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.

Oh, and how could I forget? East. Remember it in the late 90s when my mum used to shop there, and I was a snob about it because their size 8 was about a size 12 anywhere else. But she bought lovely, high-quality cotton shirts and dresses in beautiful fabrics. Now it's just sub-Oxfam tat.

All Saints 20 years ago was amazing, really different and cool!

I still regret not shelling out for the floor-length version of an All Saints dress, about 18 years ago. I have the mini version still, and it is gorgeous (a really dark, moody plum colour splashed with Dutch Old Master-ish flowers, and an interesting cut). But in my heart of hearts I wanted to maxi-length version and I just couldn't afford it.

Thought.

Used to have amazing collections of print dresses inspired by different artistic women.

Now - a load of boring dresses that could be from anywhere.

Paul's boutique?

jo malone- used to love them 10 years ago, cocoa and blue agave. Then they got bought (Estée Lauder) and I bought two bottles after, found that the perfume smelled horrendous a few hours after being on, then they discontinued the scent, and last time I was in, it was just wall to wall air freshener sweetie scents. The quality is so low! Really dissapointing.

I generally miss the High Street when each shop had its own recognisable style and individual vibe. Now everything is so samey. Fucking shapeless midi dresses wherever you go <sob>.

New look
Years ago I loved it-some of it was a bit crap but I could always find something
Now it's just rail after rail of nothingness
H&m-used to be quirky and I loved their vest tops-they changed the fabric and they wore out after 4 months
M&s-used to be good quality
My dad bought a pair of pyjamas in the 60's for £5
My granny said he'd paid a lot but they'd last
She was right-he got rid of them about ten years ago
Now your lucky if they last 6 months-my mil buys me pyjamas from there every Christmas
I wish she'd get me some from tu as they are amazing
Hush puppies
Again dad bought some years ago-my mother made him get rid 30 years later as they where looking tatty but the shoe itself was fine
I think he said he paid about ten pounds
I bought some for £60 years later-they lasted 9 months before the sole came away
Doc martins-i had two pairs in the 90's and they lasted me years-I wore them every day
Dd bought some for herself and they lasted a year-she wore them about 3 times a week
Ugg boots-i bought dd a pair one Christmas
They lasted less than a year before the sole came away

I just wish stuff lasted

Whistles

I was happy to pay £100 and up for a silk blouse, silk dresses and good quality cotton and knits. For polyester? Not so much. It’s shit now.

Sterling Cooper back in the day Had a few branches in the west end.
what happened?

Basically all of them. Hobbs is now on the wrong side of frumpy

Karen Millen hasn't moved with the times and the fabric has gone downhill

Ted baker - done with

I am a standard hourglass that needs a lot of tailoring and it's hard now.

Next. Used to have v good workwear, shaped for women with actual thighs and waists and in good materials. Now it's polyester and looks nasty. I also hate the trend of having one website being 1 million shops. I just want next, or m&s, I don't want all the other brands (I realise I can filter but it's annoying)

Phase eight, used to do nice equality work dresses. Now it's overpriced mother of the groom monstrosities.

Gap. I want a nice cosy gap hoody again.

Fatface. Used to have the surfer vibe but now is just run of the mill polyester patterns.

I agree with Next. My jeans used to come from there, but of the last two pairs I've bought one was ridiculously wrong sizing (three inches wider at the waist than the others I have in the same size), and one pair was such thin fabric that it split across the bum after two wears.

I buy another brand now.

Karen Millen - I refuse to buy Boohoo, it's such appalling quality.

@EverybodyJumpsuit apparently they've brought back the blue agave but it's now a 'signature scent' and only sold in their flagship store. I'm in Ireland but they won't be selling it here.

Monsoon.
They had a really lovely ethnic vibe years ago and really good quality Their silk and linen trousers were amazing.

Next in the 90s. Lovely clothes.

C&A

I used to LOVE Whistles, I guess when Jane Shepherdson was there. It felt so of the moment, gorgeous fabrics and the bags were lovely too. Polyester a go go now.

I also can’t believe how amazing Warehouse was in the late 90s - again, I remember buying silk shirts and skirts in really cool shapes. The skirts and dresses were lined FFS - that’s so hard to find now, even at a much higher price point.

White Company. I used to buy loads from there. It's awful now, everything is huge and shapeless.

The quality has gone down too, unlike the price.

Biba
When I was 16 and visiting London, I went to their sale when they were still small and in Kensington Church Street. Amazing bargains and how I wish I'd kept my purchases!

It was never the same for me when they moved to the big shop on Kensington High Street and although I was at Uni in London, the clothes didn't have the same appeal. I loved the shop design though and used to go to the roof cafe.

Scamp and dude! Used to have some lovely pieces but there are now 2 million different products and they all look like rubbish quality.

Warehouse. Used to be my go-to for dresses amongst other things, and I still have a couple of great coats from there. I’ve ordered a few things (separate orders) since they went online only and they have all been horrendous - one jumper with the cuff not even attached to the sleeve! I hadn’t realised they were part of Boohoo.

Doc Martens - most recent pair actually leak, they are so shoddily made.

Warehouse used to have ace well-designed stuff in good-quality fabrics - still have some brilliant dresses from there, if only I was 20 years younger to wear them.

Miller Harris had amazing perfumes. Then Lyn Harris sold up, they ditched them all, and now it’s boring smells and yet £££.

Ted Baker. Back in the nineties I swooned over Sue Perkins wearing a geometric print Ted Baker shirt on Late Lunch 😍

When I finally had enough money I had some amazing cotton tops and denim skirts from there. An absolute treat, all wrapped up in tissue in the classic Ted Baker black paper carrier bag.

Now it is an ocean of polyester with plastic 'rose gold' trimmings. Not a decent, great quality t-shirt in sight.

Jigsaw - back in the 80s and 90s it had to die for prints some of which I still have, and stylish season must-haves. Now sludgey, dowdy and middle-aged.

Whistles - again used to have beautiful, stylish clothes, then they employed someone from Topshop and it’s never been the same.

Pure Cashmere - used to have beautiful quality cashmere, now even M&S is better.

Agreed. Whistles is such a loss.