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Wal-Mart’s Haute Couture Revisited

Wal-Mart has sounded the death knell for z.b.d. design, a line of trendy women’s clothing that the megalith retailer sold online for nearly a year. As always, Wal-Mart’s concern is with the bottom line. Says Wal-Mart executive, “We’ve gotten a better return in focusing more on seasonal key items that are a little bit more basic.” Like frozen hamburger patties, take and bake pizzas, and Malt-O-Meal cereal.

Let us take a moment to reflect upon this loss, this passing, this quietus of the pinstripe trapeze jacket ($18.88) and the retro smock tunic ($7.88), casualties of a pessimistic economic climate that is expected to render our nation’s most lowly consumers incapable of owning any clothing other than ribbed tank tops and cotton clam diggers.

z.b.d. design was Wal-Mart’s second attempt at wrestling market share from Target by tantalizing big-box America’s inner fashion diva with tweed swing jackets and gigot-sleeve mock-neck tees (available in black and raisin). The first attempt, Metro7, is available in some stores and online after its disastrous debut, albeit on a scaled-back basis with more emphasis on practical designs. The z.b.d. design was available exclusively online. Perhaps Wal-Mart was wagering that the sleeveless lace v-neck top ($16.88) would attain a certain digerati cache. Perhaps Wal-Mart was catering to the fashionistas who were too ashamed to be seen in a Wal-Mart but still just had to have the square-neck silver-and-black satin leopard-print dress ($24.88). Perhaps Wal-Mart was hoping that online consumers wouldn’t be able to tell how cheaply and poorly tailored the “Made in the USA and/or Imported” clothing is.

I’m not fashion maven, so I lack the eagle-eyes to discern the stylistic differences between Metro7 and z.b.d. design. Both offer tunic tees and swing jackets. Both push puff-sleeves and slim pants as if they’re going out of style (ahem). And, judging by Wal-Mart own marketing images (see below), both apparently look woefully unflattering on anyone with a face. It would seem that Wal-Mart abides by Oscar Wilde’s philosophy: Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.

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