I'm not shopping Talbots as much as I used to because some of the clothes are no longer classic. It's sad because that's why I used to shop them. But when you start getting peasant skirts, strange prints, and a lot of unnecessary fufu on items which I would normally buy, I head straight to Dillard's or Macy's.
Another thing they do like some stores, they'll have a buy one, get one half off. What I taught by children, that's just another way of saying it's only 25% off. And when you think about it, the clothing is so overpriced. 25% off is nothing. But they switch it around, making you think you're getting a better deal. A dear friend's husband who is an advertising saying, this is a gimmick stores use quite a bit.
I just wish tablets would go back to clean lines, classic styles let's stay in style for years to come. Like I was told, they do this so you have to come back every year to buy, " what's in style."

I find more what I need at Dillard's, and Macy's, even Ann Taylor's often 40-50% sales, by just googling their sites, for example classic pencil skirts, or dress white silk blouses, etc, find exactly what I need, then it's in style for years to come.
Just yesterday, on one of their competitors sites, I googled classic red pumps. Found exactly what I needed for $38 ( sale and coupon) that was regularly $148.00...And free shipping. A 2 3/4" heel, leather, perfect.
You just have to shop around. The classics never go out of style. I will never understand the cold shoulder look or the drop shoulder, it is not becoming on most women. It's a fad. Wild, wild prints on leggings, a person looks like walking wallpaper I overheard ladies say, I happen to agree.

I do wish Talbots would put a 2 or 3% spandex in their classic cotton tops to hold their shape better. Chico's does, and their tops last a long time and hold their shape.
Each store has their strong points. I just find I'm not shopping Talbots as much anymore. My advice, you'll never find everything you need in an exactly one store.
When it comes to the drop shoulder, it looks like somebody in middle school home economics class had their pattern off...
A lady should look like a lady..

Talbots needs to get more fluent, nimble & competitive in its return & inventory system. This decentralization of its stores & the utter disconnect from its online inventory system is the reason they lost a customer today.

As a Process Manager of a fortune 50 company, I see how this company will soon be closing its doors. So here is what has happened multiple times & just this week:

I purchased 2 items last week online at 70% off. Both shirts were too big. I went to the store to exchange & they had to be ordered again online due to out of stock in store. I ended up paying $6.00 more for my 2 shirts because they could not just do an even swap vs refund & repurchase. How inefficient! I lost the 70% off sale PLUS my 10% off birthday discount. It took 37 minutes of my time in the store to get ripped off. I called customer service just now & they would not refund me the difference!

The following are major business flaws w/ Talbots. I will be staying with Macys now & Amazon Basics line as a result.

~No... I wont or dont use credit cards to get free shipping, thank you try again Talbots!

~Why cant you offer IN STORE PICK UP vs spend over $100 or spend 35+minutes in a store, to get free shipping? It will cost you more $ w/ a min of a 30 min trans to pay an employee to ring me up! Everyone else has site to store you better wake up!

~ Why can't you do an even exchange why do you have to refund and then repurchase that's just inefficient.

~Why cant I repurchase a return item at the same lower cost you initially repilurchased it for if the item costs more today? Thats a BAIT & SWITCH!

~Checkout process is slow!

~Too many chatty old ladys work there.

~Stop running your brick & mortors as individual businesses

Not a fan of Talbots! The selection is often very limited and the clothing is generally overpriced.