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

Such a good thread!

Then:
Lots of Next
Oasis
Boden
Hobbs
Whistles
Phase 8

Now:
Still odd bits from Boden/Hobbs/Phase 8 sales
M&S
Vinted/Ebay

I actually struggled to think where I would go now if I wanted to buy an outfit. I have become so fed up with high prices and poor quality on the high street and I have massively reduced the amount of clothes I buy. I was in a work meeting today and everyone was very much on the casual end of smart casual, which is fine, but I still like to feel like I have made a bit of an effort when I go into the office.

Then:
New Look
Tesco
Sainsbury's
H&M
Oasis
Ebay
Had my babies in that time period so budget tighter and body shape changing

Now:
Mint Velvet
Hush
Hobbs
Nobody's Child
Superdry
Boden
Vinted
Better budget, settled shape & size, more aware of better cuts and fabrics

Absolutely loving the amount of times Vinted has been mentioned. I heard on the radio today that a 3rd of clothes are bought at full price, a 3rd at discounted and a 3rd are never worn. It's shameful.

Then:

Primark
H&M
New Look
Occasional Topshop/Miss Selfridge
Motel
Independent shops

Now:

All Vinted apart from underwear, shoes and technical outdoor wear that's harder to buy secondhand. Am on various pre-loved pages on Facebook for people into bright prints/rockabilly/Hell Bunny, but my size rarely comes up.

Oh, what provoked the change? Massive awareness of just how environmentally catastrophic the garment industry is, and how we already have enough clothes on the planet to clothe everybody five times over. I'm also more aware of quality now, and try not to buy things on Vinted from Primark/Pretty Little Thing/Shein/Boohoo, though even with the more expensive brands quality isn't guaranteed (looking at you, style over substance Popsy!).

Then:
Asos
Primark
Dorothy p
Ebay
H&m
Clarks outlet
Schuh outlet
New look
Asda
Tesco
Misguided
Boohoo
Wallis

Now:
All of the above.
Vinted.

Reason? I'm just too tall for normal, but not really tall enough for tall. I tend to shop online more, so will search specific items and see what the Internet throws up.

Then
Topshop
Monki
H&M
Vintage / charity shops
smaller indie brands like Lazy Oaf although only the sample sales!

Now
Cos
Everlane
Cordera
Doen

basically just moved away from fast fashion as much as possible and started buying way less. I wear the same wool / cashmere jumpers on rotation all winter for multiple years. Everything gets a lot of wear so I purposefully try to choose high quality that’ll last well and wash well.

Then:
Principles
Whistles
Next
Boden (when it was good)
French Connection
Hobbs
Ted Baker
H&M

Now:
Vinted
Mint Velvet
FatFace
M&S
Old Boden from Vinted as its all gone to now
Tesco
Reiss bought second hand from Vinted
Cos
H&M premium

Then:
Boohoo
Asos
H&M
Zara
Topshop
New Look
Occasionally ebay

Now:
Zara
H&M
Nobodys child
Asos
Lucy&Yak
Mostly Vinted though tbh.

Vinted is a real game changer. I find a lot of items online then search for them on Vinted and pay a fraction of the price.

10 years ago I loved shopping and bought so much but often cheap tacky going out clothes…
Primark
New Look
Rebellious Fashion
Pink Boutique
House of CB for special occasion outfits

Now I’m nearly 40, a mum of 2 and rarely go out. I dress stylish but far more casual with a mixture of high street clothes & designer accessories that are worn over and over
ASOS - regularly get 20% off brands
Zara
H&M
River Island
Flannels for occasional bags & shoes
Nadine Merabi for special occasion outfits

10 years ago I would have never dreamed of buying anything pre- loved, now I’m a Vinted addict and buy a pre-loved holiday wardrobe before every trip and sell items daily.

Thinking about my daughter who was a baby at that time, I dressed her in Ted Baker, Designers at Debenhams, Next and never supermarket clothes as I was snobby about her stuff. Now I have a toddler, he’s wearing hand me downs, brands bought from Vinted and supermarket bargains. I’ve definitely grown up and realised what a waste it is to spend so much on clothes for young kids

Then: local independents for brands like Masai, a postcard from Brighton and Noa Noa.

Now: mostly online at Icebreaker, Findra and Bam.

My life has turned to the outdoors in a big way.

Am I the only person for whom it’s barely changed?!!!

Then:
M&S
Uniqlo
White Stuff
Gap
Monsoon
Fat Face
Phase Eight
Oasis

Now:
M&S
Uniqlo
White Stuff
H&M
Zara
Gap - less than I used to
Monsoon - less than I used to
Fat Face - less than I used to
Phase Eight - more than I used to

I buy preloved for things like occasionwear dresses but find it a lot of hassle for everyday necessary items like jeans etc (ie lots to sift through before finding what you want)

I love White Stuff dresses for work and can’t see that ever changing!

Then
Laura Ashley
Boden
Seasalt
Fatface
Bravissimo

Now
Make my own
Occasional Seasalt
Bravissimo

Then
New look
Boden
Seasalt
Whitestuff
Fatface

Now

Charity shops
Vinted

And a recent Birthday treat - Toast

Then:
H&M
Zara
Monsoon
Oasis
TopShop
Peacocks
Ted Baker
Karen Millen
French Connection
Mint Velvet
Lotta from Stockholm

Now:
Wolf & Badger
Anthropologie
Jigsaw
Reiss
John Lewis
Lotta from Stockholm

Changes are mostly due to moving from in store shopping to online, as local shops have gone. Quality has deteriorated in a lot of the old labels. Budget and waistline have both increased, which has also influenced my choices. I’ve dabbled with Vinted but had better results with clothes for the dc than for me.

Then: Actual shops
Now: Online only

Must’ve been about 7-8 years ago but I worked for Government Legal Department and one of the managers used to work for a corporate law firm and dressed very nicely and smartly, I asked her where her work clothes were from expecting them to be expensive and she said Tu sainsburys!

As a side note, I used to buy and I still buy vintage a lot. Even M&S clothes from the 80s are really good quality, materials etc. A local boutique where I used to shop more used to have vintage pieces and I bought a mid 80s Next floral black top from there which is amazing!

The quality of eg Fenn Wright Manson appears to have stayed the same but I don’t shop there anymore (used to love their jersey wrap dresses). Equally at one point around 2007ish I loved the Whistles cardigan tops (striped?) and bought loads of them! Not my style now though.

I do like And/Or and some John Lewis brands though.

Debenhams, Next, TKMaxx. I didn't buy many clothes.

Now I buy on Vinted mostly, and buy Hobbs, Laura Ashley, Joseph.

Then:
DP
River Island
House of frazer
French connection

Now:
Joules (coats in sales)
Fatface
White Stuff
H&M
M&S
Charity shops (a lot)
Vinted (a lot)

Body shape has changed due to joys of peri menopause, tend to go for comfort & items I will wear a lot. Find a lot on charity shops!