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Original poster

The demise of Kew

25 replies

ameliagrey · 29/08/2011 18:40

I have been in a large branch twice this week and each time it was empty- I remember when Kew used to be packed, and had nice clothes about 6 years ago.

What on earth has happened to their design team?

I think they have really lost their way.

OP posts:
hophophippidtyhop · 29/08/2011 18:52

Completely agree, I have swapped to buying some bits from mistral instead, they have similar colurs to the good old kew. I was thinking of buying a couple of plain v neck tops from here as the colours look good.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 29/08/2011 19:40

Kew was a bit too pricey for me but I agree it used to have nice stuff. Their returns policy for sale items was pretty bad (i.e. only exchanges rather than refunds), so I didn't shop there too often.

Maybe their design team has aged and gone off to Viyella?

BarbaraWoodlouse · 29/08/2011 20:00

I've have a few bits from there - via John Lewis rather than direct from the shop which has always been a bit empty and bypasses the Returns issue.

That said I've never quite got what they were aiming at - OK for v neck tops and fancy vest tops but massively overpriced for what they are. Rest of their stuff increasingly frumpy.

knitknack · 29/08/2011 20:06

Last time I shopped there it was for my 'birthday present' (ie spending my birthday money) I was on my own at the time (with two kids) AND doing a PGCE so I was SKINT. Neither of the two cardigans I bought fitted me so i returned them and they ONLY REFUNDED ME FOR ONE and refused to accept that I'd returned both. So Kew got my birthday present/money that year and I couldn't buy anything!

That was about two years ago now and i still hate them for it! They suggested maybe I'd returned something else to another mail order company at the same time and got muddled up - like I get clothes delivered every day seethes with anger again it was so UNFAIR

ahem.

I like their bags though

Pinkflipflop · 29/08/2011 20:10

Since Kew has been relaunched I think some of their stuff is fab!

grey boots

love this dress

love this skirt and comes in lots of colours

iWILLdothis · 29/08/2011 20:43

I love their new stuff. This is on my wishlist.

Haberdashery · 29/08/2011 20:50

I think both Kew and Jigsaw have gone seriously downhill. I have a Jigsaw voucher from last Christmas that I have been trying to spend all year and haven't been able to. They used to be my standby where I knew I'd find something I liked that fitted me. I really like that stripy jumper, though, but why oh why don't they tell you what it's made of? I want to know if it will be itchy!

Really like the look of Mistral.

Haberdashery · 29/08/2011 20:51

Oh, except, having looked a bit further, Mistral suffers from the Fat Face syndrome in that they seem to think all women like sugary pastels and what I think of as cupcake colours.

Pinkflipflop · 29/08/2011 20:57

I could spend a fortune in Jigsaw - could you sell your voucher? Spend it in a shop you love? I love, love, love jogsaw but it has gotten vvv expensive!

Haberdashery · 29/08/2011 21:15

Oh, that's a really good idea. Do you want it?! It's a fifty quid voucher. Would sell for £45 so I could get a new pair of jeans. Actually, I have no idea where it is, but I suppose it must be somewhere so I could find it!

Original poster
ameliagrey · 29/08/2011 21:19

well, sorry but I don't like anything on those Kew links.

Skirt is too girly for me ( and too young- I am mid 50s but dress like a forty something as told I look that ageSmile) Great if you are 20-30s.

Dress is just odd, IMO.

I used to love Jigsaw for its knitwear if nothing else- could easily pop in and buy 3-4 things if money was no issue.

Now I struggle to find anything- it's lost it's slightly bo-ho/bohemian look and is now too smart/ formal for more lifestyle, or the casual stuff is very expensive.
I might buy 1 top or T shirt each season.
I won't be paying £98 for a pair of cotton trousers or £69 for cord jeans.

OP posts:
GiganticusBottomus · 29/08/2011 21:23

I always love the ideas in mistral and the colours but the few bits I have bought have not washed well and ended up being unwearable.

henrythecat · 30/08/2011 08:15

Oh but have you seen this? I've linked to it on another thread but I love it so much.

Original poster
ameliagrey · 30/08/2011 11:57

yes that's nice but I wouldn't pay that for a scarf.

OP posts:
HallnotOates · 30/08/2011 11:59

i dont liek the relaunch
but if they have stopped flogging maternity dresses and NOTHING sexy then i am iunterested

HallnotOates · 30/08/2011 12:00

yes ordering from JL gets you free postage

HallnotOates · 30/08/2011 12:00

you can get that scarf on ebay for £9.99

half of mn have it

henrythecat · 30/08/2011 13:23

I wouldn't have paid that either ordinarily but I only paid £4 for it as had store credit that was running out and couldn't see anything else worth buying. Saying that, it is lovely quality, very soft and will get lots of wear this AW.

iWILLdothis · 31/08/2011 11:23

any link please HallnotOates?

aquavit · 31/08/2011 12:03

kew customer service has always been appalling ime, knitknack, sorry they were so rotten to you. Perhaps it will be better now they are kew.159 Hmm

I used to mostly dislike their stuff because it was so short in the body but the plain l/s tees in the new range are BRILLIANT for those of us who are tall: really long, good fabric, wash well.

iWILLdothis · 31/08/2011 12:14

thanks hallnot
thought it was that one (on my wishlist) , different colour to the kew one though.

jobags · 31/08/2011 14:03

thanks hallnot
just bought that scarf on ebay in red, lovely!

hildathebuilder · 31/08/2011 14:10

The one very good thing with Kew (and Jigsaw) is that they accept some women have waists and that they are small...

And every shop has good seasons and bad seasons

HallnotOates · 31/08/2011 14:12

Our local one has a manager who is permanently slagging off her h and hisnfamily. Onenday I'm going to tell her to get divorced

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