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.

Ted Baker has gone massively downhill. Very tacky clothing, I'm not sure who they are targeting their clothes at. Also the fabric is now cheap.

Perrier. Used to be hard really fizzy bubbles that tasted of something. Just carbonated water now. So disappointed there is nothing on par with that now.

In the 90's/00's, I used to love:
-Lush
-Gap
-Monsoon
-Warehouse
-River Island
-DM's
-Whistles
-Wallis
-Ghost

I'd save up to get things from those shops and they were really good (and would last ages). I think the quality of a lot of things has taken a nose dive. Such a shame.

And I regret not buying a beautiful silk dress from Fen, Wright and Manson years ago (I had saved up for it but couldn't justify spending the money on it. I think that was in the late 90's!).

So many! YY to Jigsaw

Has anyone mentioned Gap? Used to be completely reliable for well made, unfussy casual/smart casual clothes in decent natural fibres and excellent cold weather gear.

Now it's all too short synthetic dresses and cropped t shirts

Jo Malone. Wish she'd never sold. Jo Loves is not a patch

Hunter wellies and Doc Martens. The thing they have in common is that manufacturing went east.
I buy Solovairs now - made by the people who used to make make DMs in the Uk. Much nicer styling and quality.
And for wellies I buy Le Chameau. So far no leakages!

I've just passed 2 M&S pure wool school jumpers onto the school uniform free stall. They were bought for DS1 (19) when he was 7, and have been worn by DS2 & DS3 and are STILL looking really good. Seriously. In recent years I've struggled to find wool (that is soft)- it's all cotton that goes out of shape quickly. Sad.

Sorry that was a moan. But also Next. Just an online department store now.

Oh Gap, yes good one. God it’s depressing really. I can never find a single thing I like on shopping trips any more. I would pay for good quality clothes. But the expensive shops are all the same quality as primark, so I may as well buy things there.

Ghost

Forgot about Ghost - pre sell off it was wonderful! I still have stuff that looks unworn.

Yup. I mentioned their fabulous cotton shirts. They had brilliant, thick tshirts in classic colours too. Their jeans were excellent & lasted forever.

I bought DH jeans a few Christmases back, and DS1 some cargos that both seem to be good quality & have really lasted. Why not the same for women's? Their cigarette pants were the bomb back in the day.

I came on to say Ghost. I have some glorious 90s tops (inherited from DM) that are beautiful bias cut delights. I would gladly pay the price for such things now. Pah!

Ahhh, my wedding dress fabric came from Kenzo back in 1999 🙂

Tanya Sarne's Ghost
Whistles under Lucille Lewin and Jane Shepherdson
Marilyn Anselm's Hobbs
COS - quite trying to do the every day luxury, return to your original vision
Kenzo. It lost its way back in the early 2000s
Carven, although am really excited by Louise Trotter's tenure
M&S lingerie/plain white cotton knickers

Was gutted when Bravissimo stopped their clothing range, wish I'd bought more dresses when I could!

Lilywhites in Piccadilly Circus, it used to be a wonderful rambling sports haven, now I wouldn’t go near it.

All of the above, especially Top Shop on Oxford Street.
Oasis, I still have a denim skirt that is the perfect fit and quality denim, it’s at least 25 years old. Kookai was good too, I have a fabulous faux fur coat from there that I never wear but will never part with. Miss Sixty - amazing quality flared trousers. All Saints, still have a sweater that looks like new as it’s so well made.
Really wish I hadn’t given away so much over the years as the quality now is so poor I don’t tend to bother even trying to shop.

GAP

I agree with everyone else, the high street has generally gone massively downhill pretty much everywhere, I don’t understand it. I was a teen in the 90s and I miss Kookai the most but at least I didn’t have to watch it’s decline like with Oasis, Warehouse, Karen Millen, Coast etc. Where DOES everyone find actual nice stuff these days? I thought it was just me!

Pilgrim jewellery. It used to be well made, bold, quirky and interesting! Then the quality went downhill, and the interesting designs stopped, and now it’s just collection after collection of boring rose gold plate pendants on chains.

I still have all my old stuff and sometimes get vintage Pilgrim on eBay. Haven’t bought anything new in years.

Oasis 😭

I loved their stuff in the nineties, and early noughties a bit more expensive, better quality and classy than the rest of high street but still cool without proper high end prices. I used to find something to really lust after every time I went in. Now absolutely trashy shite.

All of them

The quality of clothing from everywhere has plummeted. It would be much more difficult to name a brand which has maintained it's standards/quality.

@Mirabai - agree about Jigsaw, it used to have some quite creative, bohemian stuff but then it went all boring Grown Up Fashion.

The Body Shop: their beautifying oils (about 10 years ago) were brilliant and that was after the decline.
Paperchase.
Boden.

Used to love Body Shop products way back in the day. The last few years have been terrible.

Anyone else remember Snob from the 80's? Higher level Dotty P/ Miss Selfridge type stuff for late teens/ twenties market...???