Woman Within

Full review
I can’t stand shopping. Really. I’m short and round and it’s just painful to find anything that fits without trying on a hundred things. The whole process of finding the right size is maddening. Pick em, take em to the register, get naked, try them on, get dressed, find bigger/smaller size, repeat process. Yuck.

As a result, I’m doing more and more online shopping with stores at which I know my size and can shop easily online. I’ve also been trying some new stores as well and Lane Bryant Catalog is one of them.

Last month Lane Bryant sent me a catalog featuring plain, v-neck t-shirts on the cover. They looked perfect and the price was only about $7 each so I decided to take the plunge and order a few. Well I actually ordered 10 of them which is more than a few, but at that price I had to have one in every color.


The main page of the Lane Bryant Catalog website displays any promotions that are currently in effect. The site is divided into the following categories: New arrivals, clothing, shoes & accessories, intimates & sleepwear, and clearance. Clicking on one of the category tabs first displays the specials for that category (i.e., buy one get one bras, 20% off shapewear) and also displays links to the sub-categories. For example, if you select intimates & sleepwear, the sub-categories are bras, panties, shapewear, slips & camisoles, sleepwear, and hosiery & socks. It’s quite easy to find the exact item you’re looking for or just browse until you find something you don’t really need but must have. You can even browse by brand.

If you’re looking for a specific item, you can also use one of two quick methods for finding it on the site. First is to enter a keyword in the Product Search field and clicking the Go button. For example, enter blue sweater into the field and click Go. The product database is searched for your entry and anything that matches will be displayed. If you happen to know the item number from a print catalog, you can enter the number into the Order From Catalog field and click the Go button. That specific item will be displayed if it is still available.


The images on the site are clear and large and you can zoom in and out to see the selected item in greater detail. Additional details, such as inseam lengths, colors available, fabric composition, and washing instructions are also displayed.



Checkout
When I was finished shopping, I clicked on the Shopping Bag link to view the contents of my bag and then clicked the Checkout button to place my order. The first screen that displays is the shipping information screen. As a returning customer I was already logged into my account, so I had the option of selecting my billing address on file which automatically populates the billing address into the shipping address fields.


Shipping
The next step in the checkout process is the shipping screen. From this screen you can choose from three shipping options – Standard, Express, or Super-Fast. Standard shipping states that your order will arrive within 10 business days, Express is 3-4 days for an extra $7.99, and Super-Fast is 2 days and costs $16.99 more. I always opt for the Standard shipping method which is $9.99 and seems a bit high to me so there is no way I’d spring for the expedited shipping. I’m impatient, but I’m cheap which overrules impatience.


Payment
Lane Bryant accepts many different credit cards. The big four - Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express are accepted, as well as the following: Jessica London, Woman Within, Lane Bryant, Roaman’s, King Size, Chadwick’s, Metrostyle, La Redoute, and Brylane Home. You can also pay by gift card or merchandise credit.

When checkout is completed, an order summary is displayed on screen and an email is sent to the email address on file. The email contains all order information as well as a link so you can track your order as it travels to its final destination.



Packaging
My order arrived in a thick plastic bag. Each individual item was wrapped in a plastic bag and taped shut. The clothes within the bags were folded neatly and had either a piece of cardboard tucked inside to keep the folded shape or tissue to prevent wrinkling.



Other cool things on the site
Size chart – click this link to see sizing for women’s petite, average, and tall sizes.

Fashion glossary – Clicking this link launches a new window that displays a glossary of fashion terms, such as appliqué, basque waist, camp pockets, or dolman sleeve. This is a really nice feature that I’ve never seen on any other site.

Online catalog – click this link to shop from the online version of the paper catalog that is sent to customer’s via snail mail.

Order status – Click this link to see the status of current or past orders. You will be required to either log into your account or know your order number and zip code to access this information.

My Promotions – Click the My Promotions link on the homepage to see special promotions for account holders. You need to be logged into your account to see these promotions.

Email sign up – enter your email address into this field to receive emails about special promotions and sales

Wish list – While shopping on the site you can add items to your wish list and forward the wish list to friends and family via email.


Returns
If you are unsatisfied with your purchase it can be returned for a full refund (minus shipping) or exchanged for another item. Lane Bryant offers a nice option where you can return the item by dropping it off at a UPS location and the $5.75 shipping fee is deducted from your refund or UPS will even pick it up at your location for $7.25. That’s great for lazy folks like me who loathe the post office.


Dislikes
The only thing I dislike about Lane Bryant Catalog is the skinny models. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: if a store specializes in plus sized clothes, it would be very nice to see people who look like me wearing the clothes. I mean, if I was a retailer of products for people with red hair, it would be kind of a moot point to have people with black hair or grey hair or NO hair in the catalog. We know we’re different. It ain’t gonna offend us if you have big girls in your catalog. It’s actually MORE offensive to go to the site and see a pair of capri pants with a blurb next to them that says “up to size 6X” and then have a skinny broad standing there wearing what is obviously a size 6. It is not realistic and is misleading. I want to know how that item is going to look on someone like me. They may as well just show it hanging on a hanger for that matter because that skinny model is about as helpful. Lane Bryant.com states that their clothing is for sizes 12w-44w but if there is a size 12 or larger model in that catalog then I'm Ms. America.


My Experience
LaneBryantCatalog.com was easy to navigate and I was able to find the t-shirts from the print catalog very quickly. The order process was quick and I was able to apply a discount coupon code to my order which saved me several dollars and since my order was so large I received free shipping as an added bonus.

The t-shirts that I ordered were of high quality and they fit just right. The price was very good which is why I ordered 10 of them. I am keeping all of them. They have washed nicely as well and didn’t wrinkle much (they are 100% cotton) or fade or shrink at all. I immediately received an email stating that my order had been received and then another when it shipped. Shipping was a bit slow. When I placed this order I had also placed an order with FashionBug.com the following day with standard shipping. The FashionBug order arrived first about 3 days later but the Lane Bryant order didn’t arrive for an additional five days.


Bottom line
I have placed only that one order with Lane Bryant and was happy with it. Although I did not care for much of their clothing as I thought it was frumpy I would order again if something caught my eye. The t-shirts caught my eye as I stock up on new ones every spring and the price and time were right. I didn’t see many other items I was interested in purchasing but there were a few I'd consider.


FYI - Lane Bryant Catalog is changing their name to Woman Within. Right now the site is displaying both names, but I believe they will completely switch over to Woman Within at some point.