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?

[eagerbeagle]

Places I no longer buy anything from (I still go in from time to time and walk out again):

Next - boring, frumpy, crap fabrics
Monsoon - used to love it but its mostly overpriced frumpsville now and very samey
Gap - boring and overpriced
Marks & Spencer - still get tights from here but have failed to be inspired by anything recently. I used to find the odd gem in Autograph or Limited Collection. Per Una has made me me irrationally stabby for ages.
Fat Face - too frumpy. I had a fab pair of cords from there and want to replace them but they never have any.

Get a lot of new gear online now. I have bought a fair few work pieces by Nougat London and Fever (via Brandalley) and Mary Portas via HoF (in the sale). Also like Charli (via Brandalley).

[AlwaysSleepingBeauty]

I never go in Dorothy Perkins, Primark or Next. Other people seem to come out with nice things, especially from Primark, but if I go in its like a horrible market stall!

[EuroShagmore]

I no longer buy from:
Topshop (too old)
River Island (ditto)
Next (used to be high end high street and good quality, now it is just nasty)
M&S (getting frunpier)
H&M (jumple sale - I don't have the patience).

Never had any interest in:
Fat Face (just not my style)
Phase Eight (ditto)
Monsoon (ditto)

I agree with what someone said about disppointing quality from Banana Republic. And at one point I used to buy about 90% of my work stuff from Reiss. Now it is all a bit fashionista for the average office.

[skaen]

I used to get most of my work clothes from Next and Jigsaw. I went into Next recently and it was horrible, awful lighting, messy and everything was synthetic. River island and top shop don't seem to work for me.

Jigsaw seems to be baggy, shapeless and £££££. It is not designed for people with waists as far as I can see.

I like Hobbs and l k Bennett for work but only in the sale; banana republic does the best work trousers I've found. Uniqlo for jeans and knitwear.

French connection has good sales but is also £££.

[harryhausen]

I hardly ever go shopping anymore. I have 34HH boobs and have virtually given up trying to find things that fit, without spaghetti straps or polo necks.

Shops I never go in...for myself

Top shop
DP
Next
French Connection
M&S
too many to mention in fact.

Places I've some surpisingly good pieces in (for me and my boobage)

Wallis
Debenhams
Coast
Fat Face
White Stuff.
Bravissimo (mail order, but you have to wade through the frumpy stuff).

[ballroompink]

Never buy from:

Topshop
New Look
Dorothy Perkins
Oasis
River Island
Primark
Next

Never went in while I was pregnant last year. Now I'm not I've started to look occasionally but all the stuff is awful.

[Eliza22]

TkMaxx. It's like a jumble sale. And who wants to buy body lotion where the top's all sticky from people trying it? Or, crap shades of eye shadow/lippy/whatever that they're selling cause they're not the shades that sell by themselves, at the counters. The last time I DID shop there, I bought some wool tights for winter. Got them home and they must have been seconds 'cause the ankle bit was on the front, IYKWIM! Two bloody seems at the back and a deformed foot .... £6.99. What a bargain!

Zara. Overpriced tat and seriously bored looking assistants. Note to Zara Sales Assistants: you are there to assist/to enable your customers. Treat them badly, they'll go elsewhere, eventually.

M&S - unless for knickers.

WhiteStuff.... The quality is crap.

[Eliza22]

Seams

[YouOldSlag]

I don't go in the Body Shop any more. It used to be great in the 80s and 90s, They really were doing something that nobody else was doing, and it was reasonable for even then-students like me to buy stuff there.

These days it is massively overpriced and the sizes are minuscule. The other day I saw a hand wash duo that was £18! It did have a half price sticker on, to be fair, but it just seemed like a ridiculous price.

It's more like a boutique now, and so many other suppliers are doing what they do for much less.

I even went in to try the perfumes recently (£14 a bottle) and after half an hour, it had faded completely.

I long for the days where you could home with Raspberry Ripple bathing bubbles, Elderflower Eye Gel and Banana Hair Conditioner and still have change to pay your rent.

[williaminajetfighter]

Agree with everything that previous posters are saying. So many of the shops - Next, H&M, Primark - are a complete MESS, a total jumble sale of tat and everything looks like it just came out of a sub-standard factory in China. In fact it's like they all came out of the same factory...

I hate the way people scramble about and throw stuff on the floor and how it's generally a mess. I personally feel that this move to lower quality but cheaper clothes has an impact on all the high street shops although quality is going down the price isn't!

Other ones I now avoid are Monsoon (getting too Per-Una-ish!), M&S (blah), Debenhams (their Designers line is utter tat and they desperately need a brand and in-store overhaul). I never go into Oasis, River Island etc.

For work I now buy most of my stuff from Jaeger (great sales, good consistent sizes, really good quality), occasionally Hobbs, JL brand and Cos. Hobbs do great shoes and boots that last though. For casual White Company. I love TOAST but very pricey and everything is a 'tunic' style with no waist - I'm convinced that the owners/designers for the company are flat-chested tall beanpoles who can get away with high neck sleeveless tunics... most of us cannot!

Gosh I sound like I'm old because I am!

[MaureenShit]

You lot are dull.

Never rule out a shop.

Always open to new ideas.

[Beaverfeaver]

Next
Fat face

Those are the mainly two that spring to mind.

Il stick to river island. All saints and Zara for main wardrobe bulk

[williaminajetfighter]

Maureen who has the time to trawl through every high street store hoping for a gem amongst the crap? If after numerous trawls you've decided that the shop is crap and the clothes too, what is the point?

[Mumelie]

Next - is total pants!

And anywhere at 40 that's too young for my curvy body shape me (TopShop, Miss Selfridge, River Island, etc)

[prelim29]

I used to work for Hobbs in the 1980's - a very different company when it was privately owned. I never go near the place now. Also used to like:
Jigsaw
Karen Millen
Kew
White Stuff.

Never really liked:
Fat Face
French Connection
Laura Ashley
Phase Eight

Now I tend to buy at:
Boden (mainly send stuff back due to poor quality but one or two things are sometimes ok).
Brora
White Company
TKMaxx (when I have time to rummage).

[MaureenShit]

You use shop style. You foolz

[YouOldSlag]

Maureen, you won't win anyone round by calling them "dull" and "fools".

[MaureenShit]

Lol. I thought you'd typed dur brains.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

I'm with you maureen.

River Island is good for jeans.

Hobbs - lovely bags and some nice jersey tops.

Topshop - odd nice bit

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Agree that Topshop has the odd nice thing. I didn't go in there for years but, having teenage dds, have now discovered it anew. Some good jersey bits in there and some half decent shoes (but only in the sales for shoes!).

[aperfectday]

I'm with Maureen too.

[AmberNectarine]

No, I'm sorry, I know that I won't find anything in New Look, Dorothy Perkins or Next. I just know.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

Next do excellent skinny jeans for girls and boys and offer a slim fit which is good if you have slim children.

New look also has the odd nice thing - god, I loved my pleather jacket from there a few years back and the skinny chinos they did.

[MaureenShit]

No. You need to look.

I goer Bargainous evening clutches at nl

[MaureenShit]

Got lovely heavy "lace " (was cotton ) black mini from next. Wear with heels opaques and leather jacket with big knitted scarf.

Very gothic