L.L. Bean released its Signature Fall 2010 collection today. This is a first take review. (And look for yourself here.)
Women's Items
The Suede Bloucher and Leather Bloucher Mocs, Downeaster Sport Wool Plaid Bag, and the Saltwash Canvas Backpack look solid, and The Wool Trench, 1958 Chamois Shirt and the Glen Plain Bucket Hat might be good. Beyond that, the Women's items are mostly an ugly, dry-clean only mess. (I ran out of synonyms for hideous as I was going through this section).
Overall, there are way too many synthetics. Who needs a dress made of seven different materials? They also have an annoying habit of taking the name of a lovely Maine town and naming a not-so-lovely item after it (Castine Cord Jacket comes to mind). Expect to see deep discounts once again in a few months.
Men's Items
The Men's items are much more interesting.
L.L. Bean has hit several home runs by simply reaching into their archives. But the Signature team could not resist meddling, and made so many items "slim fit" (which combines impractical fit with a style destined to be as dated as wide ties in just a few years). They also seemed to have outsourced all of their production to China and other offshore locations, which in the past may have accounted for some quality issues.
Given these, some caution might be advised in buying otherwise obvious great looking items like the 1947 Field Coat with its marvelous button out liner vest, the Bean's Plaid Stag Jacket, the Maine Guide Shirt, or the Blanket Lined Corduroy Coat with the spectacular lining. (The sweater shown under the Ink Black Stag Jacket looks the most intriguing of all.)
Some seemingly unaltered items that look wonderful are the Bean's Vacation Bag, Bean's Zipper Duffle, Saddle Shoes and the Signature Ties, Tartan.
Overall in the Men's section, they came so close. But there are many men who either do not have model figures, or are not interested in trying to look like one, or who worry about a soon-to-be-dated look, who would flock to more authentic items if they were not slim-fitted. At the very least, there should be a regular fit option.
16 comments:
As always, you hit the nail on the head. I looked through the new items before reading your review and I cannot agree with you more about everything, especially the women's offerings (too many gaudy, tight, flashy items, if you ask me).
I thought I was on Banana Republic's site for a second.
"If it ain't broke don't fix it," is what I'm thinking after looking at the Signature Collection. L.L. Bean would do well to revisit their archives and offer items that made them famous and are still made in the USA. How about revisiting old catalogs or yore and offering the _same_ item. That would be something to get excited about. Great Post.
Looks like they're trying to be a J.Crew clone, and just not hitting the mark! I agree with one other posts revisit the L.L.Bean archives and bring back that old fashion L.L Bean quality they're known for!
Good comments, all.
They have a tough job in trying to present authentic looking items, at the price they seem to be shooting for.
It is hard to understand why the two sweaters don't have saddle shoulders. Maybe a cost item, but saddle shoulders seem like the only authentic way to go.
The fair isle with the huge mallards seems to be trying the OPH route to the point of caricature. Sure to be a standard at rummage sales in the near future, if they sell any.
Many try, but no one does the chamois shirt like LLB.
Super slim sizes do seem to be a problem, as mentioned. Men that are a bit more mature won't fit the shapes. College students today use Army-Navy store as go to wardrobe source. T shirts, cargo shorts, and rubber flip flops.
Big problem for LLB. Have no clue as to the solution.
(sigh)What a disappointment, again. This process reminds me of the deterioration of Talbots, which was once an excellent brand for the WASP taste. I look in my closets and see thick, well-cut wool skirts and luscious, handsome sweaters I bought from Bean 25 years ago--still more than serviceable because they are classic. I used to look forward with such anticipation to their catalogs. No more. What a marketing error on their part. Their market research is very poor.
The low-on-the-hips, Victoria's Secret look for trousers is just about to die, so Bean has made a mistake with these looks for women. I concur with Allison--the open-mouthed models wearing tiny jackets do look as though they were on the teenagers' clothing sites.
I could get some use out of the silk/cotton shirt dress for running errands, though.
We could beat this thing to death, but LLB is such an important part of our backgrounds that it is hard to dismiss it.
Another issue involves "dressing your age". Few things stand out like someone over 40 dressing like a teenager. Invites ridicule.
People over 40 are the market that is willing to spend significantly for clothes. When you look at the LLB models, they appear to be in their 20s. Apparel seems appropriate for that age group.
Talbots is a perfect example. When we lived in Ct. I can remember Nan at the back door in the Simsbury store, greeting customers. Talbots is owned by General Mills, or some such, and has gone astray.
LLB however, is still privately owned, and can do what they wish.
Wharf Rat, you hit on an excellent point about demographics and spending power. And LLB is that important and they are sitting on exactly what they need, that old family home in Freeport that houses their archives.
My experience with a large business, and a medium sized one is that the best strategic suggestions came from present clients.
Under the heading of things unlikely to happen, it would seem to be a great idea for LLB to invite Muffy and four friends of her choosing to Freeport for a day, to brain storm ideas.
I'll bet they would be pleased to do it pro bono, and their input would be worth more than a $50,000 marketing study by McKinsey.
FWIW, they have fiddled with the chamois shirt, and messed up perfection, IMO,in the Signature collection.
Signature chamois is slimmer cut, and is $49. The old standby was perfect, and doesn't need to be slimmer.
If you are a fan of the traditional standbys, you can get 4 perfectly acceptable colors on sale for $24.95 each, on their site.(TA187923).
If you want a wider color selection, they are at regular price of $34.95 each. (TA187934).
Let's see, if you want to deliberately destroy a best seller, you might alter the fit, and raise the price, that should do it.
I also received the catalog. I was not overly impressed either – much of it was a caricature of itself.
However I am not opposed to some slimmer fitting items – particularly men’s shirts. If you are not portly and want a traditional button down oxford in traditional colors, you should be able to get a proper fitting shirt without taking it to be tailored.
Best regards,
JRC
I have to agree with J. Rogers. Regular fit shirts often look baggy on me, so I also am pleased to see tailored as an option. I do however see no reason to make it standard, and thus, perhaps that means I really don't see the point in the Signature collection at all. Why not simply offer tailored fit on otherwise unaltered items from the regular selections? It seems quite a waste of money to make a whole new item just to offer it in a different fit.
The articles aren't very expensive, and yet the same sort of looks can be achieved for half the price by shopping at miscellaneous places on line and at miscellaneous outlet malls or even Marshall's.
Ms. Aldrich
I know this is an older post, but I wanted to say that you could not have been more spot on. For those of us who care about such things. L.L. Bean and Alex Carleton really missed a golden oppertunity. He was given the keys to the kingdom and did not rise to the occasion. Folks who buy clothes from L.L. Bean do not wish to look like they shop at the mall. If they did, they would not buy clothes from a catalog that also sells tents.
Mr. Carleton, god bless him, has a quite large tattoo on his arm. Not exactly an preppy thing to do, much less a L.L. Bean thing to do. One does wonder what they were thinking. What ever happened to classic style?
I also like slimmer cuts for ll bean signature. For me, the signature line is a blessing, since I look like I'm wearing a my dad's clothes in most of the men's small outerwear. I'm also 30 years old so some of the more contemporary styles look fine to me. I really like the stag jacket I got. It looks great, feels great, etc. Of course, it is more jarring than with most clothes lines to see that the coat is made in Vietnam.
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