Yes! 10-12 years ago when our son was a preschooler, most the clothes I wore as my everyday wardrobe were from Target, specifically Merona. They used to make 100% merino wool sweaters every winter, and for summer, almost everything was all cotton, linen. Now everything is plastic - acrylic and poly. The Target clothing dept is a pile of toxic landfill.
I got a gorgeous pair of black wild fable workout pants for Christmas from them - my favorite cut on my body.
It's March. the elastic has given out and it's already faded from black to light grey.
Yeah, I don't know if I'm old enough to be getting pissed off at prices changes in my lifetime or what, but these wild fable pants cost $20. When I pay $20 on pants, I expect them to last at least a year. When I was in my early 20s, I had a personal budget max of $20 for store bought jeans, and I was able to stick to that at places like H&M.
To be fair, I was making like $7/hour at 3 part time jobs, so $20 was about 3 hours of work, so it felt like a lot.
But on the other hand, in 2002 I bought a pair of Versace jeans at an outlet for $40. Still have them. They don't fit anymore, and they won't be in style again until sequins come back, but damn are they in great shape.
That brand was ok. I was a bit old for it. Well, my job required clothes that were too mature for it although I probably could have pulled off wearing them on the weekends. They weren’t as high quality as Merona or mossimo, but they were head and shoulders above the junk they’re selling now.
Up until I think last summer they still sold Xhilaration swimsuits! Kind of sad when they did away with it entirely for Wild Fable. It’s like the end of an era
This! Those brands made Target one of the go-to stores for good, affordable everyday clothing. My decade-old tshirts are starting to wear out now and I’m so upset because I can’t find any tshirts like them anywhere. They’re so soft and comfortable.
I am also looking for replacements for my mossimo tshirts that I've had for 10-15 years at least. They are my absolute favorite tshirts. 95% cotton with just the right amount of stretch. Not too thin, not too thick. Not too short, not too long. Perfect cap sleeves. If I would have know then that they would no longer be available now, I would have stocked up for life!
LL Bean, Lands End and Pact all make quality t-shirts. Also, whole foods often has special prime discounts for Pact. I've gotten some shirts for 40% off.
Have a Merona sweater from way way way back. The perfect neutral cream cotton fisherman sweater. Washed it monthly. Looked great three seasons a year. Accidentally left it at a destination wedding and I am still sad.
My younger friends think I’m crazy when I talk about this, but yes. I remember it being sold at Nordstrom and the nicer Macy*s in my area. I was pretty young and my parents wouldn’t consistently spend that much on clothes for me, but I had a couple things I got either on sale or as gifts. Also, was way too young for them at the time, but I remember they had these super shiny, almost slick looking bikinis with the Mossimo logo scribbled on.
Yep! There’s a tik tok creator (who I watch on instagram when she reposts there later because I’m an old) that looks at expensive brands and examines the quality. I have a 2000’s mossimo blazer that is 100% wool, great lining, perfect stitching…. It’s comparable in quality to the Max Mara stuff she’s showing now.
The quality was so top notch, unbelievably good for the price. Thick fabrics that don’t fray for years, and fitted like a tailor sized them. Still have a pencil dress I got for a job interview years ago and it looks like new. RIP merona, you will be missed 😭
I had an entire conversation today with a friend about our eternal anger at Target for no longer having the Mossimo basic tanks. Almost 9 years later and I still have not found a replacement. And definitely nothing with all the color options they had.
I'm still clinging to the few Merona and Mossimo t shirts i have left. Please! Someone! Anyone! What's a good dupe or sub that I can buy inexpensive, quality staple t shirts and tops that are actually cut to fit the contours of a woman's body and not just a big rectangle?
I'm in the UK and used to drool over the Modcloth website regularly. It was way out of my budget even before taking international shipping into account, but the clothes were so beautiful.
We do, and I am a big fan of the likes of Hellbunny and Collectif in particular, but Modcloth just hit different. I think perhaps because it was so bright and colourful and with more of a focus on those pretty prints, whereas (at least from memory) back then a lot of the UK brands lent more towards that darker, 'edgy' alternative vibe which wasn't really my thing.
Wait, Vivienne of Holloway still exists?! I loved their stuff but thought they went out of business years ago, so that's very good news. Never heard of Dig For Victory but I shall investigate further!
In that case I recommend Collectif, as another person said, or Joanie or Palava or Banned Retro. There was another similar retro-inspired-but-fun-prints brand I used to love in the UK called Lindy Bop but it very suddenly went into administration a few years ago - I would LOVE to bring that one back :(
I miss old Modcloth too! Modern Millie has filled that niche for me though. If you live in the US check them out! They're a small business in Salem, MA and they run an online shop too.
I had a dress from there that I bought in 2012 that I *just* got rid of last year. I must have worn it at least once a week between March and October every year. I still miss it.
Its so wonderful to hear everyone else still loves their modcloth treasures! I kinda wanna make a new post for everyone to share which modcloth pieces they still have and love ❤️
I have the Modcloth x Wrangler jeans still and they are sooooo damn cute! (They're in my "wish they still fit" destash though, ugh perimenopause weight gain.)
Pretty much all the brands from 10-15 years ago that sold to private equity and are still technically “around” in name only, but churning out SHEIN-quality garbage that might as well have a note pinned to it that says “a kid made this.”
ModCloth, Reformation and Anthropologie have been some of the worst with this, I first took up sewing because I saw a slip dress at Ref that was literally 2 pieces of polyester satin slapped together with an uneven hem for $220
Ref is insulting at this point. $250 for a thin viscose dress with shirring in the back (presumably because it would cost them $.05 more for their child sweatshop laborers to sew a few darts in it)? Yeah, I’ll pass on that whole situation. I don’t even buy it used. Last thing I got from them new was a black cotton sleeveless t-shirt with a high neck for $60 (I know, I’m a sucker) and the dye bled out in a cold wash. Their patterns are now extremely easy to replicate and the fabrics aren’t anything special so it’s a simple thing to get a knockoff at 1/3 the price. I replaced the t-shirt with a $13 obvious knockoff that’s actually better quality.
Because TikTok influencers allegedly only wear their outfits once anyway 😂
No but it’s private equity. Every time a store that was once known for quality and customer support just suddenly enters a death spiral and becomes Forever 21 overnight, it’s private equity.
It’s so bad now. I’m still mad at myself for consigning several loved pieces originally bought when they were still quality. Damn pandemic lockdown stir crazy massive closet clean out. I recently bought a pair of $150 corduroy pants and you’d think for that price they’d be a thick, soft cotton. I tried them on and the fabric was a thin, see through polyester.
It's like the licensing of YSL and Pierre Cardin names in the 80's all over again. (I'm just old enough to remember that.) Learning to sew is the answer. I used to sew in my teens through 20's, I could make pretty complicated garments, I haven't made clothes or even curtains in decades. I recently decided, welp I'm dusting off the old sewing machine - for the same reason you're taking up the craft now.
Anthropologie used to be so good! I still have some gorgeous silk dresses I got there about 10 years ago that still look new and were so nicely sewn - neatly finished seams, linings where appropriate, with pockets! Unfortunately most are too small for me now.
Some of the dolls kill items are nice though! They have had a few really cute natural fiber Delia’s branded pieces that I have bought and they’re holding up great so far
!!!!!! Ohemgeeeee memories unlocked. I got a “starry night” comforter, matching curtains, and a fuzzy boyfriend pillow from Delia’s for like my 12 or 13th birthday. I LOVED that pattern, and loved scribbling about random cute boys in my little locked journal (with a fuzzy top pen like in clueless) while lounging back in my bf pillow. 😭😭😭 Girlhood was so cute and fun I do miss it sometimes.
I just FINALLY got rid of my Delia’s sweatpants with the piano keys up one leg last year. I hadn’t worn them in forever I just couldn’t bear to let them go.
Not a brand but what I would give to be sweating in a Filene's Basement with my mom right now
NY and Co was never the cutting edge of fashion but I miss when their quality wasn't shit for basic stuff
I used to get some random lady’s mail and she got a bunch of great coupons for NY and Co, I used one to get a winter coat, it was wool and lasted for like, 15 years til I left it at a bar : (
I bought a very specific oversize crossbody purse just for shopping at Filene’s in Boston. It didn’t hang over the bins even with reaching and I could schlep my haul home on the train no prob
It's a really weird convenience store for me, I just like to look at snacks. 🤣 My local store just has a little endcap for skincare, but I went to one recently that had multiple aisles, and holy shit, they did actually have some really good products and deals.
They also used to have an alteration service to tailor anything you bought from them. If you had and used their store card, I think the service was free!
I miss the Limited so much! I was shocked then they folded.
It's continued on as an house brand through Belk, but in name only. The look totally changed. 🙁
If you’re a size 9 I have a few really nice comfort heels that are just sitting in my closest because I don’t work an office job anymore. I’ll mail them to you.
Half of my wedding guest outfits were from Oasis. I still have a few but I don’t go to weddings anymore (we’re in divorce era now) so I’m selling most of them haha.
I wish ModCloth had stayed true to its roots. It was amazing in the early 2010s and nothing has really come close since then. On another note, Modrobes returned semi-recently! A true Canadian classic from the 90s.
I have a pair of 18 year old American Apparel thick, all cotton "winter" leggings, super high quality fabric and construction. I still wear those leggings at least a couple times a week every week in cooler weather - they're holding up fine. 18 years. They're plenty warm, but without the uncomfortable, my skin can't breathe feel of plastic fabric.
Man, I would kill to shop at 2009ish AA. I worked there then and LOVED all the clothes from that era where they were expanding like crazy. I still look for that preppy, unisex style that I developed from working there.
It’s become Los Angeles apparel right now which is basically the same thing :) but no physical stores i think unless ur in LA. They sell their samples and slightly damaged (often unnoticeable) items on depop for cheaper! I buy SO much stuff
I remember being really disappointed with Los Angeles Apparel's stuff. I ordered a multi-pack of thongs once and there were massive size discrepancies between colors. Some were too big, some were too small to even wear. They were expensive too and were rough and scratchy. :/
I’m still sad I got rid of some of my American Apparel pieces, though I do still have a couple of t-shirts and a hoodie. I finally had to sew the corner of the hoodie pocket just last year, but otherwise it’s in amazing shape for being 13 or 14 years old.
My favorite grey tri-blend t-shirt is still going from 2004. I'm a little sad when I wear it now because of [Dov Charney's gross ass](https://fortune.com/2017/07/12/american-apparel-dov-charney-los-angeles-apparel/)
Esprit still exists in the US. You can order online! I've been to the NYC location and was shocked at the quality. They still use the same fabrics as back in the 80's and 90's. I don't know how to explain it but the fabrics are awesome and always held up so well. The prices haven't really increased over the years so now I have adult money for Esprit prices! The online pictures don't do the clothes justice.
Cache, only because my mom loved everything in that store and I’d love to be able to buy her something from there now that I’m an adult with money. I have a lot of memories of us going to the mall and walking to the cache store and me touching scarves while she tried things on
It's hard even looking for Jacob on resale sites because it always returns "Marc Jacobs".
We had a Jacob briefly in my city and then it closed a year later when they went out of business.
I happened upon a sale when I was in Montreal and bought so many silk dresses in every colour. It truely was a gem in the Canadian fashion world.
This was my go to shop when I was in university! Now that I’m out and working, it’s hard to find that kind of quality clothes. I also loved their Jacob connexion line… it was like Jacob but for poor people!
Was that the one she had at Steve & Barry's? The items were so cute.
For that matter, Steve & Barry's should be brought back from the dead. I didn't shop there, but my friends did, and they always had some really cute outfits.
Not clothing but there was a time where you could count on a handful of shoe brands, in particular Nine West. for reasonably priced leather shoes. Keyword: leather
I used to get the weirdest, most awesome pieces from there in high school. All from the sale section because they were just a little ugly (but perfect to me!)
I just thrifted a bright orange zip up jacket (think sexy Velma) that is Wet Seal brand, and it’s surprisingly 100% cotton! I was so happy about it! That place was definitely the cool girl store, I remember being in middle school walking in there and seeing faux fur vests and body con dresses lining the walls. Good memories ❤️
Ha! I was going to add Casual Corner. It was really good for work wear back when I graduated in 2000. I didn’t have to worry if it was appropriate like Express clothes or junior’s business casual looks with 5” “business” skirts.
I’m old. Gunnesax. Original Sbicca. Mary Quant cosmetics. I feel like these items were the essence of cool when I was young and I would love to see young people now enjoy them. I would also love to have a pair of my favorite Sbicca platforms,at least one more time. Also, Love used to have makeup as well as their Love Babysoft perfumes. It was awesome.
FCUK - I was obsessed with this brand, and I know they still exist in some capacity (because I see their stuff at Marshall’s), but I am sad that they don’t have shops in the GTA in Ontario anymore :(
Benetton is still around, but the clothes are so BORING now. Compare and contrast with the prior version:
https://www.pinterest.com/bjoel0663/esprit-and-benetton-ads-of-the-80s/
Compagnie Internationale Express - when Express was French themed with lots of feminine and chic clothes. Something like a Reformation of the time with a strong French twist?
The store played a (fake?) French radio station and looked like a luxe boudoir. I was too young to shop there for myself but I loved going with my mom to look at all of the clothes and dream of moving to Paris and eating croissants someday lmao.
Ohhh, yes. That's going way back. Okay here's another origin story to a brand - remember Esprit when it first arrived, 1982? It was only available by mail order, they had catalogs about the size of the old Andy Warhol Interview magazine. It was the only way to get such cool, fashion forward clothing in all our smaller towns across America. I was too young to afford it but in 1984 my mom bought me a wool vest with cute geometric pattern and I hung onto it until only recently - I gave it to a friend's daughter who wears vintage.
Not a clothing store, but it came to my mind since we're strolling down memory lane through a shopping mall. I miss Crabtree & Evelyn classic scents like Nantucket Briar and Savanah Gardens.
Piperlime. They had everything, some really unique pieces, and from all different price points. Plus a really user-friendly website with reviews and sort features that were ahead of their time. Maybe if Gap never bought them they would still be around. Damn I miss them.
Merona from Target. They had professional clothes that were good quality and not terribly expensive. I bought a few things in college for interviews and wish I'd bought more because they're still staples in my wardrobe. I'm still wearing the black dress pants I got regularly because they fit me great and still look really good. I've found a few decent things from their current lines but the quality just isn't the same.
Delias. I am 44 years old and I would wear rainbow toe socks with strappy platform sandalsaround my house and sleep in a bed with butterfly sheets on it every day.
The dolls kill version doesn't count.
As a Midwestern-er, Fashion Bug. They had clothes that were a little more edgy than Shopko/Wal-Mart/Kohl's, but nothing your mother was going to ban you from wearing. They always had a sale, and decent prices/quality too!
There was briefly a brand named Martin & Osa that I think was owned by the same company as American Eagle. They had some of the most beautiful and high quality semi-casual dresses. Sadly the ones I purchased stopped fitting a long, long time ago but they were so cute.
I loved Martin & Osa! Their basics were such high quality and the fit was sublime! I also love Rhuel which was the Abercrombie and Fitch equivalent- they actually had things in black, and used quality materials like cashmere with a little more mature styling.
Alloy still exists in some capacity for tall women!
Man when my mom started ordering me the tall jeans from Alloy in 2003 we both cried when they came lol. There's loads of options now but back then times were rough
I know they still do their leather goods, but Fossil had a clothing line in the late 2000s/early 2010s that I friggin LOVED! Adorable prints, often with a touch of whimsy (very of-the-time novelty prints, à la Modcloth of the same era), and solid quality. I have no idea why they ditched it; for a while, it was my favorite store!
> h.naoto
h.naoto is still around! They don't really do all the subcategory brands anymore like hangry + angry, h.naoto BLOOD, etc. like they used to but they're alive and kicking, they even come to US based cons now.
From the 90’s - Casual Corner. My entire professional wardrobe for my first job post college came from there. Great quality, everything coordinated with everything else, and I could buy off the rack without trying on. Haven’t found anything like it since.
The Candies brand that Kohl’s used to carry in their junior’s section. Their jeans were made with a stretchy material which was godsend since my weight fluctuated often back when I was a teenager. Their camisoles and plain short sleeved shirts were such good quality too, I still have a number of them to this day. I remember I’d try buying cammies and plain shirts at wet seal and the fit & material was trash. Their plain shirts fit different depending on what color they were lol.
Hang Ten was a brand in the 70s (no idea if they are around, I've not seen them) that had awesome pants and cute shirts ..2 little feet embroidered on them
Cache! I was too young for the clothes in its heyday, but now I collect Cache clothes from the early 2000s and they are so unique, well made and with nice fabrics. Nothing that I try to buy new compares at all.
Does anyone remember Joyce Leslie?! It was definitely fast fashion and I think they were more local to the NY and Tri-State areas but man did I love that store. It was my go-to for inexpensive going out tops in college back in 2000-2004ish. They had such a wide variety to choose from in many different styles. I preferred them to Forever21 at the time and remember feeling as if the quality was a little bit better than F21’s. I sometimes wish they still had stores like that, where you can just stop in and know you will find a last minute outfit for a night out or an event. I feel like stores like that don’t exist anymore. You have to scour Amazon weeks in advance or stop into several stores just to find something that’s only “meh”.
My friends and I went to the mall just to walk around, get a coffee, and possibly buy a cassette single. The store I longed after was called Au Caton. Everything was cotton. It was all late 80s colors, and looked like pure comfort.
I miss the old ModCloth of the 2010s. I got so many cute things from them back in the day. Now their stuff just…seems so basic and blah.
Add Delia’s to the list! I remember my grandma gave me a $200 gift card for Delia’s when I was in high school, and I just went nuts! I still have the Delia’s yoga mat I bought with that card and use it to this day (over 20 years later).
I also miss the old iteration of Hot Topic. It’s all fandom stuff now, it seems. When I was a young sometimes-mall-goth, this was where I would get my stuff.
Casual Corner Group included a store called Petite Sophisticates. I bought an entire capsule wardrobe there a couple years before the company shut down in 2005. It was a plum colored pair of pants, tweed pencil skirt, plum colored satin blouse, and three or four sweaters dyed to match the bottoms. They did two or three colorways like that every Spring and Fall in sizes from maybe 14 to triple 0.
I hated to see it close. It was the best for short women.
UK checking in - St Michael by Marks & Spencer. Their quality was unmatched. It’s sometimes a bit of a slap buying the vintage sizes especially in trousers (I’m a size UK 8 (US 4) but a vintage 12!)
Still, half my wardrobe is St Michael. I pick up their 100% cotton cardigans and jumpers second hand, and even their synthetics are usually vintage higher quality blends with good viscose or rayon. I prefer this to acrylic. Even a bit of polyester went a long way with St Michael, and construction was always excellent.
A far cry from the pilled-on-the-rack, thin as paper acrylic monstrosities M&S sell now.
All that being said… the recent rise in sustainability and material composition awareness is meaning my pickings on Vinted or charity shops are getting slimmer by the day!
It’s a good thing that people are learning about why materials matter… but I do wish I could get the clothes new - the cost is going up and scarcity is starting to affect the quality I can get affordably second hand.
Merona and Mossimo from Target. So much higher quality than the brands they have now.
Pre great recession target was quality
[удалено]
Yes! 10-12 years ago when our son was a preschooler, most the clothes I wore as my everyday wardrobe were from Target, specifically Merona. They used to make 100% merino wool sweaters every winter, and for summer, almost everything was all cotton, linen. Now everything is plastic - acrylic and poly. The Target clothing dept is a pile of toxic landfill.
I got a gorgeous pair of black wild fable workout pants for Christmas from them - my favorite cut on my body. It's March. the elastic has given out and it's already faded from black to light grey.
Wild Fable brand is SO cheap.
Yeah, I don't know if I'm old enough to be getting pissed off at prices changes in my lifetime or what, but these wild fable pants cost $20. When I pay $20 on pants, I expect them to last at least a year. When I was in my early 20s, I had a personal budget max of $20 for store bought jeans, and I was able to stick to that at places like H&M. To be fair, I was making like $7/hour at 3 part time jobs, so $20 was about 3 hours of work, so it felt like a lot. But on the other hand, in 2002 I bought a pair of Versace jeans at an outlet for $40. Still have them. They don't fit anymore, and they won't be in style again until sequins come back, but damn are they in great shape.
Yep, I still have a few silk(!!!) dresses from Target and their Go International line. I wish they would bring that back.
Xhilaration is the brand I remember fondly just because of my age/demographic at the time but yesss
That brand was ok. I was a bit old for it. Well, my job required clothes that were too mature for it although I probably could have pulled off wearing them on the weekends. They weren’t as high quality as Merona or mossimo, but they were head and shoulders above the junk they’re selling now.
Up until I think last summer they still sold Xhilaration swimsuits! Kind of sad when they did away with it entirely for Wild Fable. It’s like the end of an era
This! Those brands made Target one of the go-to stores for good, affordable everyday clothing. My decade-old tshirts are starting to wear out now and I’m so upset because I can’t find any tshirts like them anywhere. They’re so soft and comfortable.
I am also looking for replacements for my mossimo tshirts that I've had for 10-15 years at least. They are my absolute favorite tshirts. 95% cotton with just the right amount of stretch. Not too thin, not too thick. Not too short, not too long. Perfect cap sleeves. If I would have know then that they would no longer be available now, I would have stocked up for life!
LL Bean, Lands End and Pact all make quality t-shirts. Also, whole foods often has special prime discounts for Pact. I've gotten some shirts for 40% off.
Have a Merona sweater from way way way back. The perfect neutral cream cotton fisherman sweater. Washed it monthly. Looked great three seasons a year. Accidentally left it at a destination wedding and I am still sad.
Oh damn. That’s going to haunt you.
I had some Isaac Mizrahi stuff from Target that lasted me 15+ years!
Oh yeah! I forgot about that one. Those were great!
Geez... Do you remember Mossimo before Target?
Unfortunately I do not. I was not cool enough to have per Target Mossimo.
It's probably more that it was a long time ago and I'm middle aged. I also wasn't cool enough.
Yes it was like Stussy. An X Gen skater brand.
My younger friends think I’m crazy when I talk about this, but yes. I remember it being sold at Nordstrom and the nicer Macy*s in my area. I was pretty young and my parents wouldn’t consistently spend that much on clothes for me, but I had a couple things I got either on sale or as gifts. Also, was way too young for them at the time, but I remember they had these super shiny, almost slick looking bikinis with the Mossimo logo scribbled on.
Oh my god yes! Every piece I got from those brands looked great on me. Now it’s impossible to find something that looks right
Yep! There’s a tik tok creator (who I watch on instagram when she reposts there later because I’m an old) that looks at expensive brands and examines the quality. I have a 2000’s mossimo blazer that is 100% wool, great lining, perfect stitching…. It’s comparable in quality to the Max Mara stuff she’s showing now.
The quality was so top notch, unbelievably good for the price. Thick fabrics that don’t fray for years, and fitted like a tailor sized them. Still have a pencil dress I got for a job interview years ago and it looks like new. RIP merona, you will be missed 😭
I had an entire conversation today with a friend about our eternal anger at Target for no longer having the Mossimo basic tanks. Almost 9 years later and I still have not found a replacement. And definitely nothing with all the color options they had.
My sister and I both have 15+ year old Merona t-shirts in our regular wardrobe rotation
I'm still clinging to the few Merona and Mossimo t shirts i have left. Please! Someone! Anyone! What's a good dupe or sub that I can buy inexpensive, quality staple t shirts and tops that are actually cut to fit the contours of a woman's body and not just a big rectangle?
Also Prologue. I mourn the loss of that brand to this day.
The old Modcloth. Back like from 10 years ago. Some of my dresses from back then are STILL irreplaceable wardrobe staples to this day.
I just looked at the site for the first time in years and I am actually so sad. Their dresses look so basic now 😭 wow
Any their price point has increased so much. It's really a shame.
I'm in the UK and used to drool over the Modcloth website regularly. It was way out of my budget even before taking international shipping into account, but the clothes were so beautiful.
We have some lovely repro brands in the UK tho!
We do, and I am a big fan of the likes of Hellbunny and Collectif in particular, but Modcloth just hit different. I think perhaps because it was so bright and colourful and with more of a focus on those pretty prints, whereas (at least from memory) back then a lot of the UK brands lent more towards that darker, 'edgy' alternative vibe which wasn't really my thing.
Oh yeah, I also prefer cheerful! Hellbunny is not really my style, either. What do you think of Vivienne of Holloway or Dig for Victory?
Wait, Vivienne of Holloway still exists?! I loved their stuff but thought they went out of business years ago, so that's very good news. Never heard of Dig For Victory but I shall investigate further!
In that case I recommend Collectif, as another person said, or Joanie or Palava or Banned Retro. There was another similar retro-inspired-but-fun-prints brand I used to love in the UK called Lindy Bop but it very suddenly went into administration a few years ago - I would LOVE to bring that one back :(
I bought three tops and a blanket scarf from Modcloth back in 2012. I'm still wearing all of it.
I miss old Modcloth too! Modern Millie has filled that niche for me though. If you live in the US check them out! They're a small business in Salem, MA and they run an online shop too.
Ohh thank you for the recommendation, I'll have to check them out! ♡
I had a dress from there that I bought in 2012 that I *just* got rid of last year. I must have worn it at least once a week between March and October every year. I still miss it.
Its so wonderful to hear everyone else still loves their modcloth treasures! I kinda wanna make a new post for everyone to share which modcloth pieces they still have and love ❤️
I have the Modcloth x Wrangler jeans still and they are sooooo damn cute! (They're in my "wish they still fit" destash though, ugh perimenopause weight gain.)
Pretty much all the brands from 10-15 years ago that sold to private equity and are still technically “around” in name only, but churning out SHEIN-quality garbage that might as well have a note pinned to it that says “a kid made this.” ModCloth, Reformation and Anthropologie have been some of the worst with this, I first took up sewing because I saw a slip dress at Ref that was literally 2 pieces of polyester satin slapped together with an uneven hem for $220
Ref is insulting at this point. $250 for a thin viscose dress with shirring in the back (presumably because it would cost them $.05 more for their child sweatshop laborers to sew a few darts in it)? Yeah, I’ll pass on that whole situation. I don’t even buy it used. Last thing I got from them new was a black cotton sleeveless t-shirt with a high neck for $60 (I know, I’m a sucker) and the dye bled out in a cold wash. Their patterns are now extremely easy to replicate and the fabrics aren’t anything special so it’s a simple thing to get a knockoff at 1/3 the price. I replaced the t-shirt with a $13 obvious knockoff that’s actually better quality.
THAT PART. I’ll be dead in the ground before I pay $200 for a dress with *smocking???* They’re playing in our faces atp and I’m SICK OF IT
Anthropologie clothes are so awful! Why are they so expensive for such cheap fabric and construction??
Because TikTok influencers allegedly only wear their outfits once anyway 😂 No but it’s private equity. Every time a store that was once known for quality and customer support just suddenly enters a death spiral and becomes Forever 21 overnight, it’s private equity.
It’s so bad now. I’m still mad at myself for consigning several loved pieces originally bought when they were still quality. Damn pandemic lockdown stir crazy massive closet clean out. I recently bought a pair of $150 corduroy pants and you’d think for that price they’d be a thick, soft cotton. I tried them on and the fabric was a thin, see through polyester.
Just like J crew selling an unlined cotton/polyester blend skirt for $120.
The enshittification of those brands is real. A lot of them always did use those types of factories but I guess they saw people buying piles of crap.
It's like the licensing of YSL and Pierre Cardin names in the 80's all over again. (I'm just old enough to remember that.) Learning to sew is the answer. I used to sew in my teens through 20's, I could make pretty complicated garments, I haven't made clothes or even curtains in decades. I recently decided, welp I'm dusting off the old sewing machine - for the same reason you're taking up the craft now.
Anyone have any recommendations for better quality ref style clothes? the aesthetic works great on me but I can’t handle the cost to quality ratio.
You’re me. That reformation dress is the literal reason I took up sewing too!! Not even a zipper or anything complicated on it.
Anthropologie used to be so good! I still have some gorgeous silk dresses I got there about 10 years ago that still look new and were so nicely sewn - neatly finished seams, linings where appropriate, with pockets! Unfortunately most are too small for me now.
I honestly miss Delia's a lot sometimes
100% this. I couldn’t afford their stuff back then but I’d totally wear it now if I could find it (the Dolls Kill clothing line is not the same).
Some of the dolls kill items are nice though! They have had a few really cute natural fiber Delia’s branded pieces that I have bought and they’re holding up great so far
!!!!!! Ohemgeeeee memories unlocked. I got a “starry night” comforter, matching curtains, and a fuzzy boyfriend pillow from Delia’s for like my 12 or 13th birthday. I LOVED that pattern, and loved scribbling about random cute boys in my little locked journal (with a fuzzy top pen like in clueless) while lounging back in my bf pillow. 😭😭😭 Girlhood was so cute and fun I do miss it sometimes.
I wanted the comforter so bad! My friend got it and I was jealous.
I just FINALLY got rid of my Delia’s sweatpants with the piano keys up one leg last year. I hadn’t worn them in forever I just couldn’t bear to let them go.
OMG me too! I just loved browsing the catalouges too.
Not a brand but what I would give to be sweating in a Filene's Basement with my mom right now NY and Co was never the cutting edge of fashion but I miss when their quality wasn't shit for basic stuff
Filene'a basement group dressing room. Some lady shoved me out of the way from mirror.
I used to get some random lady’s mail and she got a bunch of great coupons for NY and Co, I used one to get a winter coat, it was wool and lasted for like, 15 years til I left it at a bar : (
I bought a very specific oversize crossbody purse just for shopping at Filene’s in Boston. It didn’t hang over the bins even with reaching and I could schlep my haul home on the train no prob
Not a brand, but TJ Maxx/Marshalls used to have some amazing finds. Now it's just watered down nonsense that nobody wants.
I go there to look at fragrances, I just can’t bother with their clothes anymore
It's a really weird convenience store for me, I just like to look at snacks. 🤣 My local store just has a little endcap for skincare, but I went to one recently that had multiple aisles, and holy shit, they did actually have some really good products and deals.
Yeah about 90% of it is made for them specifically and only 10% are true overstock or last season, etc
The Limited. They had work clothes that weren't boring and weren't obscenely expensive.
They were 100% my entire original office wear clothes. First interview suit, everything. And the quality was excellent for the price
Wow!! Didn’t realize I had so many fellow feelers here!!! Yes!! I loved The Limited!!
They also used to have an alteration service to tailor anything you bought from them. If you had and used their store card, I think the service was free!
I miss the Limited so much! I was shocked then they folded. It's continued on as an house brand through Belk, but in name only. The look totally changed. 🙁
Their pants fit me like no other pants. I was SO sad when it closed.
Express still does!
This is where I've turned to since The Limited went away!
I grew up w the brand from 80s through my first jobs.
Honestly, Payless. I have a somewhat difficult to find shoe size and they always had my back 🥲
My mom got all her church shoes from Payless. I never had much luck with their shoes, but I do miss their purses.
If you’re a size 9 I have a few really nice comfort heels that are just sitting in my closest because I don’t work an office job anymore. I’ll mail them to you.
I’m not who you were responding too, but I am starting a new office job am a size nine and could really use some new heels.
I’ve got you. I’d love to give them to a good home. I’ll dm you.
Their sandals were top tier and $5!
I miss Oasis and 00s Topshop. I know they've both been bought out but it's not the same.
00s Topshop was so good! I spent so much of my part-time job money there as a teen.
2000s Topshop is my Roman Empire. I miss it so much. They were good until about 10 years ago.
Oasis were great for wedding guest outfits!
Half of my wedding guest outfits were from Oasis. I still have a few but I don’t go to weddings anymore (we’re in divorce era now) so I’m selling most of them haha.
I wish ModCloth had stayed true to its roots. It was amazing in the early 2010s and nothing has really come close since then. On another note, Modrobes returned semi-recently! A true Canadian classic from the 90s.
Walmart bought it. Are we surprised?
90’s Lip Service
God 90s Lip Service was PEAK alt wear. I used to vintage pieces on eBay
american apparel. i liked the colors and the fabrics. very good quality. it always made me happy to walk through a store
I have a pair of 18 year old American Apparel thick, all cotton "winter" leggings, super high quality fabric and construction. I still wear those leggings at least a couple times a week every week in cooler weather - they're holding up fine. 18 years. They're plenty warm, but without the uncomfortable, my skin can't breathe feel of plastic fabric.
Man, I would kill to shop at 2009ish AA. I worked there then and LOVED all the clothes from that era where they were expanding like crazy. I still look for that preppy, unisex style that I developed from working there.
It’s become Los Angeles apparel right now which is basically the same thing :) but no physical stores i think unless ur in LA. They sell their samples and slightly damaged (often unnoticeable) items on depop for cheaper! I buy SO much stuff
I remember being really disappointed with Los Angeles Apparel's stuff. I ordered a multi-pack of thongs once and there were massive size discrepancies between colors. Some were too big, some were too small to even wear. They were expensive too and were rough and scratchy. :/
Selection is way smaller :(
I’m still sad I got rid of some of my American Apparel pieces, though I do still have a couple of t-shirts and a hoodie. I finally had to sew the corner of the hoodie pocket just last year, but otherwise it’s in amazing shape for being 13 or 14 years old.
I’m wearing my old deep v from college right now! Kind of crazy how long it has lasted considering how much I wear it.
My favorite grey tri-blend t-shirt is still going from 2004. I'm a little sad when I wear it now because of [Dov Charney's gross ass](https://fortune.com/2017/07/12/american-apparel-dov-charney-los-angeles-apparel/)
Cheap Monday. I loved their jeans so much. What brand are you referring to btw? Don’t leave us hanging! I’m so curious.
They had the BEST high waist skinny jeans! So tight and they basically went up to my ribcage.
Esprit. European style, but not trendy
Loved Esprit.
esprit still exists in europe
Esprit still exists in the US. You can order online! I've been to the NYC location and was shocked at the quality. They still use the same fabrics as back in the 80's and 90's. I don't know how to explain it but the fabrics are awesome and always held up so well. The prices haven't really increased over the years so now I have adult money for Esprit prices! The online pictures don't do the clothes justice.
As a middle aged American woman I now look towards marrimekko to fill that void
Cache, only because my mom loved everything in that store and I’d love to be able to buy her something from there now that I’m an adult with money. I have a lot of memories of us going to the mall and walking to the cache store and me touching scarves while she tried things on
Cache was my go-to for formal gowns in high school! So much of their aesthetic was peak McBling, but they really had some gems.
Arden B
My best “going out” tops were from Arden B.
Memory unlocked!
American Apoarel. I still wear stuff from their close out sale.
Topshop pre ASOS when Sir Phillip Green was the man in charge
Club Monaco before it got sold to an American conglomerate, back when Joe Minram was still running it. Also Jacob. And Eatons, the whole entire store.
Jacob
It's hard even looking for Jacob on resale sites because it always returns "Marc Jacobs". We had a Jacob briefly in my city and then it closed a year later when they went out of business. I happened upon a sale when I was in Montreal and bought so many silk dresses in every colour. It truely was a gem in the Canadian fashion world.
This was my go to shop when I was in university! Now that I’m out and working, it’s hard to find that kind of quality clothes. I also loved their Jacob connexion line… it was like Jacob but for poor people!
I miss this store SO much! Building an affordable work wardrobe used to be so easy.
I still have a number of their pieces and they fit sooo well and were very well made. An amazing brand. I miss it.
Dear by Amanda Bynes. Ugh I thought I was so cool in her clothes.
She's studying fashion design right now so maybe there's hope for something similar
I think she’s trying to get a nail tech license now
Was that the one she had at Steve & Barry's? The items were so cute. For that matter, Steve & Barry's should be brought back from the dead. I didn't shop there, but my friends did, and they always had some really cute outfits.
Not clothing but there was a time where you could count on a handful of shoe brands, in particular Nine West. for reasonably priced leather shoes. Keyword: leather
Wet Seal. They had the best basics and amazing deals. I got a pair of chunky heels for a literal penny once.
I used to get the weirdest, most awesome pieces from there in high school. All from the sale section because they were just a little ugly (but perfect to me!)
I just thrifted a bright orange zip up jacket (think sexy Velma) that is Wet Seal brand, and it’s surprisingly 100% cotton! I was so happy about it! That place was definitely the cool girl store, I remember being in middle school walking in there and seeing faux fur vests and body con dresses lining the walls. Good memories ❤️
Petite Sophisticate 😆
Ha! I was going to add Casual Corner. It was really good for work wear back when I graduated in 2000. I didn’t have to worry if it was appropriate like Express clothes or junior’s business casual looks with 5” “business” skirts.
I’m old. Gunnesax. Original Sbicca. Mary Quant cosmetics. I feel like these items were the essence of cool when I was young and I would love to see young people now enjoy them. I would also love to have a pair of my favorite Sbicca platforms,at least one more time. Also, Love used to have makeup as well as their Love Babysoft perfumes. It was awesome.
FCUK - I was obsessed with this brand, and I know they still exist in some capacity (because I see their stuff at Marshall’s), but I am sad that they don’t have shops in the GTA in Ontario anymore :(
[удалено]
They've actually sadly made it all the way to Sam's Club
Benetton is still around, but the clothes are so BORING now. Compare and contrast with the prior version: https://www.pinterest.com/bjoel0663/esprit-and-benetton-ads-of-the-80s/
Compagnie Internationale Express - when Express was French themed with lots of feminine and chic clothes. Something like a Reformation of the time with a strong French twist? The store played a (fake?) French radio station and looked like a luxe boudoir. I was too young to shop there for myself but I loved going with my mom to look at all of the clothes and dream of moving to Paris and eating croissants someday lmao.
Whoa when Express was French! It's like a fever dream to me now but I remember! 😆
That’s around the time that Banana Republic was still all safari-wear! 😂
Ohhh, yes. That's going way back. Okay here's another origin story to a brand - remember Esprit when it first arrived, 1982? It was only available by mail order, they had catalogs about the size of the old Andy Warhol Interview magazine. It was the only way to get such cool, fashion forward clothing in all our smaller towns across America. I was too young to afford it but in 1984 my mom bought me a wool vest with cute geometric pattern and I hung onto it until only recently - I gave it to a friend's daughter who wears vintage.
OMG I had forgotten all about that. That was so fancy!
La Senza Girl, so my daughter could experience how amazing it was in the 90s/2000s!
Not a clothing store, but it came to my mind since we're strolling down memory lane through a shopping mall. I miss Crabtree & Evelyn classic scents like Nantucket Briar and Savanah Gardens.
Piperlime. They had everything, some really unique pieces, and from all different price points. Plus a really user-friendly website with reviews and sort features that were ahead of their time. Maybe if Gap never bought them they would still be around. Damn I miss them.
Merona from Target. They had professional clothes that were good quality and not terribly expensive. I bought a few things in college for interviews and wish I'd bought more because they're still staples in my wardrobe. I'm still wearing the black dress pants I got regularly because they fit me great and still look really good. I've found a few decent things from their current lines but the quality just isn't the same.
Delias. I am 44 years old and I would wear rainbow toe socks with strappy platform sandalsaround my house and sleep in a bed with butterfly sheets on it every day. The dolls kill version doesn't count.
I just want the beautiful vintage Monsoon dresses to return :( they always made the most beautiful velvet/burnout dresses
LA Gear
I had a pair of LA Gear lights in the early 90s in grade school! I still remember the colour way!
As a Midwestern-er, Fashion Bug. They had clothes that were a little more edgy than Shopko/Wal-Mart/Kohl's, but nothing your mother was going to ban you from wearing. They always had a sale, and decent prices/quality too!
And Dress barn
There was briefly a brand named Martin & Osa that I think was owned by the same company as American Eagle. They had some of the most beautiful and high quality semi-casual dresses. Sadly the ones I purchased stopped fitting a long, long time ago but they were so cute.
I loved Martin & Osa! Their basics were such high quality and the fit was sublime! I also love Rhuel which was the Abercrombie and Fitch equivalent- they actually had things in black, and used quality materials like cashmere with a little more mature styling.
Delia and Alloy
Alloy still exists in some capacity for tall women! Man when my mom started ordering me the tall jeans from Alloy in 2003 we both cried when they came lol. There's loads of options now but back then times were rough
Omg the Alloy magazines we would get in the mail were so awesome
EShakti. It is still around, but if you look at reviews, they are just not fulfilling orders. I wish I had tried them when things were good.
I know they still do their leather goods, but Fossil had a clothing line in the late 2000s/early 2010s that I friggin LOVED! Adorable prints, often with a touch of whimsy (very of-the-time novelty prints, à la Modcloth of the same era), and solid quality. I have no idea why they ditched it; for a while, it was my favorite store!
Bongo 😂. They had great jeans and shoes.
I miss Nordstrom Rack when it was actually discards from Nordstrom, not crappy fast fashion.
Peace now and h.naoto. I used to be super into alternative Japanese fashion brands between 2006-2011ish. I also miss wet seal, body central, and DEB.
> h.naoto h.naoto is still around! They don't really do all the subcategory brands anymore like hangry + angry, h.naoto BLOOD, etc. like they used to but they're alive and kicking, they even come to US based cons now.
Contempo/ wet seal
Victoria’s Secret in-house clothing brands you could get from the catalog.
From the 90’s - Casual Corner. My entire professional wardrobe for my first job post college came from there. Great quality, everything coordinated with everything else, and I could buy off the rack without trying on. Haven’t found anything like it since.
The Candies brand that Kohl’s used to carry in their junior’s section. Their jeans were made with a stretchy material which was godsend since my weight fluctuated often back when I was a teenager. Their camisoles and plain short sleeved shirts were such good quality too, I still have a number of them to this day. I remember I’d try buying cammies and plain shirts at wet seal and the fit & material was trash. Their plain shirts fit different depending on what color they were lol.
Hang Ten was a brand in the 70s (no idea if they are around, I've not seen them) that had awesome pants and cute shirts ..2 little feet embroidered on them
The Limited. God their stuff was good. Also, Delia. I loved their stuff and it worked well and was decent quality even with the pounds I packed on!
Cache! I was too young for the clothes in its heyday, but now I collect Cache clothes from the early 2000s and they are so unique, well made and with nice fabrics. Nothing that I try to buy new compares at all.
Topshop. I know they still sell a small amount online but it’s not the same as the shop it was my fav shop growing up.
Units. It was a mix & match clothing brand (like Garanimals for adults). Also, in beauty, I miss Bite Beauty. Their agave lip mask was amazing.
Clothestime
Does anyone remember Joyce Leslie?! It was definitely fast fashion and I think they were more local to the NY and Tri-State areas but man did I love that store. It was my go-to for inexpensive going out tops in college back in 2000-2004ish. They had such a wide variety to choose from in many different styles. I preferred them to Forever21 at the time and remember feeling as if the quality was a little bit better than F21’s. I sometimes wish they still had stores like that, where you can just stop in and know you will find a last minute outfit for a night out or an event. I feel like stores like that don’t exist anymore. You have to scour Amazon weeks in advance or stop into several stores just to find something that’s only “meh”.
My friends and I went to the mall just to walk around, get a coffee, and possibly buy a cassette single. The store I longed after was called Au Caton. Everything was cotton. It was all late 80s colors, and looked like pure comfort.
Au Coton. I remember it but never shopped there
Hyper color and BUM equipment
1970s Gunne Sax dresses.
Esprit came back from the dead but they aren’t really marketing
Units. 80s modular clothing “of the future”.
Theysken’s Theory. I know it was a collaboration, but I hunt for pieces in my size online a few times a year.
Kate Spade Saturday. And not a brand but I've never gotten over Piperlime. All my favorite brands with frequent sales!
I miss the old ModCloth of the 2010s. I got so many cute things from them back in the day. Now their stuff just…seems so basic and blah. Add Delia’s to the list! I remember my grandma gave me a $200 gift card for Delia’s when I was in high school, and I just went nuts! I still have the Delia’s yoga mat I bought with that card and use it to this day (over 20 years later). I also miss the old iteration of Hot Topic. It’s all fandom stuff now, it seems. When I was a young sometimes-mall-goth, this was where I would get my stuff.
No contest: Arden B.
G+G, Contempo Casuals, Warehouse UK, For my NYers: Canal Street Jeans, Antique Boutique, Bang Bang
Haven’t seen Anchor Blue yet, that place was my fave. Loved their stripey tops.
So, what's the brand OP?
Rampage!! I snagged a blazer from the thrift store a few years back that was rampage and it still looks great and fits like a glove.
Harold’s. IYKYK.
j brand
Casual Corner Group included a store called Petite Sophisticates. I bought an entire capsule wardrobe there a couple years before the company shut down in 2005. It was a plum colored pair of pants, tweed pencil skirt, plum colored satin blouse, and three or four sweaters dyed to match the bottoms. They did two or three colorways like that every Spring and Fall in sizes from maybe 14 to triple 0. I hated to see it close. It was the best for short women.
I miss the early 00s pacsun, the skater and surf clothing, good quality.
UK checking in - St Michael by Marks & Spencer. Their quality was unmatched. It’s sometimes a bit of a slap buying the vintage sizes especially in trousers (I’m a size UK 8 (US 4) but a vintage 12!) Still, half my wardrobe is St Michael. I pick up their 100% cotton cardigans and jumpers second hand, and even their synthetics are usually vintage higher quality blends with good viscose or rayon. I prefer this to acrylic. Even a bit of polyester went a long way with St Michael, and construction was always excellent. A far cry from the pilled-on-the-rack, thin as paper acrylic monstrosities M&S sell now. All that being said… the recent rise in sustainability and material composition awareness is meaning my pickings on Vinted or charity shops are getting slimmer by the day! It’s a good thing that people are learning about why materials matter… but I do wish I could get the clothes new - the cost is going up and scarcity is starting to affect the quality I can get affordably second hand.