A) Sorry for the late post, this particular segment is a little more time-consuming to put together.
B) I am not and have never been compensated for a SINGLE opinion or review on this blog. If it ever happens, I will absolutely disclose that. Know though, that regardless, my honesty shall never be compromised (that being said, I'd love to review items from ANY of the stores mentioned in my blog! email me at frugalistafatshionista[at]yahoo[dot]com)
This segment will be dedicated to reviews of places to get your fatshion! I'll be looking at online stores, boutiques, independent labels...but no matter what, it'll be places that I have personal experience with. People are always asking me where to buy certain things online, how easy it is to actually purchase from a particular retailer, whether lines tend to run true-to-size, so this will be my platform to get all that information out there, one retailer at a time.
This month, I'll be talking about one of my favorite places to shop, and in fact a staple in my wardrobe since I was in high school, Old Navy.
Some of the looks I've rocked with Old Navy apparel:
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| Old Navy Tunic |
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| Old Navy Blouse |
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| Old Navy Trouser Jeans and Black Cardi-Coat |
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| Old Navy Shorts |
Website: The website is easy to navigate...everything is very well organized by genre and size, and even when you click on an item, it lets you know right away whether or not it is available in every size and color shown. The "add to bag" feature also acts as a wishlist, because whatever you choose not to buy right away stays "in the bag" indefinitely until that particular item in that size runs out of stock. The clothes are usually shown on relatively size appropriately mannequins, so you can tell it's meant for bigger women, but because there are no models, you can't really tell how a garment will fall on curves (which is about the same as any site WITH models, considering they're all teeny)...Each item has reviews and ratings listed underneath to help you decide whether or not an item is for you, or whether you should size up or down, etc.
Prices: Their prices are not at all bad considering the quality of the clothes (which some people complain about, but you're getting what you pay for, plus I still have shirts that are 5-6 years old that have gotten and continue to get plenty of use with no problem)...Old Navy tends to have sales like, every other day, so that doesn't hurt the bottom line, either. You can expect to pay $10-$20 for a top, unless it's a promotional item, like their Independence Day shirts, which tend to be cheaper...and $20-$40 for bottoms.
Sizing: The sizing tends to be iffy...I'm used to the fluctuations, but that seems to be everyone's biggest pet peeve with Old Navy. I find that if you make sure to go over the reviews, they can be very helpful to determine whether you should order true to size, etc. As with any online shopping, know your measurements and compare them to the size chart before ordering, to make sure the items are a right fit for you.
Delivery: Old Navy is usually pretty quick...I can count on my stuff reaching me in about a week consistently when I select the free shipping, which is offered any time you spend $50 or more. They also give tracking numbers so you can see exactly when your items should be arriving.
Returns: Returns are FREE! Which is awesome, except that the reason they are free is because you can't make plus-size returns in store. That would make life WAY easier, but then again, they don't have the plus-sized line for sale in the stores either, so you couldn't really exchange anything...It would still be great in the cases where you just want your money back, but alas, as of right now it just is not happening, but the returns process is relatively painless and free, as I mentioned, so shop and return at your leisure!
Quality: The quality of some Old Navy clothes is...questionable. It used to be pretty good considering what you were paying for it, but in the past couple of years, I find myself examining every inch of fabric from each of my purchases before committing them to my closet, because the fabric of most items is thinner and might have random holes or piling. In these cases, you can return the items and get replacements, and usually the problem will be solved. Obviously this is another problem that would be solved by having the plus-sized line in-store, so you could inspect your clothes BEFORE buying them, but we're still holding out for that privilege...I say again, if reviews on an item you're coveting are available, check them out to see if there seems to be a recurring problem...you might want to skip that item altogether.
So, there's my review! I hope this helps anyone out there that is newer to fatshion or online shopping, and if you have any questions regarding Old Navy, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them or to find the answer for you.
If you have a fatshion store/boutique you'd like me to review, or if you would like to be a Featured Fashionista, please contact me at frugalistafatshionista[at]yahoo[dot]com
Related note: I am willing to do product reviews. Just send me an email at frugalistafatshionista @ yahoo.com. My reviews are always 100% honest, & I will only accept items that are relevant to my blog.
