The optimism of UK clothes shops

[claudedebussy]

It's FREEZING outside. Just been to the shops because I need to buy fleeces and slippers for the kids.

Do you think I could buy any? It's the same every year: summer gets cancelled. Shops only stock clothes suitable for 28 deg weather.

I'm going to open my own shop and sell winter clothes all year. I'll be a millionaire.

INBU am I?

YANBU. I went looking for boots the other day and there were rows and rows of flip-flops. Who in their right mind is wearing flip-flops?

YANBU

All the spring weight clothes have been moved aside for the kind of clothes that I only every wear in the Med. Utterly bonkers, and the High Street wonder why people aren't shopping.

There will be buyers along in a minute telling you that they can't do anything about it because the factories in China get booked up a year in advance, but I don't believe that things couldn't be improved.

I went into H&M this morning, and they do have lined jeans and long-sleeved tops in the boys section at any rate.

Hoppus - people are wearing flipflops, but their feet are blue and they look ridiculous.

I find it annoying that i can't even replace the pyjamas that DS1 is growing out of, at the moment, because they're all short sleeved and his room gets cold at night, most of the year. Nor can i find any decent long sleeved lightweight t-shirts for him. Every year, he grows out of short sleeved t-shirts before they've been worn more than once or twice!

No, I've been trying to find slippers for a 3 year old boy. nowhere has them, shops or the local market. "We usually only have them around Christmas time" Yes, because children's feet don't grow during the rest of the year do they?

I'll have to buy him two or three pairs in different sizes next Christmas so we're ready for when he feet grow in Summer 2014.....

It's ridiculous.

I don't buy that crap about Chinese factories.

Why not buy double the amount of stock then and keep selling it all year round?

Or instead of sending the factories orders for summer clothes, just send winter clothes designs instead?

The factories just want orders surely? They don't care what the clothes are, just as long as they've got orders?

Sh*te isn't it. Try these guys - bit pricey possibly (?) but the slippers are on sale and the pjs are designed so that they can be turned up and down as the child gets bigger.
polarnopyret.co.uk/po-p-stripe-child-pyjamas

Ahem, i'm wearing flip flops.

My feet are fucking cold though. I was as optimistic as the arsing clothes shops and I'll be wearing something warmer when I leave the house next!

eBay?

Not sure about the slippers - but Sports Direct have fleeces in at the moment.

So true! I went into a White Stuff shop the other week and asked if they had any warm cardigans as I was freezing. They only had summer clothes out. The nice girl went into the stock room and rummaged round til she found a warm, lined one. I've been wearing it ever since!

When I went back in a week or so later, I noticed that they were displaying more of the the thicker cardigans. I wonder if I wasn't the only one to ask!

I could send you over clothes from Australia as its winter here, they will all be shite and over priced though

Also, there often seems to be winter stock in at mail-order companies like Lands' End.

I read recently that the newest strain of bird 'flu is hitting the Asian factories' supply chain now, so next winter there may be a lot of orders for down jackets left unfulfilled. Get your orders in now, out of last winter's stock!

Yanbu. I've given up on the high street during the summer.

I stock up in Oct + Feb when the warm autumn + spring clothes are available. At least they'll get worn.

They don't even put sleeves on half the dresses. I'm not off to a tropical wedding, I'm freezing my tits off in an air conditioned office!

I've just been having this conversation with my Mum (of all people) about trying to buy a top with sleeves. Everything is a vest top. I too work in an air con'd office where most of the summer it's a battle with not been freezing inside and boiling outside. FFS just put sleeves on those tops!!

I've been at Asda today they had long sleeved pjs, onesees, and slippers.

YANBU. It's ridiculous.

Like last year when Costa put out all their 'hello summer' ads for their orange iced slushy drinks when it was pissing it down with rain and we'd not seen a peep of sun in the middle of July. Made me angry every time I saw it.

You'd think that all the marketing bods would realise and a) not steam ahead and pretend its summer when we all know otherwise and b) turn the situation to their advantage and use it to humorous effect.

YANBU

People need flip flops for their optimistic pedicures in anticipation of feet actually being seen.