Clothes shops & the Style they are known for

[Frostycake]

Does a list like this exist anywhere? if not, shall we create one?

I can think of the following:

Laura Ashley - 'Romantic'

All Saints - 'Alternative'
Karen Millen - 'dramatic'
Michael Kors - 'Glamorous'
La Redout - 'Classic'
Monsoon - 'Ethnic'
Ralph Lauren - 'Preppy'
Boden - Classic with a touch of bonkers

You get my drift.

I suppose I'm wondering if there are any shops I've overlooked which may be my kind of style (classic/dramatic).

With so many negatives where do you all shop and what are they known for?

I've named where I shop, and I've slagged them off too! No shame- I assure to trendy cool hipster young who doesn't look like a mum

I was wondering the same Asbright.
Do you all make your own clothes?

Assume?! Aspire!

It's all tongue in cheek - of course most of us shop at those places 'cos there's nowhere else!

Anerak I used to buy a lot of coats in Karen Millen because I liked the thick structuredness of them, and a good few other items like plain knitwear/dresses/tops, but last year or two I've stopped because the quality really isn't what it used to be.

It's all shapeless tat these days, and it's all bloody sheer! And, I've noticed, they don't use real leather on most of the garments anymore, it's faux leather yet the price has hardly changed.

Also, the sizes are SO small. You need to be 5ft 10 and 6 stone.

Absolutely AyeAmarok and their shoes are even worse

Funny thread!

I'm still waiting for the verdict on oasis.
Is it- oh no- mumsnetter?!

Oasis is somewhere where I used to buy pretty much all my clothes from up until a few years ago. Now I go in there and think nope!

Sansarya - I have bought clothes from Oasis in past 5 years only because I worked in a town where there was no Cos, &otherstories or Zara...

the nearest town which DID have Zara and Cos the Zara was badly laid out - do you know what I mean?!

I do have some nice Oasis dresses and a lovely coat but the dresses are very much not keepers.

thehyprocite - Oasis is ok - quite samey - I don't think it's changed since I was in my 20s!

Oasis - safe shopper. I think the quality is good, nothing edgy, just safe.

Warehouse, similar to Oasis, slightly edgier, quality not as good.

Zara - mid thirties, likes fashion, finds topshop too young, trying not to succumb to comfy clothes yet.

Great thread.

Samsarya, how very dare you? ;)

I'm usually in oasis but today I'm in nursing home chic- a top from bhs.

Aren't Oasis, Warehouse, Karen Millen and Coast owned by the same company? As are Zara, Mango and Massimo Dutti?

I like Oasis and Warehouse, I get blouses in there for work, and I've got a few really nice work skirts from Oasis. Although Warehouse hasn't been great recently.

I like Reiss stuff.

Zara is dreadful! The shop is always a mess, stuff all over the floor, quality of their stuff is dire.

Love this thread!

Next = polyester City
Per Una = bonkers MILs
Boden = Bonkers MILs-in-waiting
Ted Baker = Karen Millen for the colour-blind
Zara = only for those over 5ft10

Twoleft - the thing about Zara is - I wanted a jumpsuit - flattering - I'm in my 40s and had bought one from Top Shop recently - went on Zara's webpage - very trendy culotte etc jumpsuits...

Sansarya - it would appear you're right re Oasis etc al being owned by same company.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_Fashions

add:- Pull and Bear, Bershka, Oyosho (sp?), Stradivarius and Uterque to the Inditex (Zara) house.

H&M group owns Cos and &OtherStories

I can only afford to shop in primark and that's not on your lists so I'm OK

Debenhams - ??? I only ever buy from their concessions now, John Rocha - dull, Mantaray - trying to be Fatface but dull, some okay bits for work in Jasper Conran and Principles but overloaded on colour and pattern.

I like their shoe department, as they do padded soles .

BHS - Polyester loving ladies, who also buy chinos and striped poloshirts for the men in their life from there.

Banana Republic - ? I want to like them and often go in but have never bought anything from there.

I shop in all the places mentioned so no offence intended, it is just a general observation, of course they all have the odd gem.

Oh god I forgot - Matthew Williamson at Debenhams, makes my eyes bleed, why oh why?

Twoleft even the Julian MacDonald (?) at Debenhams - I should like them but I'm just no.

have to ask what is WAG? - because up about 8 years ago ,me and my daughter used to shop in London and never we missed going to Karen Millen. BTW - she works in a bank , but the KM stuff was for sat night!

Debenhams seriously need to revise their 'designer' collaborations, they are all just so wrong. Sorry going off on a Debenhams tangent.

Twoelf I agree...

whenever I go to my local Debenhams I go past Janet Reger (too small for my larger bosom) head to their lingerie (but they've scaled that down recently), whizz past Manteray, Jasper Conran range, Principles and past all the other clothing stuff... even the shoe section - well it could be better.

the menswear surprisingly is very good. for what it is. perfumes etc also quite good.

Elys (not sure who owns that but think they own morleys in Brixton) does far better and a far better range. Debenhams a huge multi-national dept store...

Any fashion graduates - boden children's clothes, the prints are just like what someone in your class would put on everything, particularly knitwear printed out of a shima