Monday, June 29, 2009

Tell Us What's on Your Mind!

As we have said before, we always love to hear how we can make improvements to facilitate your shopping experience. Who better to ask than loyal Ulla customers for feedback on our website? We want to know what you like about our site and what you dislike, and as always any suggestions for improvement!

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

your new website layout is wonderful! i have yet to wear a garment purchased from you that has not received many complements and the query "where did you find it?" i do tell them!! k.

Anonymous said...

I wish you would build a core category for plus size classic, basic shapes and colors for professional women. Most plus size lines are very bold colors, a lot of pattern, embelishment, etc and that is not always appropriate for work. Your clothing fits well and is well constructed, it is just not right for that niche in my wardrobe.

i would like to see well fitted jackets, tank dresses, tunics, classic shirts in good quality solid colors and nice fabrics.

lonedogday said...

I'm a marketing director -- so believe me, I realize how risky it is to start a blog and ask open-ended questions like, "Tell us what's on your mind" -- you may get much more than you bargained for! But I sincerely hope that you understand that your best UP customers really, truly LOVE Ulla Popken clothes. I've even looked up the German parent company, and learned about the history of the establishment (which, by the way, you should consider sharing, it's cool).

When you're big, you don't have lots of options on where to buy your clothes. There are other aggressive catalogers, like Woman Within or Roamans (same company) that offers cheaply made goods. Ulla Poplen is really the ONLY choice for well-made, beautifully designed apparel for the plus-sized woman. I'm an evangelist for you everywhere I turn.

So, I encourage you to take your blog seriously -- get Thomas Schneider on board with this, get the exec staff pumped about this channel to YOUR ***BEST AND MOST ENTHUSIASTIC*** customers.

(And, please, give me Long pants, with a 32 inseam, and I'll love you forever.)

jeazette said...

The black background on your site is very hard on the eyes. The white font vibrates on the black like crazy!

Product photo resolution could be better. Shopping cart thumbnails are too small. The font color should be a bit darker on a white ground.

lonedogday said...

Yep, I have to agree with the Anonymous comment -- the new Web site design is great, not so much of a departure from the past that you've lost your brand identity, but easier to navigate, and pages are loading faster, too. Nice job!

Ulla clothes are the best.

Anonymous said...

why do you continue to list items that are and have been sold out?

Anonymous said...

Even though, you have begun to legthen tops according to size eg. 29-32", getting longer as the size gets larger. doesnt help those of us who are 5'2" or under. I would like to see a full collection of shorter tops and pants eg.26-28"tops and 28"to 30" pants. In other words how about a petite plus size dept
Shelley

Jane said...

I know this is kind of a late response, but I just got a new order, and once again, I'm going to have to return some of the shirts. I would say about two-thirds of the shirts I buy from you have such big necks that I can't wear them. I can generally shrink the t-shirts so that they fit, but I can't risk more expensive shirts. This order I'm having to return two wonderful shirts--the Dolman Sleeve Tailored Shirts (item #94425) in size 28/30. Everything else about them fits wonderfully and they're a perfect all-season weight, and soft cotton. I love them! But the collar looks like an oversize peter pan collar on me. :( I know that it's impossible to fit all sizes and shapes, but I hope you will consider fit for women who don't have large necks. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

What Jane said the necks on some tops are to big.I don't know about anyone else ,but my neck is average and I wear a size 28 top.Some tops show more skin that I want to show

quality control said...

Hi Jane,
Thank you for responding to our blog. You'll be glad to know that starting with Spring 2010 we are reducing the neck width.
Please try Ulla Popken again in the future and let us know your thoughts.

Anonymous said...

Glad you are reducing neck opening size in 2010. Seems clothing makers believe we all have 28-30" necks if we have 65-70 inch hips when in fact necks change very little, only a couple of inches even with 100 lb weight gain. A 19" opening should be adequate for most plus size woman.

I shop for shallow v's or narrow neck openings in dresses, gowns in my attempt to minimize the often huge neck gaps between the shoulders. Most women are smaller on top than on the bottom so the enormous openings on top make us send back or never wear many a garment we purchased shying away from future purchases.

Perhaps clothing makers should design a new line specifically a dress line at the least using a 3 body type insignia to flag to customers a garment has been altered to their various body type. Dresses and even 3/4 to full length coats and outerwear could be designed/sold this way because they can not be purchased/sold as separates successfully by some body types as in the case of a woman shaped like a pear. This plus sized woman shaped like a pear may purchase a top of one size and her bottom one size larger in separates. I tire of looking unkempt in my dresses as my garments appear huge on top but the dresses must be large in order to fit the hips below.

Clothiers design for height issues in petite and talls but no attention whatsoever is made to body type issues beyond the basic womans sizing categories of Petite, Jr. Missy, Missy plus,Womans ,Plus etc.

But if a clothier designed a dress line and coat line adding shaping for body types then used insignias for body type to flag notification to consumers I could have a 'fitted' dress designed, shaped exactly for my size 30-32 pear body type solving my gapping neck and shoulder issue. I think women would flock to the insignia system. Once I found my correct size along with thousands of other happy consumers, undoubtedly sales would soar!

Give body type insignias a whirl- pear, apple, triangle . If a woman saw the pear insignia on a dress or in the ad she would know instantly the particular dress or coat was designed to best fit the her body type demands whether she be a size 14 pear or 32 pear.

The industry built female garments having to make sure garments fit the necks and shoulders of apple and triangle body types but also made room for the waists and hips of pears, the greatest percentage of the body types/purchasers are pears. Therefore one can see how the big neck and shoulder complaints abound. Until the industry pays attention to the basic woman's body types designing for the most common body types in the dress lines, clothiers will never profit as much as they might in this ever expanding womens plus size industry.

Jane said...

Thanks so much for making the necks smaller! Now I'll really look forward to shopping the spring catalog!

Gee, that worked so well, I think I'm going to ask for something else: how about more colors (like chocolate brown, and olive) in the style of the new striated stretch denim slim pants (#94826). I love them! They have beautiful tailoring, and they look really polished. I'm going to have to have them altered, but I've never actually had a pair of pants that I liked so well that I would even bother to take to the tailor. Stacy and Clinton on "What's Not to Wear" have always maintained that altering just goes with the territory to get a perfect fit. And these denim pants are definitely worth it.

A nice medium weight denim has two big advantages: either it acts like a girdle, but comfortable or the material is sturdy enough that it doesn't show the cellulite! (The denim pants are the latter.)So jeans always look better on me than most other pants (not denim leggings though because they're usually too tight or too lightweight). A variety of colors would be super!

buyingteam said...

Jane -
You are so sweet. Thanks as always for giving us your feedback. If these pants become a best seller before the end of the fall season we will surely add them in more colors. Have a great day.

Margaret said...

Please add my sentiments to the 2nd Anonymous -- more career clothes!

Like many folks, I am job searching these days. I recently bought your grey pinstriped pants & vest (91821 & 91321) for second/less formal interviews, but I could sure use more outfits for first interviews (beyond the black and grey suits I already have)!

As long as I'm making requests, I would love a pink or maroon SILK blouse to wear with those grey pinstripes. It's so hard to find plus size clothes in nicer fabrics, and I can't stand wearing polyester tops.

Thanks for seeking input! Love your stuff, and look forward to being employed again and able to buy at will.

buyingteam said...

Margaret -
I just want to let you know we do have a silk blouse in winter - not the colors you want but it does come in black and ivory, the item is #95403.
We also have a beautiful new rayon blend truffle suiting program in winter 95305 and 95801 it is shown with a mauve, invory and light blue blouse that is viscose rayon (much nicer than polyester). This might be a new career outfit for you in your near future.
Thanks as always for your thoughts and comments!
We appreciate it.
Best of luck.

Micrapol said...

I love the styles on your european site and wish some of those items could be available in North America.

Anonymous said...

I have to comment first on a couple of posts from other women...the necks of shirts are very large (glad to see that will be changing soon), and some petite items would be nice (my tailor drives a BMW because of me, I'm sure). My own comment is that I wish Ulla would go back to the rayon fabric from before 2003. It was much more substantial and beautifully flowing. I have a black dress with tiny white fish all over it and a border of palm trees and people across the bottom. I still have this dress, it looks great, and its at least 7 years old (maybe 8 or 9). Please bring back this rayon!

Anonymous said...

I have shopped most or all of the plus size lines and yours is absolutley my favorite. Thanks being able to buy the full line in the larger sizes and for your great quality. One suggestion---more raglan sleeve styles for those of us who have narrow shoulders. Keep up the good work.

Nancy from Toronto said...

I am so glad that you are selling to Canadian customers at a time when many e-retailers have stopped doing so. It is much appreciated. And you make it so easy too!

I love your pants! I especially like the striated black denim pants (item #94825). They are probably the best-fitting and most comfortable pants I have ever owned. And I like the 31" length also--the usual 30" length is a tiny bit too short.

What I would like to see is a nice line of leather belts in longer lengths. I can't find any here that are long enough. Also, nice traditionally tailored career jackets in wool or wool blend would be great. Preferably with sleeves roomy enough for a light sweater, and not too long. I am short, so by the time I get a jacket in a 28ish size, I look like a dumpy troll.

Thanks for your lovely clothes, and keep them coming (with more career wear, please)!

Anonymous said...

I am delighted with both the style and the quality I am getting at Ulla Popken. These clothes make me feel good about myself!

My biggest suggestion would be to ship the merchandise FedEx. It would get here quicker for nearly the same price as the post office and is certainly competitive with UPS.

mythmary said...

I've just received the first six items I've ever purchased from Ulla Popken. I was nervous about the sizing, the quality, the colors -- all until my package arrived. I was overwhelmed. Everything fit beautifully. The materials and styles were even more beautiful than online. Gorgeous colors. I regret all the time I've spent trooping to stores only to come home frustrated and disappointed with what I saw. No more. Now that I know the fit is going to be right, I will shop here first, last and always.

Anonymous said...

I would love to purchase the clothes from your outlet and sales which I cannot find here in the south of France.However, you do not deliver to Europe. When will you extend your delivery area to include us?

Anonymous said...

Just received my order today. Find it kind of ironic that a company that caters to plus size women is enclosing Bisquick recipes for pies, toffee bars, chicken and biscuits, and otherwise fatty, unhealthy foods - maybe not so ironic after all.....are you trying to keep us fat to sell more clothes?????

Doubt I will be ordering from you again, .....giving women a healthy alternative would be more conscientious.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for taking the time to express your views on the inserts we include in our customers orders. We understand our customers live busy lives and we were drawn to the simplicity of the recipes in the Bisquick cookbook. Through research we have found that many of our customers have an interest in cooking and enjoy home cooked meals. We included this advertisement with the best of intentions as we know Bisquick is a common item found in most households. The cookbooks included are all about making the household chefs life a little easier by only using a few ingredients or meals that can be prepared quickly. We certainly didn't mean to offend, just to simplfy and enhance the very busy lives of our customers.
That being said, we would very much like to know what hobbies or areas of interest you have so that we can reference them whenever possible. Please share them with us. As always we always appreciate feedback from our customers.