I had a woman come to my job and pass out coupons for Dressbarn. Maybe that's evidence of a peer to peer marketing campaign that gets women into the store with a promise of a good discount?

And you seem to forget that most women out there are plus-sized, ESPECIALLY those who aren't interested in fashion. If they want to shop for workwear IRL where do they go? Not H&M or Gap or Target (I actually just checked and most of Target's plus-size work clothes are online only).

Lane Bryant is the only store that comes to mind other than Dressbarn.

Economically depressed areas definitely have Gap and they definitely have Target. And they most definitely have Wal-Mart, which has some amazing clothes.

The peer-to-peer marketing thing is interesting, but in terms of plus-size clothing, I'm not so sure. The average American woman is a size 14, which may be considered plus size in fashion, but is totally just a regular size in retail. As I said above, Wal-Mart has some great clothes, as does Old Navy. And they most definitely have plus-sizes available.

“Economically depressed areas definitely have Gap and they definitely have Target. ” Really? what universe do you live in? I live in an “economically depressed” area (West Oakland, CA) and there are no Targets within city limits.

Oakland doesn't have Target but it does have Hyphy, which is exponentially more important.

i think that this piece is coming off as more insulting than informative. the majority of women that shop at dressbarn also shop at tj maxx, walmart and sears.
you keep mentioning that walmart has amazing clothing, have you been to walmart and seen their clothing? it's crap and badly manufactured.
dressbarn caters to the woman that doesn't shop at H&M because there isn't one in their city and their clothing doesn't fit. (i live in miami, fl and the closest H&M is in ATLANTA!)
i think that because you're in NYC you forget that a lot of women aren't often looking for fashion, but rather affortable clothing that makes them believe they're fashionable.

My mother-in-law ALWAYS, suggest that I take a look at Dressbarn, I swear my gag reflex goes into overdrive when she mentions that store. She feels that since I work in a professional environment, that Dressbarn offers the best options in her opinion. Any store with the name “barn” in it, does not deserve any further conversation :)

A friend of mine bought a dress for a bridal shower at dress barn, it was printed cotton, decent looking. I was looking thru the Macy's dress department and the same exact dress was sold there. I kind of thought that was interesting. Kind of similar places? I'm not sure. I've never been to dress barn and usually just look at Macy's when I'm at the mall. I guess what i'm assuming is that it is similar to mid range department store offerings but maybe with better deals/coupons?

Why are you so concerned with why people shop there? People can shop wherever they would like. And I'm stating the obvious here, but what is “fashionable” and in-taste varies from region to region, even town to town, and from age group to age group.

This is definitely an example of fashion snobbery. Don't get me wrong, I love shopping and easily plop down $200 for a pair of jeans, but I don't judge those who shop elsewhere or just don't care about fashion. I think that is what a lot of the writers in here get caught up on, they can't possibly fathom the idea that someone, somewhere doesn't care about fashion.

The success is actually believable Lauren!
Look at all your high-end designers either closing up shop or doing fast fashion to make a small niche of people who can and can't afford their pieces. Then you have places like the GAP who also play the fast fashion, Vogue Fashion Fund game for middle consumers who no longer shop the Gap at regular prices because they wait for the $2.99 sales, 6 weeks later.
The recession has caused many people to shift to the basics and if Dress Barn is it, then more power to them. This is why they make money and this also why high-end designers can't post a profit. No one can afford couture but you can buy one-thousand and one items from a place like Dress Barn.

Additionally, Are you guys running out of inventive posts while to fast track your way through Fashion Week with your “Standing By” passes?

I agree completely, Molly. This “article” is crap. While, Dress Barn is not my thing at all…. how UGLY of the “writer” to be so judgmental about those who do shop there. OBVIOUSLY the store is doing well because women enjoy shopping there. Maybe because it's free from the snobby, intimidating “fashion” world. A LOT of women are really afraid of fashion.

This SO feels like middle school. I remember being ridiculed by the “it girls” for wearing off-brand Keds. WTH?

Really? My mom is 55 and my aunt is 58 and they both regularly shop at Old Navy. And they DEFINITELY don't shop at dress barn.

I've been reading this website for a little while now and (as a fashion student), I think that it's an excellent resource to grab a lot of fashion-related information (subjective – but what delivery medium isn't?), but have never posted a comment on here until now. I just felt compelled to comment on this topic.

As someone who absolutely LOVES clothes (the true fashion portion of it – art, innovation, wit, humor, creativity, etc…), I must admit that I sometimes find myself wondering how and why someone could completely eschew fashion – despite that I grew up on the south side of Chicago in the hood, where a lot of people don't care about fashion at all. However, I realize that just because it's one of my passions doesn't mean that it holds the same allure for everyone else. My mother, for example, is one of the most brilliant and intelligent women that I know (and I'm not being biased because she's my mother – she's studied for YEARS and is truly a smart, well-educated woman), but she couldn't care less about what she wears. That isn't to say that she's sloppy or doesn't care about her appearance. Quite the contrary – she is always impeccably groomed, hair and nails clean, beautiful and styled, and clothes clean, pressed, and well-tailored. However, she will shop at Wal-mart for a garment just as quickly as she would for basic household toiletries. She very rarely shops at a store like Macy's or Von Maur, or even the Gap, preferring to stick to stores like JC Penny's, Kohl's, Target, etc.

The point that I'm making is that there are many women out there like my mother who don't place any value on fashion, whatsoever, and still turn out impeccable daily style without being very fashion-forward. Although, personally, I would probably never even set foor in a DressBarn (save for being with a friend who wanted to go there – but none of my friends would shop there either), much less purchase an outfit from there, I can completely understand why some women would and do shop at a place like that. Certain things are simply not important to some people.

Having said all of that, I can certainly also understand Lauren's posting of this article. There's a curiosity there. I hold the same curious stance. What is it that causes some people to just disregard something that is such a large part of our lives? We all wear clothes everyday – they're mandatory in most parts of society. Why not put the most into something that you're going to have on display everyday? Which leads me to wonder why someone would choose DressBarn over Dior (well, perhaps that's a huge stretch, but the point remains….)

Again, as a young African American boy (albiet gay, which is, perhaps, where my innate sense of fashion and style comes from) growing up in the hood on the south side of Chicago, one would typically not expect me to be drawn, fashion-wise (or culturally, for that matter), to the things that I'm attracted to. It would probably be expected of me to like typical “hood”, urban fashions, however, I don't. Certainly, my upbringing has instilled a certain urban/street style instinct in me, but it typically leans toward the higher end of urban-styled fashion, such as Nicholas Ghesquiere's S/S '10 collection for Balenciaga, etc.

But I think that some people here are being a bit harsh. Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and certainly to the way that they desire to dress, but why can't the question WHY some people choose to shop where they do be asked? Is it fashion snobbery? Could be. But it could also just be open, honest curiosity. Sometimes when we are fans of something (a favorite music artist or movie, for example), we find ourselves wondering why everyone else isn't into the same thing that we are.

Apologies for my post being all over the place and so many tangents, but I'm in a rush to make it to a movie screening and I haven't the time to organize my thoughts as concisely as I'd like to at the moment.

Gotta run, but hopefully my next post will be a little more pulled together. TTYL!!!

I like this post. I generally check here for the more newsy stories but when I see something like this or the Bennetton post, I am amused because I often wonder the same things. Someone on my Facebook just became a fan of Ross Dress for Less and I was dumbfounded. It is NOT snobby to be skeptical of these stores… just curiosity about why you wouldn't spend the same $$ at Loehmanns or TJ Maxx and get something of better quality. I agree with the above poster that some people think the mall is very expensive (including GAP) and this is a way of having a retail experience without feeling completely ripped off. It is baffling. Talk about opting out completely and draping yourself in polyester:)

Lauren, for someone who claims to specialize in the business side of fashion, I would expect more business understanding from you. Yet all you seem to do is report sales figures supplemented by your insular opinions instead of insightful analysis. Using words like “slutty” doesn't help either.

And you wonder why bloggers don't get the same respect as traditional journalists do.

I have had enough with the judgmental attitude of this site. Fashionista used to be a source of light entertainment for me, but I find myself increasingly frustrated or at least annoyed every few days either with the articles or catty comments. I'm joining the previous commenter in saying goodbye.

Ps. Dressbarn does a great job catering to their target market who live in a very different world than you do.

Target does not have great clothing. Quality is poor, color palettes are abysmal. Blouses are paper-thin. I get my jeans there; that's it. I have better luck at Marshalls/TJMaxx/AJWright.

Seriously? Have you ever been to Chicago? I had a friend that was thinking of quitting her doctoral program at the University of Chicago because she felt so unsafe living in Hyde Park.

Yes, I lived in Chicago for 3 years and your friend is an idiot for quitting a doctoral program at one of most Nobel Prize winning institution in the world.

Tell her to contact me and I will send her a knife, some mace and free self defense lessons.

There is a DressBarn on a major street in my city (Washington DC) right downtown, and there are not really any other clothing stores nearby…except about 2 blocks away where there are some upscale stores like Burberry. Every time I walk past that Dress Barn I say to myself “what woman looks in this window and says ‘wow that’s cute’ while she’s on her lunch break from her lobbying firm?” I can’t figure out the demographic they are reaching out for in that location, because it is by no means an economically depressed area. Its a business district with upscale shopping nearby. I then imagine if I worked in one of the office buildings on that block and OOPS- I spill something really awful all over my favorite 3.1 Phillip Lim white blouse. Maybe, just maybe, if I am broke, pressed for time, and have an important meeting later, I would run into DressBarn and grab the first semi-OK looking basic shirt I see and then never wear it again. Most likely I wouldn’t even do that, but it seems like the only possible reason why I would go in that store. That is just my opinion, because I care about fashion.

I design and own a fashion accessories business and when I have time I like to read the comments just to see what folks like yourself have to say about pro's and con's of everything / situation. I am enjoying the heck out of all the comments and I don't see the article as snobbery at all. It is just a healthy curiosity at the “fashion” or “non-fashion” world as in the case of dress barn. I am actually learning a lot from the comments of the people here that bother to discuss productively rather than petulantly. If you don't like the article, then just move on. Let others discuss so that people like myself that wants to learn what makes folks tick in different demographics actually hear other people out. So just move on – its not like you have to address every article. This is my first time writing in.

Here's why Dress Barn is a success: Many, many women work in offices where boring, conventional clothes are required. Fashion is considered “unprofessional” in their workplaces. And since buying dull work clothes gives no one any joy, women go to the cheapest place to get their required beige polyester suits, etc.

Daughter, journalist, living in Kenwood/Hyde Park-safer than previous apt. 1 block from the Coach store on Michigan Ave. Just because residents are Af-Am doesn't mean it is not safe! AND—-the one time I entered DressBarn-my mother-in-law from overseas needed clothing gifts for women in the family. She had a fine time! Never had she seen such cheap clothing! The sale and clearance items were incredible. Their clothing was unappealing to me, but she was able to get a ton of clothes for a couple hundred dollars (of course slight weight problems later at the airport!). There were sweaters, denim skirts, sequined tops, etc. The clothing is loose, and generously sized. I can see that for some women, they offer 'safe' styles, good prices, and outfits that mix and match. They probably shop elsewhere also. Old Navy is next door.