white stuff

[PollyPerky]

why is it so ghastly now?
10 years ago I could go in and covet every single thing. Now I'm lucky if there is one thing I'd wear. They seem overpriced, full of large garish prints, and the quality of the knitwear is poor. Dresses are shapeless and frumpy.

Agree. The last 2 seasons have been especially bad. At least used to be able to but lots cotton - everything synthetic now. If you like that style sea salt much better.

No, sea salt isn't me. I'm more THE White Company but I used to pick up the odd bit of knitwear in white stuff and plain trousers.

Agree. I've found nothing at all to buy. It's also looked a bit more 'fashion' lately and not in a good way. Some of the frills and sleeves on some of the clothes.

I thought this spring summer collection might be a blip, but looking at more recent offerings probably not.

Every time I tried on something from White Stuff or Seasalt I just felt like a massive toddler.

I got given White Stuff vouchers for my birthday by work colleagues, I went in on Saturday and couldn't find anything to spend them on. In the end I bought a pair of rose gold Birkenstocks for next summer.

I agree, Over the past couple of years I've bought quite a bit in there but come to realise it's pretty frumpy. I like that I can still got cotton and linen in there though, I try to go for plain coloured simple pieces amongst the awful mummy prints

The prints, for some reason especially the skirts, are always usually hideous and garish. But I've always been able to find a dress or a top I liked, their tights were good too.

I always see Fat face recommended on MN. But their patterns are so garish and the clothes all look like they've been washed a few times until they've lost their colour! Even supermarket clothes are better than fat face, white stuff etc.

It used to be all cool and edgy and snow-boarder radical like, man, but now it's just for quite staid comfort-over-style I've-given-up-on-me people.

I used to really like it but feel it's now to old for me.
I'm 50

Ditto FatFace.
SeaSalt is ok for basics but too dear for what it is, so cotton staples now come from Uniqlo, Gap and sometimes M+S.

I miss The White Stuff as it was

I used to love their skirts and cardis, but like others haven't found anything I want in there for ages now.

I had to join in. I totally agree. Been wondering why I don't find anything anymore and whether it was just me!

Agree. What has happened to WS?

I find it very frumpy looking now. I popped in there last weekend with my Mum who commented that it was all a bit too twee and ageing. She's 70

I think WS are for women who are scared of looking even slightly sexy and who don't understand what looks stylish.

Totally agree. It's 12 yrs or so since I first encountered White Stuff. I thought it wonderful and requested stuf as Christmas gifts or birthdays etc. I never go in now.

Oh, Land's End cotton is fantastic quality!
I had forgotten about them.

WS used to be a in 'indie' and edgy, but it's just frumpy and sad now.

Honestly! I was sooo excited back when I found White Stuff years ago! Finally a shop that's age appropriate, not frumpy, and mostly affordable! Though I will say I don't think I've ever liked their really busy patterns, but their solid colours have always been nice, and those Chino skirts go with everything and last forever. These last few seasons have been such a massive disappointment.

What's out there for us, then? It's so hard to find any shops that are age appropriate but not frumpy or not outrageously expensive - it feels like everything out there is for teenagers! I'm not trying to dress like my DD at uni, but I'm not trying to dress like my bloody Nan either! Are adult women really stuck with department stores, and nothing else?

(Yes yes, it's First World Problems(TM) with a bit of hyperbole in for good measure, but going down to the shops these days makes me feel so terribly OLD!)

There was one tunic top I wanted this summer.
Of course it was gone in my size
Nothing else interested me.

I suppose it depends on what you want, I went in there and bought three items of clothing I loved last week wherea normally I can't find anything in the shops that suits my shape. i am actually having a great shopping year for once

I think they are very pricy for the quality. Cardis are all £49.95 and not especially well cut. I never buy without a 20% discount. All I've bought recently are a couple of white T shirts. A while back a T shirt developed a hole in the neckline very quickly and the same with a cotton cardi.

My local shop is full of women aged 70+.

The other thing I hate is their mean attitude to discounts. You can only use the 20% code ONCE. And if you return anything the discount can't be used again even though you've not actually kept any items. So I used to end up ordering loads online because my local shop doesn't carry much stock, putting it all on my card, then returning it all if it didn't fit. I just don't bother now.

Is M & S one to try then? I might just have a look.

Boden is another I used to shop at for basics/classics but I've hardly bought a thing the last couple of years. Seasalt had a really good collection, a few years ago, but it's all a bit...well I'm not sure really, but I don't buy anything now.