Back to camoflage stretch pants and Looney Toons t-shirts. And radioactive flip-flops.

I hate it when decision makers forget the difference between normal humans and the bipedal aliens on MTV.

I guess now we will be seeing more stretch pants with the words "bootylicious" enblazened across the butt soon. Well others will anyway. As soon as our 2 new grocery stores are finished I will be shopping there instead. I'll pay a few extra dollars just so I don't have to see all those freaky smiley face signs. They creep me out.

People want to buy socks at Walmart.

I don't. I don't want to buy ANYTHING there.

The town I live in is amazing. On any given day, you can go out (to the grocery store, for a walk, to the mall, etc.) and see 2 or 3 people wearing the same Wal-Mart junk clothes. In my town, there is a pretty good selection of clothing stores for the population.

Shopping really is all about habits. Even the people who like skinny jeans just aren't in the habit of looking for them at Wal*Mart.

I don't do much shopping at Wal*Mart, but I never go there looking for clothes and I never look at the clothes when I go. They would have to do something pretty radical to get me to be a clothes shopper.

We have Meijer around here. It's like Wal*Mart, only it's privately owned by Michigan residents. Meijer stores also don't have that smell that Wal*Mart does.

They sell clothes at Wal*Mart?

Yuck.

@clarient: Yuck, indeed. I went to buy some cheap shirts at the new Wal-Mart down the road when I was in college, and deemed them too cheap even for me. I went to the old K-mart across the road and bought a couple tank tops (which I still own to this day, nearly a decade later).
Also, even most "pretty" people look just awful in skinny jeans, which I think explains why I never see them on anybody outside of paparazzi photos, and I live in a large, fashion-conscious city.

This does not surprise me given walmart's customer base at least in my town. Honestly walmart should be busy creating a plus-sized children's line of clothing and a plus plus sized line of clothing for adults rather than creating skinny jeans that 70% of walmart shoppers are not able to fit into! But of course skinny jeans are cheaper to create instead of creating clothes that walmart shoppers will actually fit into and buy. As soon as the new shipments of clothes come in here all the biggest sizes in shoes, clothing you name it are gone, and all thats left are size 5-6 shoes and size 5 and under pants and shirts in size small!

    Sam's Club has better deals on big bags of crew socks. Walmart quit carrying the good Wilson heavy-duty crews. You now have a choice of paying an astronomical $3 a pair for Dickies, or buying the off-brand, super-crappy Starter socks. I bought a bag of Starters a while back, and put on a pair for a tennis match with my son. Three sets, people, and those socks already had three holes in them!

    The Sam's Club socks are under the "B-active" brand name, and they've been decent, so far. They're not quite as thick as the Wilsons, but hey, at $6 and some change for ten pairs, you can't beat that. For work, I buy expensive hiking socks from Academy Sports, and I wear a pair of crew socks over the hiking socks. Steel-toed boots require padding...

    For jeans, it's Goody's, and Levi 517 boot cut, all the way, for me. They're less than $25 a pair, never go out of style, and last for at least five years. The Walmart crap already looks worn-out and ripped, hanging on the store hangers. Who would be stupid enough to buy that?

the fact that normal is fat is scary to me.

i'm sorry, but if you are overweight, the fact that you allow your body to be like that grosses me out

I'm 6'' and 155 pounds, by all health standards unless I was more muscular that is what a human is supposed to weight at my height

when people call me skinny it scares me

er i meen feet not inches

especially the people shopping at walmart will NOT look good in skinny jeans, i think we can all make that conclusion

whoever thought so is in denial

what about skinny jeans with a Walmart Nazi T-Shirt to hide your muffin top?

In my town, we have two options for shopping: Wal-Mart Supercenter (it was one of the first north of the Ohio River), or the local grocery store. That's it. If we drive half an hour, we can get to a bigger city with more amenities. I have appreciated Wal-Mart's recent choice to add more "fashion-conscious" (for people who lean towards the Aeropostale/Abercrombie/Am. Eagle style) items lately. I would still rather shop at a better store, yes, but when your parents pay for your clothing, Wal-Mart is pretty good. I hope that they don't change too much.

@agent2600: thanks for the clarification. I thought you were giving T.M.I. ;)

I used to shop at Meijer's over a decade ago and I was in northern Indiana. I thought it was an Indiana store although considering how close I was to Michigan, I suppose it being a Michigan store instead makes sense.

Size inflation is scary. I'm 5'9", and thin but not skinny...a normal looking woman by standards of previous generations, before America blimped out. (I don't diet or weigh myself, so I'm not sure what I weigh). Anyway, size inflation has gotten so insane that I had to get a size zero skirt taken in at the waist, and I ordered a size 8 pair of Donna Karan pants, which turned out to be enormo in the waist and will have to be taken in. I don't know who's wearing whatever size 12 is these days, but if I meet them, I'll try to steer them away from sitting on any antique chairs!

@Amy Alkon:
It's called vanity sizing, and I hear ya. I'm 5 even and 100 lbs, so I'm petite, and most stores have sized me out. I'm a true 4, but because of the vanity sizing, at places like Old Navy (where I bought MY skinny jeans, thank you) and Express, I'm down to a zero on bottom, XXS (what the hell is double extra small?) on top. It's all so people can fool themselves and buy a large instead of 2XL. They have the gall to make comments to me about having to buy a 2xS when they pretend their fat asses are a "size eight" or a "large". Fashion is for thin people. The rest can buy tapered jeans at Wal*Mart.

@kidzmatter2me:

I have cousins that live in rural U.P. Michigan (Copper Harbor, all the way up). When I see them, they're always wearing trendy clothes, even though until recently, their only shopping option was a crappy mall a couple hours away and a Wal*Mart. Luckily, they have the internet and a measuring tape, and are able to shop online to be able to have a little more choice than those who haven't figured that out.

I'd rather go to the local good will store or yardsales and buy clothes than walmart. At least the good will stores and yard sales have clothes that won't disintegrate in a year. And where else can you find gently used Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger for 2.50,not to mention Doc Martins for $5. XD

i do believe walmart was attempting to change the demographics of its customers. i don't blame them.

these people severely struggle at operating a self checkout.

@Rahnee: I just ordered a bike from a local bike shop. Wal Mart just opened about two miles away. I gave the bike shop people the Wal Mart price (I'd looked up comparable bikes so I'd know what I should be paying) and the slightly higher Amazon.com price. The owner did some figuring and said that, after assembling, I'd "only" be paying $20 more if I went with them. I responded, "Yeah, but I'd have to sell my soul, too..."
I'm going with the local bike shop, who will stand behind the merchandise and will only sell me what I need to go with it. (And the bike shop will show me - I haven't owned a bike since second grade but don't want to buy so much gasoline - how to maintain it, how much air should be in the tires, et cetera.)

I'll pay a few extra dollars just so I don't have to see all those freaky smiley face signs. They creep me out.

Fuck. I get my clothes at Wal-Mart. I want to redeem myself. Where should a 30 lbs overweight, late 30s guy order clothes over the Internet?

(and not look like a dork or be shopping at a place that sells toothpick-shaped, toned body fashions?)

I see alot of people around here wear Walmart clothes. The reason: it's the cheapest way around here. Alot of people can't aafford to spend a bunch of money on clothes; they have to support kids and pay bills. The jobs don't pay much around here, and not many people can by a pair of $80 jeans.

I've never purchased clothes at a Walmart. However, I used to purchase some clothing items from Target (when I lived in the US). Occasionally they did have some cute stuff. But, for the most part, I just bought big packs of men's undershirts. Target had great deals on Hanes beefy t's ... I miss Target :(

Here is something that Wal-Mart is good for.

Our local talk radio station had what they called "Undercover Wal-Mart"

They had someone go in and talk on their cell phone and relate what they saw to the rest of the crew in the parking lot. They kept a running tally of certain things such as:

Women with children in strollers
Guys wearing NASCAR clothes
Goth kids
and such...

You get the idea. They got kicked out after about an hour, but the beauty of it was they just drove 15 minutes to the other Wal-Mart.

@G-Dog: I love Meijer, the prices aren't bad and I love having groceries and other stuff in the same place. Plus the ones I know of are open 24 hours.

Walmart just needs to understand their real place in the world. Fashion center it is not.

Skinny jeans look awful even on most in shape people. I was fit (athlete) in the 80's and they looked awful on me because I had muscular thighs.

I quit buying socks even at Target, they have gone downhill too. Instead I find brand name (adiddas etc) socks at places like Nordstrom rack or TJ maxx

If Wal-Mart wants to attract more affluent customers, then they need to realize that said customers aren't interested in new gimmicky product lines. They're interested in a shopping experience that won't drive them mad. I pay more to shop at Target because the aisles are wider, the shelves are routinely stocked, and there are more than two people manning the registers during peak hours.

@agent2600: I'm sorry, but if you complain about the fact that most people have trouble finding clothes that look good on them, thats just plain rude and insensitive. Complain all you want but it's none of your business. Are you their physician? I doubt it. Until then ...

Skinny(Cigarette) jeans are hideous on EVERYONE, even skinny bitches.

I don't buy jeans at Wal-Mart, but I'm sure they're following the same straight-leg boot-cut crappola that every other store is doing. I'm athletic (which isn't the same as "thin", which designers seem to think; I actually have muscle), and I prefer baggy jeans. Not so much JNCO's (dear God), but slightly baggier than loose fitting. I'm not currently able to find any store on the planet that sells jeans that are as relaxed as I like, so I just have to take care of what I already own.

Note to retailers: that means you're losing out on my money by not selling what I want.

@f3rg:

Shop at Levi's, either online or brick-and-mortar. They will make you custom fit jeans. They cost $60-70, which is very affordable for an item of clothing that people REALLY should buy to fit correctly.

Straight-leg boot-cut isn't crap...it's about time people tried to look good in jeans instead of looking like a farmer.

@Amy Alkon: "I don't know who's wearing whatever size 12 is these days, but if I meet them, I'll try to steer them away from sitting on any antique chairs!"

Thanks, Amy, that's really sweet of you. My rounded Irish ass and I appreciate your snide mockery.

As does my mother's healthy, thin, GAVE BIRTH TO FOUR CHILDREN hips and ass. I'm sure she's delighted that because she's got a normal body for a 50+ women who gave birth to multiple children, you will prevent her from sitting on any antique chairs and mock her for being fat.

Really charming.

I'm rather appalled by the amount of weight hatred in this comment line. I'm 5'8' 205 lbs (primarily muscle), and have been for seven years. I don't exercise often, and my diet is still what I'd refer to as 'urban poor', but I keep myself in decent shape. That said, I find it difficult to find shirts wide enough in the chest and shoulders or pants that are not too tight in the thighs (I like to keep the ladies using their imaginations ;-)

As a person who likes girls with some heft, I've done quite a bit of reading on PCOS and various endocrine issues that can effect a woman's weight. I've known insulin-resistant girls who couldn't lose weight if they ran a marathon everyday. They have severe confidence and body-image issues due primarily to a hormonal imbalance beyond their control.

Not everyone is overweight because they eat too much or are lazy. And not everyone views muffin tops as a social ill :-)

I really have to share this photo I took at Wal-Mart and put it in the Consumerist Flickr pool. This is TYPICAL of our local Wal-Mart.

[www.flickr.com]

@Buran: Most people are overweight and out of shape. There's nothing rude or insensitive about that, it's the truth.

Big deal, a product manager is supposed to go out and pick items that appeal to customers and Walmart has long been trying to increase their market share in the "upscale" lines. The truly sad part of this story is how woefully inept this person was at an even rudimentary understanding of the customer base she was buying for. But then again I suspect that her motivation for "trendyness" was being pushed from the top and having seen Hollywood floosies wear these goofy ass clothes in People Magazine seemed like a good idea.

After all, these folks in Bentonville, AR are just so in tune with everything America.

On a side note, why would the worlds largest retailer continue to be headquartered in a city with almost no air service and hundreds of miles from a "large city"? I've always wondered about this.

There are varying degrees of "skinny" jeans. The "skinniest" of the jeans only look good on certain women. Guys- forgetaboutit.

BTW, people who can afford/care about nice jeans DO NOT buy jeans from Wall-Mart or Sears.

Wall-Mart clothing is the epitome of junk-quality clothing, even lower than Old Navy. At least Old Navy doesnt sell NASCAR clothing.

"Fashion is for thin people. The rest can buy tapered jeans at Wal*Mart."

Smallestmills, I cannot believe you said that. It is because of people like you and people in the media that there is such a thing as bulimia, anorexia, body dismorphia and other harsh eating and self-image disorders. If you are a girl, you make me really ashamed to be one myself. I really am in disbelief that you said that. And who is to decide what's "skinny" or not? According to BMI, I'm at the weight I should be, but that doesn't mean I fit into size 0's or 00's like the media portray as "normal." And people like you encourage the belief that in order to be beautiful, you have to fit into a certain size. I'm sorry, but that just isn't true. I'm not saying be obese, and I'm not saying be unhealthly overweight. What I am saying is this country has a SERIOUS problem with telling women what "skinny" really is. What being "beautiful and skinny" is in this country is being UNHEALTHLY skinny. I've bought stuff at Walmart and so has my sister. Let me tell you, she definitely is NOT overweight and she IS beautiful (as a matter of fact she was accepted as a model for Willamina a few years back). So guess what? Just because someone wants a good deal on stuff doesn't meant they're A. fat, or B. ugly.

I have so much more to say but I'm just going to stop here because I don't think there is talking any kind of sense into someone with stereotypical views like yours.

@agent2600: Dude, that *is* skinny. Yes, the BMI will say that's smack in the middle of the normal range, but the BMI is overrated .

@night_sky: And people like you encourage the belief that in order to be beautiful, you have to fit into a certain size.

When's the last time you saw a beautiful 300lbs person? Probably because they don't exist. People think that they only way to combat "only media skinny is beautiful!" is with "nuh uh, everyone is beautiful!" but that isn't the case. 0s and 00s aren't normal, I don't think anyone thinks that. I don't know any magazine or Hollywood show that has ever tried to say that.

But this is missing the entire point, skinny jeans are ugly to begin with. Forget that most shoppers in general, and even less Walmart shoppers can fit into them…they shouldn't be wanting to buy them even if they fit.

How hard it is to stock 300 pairs of XXL Yosemite Sam sweatpants?

At least you can still get your Nazi graphic'ed T-short though right?

I'm a 6ft. tall, 50ish, stocky farm gal. Finding off the rack fashionable, durable and comfortably sized clothing in Talls is nearly impossible. I have bought men's jeans, Tshirts and sweats at WalMart for doing chores in, as those items usually come in the longer length I need. As for "pretty" everyday, office or going out clothes, WalMart has NOTHING to offer in my tall size.

I have to admit though, that a lot of retailers have dropped the ball when it comes to us tall gals (be it instore, off the rack or online ordering). Even good old JCPenny has narrowed down their selections, resized their clothing and (in my opinion) the quality and durability is questionalbe. And since sizing is never consitant between brands or apparently from one season to the next, I wind up ordering two sizes of the same thing to insure I fit into at least one of them, of course returning one. Waiting until "free shipping" offers and having the items sent to the store, make the returning process less troublesome and expensive.

It really doesn't matter who wants to buy what. The important note here is that a product manager made some bad choices and regardless of who would wear the jeans and where they were sold.. in this instance the jeans that Wal-mart was stocking were not popular with their customer base.

It doesn't matter who that customer base is, this story would be just as relevant if it were fucking Hot Topic and some dumbass product manager had chosen to stock lederhosen.

Let's call it what it is. A shot at Wal-mart just because we can take one. Frankly I get sick of the Wal-mart bashing. Business speaks for itself, and don't blame the business for being successful. You want to change an attitude, change the consumer's attitude, not the store, that will naturally come along.

But of course, calling the people who shop at Wal-mart 400lb fatasses with 65 children because they can't keep their Bootylicious sweatpants where they belong probably won't get them to listen to you much, will it.

Walmart needs to stop trying to be "hip". Walmart is Walmart, and it will never be Target although it seems they are slowly trying to emulate the design-for-all retailer. Their efforts and money would be better off put towards creating a more enjoyable shopping experience of its existing products that people go there for (socks, tighty whities, what have you).

Design efforts need to be redirected, Wal-mart, and that doesn't mean being late adopters and giving people skinny jeans.

Make me enjoy buying socks.

@enm4r: Maybe you didn't read the part where I said, "I'm not saying be obese, and I'm not saying be unhealthly overweight. What I am saying is this country has a SERIOUS problem with telling women what "skinny" really is." I never said "everyone is beautiful", I said that there is such a thing as a beautiful woman who's size is not portrayed as that in the majority of the media. 0's and 00's were an exaggeration to prove a point, the media portrays unrealistic, unhealthly low weights as "beautiful" and "normal." I'm sure you've seen magazines with runway or fashion models, haven't you? I'm sure you've seen billboard ads with disturbing anorexic women splashed across them, haven't you? I'm sure you've seen the latest *enter celeb name here* with an unhealthly low weight PRAISED for losing those extra pounds, haven't you? I don't think I need to point out any more how the media is a strong advocate of portraying unhealthy weight as "beautiful" and "normal."

Also, I want to add that that quote you quoted me on was referring to the extremely low weights that women are expected to be to be beautiful in according to the brainwashing media. I'm sorry for not being clear on that portion of my post.