First Date
“They work well for taking lunch along…”

The Big Day
“We purchased this one as a bridesmaid gift…”

It’s a Boy
“I give this bag as baby gifts. Pink for girls and blue for boys, monogrammed with the baby’s name.”

Freshman Move-in
“Perfect graduation gift!”

Golden Anniversary
“For the beach we love having pockets for sunglasses, suntan lotion, paperbacks and other doo-dads…”

Have a story or photos you’d like to share?
Email it to us at MyStory@landsend.com
(Please keep any images under 12 Mb.)

The post On Our 50th Anniversary, A Canvas Tote That’ll Be Around For Yours. appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

And this is Anna.

Her drawing won the Grand Prize in our 2013 Earth Day contest for kids.

“You made her day…well actually, her year!” wrote mom Terri, also mentioning that Anna is wearing our school uniform polos.

Terri told us that not long before winning, Anna had donated ten inches of her hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair loss. It was Anna’s own idea.

Mom figures maybe the win was karma. Of course, Anna’s dad Lonnie is a Make-a-Wish volunteer. So maybe doing good things runs in these genes.

Either way, we’re extra proud to consider this family part of ours.

Have a story or photos you’d like to share?
Email it to us at MyStory@landsend.com
(Please keep any images under 12 Mb.)

The post A Cutie With Karma appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

It’s well known that primitive man did not wear pants. This saved laundry time but exposed him to endless nicks and cuts when chasing lunch through the primeval woods and was a distraction to coworkers when he got up in front of meetings to draw powerpoint slides on cave walls.

When chinos came around, primitive man was so happy he bought them in seven colors, which looked real sharp to primitive woman, and they lived happily ever after.

In his dreams.

Actually chinos were popularized in the 1800s, by which time man was (only slightly) less primitive. The Brit’s borrowed the idea from troops in India, but early chinos were stiff and wrinkled and coarse and dull in color, so clothiers improved them and improved them and improved them some more until the ultimate chinos were finally arrived at, and these are those.

With broken-in comfort, multiple fits, wrinkle-free fabrics, endless utility and expectations met. Guaranteed. Period.®

There’s even a comfort waist that expands and contracts, depending upon whether you catch your lunch in the primeval woods today.

Either way, you’ll look great in the attempt.

Have a story or photos you’d like to share?
Email it to us at MyStory@landsend.com
(Please keep any images under 12 Mb.)

The post Prehistoric Pants – Or, Does That Come In Cave Gray? appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

10. Melting snow reveals Christmas lights chopped up by snow blower

9. Guy who never wears winter coat switches to never wearing spring coat

8. Kids start shouting their Christmas lists from back of minivan

7. As cow pastures thaw, intoxicating aroma revives “Derriere Cologne” joke

6. People stare at smartphones outside instead of staring at smartphones inside

5. Rosy glow gradually returns to cheese curds

4. First reference to “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” logged

3. Plows removed to reveal that snowplow trucks are really road construction trucks

2. Last ice fisherman quits, walks on water to shore

1. Holsteins sporting their jaunty spring espadrilles

The post Top 10 Signs It’s Spring In Wisconsin appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

Putting our eggs in a thousand baskets… The theme of the April 1st White House Easter Egg Roll was “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!” To which we would add, “Be Ready to Take Pictures,” because the iconic locale, scope of the experience and presence of the First Family add up to an unforgettable experience.
Lands’ End donated one thousand Easter Totes for the event through the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. The basket-shaped totes were embroidered with the official 2013 event logo.

“We are truly flattered to be a part of such a historic and time-honored tradition that celebrates children and family wellness,” said Edgar Huber, our CEO and president. “We’re proud to provide the limited-edition Lands’ End Easter Tote as a memorable keepsake.”

Canvas Totes are a perennial favorite among Lands’ End customers, and are springing up in all sorts of new shapes and sizes – to carry your garden tools, keep your lunch cool, even carry your Chihuahua.

Just not to the White House.

“Big eggs, Easter eggs and excited kids.”

The post Lands’ End Easter Totes carry the day on the White House lawn appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

A few weeks into a test, volunteers are surveyed about size, fit, fabric quality, shrinkage after laundering, suggestions for improvement, and the most telling question of all …

“Would you buy it?”

One day several years ago, half a dozen employees were invited to a conference room for the launch of a fit-test. The facilitator was late, and while waiting, participants wondered aloud which product they would be testing.

“We’re all guys. Could be men’s chinos,” suggested one invitee.

“Or dress shirts,” said another.

But looking around the room, there was something more – something we had in common. What was it?

“Wait – It’s our heads,” one staffer proclaimed. “We all have
extra-large heads!”

It was true. Everyone sitting around the conference table had an outsized melon.

Not a medicine-ball, topple-over, gravity-wins boulder, mind you. But if one of these guys sat down in front of you at the movies, you’d move. If it was a drive-in movie, you’d move the car. The biggest head in the room was surely a niner.

Gathered in this room were the people with the largest heads in all of Lands’ End. Probably in all of Dodgeville, and possibly in the greater Midwestern region.

The facilitator arrived with an armload of test caps and confirmed it. These guys were a bookend to the head scale. The Jupiter to everyone else’s Mercury.

They were the big men on campus.

The post Now That’s A Big Hat appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

The Caterpillar brand lends itself to playing in the dirt, but that’s not what you see here. It’s crumbled Oreo cookies. They’re easier to size and shape, though tougher not to eat. The buttons are pea gravel scooped up from the photographer’s driveway. The CAT logo is a swatch created by our in-house embroidery team.

Our stylist shopped for seeds at a local feed mill using a criteria they seemed unfamiliar with: seed size and beauty. She created a clay base, and while the clay was moist, placed every seed you see here by hand. The stripes on the shirt are sunflower seeds. The burlap background is a piece of one of the seed bags.

These French Bulldogs – Bella and Boo – belong to a Lands’ End Creative Director. The dogs were photographed separately, so they’d look at the camera instead of each other, and the two shots were merged digitally. The polos were fetched from Lands’ End Kids.

This American Veterinary Medical Association cover began with a wet clay base. The stylist shopped for the bones at a local pet shop, size and color being her criteria. Each dog bone was pressed into a wet clay base. The shirt buttons? Cat treats.

The post QUESTION: What does it take to create a great catalog cover? ANSWER: Seeds. Dogs. Bones. Gravel. appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

On the set of a photo shoot in Santa Monica, CA

Ask a Lands’ End employee to define the company in a single word, and an answer you’ll often hear is family.

In the literal sense, it’s not unusual here in Dodgeville to find mom answering the phone in customer service, her son packing orders in the warehouse and dad designing catalog layouts.

But the branches of our family tree extend further, to encompass everyone who loves and wears this great brand.

You. Us. Our families. And, we discovered recently, many of our models.

We sat down to talk with them at our Spring 2013 photo shoot, set on the grounds of an elegant home in Santa Monica.

Lorie, front row right in this photo, with the blonde hair, told us she grew up milking cows on a dairy farm in the south. (Many at our Wisconsin headquarters can relate to that.)

She’s married to Swedish native Berthil, also shown here, standing, in the navy sweater.

They were joined on this photo shoot by their little boy, Beckett. And by Berthil’s father, Berthold, seated. (He’s not a pro model – too busy helping save lives in emergency rooms in Sweden.)

Ella, standing left, with the dark, curly hair, introduced Lorie and Berthil years ago. She learned during this shoot that she’d landed a role in a new film about the life of the great singer Nina Simone. She also holds a degree in biology and is fluent in three languages. (There’s one in every family…)

Ella’s partner is Ryan, shown standing beside her. Kneeling in front of them is their good friend Anouk, a native of Holland.

These folks have traveled the world as friends and family for 15 years.

Cindy, standing at far right, with gray hair (like ours!) was once a makeup artist. She runs a cosmetics company called BOOM! (for boomers) that is not anti-age, but – imagine this – pro-age. Beautifying and moisturizing the real you.

Isn’t that refreshing?

After spending two days together, we can testify that the people in these photos are, well, nice. They are smart. Friendly and warm, they look you in the eye, not over your shoulder, when talking to you. They listen.

In short, they treat people like family. Just as we do.

One thing, though…there was a catering table at the photo shoot. We watched one model walk past steaming trays of turkey, beef and casseroles. Past the desserts. She made herself a piece of toast, indulging in just a dime-size pat of butter.

We loaded up potatoes drenched in melted cheddar until our paper plate nearly folded itself in half. It was a feast that would put the comfort waistband in our chinos to the test.

Sure, we consider these models part of the Lands’ End family now. But that doesn’t mean we’re giving up a hearty Wisconsin meal for them!

The post At Lands’ End, Even The Models Are Family. appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

“At least 30 years ago my mother purchased a bathrobe from your company. It is her favorite.”

~ Jean

EXPERT CUSTOMERS

Because we use grade “A” Inner Mongolian cashmere, considered the world’s finest, or cashmere sweaters are guaranteed to feel luxurious.

“As a former cashmere product development exec for a very well known, high-end company, I am a VERY critical judge of cashmere products. I’ve been to the mills and farms in Inner Mongolia so I know the best procedures of how it is spun and knitted. I am, needless to say, very picky. So I was skeptical when I ordered both the cardigan and shell…I was blown away by the quality: incredibly soft and smooth with excellent knitting. Even the black, which is the toughest to get soft, was amazing. This is, in all honesty, the best cashmere I have felt and owned for the price.”

– A NYC fan

CUSTOMERS DOWN UNDER

“These jeans have seen mustering, roust-abouting, sheep drenching, cattle droving and many other things and still have a lot of wear left in them yet!”
– Beverly in Australia

REJUVENATED CUSTOMERS

“When I get depressed thinking about the way society is going, I call Lands’ End. It is like talking with your grandmother, and they know the product, are not speaking from a stupid script and actually seem to care.”
– Steve

NEWLYWED CUSTOMERS

“All of the bridesmaids at the wedding I was in this weekend received Lands’ End totes from the bride! I love all the colors!”

BORED CUSTOMERS

“Dear Lands’ End,
I think you make your clothes too well. For those of us that are frugal, we like to buy classic clothes and make them last as long as we can. Unfortunately, the coats you sold us back in 1982 still look good… I can’t bring myself to part with a perfectly good coat…”
–Dee and Bill in VA

Show us what your kids in Iron Knee® pants can do!

VERY ACTIVE SCHOOL UNIFORM CUSTOMERS
“This skort climbs trees and monkey bars.”

HAPPY THEN NOT HAPPY THEN REALLY HAPPY CUSTOMERS
“I have said in the past that the measure of a company is how they react when things go wrong… By that scale, Lands’ End is tops.”

JAZZED CUSTOMERS
“The shirts arrived just before we went on, and were a great hit!”
– Randy

LANDS’ END SHOP GROUPIE CUSTOMERS
“So I went to the Lands¹ End shop at the Sears in Cherry Creek about two weeks ago and went crazy. I bought 4 pairs of your slim fit ankle chinos in different colors, three different colors in the Supima cardigans, several scarves, the purple suede Ashby pumps, and a couple of belts. Since then, I have returned THREE MORE TIMES!!! New pea coat, more footwear and some fleece. I’m a total Land’s End groupie.”
– Robin, CO

CUSTOMERS WHO DON’T CARE TO WAIT
“I’ve been a Lands’ End Customer for a long time, this is the first time I’ve needed Customer Service.

My expectations are high. I’ve been buying quality products from a quality company and have come to expect quality in every way from you. I had sent two items back for exchange. Canada Post shows them delivered, your system hasn’t seen them yet. Robert sorted everything out. He put me first! He’s sending the items out and will put the waiting on your end to find my returned package.

“I was a loyal customer BEFORE I experienced Robert, now I’m a customer for life.”

ANTI-GRAVITY CUSTOMERS
“Thanks for designing such great swimsuits! We’ve put them to the test this summer and they still look great!”
– Kim

We make your favorite swimsuit styles in mastectomy options. They have higher necklines and armholes plus sewn-in soft cups and prosthesis pockets – no uncomfortable underwire! See our latest collection here.

5-KID CUSTOMERS
“As a family with 5 children it is very important that when I shop for clothing I not only look at price but quality. For our family Lands’ End has proven themselves time and time again.”
– Kim in Ohio

CUSTOMERS IN SIBERIA
“My mother, who is residing in Russia, totally fell in love with Lands’ End products.

“She lives in Siberia where it is -30 degrees C in the winter time, and all the dresses, down jackets, and down coats that I bought from you keep her warm and comfy. She said thank you very much, (Bolshoe spasibo).”
– Jason

CUSTOMERS GROWING UP
When I was 11 my mom got me children’s monogrammed sweats, and about 8 pairs of socks. I didn’t think much of it when I got them, but every year those items have been the first things I bring out for winter and the last things stored for summer.

I am turning 24 next month and they still show absolutely no wear and tear. Thank you so much for making such incredible products! When I have children someday, I know where I’ll come.

Thank you!!
– Meghann, NE

PETITE CUSTOMERS
It comes in petite! … I’ve looked a long time and cannot tell you how happy I am to have found this parka. I’ve received many compliments on it. Good old Lands’ End.
– Cynthia, PA

LIFELONG CUSTOMERS
Superb quality along with off-the-charts customer satisfaction and easy return/exchange has earned a lifelong customer!”
– a Michigan customer

ISLAND CUSTOMERS
Long ago, actually in 1980/81, I bought your wonderful jacket, the Squall, as I was living on the big island and would hike to the top of Mauna Loa where it could get cold. Yes, cold is relative but I would start in a rain forest at 1500′ and walk to 13,000′. I would walk through some wonderful scenery and quickly changing climate.

When I came back to the mainland it kept me warm as I acclimatized to San Francisco weather.

Both of these items are still in good condition and I have figured that the only way I will be able to replace them is to burn them and plead insanity.
– Rev. John

4-SON CUSTOMERS
I bought this coat 9 years ago for my oldest son. It was his first winter coat. Probably with a few tears in my eyes, I will put this coat on my youngest son this winter. We have four boys, and they have all worn it for at least one season.
– Anne

SHOVED-AROUND CUSTOMERS
“Lands’ End even replaced my new khaki pants when I told them that they had been ripped when someone accidentally bumped me into a bridge abutment at a crew race in Saratoga Springs! That’s good service!”
– Amy, MA

BURGLARIZED CUSTOMERS
“Our house was robbed and my son’s diaper bag was used to put in the items they had stolen. The bag was super heavy, so we think the folks that robbed us got tired of carrying it, and they threw the bag and contents into the bushes down the block. I want to send a thank you to the appropriate department because when they found our stuff, all of the electronics, the wii, iPad, etc., were still in perfect condition even though it rained and hailed all night long!!”

The post What Kind Of Customers Write To Lands’ End? appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.

Dissidents have dared to proclaim that no one reads catalogs any more.

Yet this company was founded by a writer. And one Lands’ End writer has declared, “Our clothing has a story – and if people won’t read it, I will read it to them…”

That man is Bob.

Bob discusses angel hair and meatballs and how it relates to Pima cotton (seriously).

Bob ponders the difference between Chinos and Khakis.

Bob opens up about what guys want.

Bob provides free advice on Hemingway.
(Editors note- that can’t be right?)

Bob clarifies what Pinpoint Oxfords are actually made from due to their misleading name.

Bob digs deep on the origins of linen.

Bob goes coastal talking about board shorts.

Bob is really into Madras. We’re not sure what Madras thinks of Bob.

Bob starts strong talking about Durable Goods. . .

Bob knows the origins of the word Supima – but that’s about it.

Bob divulges what happens in our secret lab.

Bob introduces our newest employee whose name is Squall.

Bob presents a hollow description of fleece.

Bob’s monogramming advice and how to name your child.

Bob explains the diet of a Merino wool producing sheep.
Yup. You read that right.

Bob sings a suit song. Our apologies.

The post The Copywriters’ Revolt appeared first on The Lands' End Blog.