Editor’s Note: Thank you again to James Taylor of Waterhollow Tweed for this continuing series.
Land’s End is now known mainly as a company that produces decent mid-range items, accompanied by the occasional high-quality item that lingers from its past–such as its Chamois Cloth shirts.
But Land’s End didn’t always have its current pedestrian image.
It was originally founded in Chicago 1963–to provide equipment to racing sailors.
The owner was Gary Comer, a successful Chicago copywriter who loved sailing, and decided to follow his passion. The company names was Land’s End–reflecting that his wares would be used where the land ended.
Although he had a physical storefront on the Chicago waterfront–his neighbors all sold nautical equipment–Comer knew that his business would grow if he could reach the sailing fraternity on the East and West Coasts.
This was 1963, so the only way to do this was by mail-order. Comer printed a catalog: The Racing Sailors’ Equipment Guide. The company name was misprinted as Lands’ End…. which made little sense. But Comer couldn’t afford to re-print the catalog, and so changed the company name.
The catalog was… a reasonable success. But some of the initial goods had problems. The zippers on the sailcloth duffle were too small for the canvas for example.
Comer listened, and in his next catalogue talked about the early failures, and what he’d done to fix them. This was almost unheard of, and customers responded positively. many wrote in asking for advice on where to purchase sailing clothing.
Comer saw a market, and introduced a limited line of foul-weather gear: raincoats, more canvas luggage, deck shoes.
By 1973 sales were strong enough fo Lands’ End to branch into other clothing–such as OCBD shirts. And in 1974 it launched its first all-color catalog.
In 1977 it started its Square Rigger line of luggage–canvas and leather, and made in the USA. Named after the great Square Rigger ships some of Comer’s customers sailed, it was a great success. In 1978 it started taking telephone orders, and in 1982 it capitalized on this with the tageline “Direct merchant”, emphasizing that its customers would have a direct line to the company if they needed help.
Lands’ End went public in 1987. The company continues to grow today… solid and dependable.
Thank you, Mr. Taylor. I had assumed that there was a sailing connection, but was not aware of this history, nor of the origin of the apostrophe’s peculiar location. I look forward to reading your next post.
I first discovered the company’s catalogs at some point in the late 70s or 80s, by which time they had a pretty broad line of clothing. I recall them as being comparable to LL Bean in providing good quality at very fair prices. Their shoes were particularly good at that time and they even put out some well-made calfskin tassel loafers. The camp mocs I now keep in the mud room for yard work came from Lands’ End at least 30 years ago, and they are still holding up.
I hear from others that the quality remains good, and my wife routinely wears some of their women’s items. Long may they prosper.
I suppose LE is great, if you’re looking for inexpensive & disposable imported goods…
An avacado is inexpensive, imported, and remarkably disposable. And yet…
@Foghorn:
As our leader so succinctly put it: The Classics are for Everyone, not just for those who are willing to pay for outrageously over-priced goods. Long Live LE!
At one point I recall they were bought by Sears, and then somehow exited to be independent again prior to Sears’ total collapse…
Like I wuz sayin the other day but got banned – Lands End is the OG master in this Ivy game. The vintage gear is perfect.
No one banned you.
Vintage Lands End is great, the new stuff not so much
Are there “better” options out there than LE? Possibly, yes. But For younger guys just getting into presenting themselves well, and/or budget-minded ivy aficionados (bled dry by the cost of a college or university education), LE remains a good starting point for certain core items (dress shirts, chinos, and repp stripe ties).
Kind Regards,
Heinz-Ulrich
J. Crew (or J. Crew Factory if a person is really struggling financially) is a much better option than LE at this point, especially for a “young” person, for whom you recommend to dress at LE. At least J. Crew has some style! Even Gap isn’t a bad option for some very basic items and presents them in a more tasteful manner than LE. Doesn’t mean one can’t find a decent pair of shorts, or a polo shirt, or underwear at LE, but I wouldn’t recommend buying there anything else.
Speaking of ties, eBay is absolutely the best option. Literally thousands upon thousands of vintage pieces from Brooks Brothers and basically any brand imaginable at very reasonable prices in perfect condition.
I always love Mr. Taylor’s articles. Please continue with more and more.
As to the end of the article, I suppose that LE is going strong is accurate? As an Ivy adherent, I think they may have lost their way a bit with their 2 inch OCBD collars, and Blake Shelton line of clothing (I love Blake Shelton’s music, but dont want to dress like him). Their merge into Sears and then spin off and change of leadership does not give me strong feelings that they will lean into their sailing/trad heritage.
If they would bring back their Original OCBD, I would buy a closet full.
For women Land’s End has in the past several years moved away from quality natural fabrics towards really unfortunate cheap blends. Gone are (most) cotton sweaters in favor of a cotton-modal blend. Lots of polyester. The cuts have gotten wider – but that’s pretty much all American brands for women. And the kids’ swimsuits are literally the lowest quality I have ever bought my children to include brands like Target.
The styles for women and girls are still somewhat classic cuts, but the quality is not worth even the low price point. It hasn’t always been this way, but it sure is now.
As usual I expect the men’s clothing retains slightly higher quality. Brands almost always try to use words like “drapey” or “performance” to fool women into buying poorer fabrics before they try it on the men.
I’ll also point out that the price point is great for dressing growing kids. Their “Iron Knee” chinos help keep down the mending budget.
I occasionally buy some very basic items from LE. Bought a “slub cotton” polo shirt from them just a few weeks ago, and it’s arguably the best fitting polo I own. Very comfortable and the collar is elegant. So, a pleasant surprise, especially considering the price. However, their 365/24/7 “sale” is in poor taste. If something is permanently sold at a discount (up to 60%), then it’s not a discount, but a trick to make buyers believe they’re lucky and should act fast. It actually cheapens the brand’s image quite a bit. Another problem is their website styling. It’s horrendous. Must be one of the ugliest sites. The models look bad and the clothing they appear to be “wearing” is photoshopped (very badly too). The overall look of the brand is very cheap and lacks any hint of “style”. This wasn’t always the case. About 10 years ago they had a decent line, called “canvas”, I believe, which looked a bit more stylish and the quality of the merchandise was higher.
I understand it that LE is neither “high fashion” nor “high street”, but they could learn a lesson or two from brands, such as, L.L. Bean and Orvis, whose advertising is never cringeworthy. Simply get rid of the silly looking models, make the website look at bit more stylish, and use the brand’s history and heritage to full advantage!
I like Lands’ End. I bought new a colorblock seersucker sweatshirt for my wife, as well as finding a nice colorblock shirt dress for her and several anchor-pattern shirt dresses on eBay (these are discontinued). Their totes (with crossed tennis racquets and monogram) are also nice as a handbag, with the side pocket and interior pockets.
I haven’t bought anything for myself new from Lands’ End, but often scour eBay for vintage must-iron “Direct Merchants” label shirts and MiUSA surcingle belts and I have a collection of both.
I second the comments above about Lands’ End being a good source for those just getting started in the style, on a budget, and for growing kids. Jerrod of oxfordclothbuttondown.com recommends their all-cotton polos as his go-to polo, but some commenters on his site said that, according to the LE website, they may be adding some kind of chemical “performance” treatment to their polos now.