Shops you don't go to anymore...

[libertychick]

Decided today Hobbs is off my list of shops. I went in and tried on several dresses, skirts etc. It all looked exactly like everything I have ever bought before from them. It's a bugger as it suits me, is appropriate for where I work and v gratifying as in several items in there I fit a size 10 (and I am not a size 10) but if I keep shopping there I will look the same way for ever...

Any other shops people have decided to abandon?

[justasecond]

Karen Millen, Reiss - both used to do nice stuff 10 years ago. Odd nice thing still but overpriced for what it is.
River Island aka syntheticsville.
Jane Norman - I used to buy trousers in there in the 90's.
Kookai - overpriced now
French Connection - used to do lovely quality clothes before the whole fcuk thing.
Monsoon - per una on acid

[scarlet76]

I have never liked:
Primark - jumble sale tat
New Look - cheap and nasty
River Island - nothing I like - ever
Debenhams - meh
Zara - poor fit and quality

I used to like:
Monsoon - now all frumpy
French Connection - all samey and expensive
TopShop - now only seem to get jeans - too old klaxon

I still buy:
M&S - mainly Limited Collection
Next - Directory and not shops as its easier to spot the odd good item
Boden - only with discount
White Stuff - scarves only

[pippibluestocking]

Why has no-one mentioned Jigsaw - full of ridiculously highly priced clothes that look like dishrags stitched together, which will lose any shape they had after the first wash and develop holes by the 2nd. Their tailored suits are okay (though you need a bank loan to buy one) but you need to be at least 6 foot to wear the trousers.

[Pseudonymity]

Shops I don't go in any longer:
Oasis
River Island
Reiss
Jigsaw
LK Bennett
Mango

Shops I've been pleasantly surprised by:
Jaeger
Warehouse
Dorothy Perkins
Hobbs

Shops that I like but never have anything quite right:
Zara
Whistles

Shops I've never really used:
Monsoon
Next
Jane Norman

Shops I buy from a lot:
H&M
Topshop
American Apparel
The Kooples
Primark

[FunnyLittleFrog]

Used to shop a lot at:
Next
DP
River island
But never do now.

Still like stuff at:
Warehouse
Zara
Oasis
Some H&M

Never did:
M&S

Flirted with when first became a mum (arggh! took about three weeks to realise I didn't have to dress like one because I was one)
White Stuff
Fat Face
Mantaray

[Decameron]

Used to love Karen Millen, LK Bennett and Reiss, but rarely buy anything there any more. Oasis, Topshop and Warehouse make me feel old.

Never liked Debenhams, Monsoon, Next, New Look or River Island.

I still like Whistles, H&M for tops and some Jigsaw. I don't have much luck at Zara as I'm tall and it's all just a bit too short on me, though did get a great pair of skinny jeans there recently.

[higgle]

I used to think that as you got older your taste refined and you found shops that suited you better. I now realise that as you get older most of the shops become so crap that there are only a few left to go to. Next Petite jeans fit me well, so I do buy them but otherwise I'm now left with Whistles, Warehouse, Jigsaw + Toast and Brora in the sales.

[EmpressMaud]

Next - though was 20 years ago it was any good, now just looks cheap, and poor quality.

Monsoon - poor fit, quality

Fat Face - had some, few, nice vintage style items a few years ago, but not so much nowadays.

[FunnysInLaJardin]

god yes Jigsaw. They used to be good in the 90's but went right down hill not long after.

[MarshaBrady]

All of these

But most in need of a mention
Hobbs- don't need work clothes
LK Bennett - wrong for me
Zara - website looks good, in store a shambles
Karen Millen
Jigsaw
Reiss

Eek and so many more, list will be too long

[chanie44]

Zara - I have bought two coats from there which have fallen apart within a few weeks.

H&m and primary - don't like the jumble sale feel of the shops. Plus the clothes are poor quality.

[DoItToJulia]

Tee hee at per una on acid!

[alemci]

Quite a few of the above - particularly Next. Didn't really like New Look or Primark. The odd thing is Monsoon is ok.

I noticed that as a rule of thumb the quality of clothing has gone down e.g. jumpers with hardly any wool or are acrylic and really dear. Tops that go into holes.

I only ever tend to shop in sales as everything is overpriced.

Everything bobbles even if you buy a 'good' make e.g.phase 8
I still buy Boden but I think it isn't such good quality as it was 6 years' ago. Still have a coat from then which is great for the snow.

Still like the odd bit of White Stuff but the concession has gone from our local John Lewis.

[Corygal]

Topshop - have you SEEN the prices? Dodgy jackets for 150 quid. Yep, same price as Cos, Hobbs or sale Jaeger. Get over yourself, Toppers.

New Look and DP use the same suppliers as Primark, simply tripling the prices. Fail.

[Corygal]

Forgot I'd already forgotten about Jigsaw, the land where boho never died.

[permaquandry]

Karen Millen & Oasis.

[janmoomoo]

Next, topshop, H&M, Oasis, Zara, New Look, River Island - all a mess flogging cheap rubbish.

There is now no shop which is my fall-back that I know I can always get something in. Judging by the comments above it is a wonder we get any clothes at all. No wonder so many shops are going bust, need to up their game.

[lurkingaround]

They do really need to up their game.

Cannot believe the amount of synthetics in Reiss, you'd be hard pushed to find any natural fabric. Not unusual, but at those prices...
New Look, never got it
DP, like-wise
River Isalnd
Much the same as everyone has already said.

Still look (and carefully buy) in H&M, Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti (but it annoys me a bit for some reason, I think it starts with that awful perfume they spray everywhere), Cos.

I hat accepting that the quality is so awful.

[JumpHerWho]

Ooh interesting re Reiss, I haven't been into one for ages and generally think of it as out of my price range unless there's a sale on, but I always loved their stuff - I have a gorgeous oversized charcoal silk shirt from there - a few years old but something like £140 down to £29.

I do like River Island for jeans and shoes, and basic tops. Same prices as other high st shops but often with good detailing and more interesting / edgy shapes. Just avoid all the slutty stuff!

My no longer go to list:

Next - but mum always gives me vouchers for Xmas so I'm one of the 5am sales people in my defence it's 50-70% off so I can usually find something, but the good stuff does go early.

Debenhams - their own brand ranges and the 'designers for Debenhams' ranges are hilariously tacky and low rent, and overpriced.

Ted Baker - loved it when younger but it is polyester central and v overpriced.

Oasis - just lazy efforts at obvious trends, insultingly bad quality.

Faves on high st:

Cos for investment stuff
Uniqlo and Gap for basics
Zara for fashiony stuff - can't beat it IMO

[alemci]

yes, perhaps we should all stop buying anything and have a serious look in our wardrobes. I am always buying stuff and then I don't wear half of it very much.

I forget about some of it.

the quality of most clothes has deteriorated. I think alot of the raw materials such as cotton has become more expensive plus the way the wool is spun or produced makes it bobble. None of my jumpers from the 90's ever did. Now they bobble even before you wash it especially on the arms.

[EbbNFlow]

Gap. Just awful and urgently need to get with the 21st century.

H&M - occasionally buy online, but hate the way they lay out their shops. So cluttered and bad merchandising. Makes me feel stressed.

[Mintyy]

Startail - for long sleeved cotton tops you need Uniqlo.

[overbythere]

I have never ever found anything in Gap. Zara is well overrated, don't know what the fuss is about. There is not a single thing in the Next directory I would buy this year. Shops like River Island and Top Shop are for teenagers. And I can't afford shops like Jaegar or Reiss or Whistles or Hobbs so don't even go in them. Which leaves...er....do occasionally find something in Debenhams online when they have their sale, occasionally Monsoon and tbh if I am given long enough I can always find something in M&S too.

[GeorginaWorsley]

Never buy from
Topshop
Jane Norman
Next
H and M
New Look

Occasionally buy from

Primark,only scarves
Dorothy Perkins,bought some jeggings/skinny jeans
Oasis,used to find dresses here but not recently
Warehouse,as above
River Island,rarely
White Stuff/Fat Face
French Connection,but has got v expensive

Usually buy from John Lewis
Phase Eight
Autograph
Occasional Marks,especially 'jeggings'
Some Boden,not as much though
Mint Velvet
Whistles,not much
Clarks
Independant boutiques
White Company

[GeorginaWorsley]

Oh never find anything in Zara either.
Like Cos but none nearby and sizes hit and miss.