Lane Bryant
The Basics
Not to be confused with Lane Bryant Catalog, the Lane Bryant Online Store is the internet version of the same Lane Bryant stores you find in malls. Formerly owned by The Limited, they are now owned by Charming Shoppes, Inc., which also owns Fashion Bug and Catherines. Luckily, the clothes are the same quality that Lane Bryant shoppers were used to when they were part of The Limited.
The Lane Bryant Online Store caters to women sized 14 to 28. Unlike other stores which often offer larger versions of the same styles they sell in regular sizes, Lane Bryant's clothing is cut specifically for plus-sized women, making their clothes comfortable as well as stylish.
The first page of the Lane Bryant Online Store site features some of the new fashions, as well as information about current sales and promotions. They get high marks from me for having a very simple layout that provides links for just about anywhere you might want to go while keeping information to a minimum to prevent overload, and keeping the page viewable in its entirety without having to scroll.
Basic site navigation runs along the very top of the screen, and includes options for your account and registering as well as checking order status, the Lane Bryant credit card, store locator, and a Fast Find feature for finding an item you may have seen in a mailer sent to your home. The very top of the screen has links for your Shopping Bag as well as Checkout and Help.
Just below the site navigation is the product navigation bar. Drop-down menus break the clothing categories (Tops, Bottom, Suiting, Dresses, Active, Swimwear, Cacique® Intimates, Accessories, LB Style, Sale into even more detail. Shopping is as easy as a point and click, and promos are featured in red type if you view an item on special (such as the buy one, get one 50% off promo that was running when I shopped).
Available methods for payment are Lane Bryant Credit Card, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, and the Lane Bryant Online Store charges a $6.95 flat rate shipping fee (via USPS Priority Mail), or a $20.00 flat rate for overnight shipping (via USPS Express Mail). Sales tax is applicable for any state where Lane Bryant has a brick and mortar store.
My Experience
Needless to say, I ordered quite a bit from the Lane Bryant Online Store: two skirts, two dresses, a skort, a pair of shorts, a pair of capri pants, and four tops. I quick search of Google yielded a 25% off coupon, and several of the items I purchased were on clearance or had promotional pricing of buy one, get 50% off the second item. The shopping cart provided a very nicely detailed list of how much I was saving on each item, and I discovered that my coupon code also netted me free shipping, although $6.95 for my entire summer wardrobe didn't seem like a big hassle.
My items arrived in a custom-printed USPS Priority Mail box exactly two days after I placed my order. Items were in individual plastic bags with no additional packaging, which was nice, but unlike other online stores I've shopped with, these items will have to be ironed after they are unpacked. All items were correct, and a detailed invoice was also included with my order.
I had no problems with returns, being very familiar with Lane Bryant sizing (there is also a very helpful sizing chart on the web site), but items can be returned either directly to the web site, or to a Lane Bryant store near you (shipping is, of course, non-refundable unless it is their error).
Overall
I have always been very happy with purchases from Lane Bryant stores (I actually have two pairs of shorts I've had longer than my husband that doubled as maternity shorts in my thinner phases), and my experience with the Lane Bryant Online Store was just as pleasant as my mall experiences. While I hope to get this baby weight off before I need fall clothing, I'd happily order from the Lane Bryant Online Store again.