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...

Weirdly online Sports Direct sell retro/rockabilly dresses and heels within their stock.
You'd turn your ankle working out in them!

All saints tries to be edgy, but doesn't quite manage it. It looks like a market stall set up from the 80s.

Why are White Stuff and Fat Face scruffy?

I'm not a big fan of White Stuff, and find a lot of it frumpy, but I know a few people who dress very nicely from there.

Isn't Jack Wills for really young, preppy types? Close friend's 20-something DD used to work for them ( head office) and used to be able to buy their stuff for about £2 a piece- crazy prices for everyone else.

I too thought Jack Wills was for preppy students and early 20 somethings.

Should add to list:
Clarks
M and Co
East
Any supermarket clothes area
H and M

Thanks for the happy flashback to early 90s River Island!

Never go in it now - looks trashy to me, probably means I am too old for it!

I only avoid certain shops because of the pushy staff now, otherwise would browse in anywhere.

armpitt,I know, i've gotten gymwear from there too, ....but my local sports direct sells high heels, ugg type boots, party dresses and dressing up gear it's one big mish mash outlet I think

I love it when I hear Karen Millen denounced as a shop for WAGs and wannabe rock chicks. I shop there all the time, and I'm a 43 year old chartered accountant. Makes me feel quite glam to think that I might be mistaken for a Real Housewife of Cheshire.

(They have loads of things that aren't scratchy or glittery and people always ask me where I got KM things. No, I am not on commission.)

Would never think to look at clothes in a supermarket! Next I don't like so don't go in.

You can't beat Asda George leggings. You honestly can't. They're fairly thick and keep their shape. And my best jeans are from Tesco.

Wearing all supermarket clothes is a bit dispiriting, but I certainly wouldn't discount them.

The shops that I really dislike are Monsoon, Wallis and Next. Monsoon clothes are for Judy who works in museum education, Wallis is for women called Jan who work in a local building society and Next is for people called Kelly who are a "PA" in a firm of accountants.

[Runs off after having been so mean...]

Glitz
I cant believe I never knew you could get Bershka in the UK!!!
I loved it when I used to work in Crete. Woo Hoo! (off to peruse their website for a bit)

I agree with PP who have said River Island, I mean, whats the point in making a perfectly good pair of jeans/handbag and then throwing loads of studs/diamantes at it?

Im really disappointed, now that I can actually shop in these shops (after losing 6 and a half stone), theres fack all worth buying. Boooooooooooo

In the interests of MN research I went into River Island this morning. OMG - it was horrible.

The girls' clothes were awful. Really trashy - I wouldn't let my dd wear those sort of things.

And the adult clothes soooo expensive, given that they are aimed at "youngsters". £28 for a shirt, and £60 for a very obviously faux leather jacket made of polyester. Those are not teenager prices. (Well, they are if you're a Hollister/Jack Wills fan, but not for the average teen girl wanting some new togs.)

When I was a teenager, I used to go in Chelsea Girl and then River Island all the time. Now I'd go in H&M or somesuch which has much better stuff at certainly a much better price point.

Uniqlo - makes me feel like ten tonne tess their sizing is so small
What I call "grey" shops - Zara, Mango, Mint Velvet, Cos etc
Any shop that does s / m / l / xl sizing as I have no idea what is what
H&M / Primark / Matalan

I'm not a trendy dresser by any stretch of the imagination but neither am I totally frumpy. There is a huge gap in the market for people too old for the teen-like shops and too young for the M&S ones.

I tend to find myself increasingly shopping in White Stuff, Sainsburys and sometimes John Lewis although I'm not really a smart dresser so I'm limited in there.

I mainly shop online, normally american apparel for basics, or selfridges for work stuff/party etc.
i hate Hollister, I went in once and couldn't see a thing!

I never go in:

Oasis
Karen Millen
French Connection
Jane Norman
New Look
Warehouse
Wallis
Dorothy Perkins
Fat face
White Stuff

My clothes are mainly primark, h&m, topshop, and charity shops. I get AMAZING stuff in charity shops.

I don't understand all the love for Bershka! Isn't it aimed at young teenage girls? This is reflected in their prices and terrible quality.

AFAIK it's a sister company of Zara. M Duitti for ahem older customers, Berehka for the younger customers and Zara for children and everything in between.

I had a look at Bershka. I like some of the tops, but some of the clothes do seem to be modelled by teenagers.

I never go in Topshop. The staff in my local one are all the type that look you up and down.. Never been in Laura Ashley either.

I never go in:

Primark (can't even walk through the doors without my hair gong static from all the manmade fibres)
H&M (falls apart after a few washes)
Zara (everything seems to be for tall women with no boobs)
TopShop (used to love it when I was in my twenties, but I now look like I'm dressing up in my daughters clothes)
All Saints (over priced and too townie for my liking)
Next (yawn)