Maryjane Schambach sent a message to Christopher McCormick that said:
Dear Mr. Smith....I am the third generation of my family to purchase from LL Bean, and I'm 72, so it's a long relationship. I've had a few complaints about your merchandise over the years, mainly, that the women's articles in many cases are inferior to the men's, specifically in footwear and many shirts, the material in the women's is often thinner and of poor quality. I'm writing in this instance specifically about your Insect Field Shirts, which caught my attention in the latest catalog that came yesterday, on p. 56, there's a family at the beach on the cover of the catalog. I was interested because there are a lot of bugs in the part of NYS in which I live, and I thought they might be a good idea...until I looked at the pricing. The short sleeved version in the women's is $39.95, and in the men's, in what appears from the photo to be an identical shirt, the price is $29.95. There is a five dollar difference in the long sleeved version, the women's being more expensive. Confusingly, the men's and women's hoodies in this series are priced identically at $49.95. Can you explain why the women's versions, other than the hoodies, are more expensive? Perhaps it's simply an error? I'd appreciate a response, thanks.