I used to walk past LOFT in the Empire Mall and think it was another one of those stores I'd never actually go into — too polished, too corporate, the kind of place where everything looks perfect on the hanger and somehow wrong on me. But I was killing time between meetings last month, and the window display had this burnt orange cardigan that looked like something I'd actually wear, so I walked in.
The store sits near Scheels, right where the mall opens up — good light, clean lines, that familiar LOFT aesthetic that reads more "professional woman who has her life together" than I usually feel at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday. The staff didn't hover, which I appreciated. I tried on the cardigan, a pair of black trousers that actually fit my waist without gaping, and a striped shirt I didn't need but bought anyway.
Here's what I've learned about LOFT after a few visits: the quality is hit or miss. Some pieces hold up beautifully — I have a navy blazer I've worn for two years — and others pill after three washes. You have to check the fabric content, feel the weight of things, not just trust the price point. The sales are frequent enough that paying full price feels unnecessary, which says something about how they value their own merchandise.
But the fits work for real bodies, and I've seen women in their twenties and their sixties both walk out with bags. The 3.8 rating feels about right — not groundbreaking, not disappointing, just solidly middle-of-the-road clothing for people who need to look put-together without spending Nordstrom money. Sometimes that's exactly what you need when you're getting dressed for a day that requires you to look like you know what you're doing.
— Grace
The staff didn't hover, which I appreciated.