Thursday, January 03, 2008

Suggestion Box

Whew. The Holiday Season is behind us and things are beginning to calm down. NOT!

Our Ulla Popken buyers are busily planning for Winter 2009! And, you're not off the hook, either. Tell us what you would like to see in next winter's collection. Was there something special that you had on your Wish List? Pass it along. We love hearing from you.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like no iron fabrics that u don't have to dry clean, not cotton. Wrinkle free blends and more pant sets please, for all seasons.

Anonymous said...

There are several issues here! First, all your comfortable, stretchy pants are short length, ugly! And a note to your buyers! You do not stock enough of the obvious favorites regardless of seasons. such as turtlenecks. And you need way more lounge wear and sleep wear, in particular, long comfy t-shirt like gowns. Take a look at your competitors, that they stock, all the time, any time of year.

Anonymous said...

I love ULLA dresses, esoecially with square or vee/surplice necks, 3/4 length sleeves, and nice fabrics. I wish they were a bit shorter and had less embellishments. Too many (sometimes any) embellishments can be a turn off (sequins etc.) I like to wear my own accessories and jewelry and not clash with the sequins.

I'd like a very classy stretch black dress in a nice fabric to dress up or down without any sequins and embellishments. I bought one from Ulla years ago in a translucent stretchy crepe fabric with a low square neck -- it was so perfect! It has fallen apart from overuse!

A few years ago Ulla had this wonderful ribbed velour fabric. I bought lots of dresses and tops in it but they are getting old now -- I wish you would bring it back! I like all the stretch velours and velvets you sell in winter. I like fabrics with at least a touch of stretch for comfort. I also like cotton knits.

I loved the little black sleeveless sweater dress this year -- very handy over a top and leggings on cold days. Sweater knits in dreses and separates are nice. I also like nice bright color sweaters with patterns. I love military style jackets or other interesting style jackets.

Also for spring, I miss the bubble cotton pique. I have another old favorite navy bubble pique dress with a white rimmed square nck and princess seams that I wore on every trip for years -- but it's way too old now. If you have one left over from 10 years ago in the warehouse I'd buy it!

I'd also like longer tunic tops and sweaters and some longer tshirts. Petite length pants and skirts and some shorter dresses. I'm short! I like long tops but short pants.

Anonymous said...

I've commented before but I'm not seeing very much movement in your collection. How long does it take to make changes? A year? Two?

I see the comment regarding no iron fabrics. I made that request some months ago and don't see it yet. I have to say that I hate, hate, hate those stretchy/cotton tops because they do need to be ironed--at very least the seams need to be ironed but it's impossible! The fabric stretches under the iron and you end up with unwanted creases. Just a mess. My husband has some no-iron dress shirts that are a breeze. If I grab them out of the dryer promptly I only need to smooth the seams with the iron! He can wear them all day and still look crisp and put-together. I want that!!!

Today, I was looking for a nice, special occasion outfit to wear for Valentines day. I think I hate everything in your collection. My husband has a nice Jones New York suit he got at Men's Warehouse. There is nothing here that I can wear and stand next to him. Jones New York doesn't make my size unfortunately and you folks only make schmatas--cheap-o fabrics and frumpy styles.

Do your buyers ever look at current fashion? When was the last time anyone saw velvet burnout in a fashion magazine? Where is the nice, well-made, classic surplice, wrap dress in simple colors? How about a nice dinner suit? How about ANYTHING that doesn't have ruffles, sequins, ribbons, bows, yada, yada, yada?

Your dresses are too long. Your pants are too long. The sleeves are always too long. You need petite sizes. You need to upgrade your fabrics. I would pay IF I could find better fabrics and better designs.

Ten or so years ago you had beautiful things in your catalog but now--just cheap schmatas.

I think I'm done here. I don't know what the heck I'm going to wear to cover my body but I refuse to look second class any longer.

Anonymous said...

I have shopped in both your on-line catalog and also your germany stores. I find your fabrics excellent quality in Germany, but some of the items in your catalog appear to not be the same "quality".

I am looking for wool lined blazers in more than brown and black. Each season you have only one color. While in Germany I got a wonderful casmere blazer that is wonderfully cut.

The reason I love your clothes is that I am tall and your clothes are long. I appreciate that!!

There are enough large size stores that cut all their clothes short. Please do not follow suit.

Is it possible to order the Ulla line from Germany? Also, business suits in long pants are a must. Most organizations will not permit capris in the office.

Remember we must work even if we are larger and we need appropriate quality work clothes

Anonymous said...

Definitely less embellishments.

Sarah J. Flashing said...

More blazers/jackets, plain and ornate!

Anonymous said...

More 34" & 36" tops. A 32" is the bare minimum for me and I'm not really happy with that length. I'm 5'8" and wear a 1X (16/18) and I'm ecstatic to have discovered Ulla this year. Up till now, length has been my primary criteria and I've bought tops elsewhere not because I liked them, but simply because they were longer than 32". I spent 3 days cleaning out my closet after my first Ulla order! So thank you for all the great styles that are attractive and fit. I'd like longer Ts and, as someone else mentioned, long comfy t-shirt like nightgowns in pretty fabrics. Dusters are nice, too, to wear over tops that aren't long enough.

Anonymous said...

First, I am really glad you are giving your customers a chance to talk. I agree with everyone here! No ironing. And you have to improve the quality. I have stacks of your clothes (at one point I took a two-year break where I refused to buy from you!) because I just don't know what I am going to get! Buttons are too fragile. Length is too short on one pair of pants. Another pair I loved but they shrank beyond belief! Another pair was dragging (and I am 5'9")! You used to offer basic clothes for the business woman. You had a long black straight knit skit... I have six of them. Thank God, I bought so many because I have never seen them again. They were great! Please where are the useful things we can wear? Don't worry I keep ordering and trying...

Anonymous said...

I am not able to order anything. Everytime I add to shooping cart it tells me there is noting in it.

Anonymous said...

I keep trying, buying, but being disappointed. The fabric in the skirts of the larger sizes is so skimped-on the style is ruined.

For example, the current "floral tea dress" (81208) is described as "flowing", and pictured so.

But the reality in size 24/26 is that the crinkle skirt is smaller around than the bodice, and it fits like a sock! After being washed, it would fit like compression hose.

At $80, I would think the company could afford to include some material in the dress, so that one does not appear to be dressed in a tube sock!

I can't take the disappointment any more. Ulla Popken used to offer a limited selection, but the offerings were excellent. Now we have skinny models, and the clothes are designed to look good on them in the pictures, not to fit the customer, not to look good on size 18 and up, and not to last.

Anonymous said...

I first bought from ULLA POPKEN for the quality and fit. Both are suffering as the product line has expanded, and ULLA designs for the skinny models to photograph and sell. But the clothing does not match the photographs when placed on a real body.

Over the last few years, I have attempted to purchase several "A-line" dresses, most of them illustrated as full-skirted. Most recently, for instance, I purchased "Floral Tea Dress" (81208), sure, based on the description ("flowing") and photographs (two, both showing a full-skirted dress) that finally I would receive a great dress. What arrived was a dress with more material around the bodice than around the skirt. The manufacturer is clearly "economizing" by skimping on the skirt material, resulting in a distortion of the design. Another disappointment, and bothersome return.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE the Smock Knit Tunic! Item#: 81501 It looks WAY better on a fuller figure than it does on the model.

Some of the drapier items are hard to visualize on bodies bigger than a size 12, and with items like this, I want it in ALL colors, but had I not received it as a gift, I never would have known how nicely it would hang and fit my curves.

Rounder models, please!

Anonymous said...

I'm seeing many of the same comments over and over. You might consider the website functionality that Starbucks.com has for sharing ideas -- people can vote on them!

I'm 5'8", 34WT. From my perspective, an inseam of less than 32 inches is ankle pants. Period. And I am sick and tired of them. Ditto for tops. Anything shorter than 32 inches cuts me at my widest part, right above the crotch -- such an attractive look. :-(

I look in a catalog for L---'s E-- and every pair of pants is a basic style and comes in 3 or 4 lengths. It's so simple and it makes me so jealous. I know, I know, if you had the marketshare of a company that size, you could do it too.

If I could design my own clothing line for large women, it would be the basic, classic cuts in a limited range of classic colors with little or no embellishment and a WIDE range of lengths and widths. And sturdy, did I mention sturdy? Ulla is generally good about quality, relative to some other places. Sleeves are too short, socks are too short, the world is tough. Sigh. But I get sooo frustrated!

Thank you for hearing us out!

Anonymous said...

Several years ago I purchased several simple a-line dresses, without embellishments,with round neck, 3/4 length sleeves, mid calf length, cotton. Colors ranged black, olive, orange. I still wear and receive many, many compliments and questions where to purchase. I would love to see this line of dress return.

Might these return? I can take a photo and send in if that would help.

Thanks!

Diane said...

To all our contributors:

Thank you so much for your comments! All of the messages are viewed by the various departments that make up Ulla Popken. While it's pretty difficult to answer each message separately, please know that your comments and suggestions are taken very seriously!

Happy shopping!

Diane said...

Anonymous said...
Several years ago I purchased several simple a-line dresses, without embellishments,with round neck, 3/4 length sleeves, mid calf length, cotton. Colors ranged black, olive, orange. I still wear and receive many, many compliments and questions where to purchase. I would love to see this line of dress return.

Might these return? I can take a photo and send in if that would help.

Thanks!

To the wonderful customer who took the time to contact us, we would like to ask a favor. Would you send a picture or item number (you can find this on the tag right under the Ulla Popken name) for the dresses that you bought? The buyers would like to have more information as to what our customers like.

You can send this information to me personally at diane@ullapopken.com.

Thank you so much!

Diane

dr_fadwa_86@hotmail.com said...

Good morning
i Really need to contact the customer service

Hollie said...

Hi dr_fadwa_86!

Please feel free to contact customer service by phone at 1-800-245-8552 Monday- Friday 8am-9pm and Saturdays 9am-6pm (EST) Additionally you may also speak with customer service through email at support@ullapopken.com

We look forward to hearing from you!