollister Co. are microscopic. And halter tops, shirts often lauded by fashion consultants for their ability to enhance a less-than-voluptuous chest, are everywhere for every age.

Moms hoping to find anything even mildly modest have to be happy Bermuda shorts are trendy again.

Exasperation rises as suggestive clothes for girls spread from teens to toddlers [Arizona Republic]
(Photo: Gap Kids Bikini, Available For Girls 35lbs 41")

1. Place the wool item in a sink full of warm water.
2. Soak for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the item and squeeze out excess water.
4. Let dry on a towel.
5. Carefully stretch and pull the item back to its original shape. Voila!

Why are we talking about wool in the summer? Because we recently threw our smelly winter cap in the wash and it came out a kitty-cat chapeau. Bookmark this tip in your brain for the next time you forget to read your wool item's care label. — BEN POPKEN

References: StyleBites, The Gazette

If the clothing companies prevail, they could reclaim close to $1 billion worth of tariffs based on gender differences. For example, the lawsuit claims that the government earned $2.5 million last year from discriminatory tariffs on underpants (penalizing women), $93 million for cotton shirts (penalizing men), $16 million for silk shirts (penalizing women) and $71 million for shoes with leather tops (women again).

In Apparel, All Tariffs Aren't Created Equal [NYT] (Thanks to Sacha!)
(Photo: huxleyesque)

We're partial to the Ghostly International, poppies, and ex-libris.

The ties go for $30 or $40, depending on whether you choose poly-blend or black or white 100% charmeuse silk tie.

These ties are the perfect way to say, "I'm hip, AND I have I job." — BEN POPKEN

Cyberboptix [via Murketing]

Pressler's penny-pinching may have turned off the Gap's core customers. Sweaters that were once 100% cotton or wool, for example, showed up in stores as acrylic blends, and people noticed. Banana Republic tried to woo the same high-end consumers as J. Crew but didn't go far enough in offering luxury fabrics, like cashmere, that those shoppers wanted. In 2005, while department stores couldn't sell enough $100-plus premium jeans, the Gap skipped denim and tried to push khakis. "Pressler went too far in focusing on costs at the expense of merchandising," says Christine Chen, senior research analyst at Pacific Growth Equities. "Sometimes you just need to go with your gut and do what makes sense to get customers in the door."

Why The GAP Keeps Getting Crushed [TIME]

Lame jokes from Goldman Sachs aside: What the hell is wrong with Walmart?

The Times lists several possibilities, including the fact that in a world where Walmart's average customer is "5-foot-2 and wears a size 14" Walmart expanded its "urban" clothing line—featuring tapered, tight-fitting skinny jeans. Bad idea.

And then there's the whole layaway thing:

"By ending layaway plans, which allowed low-income shoppers to make purchases in installments, the chain freed up the store space and employees.But it also upset shoppers like Michele Kahindi, a 30-year-old mother of three who lives in Portland, Ore.

Eliminating the program "hinders a mom's ability to hide stuff from the kids," she said. "I don't get it. Now Kmart is going to get my layaway business."

Meanwhile, Target is growing by leaps and bounds... stealing Walmart's customers and not giving them back. —MEGHANN MARCO(Thanks, jp!)

Wal-Mart Trips as It Changes a Bit Too Fast [New York Times]

Like the toes of Tyra's boots but not the heel? Draw a box around the toes and see what like.com comes up with. For us, it found lots of similar (and cheaper) boots on stores like amazon.com.

Cool idea. The site is still in "alpha", but we think this has a lot of promise. The celebs available for imitation are pretty weak...who tries to look like Britney Spears?...but we're looking forward to the future. For more info, The Wall Street Journal has a detailed review of Like.com here.— MEGHANN MARCO

Where to Find a Famous Look [wsj.com]

However, for one skinny, blond publishing industry worker, a past shopping trauma causes a tickle in her olfactories. Now every Century 21 bag she encounters smells like vomit.

Aside: you'll have to forgive us and supply your own imagination caps for, try as we might, we failed to find the perfect picture to illustrate this post's "concept."

In creating her Pavlovian puke connection, she sacrificed reduced-priced cashmere and last season's Pucci for a misplaced piece of pride. Dignity is for sale in Manhattan, but you have to pay the right price. And usually the transaction doesn't take place in the back of a taxi.

Usually.

"Things That Make Me Nauseous: Century 21" [via Gawker]