THE FROST IS ON THE pumpkin and a chill is in the air, so it's time to start reviewing holiday catalogs.
Well, not really. As I write this, it's the first week of October and temperatures have hit 80 degrees several times this week. But the event chronicled here last issue — the birth of my second son, Daniel John, means I need to do my catalog shopping early this year.
To lessen the impact on my aching back, I cut the normal time I collect catalogs in less than half. The stack before me holds only a meager 26 books, received at my home between Aug. 30 and Oct. 3. Still, it's an interesting little five-week cross section.
The mix included six gift catalogs, six clothing, four food, three housewares, three children's items, one pet, one high-tech, one beauty and one jewelry. Nineteen catalogers were represented, with five I had ordered from previously each sending two copies (Harry and David, J. Jill, Crate & Barrel, Popcorn Factory and Lands' End).
Cover copy blurbs weren't all that exciting this year. Harry and David trumpeted its “shop now, don't pay until February” plan, while Pottery Barn Kids offered free shipping on 120 items. Dell promoted free shipping for select PCs, a deal somewhat diluted by the $19 handling fee. Harriet Carter had a free lapel pin gift with each $20 order; Bits & Pieces shoppers could get a complimentary 500-piece puzzle with any order; and Bliss buyers received free samples with their orders.
Clothing catalogs admittedly didn't get a lot of attention from my household this go-round. It's hard to get excited about fall fashions when you're 25-plus pounds above your normal weight and have no idea what you'll look like postpartum. Still, J. Jill tried their best with $15 off all pants and skirts in one catalog, and dangled a 10% double discount for Take 5 members in another.
Chico's also tried to entice me with an insert for $20 off a retail or phone purchase. The offer was nice, but not completely direct response-channel friendly. For some reason, Web users were left out in the virtual cold. And phone shoppers might be asked to mail in the savings certificate.
Chico's catalog, shot in Pantellería, Italy, is beautifully photographed from an artistic point of view. But from a shopper's perspective it's a little lacking in some areas. The catalog offers tons of funky jewelry items. For example, some — like a gold-finish watch bangle — are shown in close-up and given a whole page to themselves. But three pages later a set of glass- and acrylic-bead earrings and necklace get no love. The items are shown on a model, with the earrings not in clear view and partially obscured by the model's long blonde hair. And the necklace is on her black shirt and mostly covered by her brocade jacket. I have a lot of faith, but not enough to spend $48 on a piece of jewelry I can't see.
Chico's might want to take a cue from the J.H. Breakell & Co. jewelry catalog, which was redesigned to better showcase its products. The clean, simple layout really works. And the Tiffany blue backdrop on several pages didn't hurt, giving an already classy book an upscale boost.
Speaking of upscale, the Bliss spa-product catalog definitely aimed for that market. If you don't blink at paying $385 for a 1-ounce tube of “Natura Bissí Inhibit Dermafill,” that book's for you.
I'm sure there are lots of people willing to pay any price for quality fill for their dermas. But even though I'm not one of Bliss's prime targets, I couldn't help feeling there was some disconnect between its extensive beauty-product line and the six pages of high-end clothing that pop up in the catalog out of nowhere. Sure, if you're paying $100 or more for face cream, a $158 pair of designer jeans is likely in your budget. But do you want to buy the things in the same place?
So what did I actually buy — and pass up — on my annual holiday catalogapalooza? Come back next issue and see.
