Mid range / pricier High Street clothes shops

[ReluctantLondoners]

The prices in them are so high these days. Things like £100 for a skirt or a jumper. I don't normally buy things at that price tbh, but recently treated myself as it was my birthday and two of the things I bought started to come apart really quickly. In one case, after only one wash!

I'm beginning to wonder is there really that much difference between higher end high street shops and George at Asda or ASOS or whatever? Because the difference in the prices is huge!

Is it worth the extra money or do you need to go really, really high end before you notice a significant difference in quality?

Hush is another one I've had a bad experience with.

One of the best shops I've had for quality is Lucy and Yak, but it's a bit brightly coloured for me. Consistently high quality there though and it at least claims to be ethically made

YY @TollgateDebs, that might be it; that you get a better hit:miss ratio with higher end stores. The other thing is their customer service should be better so that you can return things more easily.

I don't have any issues with jumpers, but then I always hand wash. I have decades old jumpers, they only get ditched when they get holes in. I have a range in prices too, from Gap to Uniqlo, White Stuff to White Company. They are all natural fibres, Merino, Cotton, Cashmere. I don't tend to wear pure wool because it itches my skin.

I've had some pretty good buys from Fat Face recently. Their stuff in the sale is really good value, and lasts. I have a lot of dresses and coats from there, and the DD's always get their PJ's and sox and pants, last for years.

@ReluctantLondoners I agree with pretty much everything you said. I think buying from any shop is a total hit and miss, but it is the psychology behind it that is so interesting. For example, I am on the hunt for a work backpack. I want it to be leather, and black and look fairly smart. My old one is falling apart, so I looked at bags on offer at JL. There's a Longchamp one which is lovely, and there's a £44 JL own brand one on sale. I kept going back to Longchamp thinking, It must be really great/ it's a good brand and quality/ I could treat myself etc etc. But really, the JL own one looks just as lovely, the leather too looks good and it fills the need for a fairly minimalist work backpack. But I keep being drawn towards the other one thinking it is fundamentally better because of the brand and price. And perhaps it is, but I'm basing my judgement on absolutely nothing.

Thanks @Pigtailsandall. I also find it really fascinating! And I'm just the same. If someone offered me two identical backpacks and one was a little bit more money with a 'better' brand name, I'd probably want to buy it 😬

Huge numbers of middle range shops are in financial difficulties, or have been! It’s really not easy to succeed.

I'm sure that's true @TizerorFizz. Either going out of business or being taken over by bigger names which is often when quality begins to nosedive

I’ve recently bought a lovely lambs wool sweater from Community Clothing and it’s lovely to wear.