Now that you can find American made, European graced designs on line, for instence, Mel en Stel, People may not be so apt to patronize the conservative, passionless, money grubbing, advirtise driven dinosaurs of design that deem themselves inside the castle walls and too big to fail. Despite the sizzle of their glossy ads, what you probly get is third world construction and material and a durability modeled after the auto industry.

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None of the designers are designing and making quality clothing for women over 50 (and heaven forbid 60 and up). Since a larger population is this age they probably aren't selling their lines which are more appropriate for the under 30 group. My frustration is huge when I go shopping and all I can find are sleeveless tops, sun dresses, tank tops and mini skirts. No classy clothing such as dresses (that cover arms), suits etc. No surprise to me that these people are going out of business or barely hanging on.

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Maybe if more fashion companies had women at the top of their management teams they would do better. Whenever CEO's, etc. are named they are always men. Read an article about Coach in Business Week and it was all men mentioned. Doesn't make sense in businesses that cater to women should be run by men!!

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In the early 90's I worked for a women's sportswear company as a pattern maker . They manufactured clothing very similar in fabrics, style and fit as Liz Claiborne. The big difference was that the company I worked for actually manufactured all their garments here in the U.S.A., while Liz was overseas. Our garments were of much better quality right down to the number of stitches per garment. Our target customer was the same as the Liz customer, mostly women in their 60's or older and they sold TONS of clothing. That was in the early 90's. I am now in my 40's and I will NEVER, EVER succumb to wearing those styles of slacks and shirts. EVER. I think the percentage of Liz women is diminishing greatly while a lot of women my age are not going to want to wear those "old lady" styles. But then again, I am not a typical middle aged woman who wears elastic waste slacks. I am a size 2 and want really nice fitting clothing that is hip for a mature woman. I DO NOT want to have to wear Junior clothing, but sometimes that is all that fits me. Even petite sizes do not fit right or are just too matronly. But I also see just as many plus sized women and women much older than I wearing hipper, more flattering styles these days. And clothing that is less expensive than Liz Claiborne's. I seriously will never understand WHY her clothing was SO much more expensive either having been made in the orient. It was all about the brand, not because it was great fitting or unique.

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One more thing - I think a LOT of 60 and 70 year olds these days are opting to buy their elastic waste pants and banded bottom blouses from Walmart since they are much cheaper and more affordable for women who might be on a limited income. It's unfortunate, but that is the way it is. I don't think there are enough women in that age range with enough income to keep buying Liz. And I do not know any 30 or 40 year olds in in my circle of friends who wear Liz. The majority of my wardrobe comes from the Gap, Old Navy and Target. Same goes for most of the women I know and they are of various sizes.

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Gap tried to capture the "mature women" segment with a brand called Fourth And Town (FAT)...seriously...what were they thinking? They launched a few stores in some test markets and bombed. I was told the clothes were similiar to Talbot's and Ann Taylor but they were pricey. Many moons ago, Gap used to have some decent basic stuff for us "over 40" women...not anymore! :(

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Any brand that caters to a very small portion of the population has to expect problems. Liz brands are very overpriced, not available to middle Americans. What hasn't been mentioned here is us plus-size ladies. I'm not a disgusting blob, I'm just large. I also happen to be over 60. Being older doesn't mean having to dress like a frump. I'm over 60, work at home, and get up every day, dress, including jewelry and makeup, even if I'm not leaving the house. I just want regular-looking clothes but larger. Try finding a cute sundress for a plus-sizer. Thousands in regular sizes, just not for plus sizes. Maybe the new TV show, More To Love, will bring out some better designers.

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We have Liz Clairborne in the PX on our Army Post, and her line is EXPENSIVE. Most of the items are not current. They look like 70's styles. I'm not too into trends, but I won't purchase something that looks dated, either.

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A size 2 can buy inexpensive clothes ANYWHERE regardless of age. I am 48 years old and while I do NOT want to look like an old matron, I certainly do not want to shop with the kids at THE GAP or buy the crap that Old Navy produces for a teenage target buyer. While not a size 2 I am a size 6/8 petite (5ft 4), and do most of my shopping at department stores like MACY'S, LORD & TAYLOR, etc. When they have one day sales with coupons I can get extremely well made, name brand clothing in a large variety of styles and sizes. I am curvy with 36C bust line and need clothes that are well made, well fitted to my build and will not tug or gap where I have curves. Where money is concerned I would much rather wait until sale day at Macy's where I know I will get a high quality garment at a decent price that will launder well and last FOR YEARS than purchase an item from Target with loose buttons and not very well finished seams. I am a single parent with a teenage daughter who also shops the department stores. We hit Macy's today, newspaper supplied coupons in hand and CLEANED UP on summer and vacation wear. I am a teacher and will never make a fortune, but need professional wear. You cannot beat the department stores for suits and high end shoes on sale.

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Having dealt with the organization, for several years, I profess that less than stellar middle and upper management contributed heavily to the demise of Liz.

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