Have I entered some kind of time warp, or is it really
August 2007? Because if it is in fact, August, then can someone please tell me
why wool pea coats and Halloween decorations are haunting the aisles of my
favorite retailers? This weekend, I was in search of a cute summer dress at
Nordstrom and then at Ross (Talk about two ends of the shopping spectrum, but I
can't resist Ross's prices!). Instead of oodles of summer lovin' gear, I found
sweaters, wool coats, opaque tights and knee-high boots. Sure, there was a
smattering of skirts and capris, but mostly just the leftovers that no one
else wanted. You know what I'm talking about--it's the clothes that look like
the sales clerk nonchalantly tossed them onto the rack and then stuck a large,
red Clearance sign on top. Now, all of the attention goes to the beautifully
decorated and elegantly positioned racks of coats and other fall and winter
goodies.
Retailers obviously have ants in their pants, and I'm more
than a little irritated. I had to wear a sundress I already owned from last
year. Horror of horrors! But, in all seriousness, what's the rush? It's still
August and there's plenty of sunshine to be had. Lets not forget the gorgeous
Indian summers that grace the West Coast, maybe even you East Coasters get them
too. You know, warm days and deliciously cool evenings. I can't possibly don a
wool pea coat for a late summer bonfire. The worst part is, that the new fall lines
are anything but interesting. Faux fur--again? I thought we were over that. Of
course, there's the endless amount of leather jackets, they never go out of
style, except when it's SUMMER. Walking past racks of winter clothes depresses
me. It also means, I leave the store empty handed...What kind of marketing
tactic is that?!
I'm sure there's a fair amount of back-to-school-ers and
their parents purchasing these winter goods, but I can't believe it's happening
in large quantities. Although, my visit to Ross did resemble something like, "attack
of the tweens and their exhausted parents," while Nordstrom had the rushed,
desperate feeling of, "Hurry, get that piece of clothing before someone
else does!" Back-to-school mania is certainly in high gear, but what about
the rest of us spending our afternoons by the pool and searching for that
perfect sundress? I'm positive someone, somewhere is doing this--it is after
all, August--have I mentioned that?
If you've purchased a wool jacket, knee-high boots, opaque
tights or a turtleneck recently, please leave a comment and let us know. If
you're a retailer with an inventory full of winter gear in August, please clue me in on the logic behind this marketing ploy. I'm desperate to know...
--Heather Strang
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