Where did you shop then vs where do you shop now?

[Whatsgoingonwithmyhead]

Where did you shop around 10 years ago (so let’s say roughly 2010-2015) and where do you shop now?

What inspired the change?

Then

Reiss
Whistles
Hobbs
Phase 8 (a bit)
TK Maxx
Baukjen
ebay for the above brands

Now

Vinted
Passenger
Rapha for leggings
Varley
Acai

Reasons

Change of lifestyle - now have a child & WFH, live semi-rurally not in London anymore

Got fed up with brands like Reiss & Whistles as the quality went downhill and no longer matched the price

Vinted makes buying & selling second hand sooo easy

I love Varley - the good quality is so refreshing, good quality is almost impossible now.

Then:
ASOS
Topshop
New Look
Monsoon

Now
Varley
Sezane
Reiss
Lulu Lemon
Nobodys Child

Then
Debenhams
BHS
Dorothy Perkins
M & S
TK Maxx
Local independent shops

Now
M & S
TK Maxx
Supermarkets
Local independent shops
White Stuff
Seasalt

You can tell that I am the height of fashion
The reasons are obvious really. Also, I dislike shopping online.

Boden, Gap and Debenhams then, now mostly vinted for stuff I can’t afford new (& other stories my current favourite) - I’d still shop in Gap if it still existed and Boden has gone so downhill in quality and up in price I hardly buy anything there now unless hugely reduced.

Then:
Boden
M&S
Charity shops
Target (when visiting family in America)
Joules
Fatface

Now:
Vinted
M&S
Costco/Kirkland
Target (when visiting family in America)

Then :

River Island
Asos
Boohoo

Now :
Vinted
charity shops
and sometimes F & F

I used to work full time and had lots of disposable income , now after having kids and dropping down to very part time I can’t afford to buy from new.

I wouldn’t say I miss it though , it’s nice to get a bargain and second hand is fine.

Then, Topshop, Oasis, Warehouse, Very, House of Fraser, Sugar Hill Boutique (?) Sainsbury's and sometimes Monsoon.
Now, Mango, Uniqlo, Nobody's child (not often), M&S and very rarely Joanie clothing (online brand).
I've moved away so I only have access to certain actual shops, or stores that post overseas. Also I no longer work so don't have use for tea dresses, and I very rarely go out out so evening outfits are no longer needed.

Then:

Topshop
ASOS
H&M

Now:
Vinted
M&S
Arket
Online independents
ASOS - mainly for the higher end brands though, for the free delivery.

I rarely buy anything these days as I WFH and live in comfy clothes. And when I do buy, it has to be good quality!

Whistles pisses me off now. Acrylic and polyester for ££££? I don't think so...

Then: mostly Marks and Spencer and Dorothy Perkins
Now: charity shops and anywhere I fancy
Reason: weight loss means I have a wider variety of shops open to me.

I also stopped using charity shops as much as our local ones got stupidly expensive

Then:
Whistles
Reiss
French Connection
Warehouse
Oasis
Mango
Topshop
Zara
All Saints

Now:
Zara
H and M
All Saints-very occasionally
M and S- for basics
Mango

Ten years ago I was willing to pay a bit extra for quality, or hold out for sales. Whistles, Reiss, FC, all had coats with cashmere, wool tailoring, good knitwear, silk tops and dresses… I still have some of them. TS/Oasis/Warehouse were all fantastic for everyday and nights out, and reasonable.
Now the choices are premium priced synthetic fabrics at Whistles et al, Primark for those fond of clothing emblazoned with cartoons/inspirational slogans, and an explosion of bling in River Island. I also like ASOS, Cos and Stories.

Then
Primark
Select
New look

Now
Vinted 90% of time
M&S
Next
New look

I love buying and selling on vinted. These days people wear an item once then list it on vinted. So i find i can go into a shop, see items i like or try on and i then find it on vinted for a fraction of the price on vinted.

Then:Top Shop
Whistles
Gap
H&M
French Connection
Warehouse
Oasis M&S
Charity shops
Now:
Other Stories
Vinted
H&M
M&S
Charity shops
Although I did buy a dress from Whistles the other day-first time in years
Why?Topshop, Warehouse, Gap and Oasis are gone.French Connection is barely on the high Street.Whistles is overpriced.M&S is good for work and jeans.Vinted has everything really cheap.Other Stories is a rare treat.

Then
Debenhams
M&S
TKMaxx
Charity shops

Now
M&S
Joules
Lily&Co (cos have actual shop in nearest town)
Mountain Warehouse (great dresses last summer)
Next
TKMaxc
White Stuff
Charity Shops

I refuse to buy clothes online without trying on.

Then:

Gap
Topshop
French Connection
Dorothy Perkins
Joules
H&M
Warehouse
Zara

Most of these are gone now! Back then I also earned less and was in my 20s.

Now:

Zara
Sezane
Toast
Jigsaw
Boden
Occasionally Hush, Whistles, Ghost
Although I buy a lot more clothes second-hand as well. The high street is often such poor quality now and so uninspiring.

M&S
Monsoon
Phase 8
Debenhams
John Lewis
Hobbs
Clarks for shoes.

M&S
Seasalt
Fatface
Fitflop

Used to work in the city centre so needed office wear and used to wander round the shops at lunchtime. Now I’m retired so need more casual stuff and even when I was working last year the dress code was so much more relaxed.

These days the only shops locally are M&S (which has a Seasalt section) and the supermarkets. I like Seasalt quality and Fatface are great for jeans. Shoes - I mostly wear trainers these days.

Occasionally buy knitwear from Vinted.

Then:
Vintage shops, lots of polyester ditzy prints
Asos
Topshop
Miss selfridge
H&M
Urban outfitters

Now :
H&M
Uniqlo
Cos
Toast
Lf markey
&other stories
Arket
Vinted for all of the above

Difference for me is more natural fabrics and bigger budget

Then:
Jigsaw
GAP
Whistles

Now:
I rarely buy new and tend to get everything from Vinted. I mostly buy Cos, Arket, Stories, Anthropologie & Oliver Bonas.

Then:
topshop
warehouse
river island
house of fraser
debenhams

now:
zara
Asos
h&m
bit of river island

most of them because they shut down, river island I’ve found has gone pricey and not as much to my taste anymore but I always go in for nose and occasionally buy.

Then:
New look
River island
Topshop
Dorothy Perkins
Fat face when I could afford it

Now:
Zara
H & M
Ebay
Tu
Queen the label (an aussie collection) when I can afford it

Then:
Dorothy Perkins
Supermarkets
Charity shops
Debenhams
Next
M&S

Now:
Hobbs
Hell Bunny
Lady V
Toast
Poetry
M&S

Then:

Oasis
Warehouse
TOPSHOP

Now

Amazon Essentials
Next Catalogue

Reason: I'm fat now.

Then

Boden
Laura Ashley
Fatface
White stuff
John Lewis
M&S
Principles (if it still existed?)

Now

White stuff
Fatface (occasionally )
Seasalt
John Lewis
M&S
Boden(odd thing)

Then
Reiss
LK Bennett
All Saints
Fat Face
Oliver Bonas
Mint Velvet (used to love it for the details but it’s really bland now)

Now
Joules (dresses are a good cut for me)
Hush
Fat Face

i used to work in the city and kept up with the expensive clothes and grooming. Two kids, a few extra stone and wfh/casual office wear means my wardrobe is not so expensive nowadays. Still look at the old stuff and feel wistful!

I used to shop at the places that were available on the local high street (Next, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Topshop). Now I’m more likely to shop online, and I choose stores that aren’t available on my local high street (Arket, Cos, Stories, Weekday, Uniqlo). That’s a huge part of the reason I no longer shop in person - because I don’t have physical access to the stores I prefer.

Then
Hobbs
Whistles
John Lewis
M&S
House of Fraser
Occasional designer pieces in sale
J Brand & Paige jeans

Now
Boden (sale or discount code only!)
Vinted
M&S
Sainsburys
Topshop jeans (from asos)

Reason for change

I used to have money, now I have a child and nursery fees. I’m also 2 sizes bigger! I also used to office based 5 days a week so needed a wardrobe of cute work dresses