The thing about Ann
She's the mystery girl in the room
There is one brand that I always come across at the thrift store and every single time, I find myself purchasing that item.
Drum roll please….
Ann Taylor. More specifically vintage Ann Taylor.
Of course, every thrift store is different however, the same principal also applies to online. You will however, have to do some digging to find these gems.
When you search up vintage Ann Taylor on eBay, Depop, Poshmark, etc., 9 times out of 10 you’re going to have to get up close and personal with each listing because you can easily miss out on something great if you don’t click on the actual item.
For starters, most listing don’t do many items justice. The lighting, the hangers, the angle. There are so many variables that can work against an item ESPECIALLY if the item itself doesn’t have a “wow” factor to make it pop out among a sea of traditionally boring listings. A black pair of pants won’t stand out next to a pink embellished tank top so, details are crucial and unfortunately most listings won’t showcase that.
When it comes to scoring Ann Taylor gems focus on the details and quality.
Quality
In my own experience, every piece I find has always been in pristine condition and made of excellent quality. For starters, the fiber content. Almost all the pieces are a mix of natural fibers. Which is rare by today standards. And if the item is made of synthetic fiber, there is always in natural fiber included in the blend.
You will find that most vintage Ann Taylor will consist of a natural fiber shell and a synthetic lining which I don’t mind. Since Ann Taylor is fast fashion, there is going to be some give and take but that doesn’t take away the fact that you can score amazing silk, leather, suede and linen pieces for a 1/10 of today’s price.
Silhouette/Details
The best way I could describe the shape of Ann Taylor pieces is that they could easily be sold today by some independent brand high quality brand.
The cuts of each piece are not meant to stand out to the naked eye however the beauty lies in the details. For example, you might come across a jacket that has one too many seams going down the jacket however, when you go to try it on, it perfectly showcases the waist or perfectly hold it’s shape.
Ann Taylor truly knew what she was doing back then and I wholeheartedly believe all the protagonist of the 90’s and early 2000’s romcoms had Ann Taylor lying around in their closet. Perhaps their daughters would be wearing those pieces today.
It truly feels like I just ran a marathon searching for these items and compiling them together but it’s was well worth the blue right exposure. Hope you enjoy!
