Ann Taylor Loft

Full review
I’m slowly accumulating work clothes after years of being able to dress as a student. Many of these clothes come from Ann Taylor Loft. When I was trying on some clothes at one of the Chicago branches a couple of weeks ago, I was unable to find the button down shirt I wanted in my size. Fortunately, I was able to purchase it at the Ann Taylor Loft Online Store.

General Information
The Ann Taylor Loft Online Store can be found at www.anntaylorloft.com. It sells the same items offered at the physical Ann Taylor Loft stores. This franchise is aimed towards young women looking for professional clothing although some more casual items are offered as well. The Loft version of the Ann Taylor chain is a little bit more casual and a little cheaper than the regular Ann Taylor stores, although the two are very similar.

I enjoy this store because many of the items are not too frumpy, and the quality of the clothing tends to be very good for the price. The website’s inventory includes suits, button down shirts, sweaters, skirts, dresses, shoes, and handbags. Basically every suit I own comes from Ann Taylor and many of the shirts I wear with them do as well.

Prices vary, but generally you can expect to pay about $300 for a two piece suit from Ann Taylor Loft. A button down shirt at regular price will cost between $40 and $60, but I usually wait until these are on sale to buy them. Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft sizes tend to run a little on the larger size. I normally wear a size smaller at these stores than I do in similar clothing styles at EXRESS or The Limited.

Navigating the Website
Ann Taylor Loft’s website is fairly basic and easy to navigate, if somewhat unexciting. The featured seasonal collection can be accessed from the front page. You also click on “Loft Trends” or search different categories including “Outfits”, “Apparel,” or “Petites.”

If you are me, you will click directly on the red writing that says “LOFT ON SALE”. Once you are in the sale section you can further subdivide the items you are looking at by type or separate those items which are on clearance. In the sale section, certain sizes tend to run out fast. You can tell whether your size is available by selecting your desired color from the color drop down bar and then checking the size drop down bar for a listing of options. In this case, the shirt I wanted was available in my size and desired color. You can then add your item to the “shopping bag” and either continue shopping or check out.

Purchasing
All done selecting items? Click checkout, enter your address and credit card info, and you’re ready to go! You could also call and order over the phone at 1-800-DIAL-ANN. Before you click your order all the way through, look around online to see if you can find a coupon code. Right now there is a $5 shipping special but you can often do better than this and find free shipping by searching. Try Googling words like “Ann Taylor Loft” and “discount codes” and you’ll be surprised what pops up.

You can also purchase gift cards online or apply for the Ann Taylor credit card. My mom applied for one when she was buying me a suit for my birthday to take advantage of the 10% savings you get when applying. If you shop here regularly, or plan to, I would suggest waiting until you make a big purchase to apply for a card to take full advantage of the savings.

Delivery
My shirt arrived just two days after I ordered in a large, flat cardboard envelope via FedEx. I was surprised and pleased at how wrinkle-free it was and I was able to wear it for the first time this weekend without ironing it first. Good job, Ann! As with all the items I’ve purchased from Ann Taylor Loft, I’m pleased with the quality, fit, and overall appearance of this shirt.

Overall…
I had a positive experience with the Ann Taylor Loft online store and will be using it frequently in the future. The website doesn’t offer a lot of bells and whistles. However, it offers good quality merchandise, a pretty nice chunk of which is on sale at any given time. If you are looking for a good online supplier of professional yet attractive women’s clothing, the Ann Taylor Loft Online Store is my recommendation.