Lands End and Gloria Steinem

If you disagree with Lands' End apologizing for featuring an interview with a feminist in its catalog, and removing the interview from its website (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/02/26/lands-end-put-gloria-steinem-in-its-catalog-then-it-got-an-earful-from-customers/), please let the company know. 

I haven't shopped there since my kids were little, but that didn't stop me from telling them (1-800-963-4816) that I won't shop there anymore.

I do shop Land's End some. I was happy to Gloria Steinem in the latest catalog. However, I know they have been struggling business wise. Can they afford to offend their buyers? 

I am calling now.

ETA: That was very satisfying. As my 80 year old mother told me, Gloria Steinem is a big part of the reason I  have a good job.

gerryl said:

I do shop Land's End some. I was happy to Gloria Steinem in the latest catalog. However, I know they have been struggling business wise. Can they afford to offend their buyers? 

I guess the question should be when your business is struggling because your brand is considered boring and old-fashioned, can you afford to reinforce that stigma by catering to people with incredibly outdated ideas about women?

I would hope they've offended a lot more people now, by apologizing for featuring someone who fights for equal rights for women, than by having stuck by their guns in the first place.

I have bought much from them, especially outer water and basic kid stuff. I've let them know that I can't be a customer if they cave to right wing pressure.  So, now I will pitch the catalogs and emails unread.  Waiting to see if/how they answer me.

No matter what the company does now, they are screwed. First they pissed off conservatives with the interview, and then they pissed off most other women by apologizing and pulling the piece. Amazing. Even if they retract the retraction and apologize to everyone who wasn't offended the first time around, they are pretty much toast. What a dumb-ass move.

I saw this on facebook yesterday. I then discovered one of their marketing emails in my inbox. I promptly unsubscribed and told them exactly why. I sincerely hope they suffer more for being cowardly and caving to regressive misogynists than they would have by standing by feminists. It's very disheartening to see this going on decades after the women's movement began. 

Coffeegretchen said:

I saw this on facebook yesterday. I then discovered one of their marketing emails in my inbox. I promptly unsubscribed and told them exactly why. I sincerely hope they suffer more for being cowardly and caving to regressive misogynists than they would have by standing by feminists. It's very disheartening to see this going on decades after the women's movement began. 

Agree 100%

Just hoping this dust up will result in a sale and I can buy some good quality clothing at a discount.  

Generally I don't voice my political positions via consumption, but rather via the ballot.

Well, I for one feel for the workers there. It was the CEO who did the interview. I can imagine that she admires Steinem. But since the clothes are boring to some of you here, it is easy enough to be snooty and say serves them right. I would guess most businesses have to bow to the pressure of the people who buy from them. Otherwise they go under. What was Land's End going to do? Find enough people who were pleased to have Steinem and hope they would buy their clothes? 

Well, that's what we should do.  Send them e-mails telling them how disappointed we are by their caving in to the right wing demands, and we should remind them how much each of us has purchased from them over the years.  I just did that.  I told them how pleased I was that they featured Gloria Steinem in their catalog, and how angry and disappointed I was when they apologized to the right wingers, and I reminded them that there were millions of people like me, who buy their clothes and admire Steinem.

Agree w PeggyC, both sides have a gripe now.  But is GS really helping women anyway?  "Earlier this month, Steinem caused a stir after implying that young women who support Sen. Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton for president only back him to meet men".  She jumped the shark anyway.  This actually sets back women imho...what an embarrassment. 

Steinem has changed over the years, or perhaps the world has changed and she didn't move in the same direction? I know that I agreed with her a lot more a couple of decades ago. Which is natural enough. I have no idea what kind of brain fart made her say that about Sanders supporters. After all, a feminist can vote for a man if he supports women's issues, right? 

And I would say the same things about the retailer even if it was a company whose clothing I bought regularly. It has no bearing on the current dispute that LE has let the quality go and isn't exactly cutting edge design. This misstep could be the last nail in Land's End's earnings coffer/coffin.

gerryl said:

Well, I for one feel for the workers there. It was the CEO who did the interview. I can imagine that she admires Steinem. But since the clothes are boring to some of you here, it is easy enough to be snooty and say serves them right. I would guess most businesses have to bow to the pressure of the people who buy from them. Otherwise they go under. What was Land's End going to do? Find enough people who were pleased to have Steinem and hope they would buy their clothes? 

I should have been more clear.  It's not that I personally think their clothes are boring.  I actually don't think much at all about their clothes.  But that's apparently their problem in the marketplace.  Their brand image is becoming known for being stodgy and out of date.

You are correct in that brands should cater to the people who buy them.  Hobby Lobby and Chik-Fil-A couldn't care less what liberals in Maplewood think of them.  And their businesses are doing fine.

The Land's End challenge is different though.  They are actually trying to broaden their base and freshen their brand.  And by caving to the stodgy and out of date segment of the population, they've reinforced what they're trying to change about their image.

their clothes are mostly really boring and horrible except for some of their bathing suits, so they need to do something. Not sure this was the something needed though.

I think that Gloria Steinem, like the rest of us, should be judged on her body of work, not just on the dumbest thing she has said.  Steinem blew it with that quote, but still is an icon who has done a great deal for all of us who care about women's rights, and deserves our support.  

Lands End reached out to people like me by using her image, and then caved in to our enemies when they complained.  That deserves to be recognized.  

They have slapped everything I stand for across the face, and that stops me from giving them my money, at least for now.  I recognize that they may be no more craven than many other companies, but in the face of a specific craven event, I want them to feel the loss of business.  Call it consciousness-raising for business.

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Yeah, their clothing isn't fashionable, but they do warm outwear and children's basics well (as I know every time I walk our dog in arctic weather!).  I just noticed that my son's favorite Lands End fleece lined sweatshirt is too short in the sleeves, and am going to have to figure out where else to buy a replacement, unless Lands End comes up with an impressive recovery.

Starsong said:

Agree w PeggyC, both sides have a gripe now.  But is GS really helping women anyway?  "Earlier this month, Steinem caused a stir after implying that young women who support Sen. Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton for president only back him to meet men".  She jumped the shark anyway.  This actually sets back women imho...what an embarrassment. 

I wish I had looked at my recent LE catalogs before recycling them; it would have been interesting to see the Steinem interview. But as other posters have noted, LE quality isn't what it once was, they've eliminated some of their items that were appealing to me, and the styling is unexciting. I don't even bother looking at the catalogs anymore. There was a time, not that long ago, when they had  nice turtlenecks in more interesting colors and thicker cotton thant LLBean carried. Now both have declined. Freshening a brand should not mean that turntleck shirts now come in a lightweight cotton more suitable for a spring scoopneck.

Politically speaking, of course it was a blunder to apologize for interviewing Steinem. Not having read the interview, or the apology, firsthand, I don't know if she was particularly inflammatory, and I think she sounded foolish when, in another context, she attacked Sanders supporters. I don't think abortion rights are the full sum of the women's movement; obviously equal opportunity and equal pay are the cornerstones, and obviously woman can vote for a man rather than a woman. The demonization of the "other" is a failure of both ends of the political spectrum.  That said, if I really liked LE stuff I would buy it anyway. Short of a clearcut boycott in a good cause  (like not buying grapes during the glory years of Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers) or to protest something really reprehensible like Trumpian demagoguery, I don't necessarily businesses whose politics may not echo my own. There are too many gray areas. The strength of America, forgotten by the current crop of right-wing candidates,and probably some leftist ones too, is diversity of opinion as well as background, and an ability to deal with that diversity in a civil manner. I have occasionally shopped Hobby Lobby because it has nice selection of cutesy affordable household objects, and I have occasionally eaten at Chick-Fila-A because their food is decent on trips where other  offerings are limited.

My wardrobe consists of T shirts, sweaters and pants.  I like some of the ones from Lands End, as well as from other sources.  I don't really see how such basics can be so "horrible" or "stodgy" or "old fashioned."  I shall continue to buy from them if there's something that appeals to me, but I'm still angry at this episode with Steinem.

I do buy from them selectively--their bathing suits work for me and many of the kids clothes stuff does too. I used to order for my elderly mother in law as well. So I consider myself a pretty steady customer.  And I see their styles are aligning a bit more with current trends, making me look at their catalogs.  But this latest kefluffle really pissed me off.  They didn't have to apologize--there probably was a way to be more graceful or diplomatic about it.  So I do think they've wound up alienating the group of customers they've been expanding towards.

I wouldn't be buying from them one way or the other, so my opinion doesn't mean much.  But I feel like their retreat on this was the height of cowardice.  I mean c'mon -- in 2016 should equal rights for women really be a stance they want to back away from?

lizziecat said:

My wardrobe consists of T shirts, sweaters and pants.  I like some of the ones from Lands End, as well as from other sources.  I don't really see how such basics can be so "horrible" or "stodgy" or "old fashioned."  I shall continue to buy from them if there's something that appeals to me, but I'm still angry at this episode with Steinem.

I find that even their Tshirts have a boxiness or texture ( thickness to the cotton, for example) about them that is stodgy and out of style. Their patterns are often horrendous. And then occasionally, they'd have a gorgeous item in the midst of a whole bunch of "misses". As for bathing suits, for a while they were the only ones who did a true DD cup size but now that many others have jumped on that sizing, there are much cheaper, hipper designs out there.

This has been bothering more than it should, since I have way more important problems.  But, anyway, I am a regular Lands End customer and I've been pissed off at Gloria Steinem lately because of her Berney remarks, so I was not happy to open my Lands End catalog and see a huge picture of her smiling face.  My first thought was, "Gloria Steinem wears Lands' End?  Nooooooo way."   I skimmed through the article and don't remember what it said.  Then I heard about the boycott.

My first thought about that was, "Oh, crap, now I have to like and support Gloria Steinem again."  I was hoping to stay mad at her for a lot longer.  I've got  my own personal Gloria Steinem boycott going and now these right winger people are interfering with that. Then I also thought about Lands End, like gerryl, as a company that has been struggling and deserves credit for trying new things to stay afloat.  Their core customer base is the disappearing middle class, not the 1%, and that is my group.  They have been having tremendous sales this year and I felt I got some good deals, especially on footwear which they practically give away and some amazing, thick sweatshirts I got for my son (who said he would not wear Lands End until I showed them to him and now he won't take them off).  Anyway, being a card carrying member of the formerly middle class I feel a kindred sympathy.

So, I wrote them a letter saying I was disappointed with their decision, but that I was glad they were trying new things to stay in business and that I would still be a customer.  Then I read that they had pulled the article after only TWO religious schools had complained and someone else said the ERA, which Steinem supports, would mean more opportunities for abortion for everyone.  Two schools and one jerk?  That seems more like they caved over nothing.  So, now I don't know what to think.

Just dug mine out of the recycle bin.  It was clearly an attempt to do a "different" catalog, with a matte finish cover and lots of garden party pictures.

Then, a few pages in, the Steinem piece (soft interview and style pictures), with an introduction that says, in large print:

"Introducing the Legend Series, our ode to individuals who have made a difference in both their respective industries and the world at large.  We honor them and thank them for paving the way for those who follow"

This wasn't an incidental mention of Steinem.  It was a deliberate recognition of her place in history, and a signal of the values that Lands End was claiming to espouse.  It was a bit surprising, and presumably was a planned big attempt to shift the company, since it was the feature of a new style of catalog.  

Obviously it has backfired, badly.  I'm, honestly, less forgiving of those who claim ideals and fold quickly than I might be of companies that never tried to look like more than they actually were.  I might be back to them eventually, but they need to see many months without my business (and without me opening any of their daily emails, if they embed trackers that let them notice).

Heck, if they had stood by their choice, I'd probably be ordering a couple of pieces from the spread now that I've rescued the catalog (although I rarely shop Lands End at full price!), both as a show of solidarity and because Steinem actually makes them look good.

grayhill2 said:

I wish I had looked at my recent LE catalogs before recycling them; it would have been interesting to see the Steinem interview. 

A large chunk of their business is people who buy modest and conservative clothing.  And private school uniforms - a huge chunk of that being religious schools.  Stupid moves on their part all the way around.

I think some of the stuff that LE and Bean sell is what I have always considered classic. I can't wear much of what is in fashion anyway. Yes, the product quality of these two companies have both gone down. As has much of the stuff in the department stores. I suspect a lot of this has to do with trying to keep prices down to compete with big box stores and other places that sell very inexpensive clothes. Land's End colors were always lacking in sophistication or subtlety for the most part.  There are a variety of shapes from form fitting to boxy in their line of t-shirts. And types of cotton and thicknesses vary also, though it is not always real clear when ordering online. 

I remember in the early days of the feminist movement a big phrase was "Burn your bras!". They even had a photo of women doing this. For me it seemed stupid because I've always had large breasts and found comfort from the support of underwired bras. But I had to look past the rhetoric. I am grateful for the fighting that has been done on behalf of women. And, as I, personally, hate it when women wear ridiculously high heels, so I can imagine it might be similar for these women who thought sisterhood would see our country get behind a woman candidate for President. I am not saying that women should have to fight for Hillary. I'm just saying that I understand their shock and disappointment. 

I got the feeling that the Steinem interview was the brainchild of the enthusiastic CEO. I don't think she reckoned on the outpouring of protest. That doesnt mean they can afford to lose their business. They may not be able to afford to wait and see if the people who support the move will send in enough orders to offset what they perceived would be a loss of business. 

Not sure but at least five of my Facebook friends said they were going to boycott.  How many people does it take to significantly affect sales?

Not sure about the timing of the interview vs. the flap over the comment about Sanders supporters (which was ridiculous, Steinem), but in general, it's all unfortunate for Lands End, which either way I'm sure had no idea what it was in for. My kids wore a lot of Lands End clothes when they were younger and always had their squall jackets. I haven't had the opportunity to shop much their lately, but their response to the anti-choicers really bugs me. It's  too bad they couldn't have used the opportunity to issue a simple statement in support of women's rights and moved on.

We never burned any bras.  We put them in a "freedom trashcan."  Having no desire to look like someone out of National Geographic, I have always worn one.

alias said:

Just hoping this dust up will result in a sale and I can buy some good quality clothing at a discount.  

Generally I don't voice my political positions via consumption, but rather via the ballot.

I tend to put my money where my mouth is.   It's why I don't shop at places like WallMart.   While I didn't buy their clothes, I liked their outerwear and my husband likes their jeans.   I've unsubscribed and told them why I won't be shopping with them in the future.