Brands you loved which went horribly wrong

[WeDidntHaveWaterBottlesInThe80s]

I was just mourning the demise of the original iteration of Finery, when it was quirky and had great prints and interesting shapes at reasonable prices. Then it became weirdly expensive and Hobbs-esque, then cheap and dull. Any other sad losses? We can weep together.

I'm going to nominate Joanie. I have lots of their earlier dresses and as someone who wears size 20/22 they were always brilliant.

Now it's all just too quirky and I'm fed up of the endless collaborations with Dawn O'Porter which are all horrible brown and orange 70s prints with ridiculously impractical sleeves.

@KettleOn919 I had a beautiful black and gold too from Jesire - I wore it for my graduation (2009), but never saw the brand again after that one time in Fenwick's, in Newcastle.

I vote for TopShop - used to be so achingly cool, but seems to have disappeared into the ASOS slightly-alt mass - and Urban Outfitters, which I used to adore but which is now just generally both weird AND meh. Honourable mention for H&M, which used to do some great and interesting stuff, but now only seem to sell desaturated, sludgy colours or oversized band T-shirts.

I cannot stand Dawn O Porter- she thought she had a moment as a TV person/author/designer…I think she had some bad advice and has ended up with nothing.

That aside. I used to love French Connection. The quality was great. I do think Arket is good though and other stories. I like most of their things.

what has seemed to happen is thag everything else is in a non descript melange. Pull and bear/Zara/berksha/new look/ all have identical stock. Long line puffa jackets, faux leather leggings, dad jeans, cargos. It’s all the same. So boring.

I find shops that have their own identity or vibe to be at the higher end of price point.

urban outfitters is insane now with a jumble of sludge coloured lingerie and ultra cropped sweaters with tassels. Bizarre.

Oh yes, I'd forgotten Chelsea Girl! I can remember when my (small town) Chelsea Girl got refitted and reopened as River Island - was sorry to see Chelsea Girl go, but that refit with all the antique furnishings and the cosy vintage vibe was so exciting at the time.

I cannot stand Dawn O Porter- she thought she had a moment as a TV person/author/designer…I think she had some bad advice and has ended up with nothing.

I think her brand was somewhat tarnished when her first book, which was about bullying, turned out to be based heavily on her own life, the real-life plot twist being that she had been the bully.

[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R3FZBAHC2OO4PX/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00S8GJAR2

On the positive side, I guess that Joanie do have a distinctive look and aren't diluting it with generic pieces like so many brands do when trying to appeal to a wider market. (Laura Ashley crashed and burned when they decided that Romantic Edwardian wasn't on trend enough to fuel their global expansion plans and they should chase the bland businesswear and country casuals market as well. They ended up missing all marks.) Only time will tell whether there are enough Margot Leadbetter fans who aren't put off by the Dawn O Porter association to keep it profitable.

Not a shop that's gone downhill but one that's not around any more - I used to get a lot of stuff from Racing Green in the late 90s - like Boden, it was ordered from a little catalogue/. I remember a knitted tube skirt and fitted cardigan (styled like a jacket) in merino wool, plus some nice linen things. Also had some nice stuff from Boden at that time.

I loved Racing Green. The clothes were well-made and lasted well. I still have some of the clothes.

Jaeger. Cashmere jumpers and wool coats. I miss them so much. I used to buy a lot second hand but the stock is dwindling now.

Speaking of Racing Green, there was also the Toast leaflet, the square little Boden catalogue with the clothes modelled by Johnnie's friends, Cosmetics-to-Go, Createurs de Beaute, Wealth of Nations... and La Redoute

** I no longer fit into the 1990 clothes.

@Forky1 I still have 2 pairs of Kookai jeans over 20 years old - wide leg trouser style that I still squeeze into and wear 😆I also pulled my husband while sporting a little striped Breton top with a red spotty neckerchief from there so I was also v fond of it!

AutumnAlias oh my word, that’s so bad! I think I knew that….but you’ve jogged my memory!

@KettleOn919 @ValuableLimeLesson I was obsessed with Jesire - pretty sure it was a French brand. It was petite friendly and just a bit different, and v good quality. I still have jackets, trousers and a skirt from there (House of Fraser in Glasgow stocked it) and because I’m no longer a tiny size 6 my cool art student daughter is getting wear out of some of it now.

@Floisme I do agree about the volume of clothing we expect to have now - I went off to Uni in 89 and remember having one drawerful and a couple of hangers worth of clothes - probably one coat and a pair of boots. I wasn’t particularly poor (nor rich either), it was just the norm.

Handbags in the early 2000s were gorgeous too. You didn't need to buy designer because they were so beautifully made with some really classic designs.

I remember department stores being nice to visit.

Such a shame the high street is dead, but between parking issues and limited stock capabilities it was inevitable.

But, absolutely fuck Boohoo

This, since Very has taken over LTS the clothes are cheap and the sizing is ridiculous. I’m not tiny (about a 12) but the smallest sizes absolutely swamp me at times. I think they are assuming we are all 6ft4 too! And we have to pay a restocking fee if sending it back, we wouldn’t have to do that as much if the stock wasn’t awfully made, awful fabric, inconsistent sizing in the first place - or go to an actual shop to try it on (which isn’t an option).

I am struck looking at this list, how often brands are mentioned that I loved but couldn't afford, only as a special treat after much saving or second hand.

So I think the big difference is that now there is an expectation clothing will be cheap and you can have lots of it.

Unfortunately generally you can have cheap or good not both.

I like American Vintage for basic t-shirts and knits. They are pricey but they have a wide variety of styles and colours to suit everyone, and they hang/drape nicely.

I remember department stores being nice to visit.

There’s been some discussion on this on the (Radio 4) ‘Archers’ thread. Several residences and public venues have disappeared from the story over the years, and for some listeners the biggest loss is the smart department store - Underwoods - in the nearest town. Just as in real life it saw whole families through seasons and generations and significant events: grannies plotting with their adult daughters over tea and cakes; frenemies bumping into each other in the Ladies Wear queue, hapless lovers bumbling about, unsure what to buy as an important gift. The shop was a living character - but no one goes there now, any more than I do with the boarded up wrecks in my local city.

Principles! The proper shops. Was v similar to Next when Next was good.

Richard’s Shops in the 70s - anyone old enough to remember them?

I miss Trisha McEvoy perfume

Also I used to love coming home with several bags.Having tried them on in the shop, you knew you has a great haul. And you HAD too visit different shops as their stock was so different ..

I tried shopping in London yesterday and in my small town today. Everything looked the same in all the shops.

I just want a jumper. A simple knitted jumper.

I was going to say Next when it started out as well. Do you remember Next Too? I bought some lovely items from there. Also from Next in Kensington High Street, this would have been around 1987. I haven't seen anything I like in Next recently.

You've taken me right back! I loved Hoi Polloi.

PP mentioned the Next in Argyle Street. My sister had a boyf who was the manager in there & we all thought he was SO cool because of this. I remember when it was Internationale (terrible quality even then, but such a cool store).

We were so excited for London trips to the big Shelley's store & Topshop Oxford Street, as well as BOY, before hitting some underground club. Ah the memories.

I have a camel coat I got in Monsoon Sale around 17 years ago. It is fabulous. I still wear it in winter- so warm & in great condition.

I have to say, Zara boys' clothes are absolutely beautiful at the moment. Fully lined cords and lovely knitted jumpers etc

Kookai 😭 I really miss it. Really nice quality, lovely clothes. I had a gorgeous pair of brown tweed work trousers from there in the early 2000s and wore them to death. I can’t remember the last time I saw a really good quality pair of trousers like that in a mainstream high street shop. They all look so cheap now.