New revamped Kew, what do you think?

[kitya]

its called 159 for some reason. It looks the same as before to me.

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2011/sep/18/fashion-line-up-kew-159

On first sight? Still at the safer end of the middle of the road but with a hoik in price towards Reiss, Jigsaw, et al without a corresponding move that way in terms of design.

But that's only going on the "pieces" in the article/advertorial.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawful.
I used to love Kew but now think it's lost the plot.

The skirts are dowdy, the dresses weird, IMO- have you seen the "Kimono dress"? Knitwear is so-so- bought a wool cardi recently- but that's it.

Think it is over priced and just really odd.

Maybe they have some pieces if you work, but I work from home and like smart casual, with the odd dress for nights out etc- and can see nothing I like.

I like the Jackson print dress and I find the rest underwhelming.

I am in the process of returning a frock that didn't quite work.

You know, a version of all those dresses would already be in the wardrobe of the sort of woman who is going to pay those prices or above. for starters, the Camellia dress looks like the sort of print the lower end of the high street (disseminating from designers) started putting out a couple of years ago.

The kimono shape is, theoretically, fairly "classic" ^and 70s. But ... it's everywhere.

Yes, there;s an argument for a niche for those ideas coming out in better fabrics than Top Shop/Oasis but more affordably than designer, but the point is the shops that do that have already done it.

I think they're aiming at a tricky market. Kew was a place you could go to for a staple (cardigan, belt, etc.) at a reasonable price. This looks as if they are trying for a slightly less-fashionable Jigsaw. Does a woman really want to buy clothes at a self-consciously "less-fashionable fashion" ie. "Ms Two or Three Seasons Behind Tried and Tested By Everyone And Deemed Safe" shop?? I'm wondering how representative of the re-positioning this selection is.

animula you have hit the nail on the head. Thank you! Was in there yesterday and couldn't quite work out what the deal was.

Boden without the personality, basically. And everything I don't like about boden (since johnnie's 'it's for women who are afraid of looking sexy' quote ) probably holds true for Kew.

Pretty rubbish really.

Had interesting chat the other day with someone who used to work for jigsaw and apparently all kew and jigsaw clothes made in same factory and use similar quality material so why the difference in price?

Oh and its 159 because thats the number of their headquarters apparently.

But anyway I do think jigsaw and kew are just a bit blah and very overpriced. Jigsaw has the odd nice thing but its £££ for what it is which is not that dis-similar to boden m&s autograph to be honest.

... should just add, I got annoyed because this nice grey woollen t-shirt was £50!!! And it's mostly nylon!!!! Fair enough if it was great quality and made from wool or wool/cashmere even... but it wasn't. It was a sodding nylon t-shirt. Who do they think they are!

I found pretty much the same thing (woolen t-shirts rock, they don't cling to ahem.. midriff bulges like cotton does) at Uniqlo for £20 and no little nylons had to die in the making of it

Spent quite some time in a Kew on Saturday (out shopping with a friend) and found the customer service really good - the sales assistants really knew their stock and were v helpful without hanging around making us feel uncomfortable. We tried on a lot and came away a few bits between us including the silver bell skirt (lovely but overpriced imo), grey knit jacket, brown biker boots, an orange scarf and some skinny jeans which fitted really well. I was surprised as wasn't really impressed after looking at the website but found things looked much nicer on.
I mentioned the name change and the sales assistant said she was a bit puzzled why it changed and made a joke about the boss being a man and him liking numbers!

Those clothes are frightful. And what was the stylist thinking with the hideous lipstick? Overpriced, still dowdy - at those prices you're miles better off in Reiss and LK Bennett.

drab and drabber

Do the jeans fit well?

The bell skirt does look nice.

I'm glad to hear that it is better in the flesh. On reflection, I felt bad after posting my initial impressions. I wish them well: am guessing they are finding the recession hard.

But I am sad that they are leaving the ground they occupied of well-made staples.

Agree with you animula about them leaving staples behind. I got their indigo skinny jeans and am v pleased with their fit - am a size 12, average height. Usually find it hard to find skinny jeans that fit but these were fine, not too low rise, bit of stretch. Tad long but I can live with that!

I had to size down in the bell skirt - always nice when that happens!

That lipstick looks bloody awful - and she has the biggest mouth I have ever seen. She looks like the Joker. Picture One and Picture 7 are pretty similar to the kinds of things I like though.

I'm 52 and I think their latest offerings are drab and outdated!!