I am baffled by the popularity of Cos

[crystalgall]

Who wants to look like this?!

The model looks like her head has shrunk or that she is wearing clothes about 10 sizes too big for her.

Everything is so shapeless and blah and yet it's lauded as a style haven.

I don't get it.

I LOVE COS!!

I just bought my first ever tops (after drooling over them for years on the internet) and they are brilliant. I went down to Regent Street especially. I don't wear them over Cos trousers, but over leggings.

I have been having a really low time lately, and they make me feel grown up and creative and powerful. I love the cuts. And the fact that I can be comfortable and have style and not feel like I am dressing 'for men'.

I have a lot of friends who are architects and designers and artists. They have amazing clothes from places I have never even heard of. And, hitherto, there has been me there in whatever will fit from Primark or whatever, looking a bit out of place. Now, for the first time, my friends are commenting on my outfits and asking where they are from.

I went down to the store and tried a bunch of stuff on. I don't think that the sizing is inconsistent - I think the cuts are. Some of the dresses are designed to be very voluminous. Others are cut in a more tailored fashion. It is hard to tell the difference on the website, because everything looks voluminous on a size 0 model! You do need to try them on. However, once you've spotted a style that fits, it's easier to shop online.

I am excited for a Leeds store.

Flo I didn't mean to be antagonistic, I just felt that "smug" was a curious thing to say about a shop and was musing on that really. I certainly wasn't trying to pick an argument.

I mentioned Uniqlo because I do think their system is similar, and I find their sizing similar, and pretty consistent, across both. Both have functioning websites with free returns, and limited physical stores. I suppose I wasn't comparing their clothes design as much as their business model. Although despite the sometimes avant garde cuts at Cos, there are some very similar core items, especially a few years back. I have been frustrated with Uniqlo's web pics because they're not always accurate - translucent fabrics, odd lengths, etc, whereas I think Cos represent things more honestly, or perhaps I just factor in a "Cos filter" when I look at them, who knows...

Shove that's a brilliant point about the cuts not the sizing being inconsistent. Cos tend to bring out similar items every year but in different palettes and prints, so once you know the things that really work for you it makes shopping incredibly easy, which I love.

I agree too that tall, skinny models don't actually do the clothes justice, they look much better on real people with some curves imo.

I'm sorry too Dulcimena Let's not fall out over clothes!

I guess Cos just rile me because I think some of their clothes look quite interesting but everyone (ok practically everyone) says not to bother with the website. I find that very frustrating.

This thread has intrigued me and made me want to find a Cos store to see what all the fuss is about! I live in the sticks though so probably not much chance.

Floisme - I think the answer is to bombard Cos with emails requesting stores in the north of England .

It frustrates me too. At very least, I think they should do free delivery & returns.

Flo

I totally agree that £6 delivery is ridiculous. I've noticed that the free delivery week is usually followed by reductions though, so it's a good thing to watch out for

Apart from one stride tshirt, I find their sizing consistent. I am always a size small on top. In their tailored skirts and trousers I am always a size twelve. I am finding it strange to hear about people who have issues with inconsistent sizing. Is there any chance you are perhaps between sizes or have a preference for some clothes being looser/tighter?

Just wanted to say that IRL this is a very nicely cut shirt in a gorgeous rich navy colour. No need to style it like they have on the website. It's long enough to cover your butt but also light enough to tuck in to something and machine washable. If you get one size down it will be loose but not massively oversized:
www.cosstores.com/gb/Women/Shirts/Long_oversized_shirt/10898847-22962565.1#c-85342

I don't find the website that bad? Definitely no worse than the Jaeger website for example. And they have lots of info about the clothes, unlike H&M who write like "jumper, with sleeves". And that's it. It's a bit "pictures that move" because all fashion websites who consider themselves SO FASHUN are, they have no understanding of what makes a website managable - but hey ho, they're hardly alone. I can sort the clothes in different categories and by size, it's grand. ;)

I suspect the actual cut of clothes is more generous than the size chart, since I fit nicely into a 42 and according to size chart it should be tight. But I tried on only one size (42 or L) and it all fit.

How can this thread be 186 messages long?

How can this thread be 186 messages long?

BeCos.

badaboomtish

I find Cos 90% hideously unflattering, but like the idea of it. As it's so hard to guess what things look like on real people, I say all you Cos-lovers should post pictures of you in the garm concerned, juxtaposed with the website model. We can compare and contrast.

Good idea herb. Come on, Cos people, show us how that £60 oversized shirt really looks on

Hmm not keen on pictures, but for example I have this dress in a couple of colours. Absolute workhorse dress for me. On the model it looks like nothing, but I am shorter and curvier and I think it looks much better on me than on the model. To drape, clothes need something to drape from - most of the models are straight up and down whereas I am definitely not. I'm a 10-12 pear and wear a small in this dress. Comes to just above my knees. I would not wear it with trousers...

I can't get a good angle, but here's my tunic

(It looks better when I've not just taken it off the airer and have actually ironed it )

Here's one of my staples. Fair enough my outfit may not be to your taste but you can see the dress looks different on me compared to the website.

Shove and plimsolls those look great on you both.

Plimsolls I think I tried to buy that dress but they'd sold out of my size by the time I got there

plimsolls you look fab. And your shoes are exactly 147,813 times better than the ones on the model wearing that dress.

Thanks! (To be fair, this was last year pre-baby. If I wore it today it would have newborn sick stains on it and I'd have slippers on!)

holly agree, the shoes on the model are absolutely not the most flattering choice!

Definitely looks better on you plimsolls - esp the side where you've got your hands on your hip, I think it really suits a bit of shape I'm still not sure how it differs from the myriad of oversized shirts that are in the shops at the moment though, at half the prize

price even

OMG. I have never understood Cos clothes from the website. But that dress on plimsolls, and that jumper on holly - they look amazing and totally different from the photos! Complete revelation. Thank you for showing us that..