Shops you never go into into?

[LollyLondon]

I never, ever bought any clothes in Laura Ashley - until this weekend.
Spotted a great jacket in the window www.lauraashley.com/uk/coats+jackets/collarless-biker-jacket/invt/ct733
Looks much nicer IRL. 20% off, bargain!

Made we wonder whether there are other shops I should take a second look at...

I never go in

New look
Primark
Zara
Topshop
Simplybe
Any posh shop like kendals etc

I never used to go into Bershka because I thought it would be really expensive but it's actually not and they do good sales. It's around the same pricing as H&M

I never go into Laura Ashley either. Are the clothes pricey?

I never go into River Island - every time I look at their window displays or have a quick look on their website, everything looks really tacky and for very skinny women. This makes me sad, because I am old enough to remember when River Island was really classy and sumptuous - all lovely fabrics, beautiful shop fittings and 1920s music - in the early 90s.

Next
Zara
Primark
River Island - for same reasons as afghanda - all polished wood interior and ceiling fans and ambient lighting. What happened there!
Topshop - though loved it in my teens

afghands oh yes, I'd completely forgotten about the "old" River Island. It was lovely, wasn't it?!

From the quick look I had, Laura Ashley seemed pretty reasonable for what seemed like good quality stuff £50-80 dresses, £20-30 tops. A lot of it looked a bit frumpy, but reckon there could be the odd gem in there (like my fab jacket - am very pleased with it, can you tell?!).

Some nice bits of jewellery too

Good tip re Bershka GandG, always thought it was very expensive too!

Laura Ashley clothes used to look like they belonged to another decade (being generous there), but occasionally one or two quirky, classic items worth buying could be found. More lately I thought they looked cheap, selling on the back of their name, especially the children's clothes. I haven't looked very recently.

Coast - all wedding guest and satiny.

Karen Millen - all scratchy and 1980s laydeez power rock with the 'embellishments' on everything.

Oasis - I had a credit note for there that I couldn't spend for a year. It's truly vile. Just when you think you've seen something plain that you could deal with, there's a bit of chiffon poking out the bottom, or a lace 'insert' on the back, or hideous glittery bits going through. I'm still having flashbacks.

Another ex river islander here. Bought most of my clothes (and CAT boots) there in the 90s. Nothing in last 15 years.

I've never been in
Zara
All saints
Jaeger

I'm now too old for
Miss selfridge
Topshop

Been in but not bought anything:
Monsoon
Karen millen

I hate clothes shopping, avoid it, only go in
Supermarkets
Next
Dorothy Perkins
Maybe new look, but didn't like anything last time
M & co

squeezy so true about Oasis! I saw a nice yellow top in there last year for the summer so I picked it up and on the back was some pathetic piece of string holding it together with a lace insert. Just why????

All of them. Avoid town as much as possible as it's too much like hard work with two LOs!

If I do have time I never go in Next, Warehouse, Oasis, Jane Norman (noticed yesterday on the way to swimming it's shut now), Topshop, Select, Quiz, French Connecton, Phase Eight, BHS, Debenhams, TK Maxx, Monsoon.

A lot of our shops have shut down in recent years (Mango, I still miss you) but from what is left I like to have a gander in Zara, M&S, Accessorize, H&M, Gap, New Look, Laura Ashley. That's all I can think of, pretty poor really for a large town centre.

Just remembered River Island. Worked there when I was a teen but can never find anything in there now so rarely bother to go in.

I pop into Primark if I need socks / vests for the children but rarely look at the womenswear. I do like their socks though!

Jane Nornan may be my most hated clothes shop ever.

River Island stopped being good as soon as they stopped doing those fabulous decoupage themed carrier bags that everyone used to use for their PE kit in the early 90s.

I was also a River Island fan - and shopped there when it was Chelsea Girl. In fact they were doing retro Chelsea Girl t-shirts and bags there last season.

However, when I recently ventured inside I hurriedly said to the sales girl that I was looking for my daughter as she appeared to be giving me a pitying gaze. All the stuff looks quite trashy in there now.

Most clothes shops - particularly the ones with loud music.

I do occasionally pop into Laura Ashley, though. They have some well made gems and some lovely fabrics.

afghanda I stock piled those RI carrier bags for my PE kit before I worked there and still use loads of the green and gold hangers in my wardrobe that they were going to chuck out when they rebranded to grey. Sod that, I took a huge bag home with me!

River Island. I used to buy loads there, but I don't think I've been in for about 15 years. The prices don't seem to match the quality and more.

Jane Norman. Stretch nylon isn't my thing at all.

And I spotted that River island had some boys' clothes, recently and got quite excited because DS1 is at the top end of a lot of shops' sizes, but still far too small for a men's XS, so choice seems to be limited to Next, M&S and Landsend (even Fatface have been fruitless, this year), at the moment.

We didn't stay in there long. It was really expensive and the quality was dire.

Topshop, stuff never fits me.
Zara, don't know why really, not a fan of the layout.

i never set foot in Laura Ashley, but then began to work there and became quite accustomed to their clothes so now pop in there occasionally (i no longer work there)

i rarely go into monsoon, only if i need a nice occasion dress.

Wallis, i always think of it as an old ladies shop even though i know it isn't!

I wont go in primark, i just send DH for me its too busy and a tip so sends me over the edge, new look occassionally,Karen millen nope, Jager nope,

what i do like if FF clothing
Joules
debenhams
hobbs, just to look and dream
the sainsubury stuff does nice thinks for kids
love tx maxx!!!

I like some things from Oasis.
I've recently bought a black jumper dress and a stripy jumper
I do like the plainer clothes in there. Not keen on any fussiness on clothes.
They do nice stretchy plain tops also.

Agree Jane Norman and River Island are hideous. All fake metal studs and cheap fabrics and logo tees. River Island kids stuff looks like it's designed for 25 year old clubbers. Avoid them both like the plague.

Any shops where the clothes look as though they have been drop-kicked onto display, or where the clothes are displayed in an unsystematic fashion so you have to trawl through lots of things to find what you are looking for.

Shops with loud music or weird lighting - H&M especially often seem to be really dark, and my purchases are then a completely different colour in daylight. I do still shop there though.

Shops where I am scared to touch things, where the assistants follow you round a bit too assiduously, and refold anything you touch straight away.

Shops that I consider myself too young for.

Shops that I consider myself too old for.

Shops where the sleeves of the tops are too short (pretty much all shops except H&M)

Doesn't leave much! No wonder I never buy myself any new clothes.

Lots of your 'nevers' are my staples.
Out of the shops in my city I never go into:

Next
River Island
Fat Face
White Stuff
Pull & Bear
Dorothy Perkins
Debenhams

Shops I go to most often:

Zara
Topshop
American Apparel
House of Fraser
H&M

& the ones I had forgotten exist: Oasis, Monsoon & Wallis!

I walked past a branch of Hollister, the other day. It doesn't even look inviting. I have no idea what they sell (but suspect that I'm neither young enough nor hip enough for it).