Review: Land's End is now crap and here's why

I grew up with lots of Lands' End stuff.  It was always the poor man's L.L. Bean, but it was nice stuff and held up over time. Out on my own, I'd shop from them from time to time for T-shirts, sweaters, and their great swimsuits.

Well, that's all gone down the tubes.  It started a couple years ago when I bought several T-shirts that were nice bright colors and a longer length.  (You don't understand how much I appreciate longer-length shirts; hardly anything out there is truly long enough for my torso, and let's not even get into how much fabric a larger chest takes up -- which, by the way, the models in magazines never have . . . they always show their shirts on flat-chested people, which is totally unrealistic and misleading when trying to visualize it on myself, but that is another post in itself.  Ahem.)

So the shirts were great for a while, but then they began shrinking and twisting and mis-shaping themselves until they were all stretched out in weird ways.  I still have some of them, but I just wait as, after each wear, they get a little uglier until it's time to retire them.  (Compare to one of my old shirts from them, which I recently had to retire after YEARS, not due to any problems of poor construction, but general wear.)  Strike one against Lands' End.  But I was willing to try again.

Then there was a whole fiasco with swimsuit sizing after my baby was born.  Suffice it to say, I was highly annoyed by their sizing and style choices, and customer service was not helpful at all.  If you want a Lands' End bathing suit, keep in mind that you're not allowed to be a well-endowed nursing mom with a long torso.  Sheesh.  As it turned out, I barely swam that summer anyhow. :(  (I hate the Pacific Ocean for its lack of swim-ability, but again, that is another post.)  Anyhow, my annoyance at Lands' End grew.

Then there was the long-sleeved shirt.  That just ended it.  I ordered this particular shirt, and it looked and fit great!  Then I washed it and it shrank into oblivion.  Sleeves and overall height lost over 2" apiece and I couldn't wear it due to a) that super-annoying three-quarter-sleeve feeling of not being able to pull your sleeves all the way down; and b) my gut hanging out.  Totally felt like a kid outgrowing her clothing!!  I gave the shirt to charity (perhaps some 10-year-old can wear it) and vowed to not shop at Lands' End ever again. I cannot stand it when respected companies decide to cheap out and sell you things that won't last for way too much money.  You can be cheap to begin with, I don't mind that, but don't start great and then get lazy and pretend you're still selling the same great wares.  I have zero respect for that.

Instead, I turned to L.L. Bean, and so far they still have quality!  And constant free shipping, and sales.  This, I like.  I also like the Arizona T-shirts in the juniors' department of JC Penney.  These are super-cheap-quality to begin with, but at least they are always on sale, are super long length and don't shrink, and hold up better than you might expect.  I do respect that!  I have a bunch and only need to retire them when they become riddled with holes.  Ha!

Oh, and don't even get me started on "Lands' End Canvas" . . . it both mystifies and annoys me.  Land's End, you are CRAP.