Was Matalan always shite or has it got worse?

[OrmRenewed]

DD is going on camp with school tomorrow. We managed to lose one of her wellies in the house move so we visited our new Matalan shop for the first time and found some cheap and cheerful wellies on saturday. On further investigation last night we discovered she had no trousers that werent jeans that still fitted (school specified 'preferably not jeans') so I popped in again on the way back to work at lunch time to get some basic jogging bottoms or something. I was aghast! Nothing that hadn't got lurex or faux-leather or fake fur or sequins. And the shoes! Nothing she could wear even if she wasn't going to be wading through mud and swinging from trees.

I am sure that when we went to one near MIL a few years back we managed to get DS#1 a decent dressing gown and the clothes were normal. Not great quality, but normal. This time they looked like the uniform for a junior pole-dancing school

I am too old. I must be....

[OrmRenewed]

Maybe it's just girls clothes then.

[Themasterandmargaritas]

I'm with you Orm, the girls stuff is atrocious. It used to be fine, perhaps it's just a bad season. Still it's not bad for school wear.

How's the new house?

[GeorginaWorsley]

Went in a new one today and was not impressed at all.

[OrmRenewed]

It's lovely thanks master I still get excited when I walk in the front door. It's chaos still and some of my 'oh who cares' insouciance about the dubious decor was worn off but I am still very happy.

[Themasterandmargaritas]

It's so exciting having a new house. a new location or our same favourite town?

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

Matalan has ALWAYS been utter shite. (IMHO)

Along with Primark and TK Max.

[smugmumofboys]

It's one of those funny places isn't it? I see something nice on a friend and it often turns out to be from Matalan, but whenever I go in I'm overwhelmed by the stench of cheap fabrics and badly made garments.

I almost never buy anything in there.

[OrmRenewed]

Same 'favourite' town master

[Themasterandmargaritas]

Very loyal. Congratulations.

[LutyensCBA]

The girls' range is scary in Matalan! I pop in there for cheap and cheerful cushions (we destroy cushions in our house so no point investing in "nice" ones) and sometimes wander through the children's area and it's lurid and ghastly without exception. There are some nice boys stuff though

[Rockbird]

Girls' clothes in Matalan used to be gorgeous. There is a big one on the IoW and I used to love going there. Went recently and it was utter shite, was devastated as I used to get all DD's nursery clothes from there.

Adult clothes are always shite and kids' clothes once they're over about 5.

[JosieJ76]

You can actually get some great deals in Matalan. I found this today which offers a dress with free leggings for £6. There is some lovely stuff in the new magazine they sent out too. Just found an online version of it here...

www.matalan.co.uk/fcp/content/matalan-magazine-september-2010/content

I think the clothes are getting much more fashinable and at the price, you can't go wrong

[JosieJ76]

Sorry ladies - forgot to put the kids dress and free leggings for £6 link on...

www.matalan.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/kids_girls-fashion_cheap-girls-clothes?resetFilters=true

[EsmeWeatherwax]

I used to buy a lot of dd1's clothes in Matalan, they were really nice, and she grew out them so fast they never had time to wear out! But now its horrific, unless you want your three year old, who needs size 4-5 clothes, to look like a particularly cheap hooker. Not nice at all!

[HouseOfBamboo]

I found it was okay for baby and toddler stuff, but past age 3 you get into mini-hookersville

If you hunt through the racks of sparkly tat you can find some nice plain leggings and t-shirts though. They also used to do nice brushed cotton toddler pyjamas.

[OrmRenewed]

Thanks.

She got some pyjamas with cats on them - we managed to avoid some of the more 'lady of the night' type attire. But I won't be bothering again.