Why do brands like Joules and Seasalt have hardly any outlets in London

[desiringonlychild2022]

Joules has a small outlet in Waterloo station and I know Seasalt has an outlet in Wimbledon (but I am in north west London). I know that I can order online and I have ordered online in the past but I do love a browse in a physical shop. I exclusively wear print dresses (except at work where I default to dresses in more subdued colours and patterns) so I am suited to the aesthetic of those brands. Most of my clothes shopping (in physical stores) tends to happen on day trips or on UK holidays as a result. Or I order online but I think that's a pity, I would love to support the high street.

I am just wondering- is joules and seasalt that unpopular with my fellow Londoners?

@saraclara but that's why I share a city with 9 million other people! And lots of tourists.

Economies of scale and higher footfall means more shops. Sadly many of them are chain shops (even the Chinese supermarket I frequent is part of a chain as well as my usual bubble tea shop and go to restaurant) but I think that's the same everywhere as business rates and high rents are a problem for small shops everywhere.

I'm in central London and don't know either brand (although I've heard of Joules); assuming these are mid range places maybe the cost of having shops here isn't worth it to them?

The cheap as chips places seem to flourish and the high end ones will always do fine, but the middle tends to get squeezed (see also restaurants). Plus a lot of people in what I imagine is their demographic buy second hand and vintage just because we have so many interesting shops here .

I don't like those brands. But they do have concessions inside M&S

Okay, I’m not slagging PPs off for disliking these brands and I know we all have different tastes. But what does “a bit jolly hockey sticks” actually mean? What makes this jolly hockey sticks for instance? Or middle class? Apart from the price, which is one thing of course.

www.seasaltcornwall.com/river-cove-knee-length-cotton-shift-dress

I’m genuinely interested!

I would put them in the same bucket as joules, fat face, white stuff and Boden. I really dislike all of those but people have different styles.
I love & other stories, Cos, Zara, Zadig and voltaire, Maje. Those brands have lots of stores in London so just reflect what’s most popular. I know loads of people on MN dislike the brands I’ve listed.

Anything which is not horrible recycled polyester or slippery viscose is considered middle class this days. I like a lot of Seasalt because it is beautiful cotton. Joules also has a lot of nice cotton, though I have to sift between all the Bretons covered with bees and flowers.

@PuppyMonkey

Okay, I’m not slagging PPs off for disliking these brands and I know we all have different tastes. But what does “a bit jolly hockey sticks” actually mean? What makes this jolly hockey sticks for instance? Or middle class? Apart from the price, which is one thing of course.

www.seasaltcornwall.com/river-cove-knee-length-cotton-shift-dress

I’m genuinely interested!

That dress sums it up for me - the print, the cut… it has no relevance to current trends, it has a very old fashioned print and cut, it is safe and traditional. It’s likely to be nice fabric and quality. I think it’s absolutely hideous but judging by the reviews it has a lot of fans. I can’t imagine any of my friends in this (mostly 40 something mums in London suburbs).

That's not my favourite seasalt dress bur I really like it. The daisies are cheerful. I'm not one for fast fashion and a nice dress in decent materials is great !

The problem is that the current trend is the milkmaid one- puff sleeves, frilly yokes, frills everywhere actually, high necks- which do not suit a lot of women in their 40s and 50s. I don't like the print of that particular dress but that shift style would suit me more than the saggy baggy styles on trend.

I with calaforniadrumming. Most women over the age of 55 would look ridiculous is many of the flouncy, frilly, baggy floral dresses around at the moment. I don't like the particular seasalt dress shown in the above thread but the shape is ok and seasalt do sometimes have some wearable dresses that are in reasonable quality materials.

Seasalt concession in Selbys N7 www.james-selby.co.uk/womens/

@Snoopsnoggysnog www.seasaltcornwall.com/gardiner-fit-flare-jersey-dress

I really want this but it is out of stock in my size, size 8 petite!

@CaliforniaDrumming I love puff sleeves but not too many frills. I like a midi and long sleeves for winter but not too long as I am five feet tall.

I would love some short sleeved knee length print cotton dresses for visits to my home country which is very hot but no luck so far.

M&S Marble Arch now stocks Seasalt.

Yea I get the dress I linked may not be everyone’s cup of tea and not on trend (ie it’s quite nice as opposed to the hideous oversized monstrosities that are on trend at the moment ) but why would it be jolly hockey sticks?

There is a kind of retail Bingo you play at the seaside and in county towns. I was in Whitstable last year and got a full house I think. I'd add White Stuff to the ones listed. I do shop at them, but only ever as a tourist. It's weird.

They're not in London because London has a very different style and clientele than the average person who would shop at Seasalt and Joules. London us known world wide for being on the cutting edge of fashion and trends. I find the brands in question to be quite casual and mumsy (I say that as a mum, so not hating on mums!) but they're rather basic, bland and boring. Nothing wrong with that, but the people who buy that style and dress that way tend to live in a slower paced more casual environment like smaller market towns and sea side towns rather than fast paced exciting London. People dress for their environment. I think you'd be hard pressed to find many people wearing Joules and Seasalt in particular in London. Head down to Hove and other parts of the coast, Sussex, Surrey, etc and that's where you'll find it - the shops and the women who wear their clothes

So where should frumpy, size 18, 50-something year olds shop if we want to have a London look? I go to London regularly from a nearby smaller town, and i know I never look right. I have mostly Seasalt in my wardrobe! I kind of like it and at the same time, feel a bit frumpy, but I have no better ideas either of anything that would suit!! So what do similar shaped (fat) people my age wear in London, and where do they shop?

"Both brand's style is very much aimed aimed at the country / seaside sets, not the city."

Agree with this. I live in Norfolk, there are a few seasalt branches within striking distance of me. Very much the uniform for middle class country types round here.

@BotCrossHuns

So where should frumpy, size 18, 50-something year olds shop if we want to have a London look? I go to London regularly from a nearby smaller town, and i know I never look right. I have mostly Seasalt in my wardrobe! I kind of like it and at the same time, feel a bit frumpy, but I have no better ideas either of anything that would suit!! So what do similar shaped (fat) people my age wear in London, and where do they shop?

I am around the same age as you though not the same size. Where I am in SE London everybody is wearing a luxe version of athleisure. I have adopted that because it's comfy and mostly wear wide legged trousers and some kind of hoodie/sweatshirt/button down shirt on top. From M and S, Uniqlo, John Lewis, occ Cos or Baukjen in sale. Most dresses are too girly or frilly for me, or they are in polyester.

I am not claiming to be trendy though.

@BotCrossHuns I am size 8/10, petite, 20 something, live in NW London, I don't think there are any rules. My MIL has lived in London for over 30 years and mainly wears east/Gudrun sjoden.

There are lots of Monsoon outlets in London and monsoon has a similar aesthetic but a lot more polyester

@IEatChocolateForBreakfast

They're not in London because London has a very different style and clientele than the average person who would shop at Seasalt and Joules. London us known world wide for being on the cutting edge of fashion and trends. I find the brands in question to be quite casual and mumsy (I say that as a mum, so not hating on mums!) but they're rather basic, bland and boring. Nothing wrong with that, but the people who buy that style and dress that way tend to live in a slower paced more casual environment like smaller market towns and sea side towns rather than fast paced exciting London. People dress for their environment. I think you'd be hard pressed to find many people wearing Joules and Seasalt in particular in London. Head down to Hove and other parts of the coast, Sussex, Surrey, etc and that's where you'll find it - the shops and the women who wear their clothes

I'm sorry but that's complete bollocks.

They're not in London because London has a very different style and clientele than the average person who would shop at Seasalt and Joules. London us known world wide for being on the cutting edge of fashion and trends.

So all 10 million Londoners dress like they've just stepped out of the pages of Vogue? Then how come we've still got branches of Marks & Spencer? And would still have BHS and Debenhams if they hadn't gone bust.

I'm currently sat in an office in "fast paced exciting London" wearing a Seasalt Larissa blouse, and no one on my commute this morning gasped in horror at the sight of my "casual and mumsy" clothing.

"I think you'd be hard pressed to find many people wearing Joules and Seasalt in particular in London" - well yes, because there aren't any/many branches in London which means Londoners are less likely to discover the brands.

Conversely, "Head down to Hove and other parts of the coast, Sussex, Surrey, etc and that's where you'll find it - the shops and the women who wear their clothes" - yes it's more likely people in those locations wear those brands BECAUSE THE CLOTHES ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR LOCAL AREA.

I’m finding the idea that we are just too damn trendy in London hilarious. I live in SE London and know a lot of people who wear Seasalt and similar styles from Biden/White Stuff/etc. And the bright yellow Joules coat was a school run mum staple. I think we might have abandoned it now though.

Bromley in SE London has Joules, White Stuff and Fat Face. Maybe some people don't consider Bromley to be London as it isn't central.

Seasalt do some really nice comfortable cotton print dresses. I just order online. Returns r easy enough. I actually discovered Seasalt on S&B. Interesting it's being slated by some today. But yes of course different strokes for different folks.