Whistles - why did it turn boring?

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I really miss Whistles! A few years ago it was my go-to place for stylish stuff that you could wear to the office that was just a little twist, a little bit different. Quality was good too.

But now, it’s rubbish. Boring. Quite unremarkable items that look like you could’ve got them from Tu or Next. I’m guessing it was a change of womenswear head or something? Anyone have the goss?

i mean, look at this – taking the pi** for a mumsy blouse, 90 quid and it’s made of plastic.
https://www.whistles.com/product/frill-sleeve-tie-front-blouse-39834.html#cgid=NewIn_WW&is=false&sz=60&start=0&isSecondPage=false&pid=frill-sleeve-tie-front-blouse-39834&pos=13

I came here to say the exact same thing!

I do agree, but would also add that fashion in most of the mainstream stores is so dull at the moment. I’ve never seen people look so pedestrian as they seem to at the moment. I like comfortable clothes but even I’ve got a limit

I agree but I think with some brands like Hush and Whistles - they were 'it' (at least among a certain demographic like me, at a certain time) and then everyone else starts doing similar. So they haven't moved and everyone else like Tu, M&S and Next catch up and it all looks dull.

I completely agree - Whistles, Cos, Arket, Me&Em, Toast, Hush, Other Stories are all so bland and boring. I pretty much live in vintage or designer now.

Can I agree with this too. Hush was my go to brand for a few years. I LOVED their stuff but I browse the website now and it's all so dowdy and boring. Nothing exciting. Boden is better but it's a bit frou frou for me and the cut isn't quite right.

Cut is still good at Hush and Whistle but the styles are not right and the clothes are boring. Such a shame. They do indeed all look the same now. Very bland. I keep wondering who buys the stuff?

No idea but it's so disappointing. Why alienate so many people with money to spend? It doesn't make good commercial sense to me.

Dont all rush at once but they've got matching trousers too.

It's a really sad state of affairs.

I wanted to find a nice, slightly glam t shirt, preferably in a brighr or metallic colour, to go with a black sun ray pleated midi skirt for a birthday event a couple of weeks ago. I was willing to pay up to £70 and found all of the main places were just very dull and/or cheap looking.

My favourite ever jumper was from Whistles - the cashmere roll-neck in a beautiful duck-egg blue. I have been trying to buy a new one for years, since it wore to shreds, but oh my goodness the boring awful colours that it comes in now! Black (yawn), nasty beige, a not very nice navy, horrid brown....

Well yes, but what are you [general you] looking for?

Posters who post ideas which aren't mainstream high street frequently get ridiculed on here.

I looked at Hush annual accounts and they are down approx £10m turnover last year. It’s really sad. I’m wearing full Hush outfit today from 4 years ago but I go on their website and don’t see the right fit or styles. Such a shame but seems like others agree with me.

The other thing is the cost, I saw two items I did like this winter but one was £150 and the other was £110. The latter was just an ordinary jumper. It’s hard to part with that kind of cash for what is just a navy jumper… I feel like if they reduced their prices a little more would buy. I don’t know how it would affect their profit margin…

I wonder if all these companies are the same.

Funnily enough, I have a Whistles dress from the last couple of years that can't have sold because it's in the outlet sale at a greatly reduced price. I really like it, but it's definitely out of the ordinary in colour (a vibrant royal blue) and pattern (lots of little white cactuses).

To be fair, it looks much better on than it does in the photos, but it's well cut and a genuinely nice dress that has gathered a fair few compliments. Not dull or boring .... but it hasn't sold.

I wear vintage stuff really at the moment. Sixties clothes as I’m an old Mod are my go to. I’m depressed by seeing the ubiquitous high waisted jeans and a tucked in t shirt look, which on myself would be Simon Cowell at best, but more probably Sponge Bob.

I had a few things from there many years ago, and they were good quality and well made. I ordered a few things from there a couple of years ago and they were awful! Horrible material, didn’t sit well. I kept a jersey dress as thought you can’t go too wrong with that and it bobbled after the first few washes. Never again!

All brands seem to go the same way! I got a striped sweatshirt from Whistles recently that I’ve wanted for ages and from one wash it looks awful, shapeless and baggy.

I so agree with this. The high waisted everything means I haven't bought trousers now for about 2 years. They are everywhere and all the shops assume ALL women want the same fashion but it's not the case.

Many women can't wear high-waist for a variety of reasons so I'm wearing low-waist trousers from the past and can't wait for low-waist to come back in..

They think we all want fashion with a capital F but we just want normal clothes with a twist. Hush used to be classic, now it just chases trends too much.

I would buy their more classic stuff but the price range went so high.

You used to be able to buy a sweatshirt there for £40, then they were £45, now mostly they're £60+.

I would have bought two sweats in the past for £40 but now I won't buy one at £60 because it needs to be special going up past a certain level and I can't see the point.

I agree too!
Weirdly Jigsaw are quite good atm - they were SO dull and predictable for years but I went into a shop randomly recently and was amazed to find they had some interesting stuff

Thanks for the link. It's all Blah. Very M&S meets low-cost Boden.
I don't like anything.
I got slinky cut out velvet skirts and long dark slinky dresses from there, back in the 90s. I've kept them all too, because my teen DD wears most of the stuff.
She wouldn't be caught dead in what they're currently selling (and nor would I)

I bought that one! It looks dreadful after one wash. Gutted.

I’m really glad it’s not just me. I don’t really understand how it’s happened as I iron all my clothes as well! The sleeves seem to have expanded around the cuffs after one wash!

I think they’ve always been pretty boring though haven’t they? . It seemed to me to be one of those dull, but sophisticated brands for the over forties when I was younger, and now I’m older (50’s) it still doesn’t cross my mind to look there when I’m clothes shopping.

The demise of Whistles is so sad. I lived in it once Jane Shepardson took over so from 2008 to 2015 or so. The whole look so so cool, relaxed and youthful. It’s a shame they couldn’t reinvent post Jane

Agreed, I used to love Jigsaw, Whistles, Hush, Mint Velvet and Me & Em - but I can’t justify the prices now as I’m retired - love a suede trench in Mint Velvet at the moment but it’s over £500.
I do wonder if it’s due to the rise of on line too and the demise of the High Street, so these brands may have all the analytics at their finger tips but can you really beat real life feed back? We used to have a Debenhams in my local town which had various concessions and I always remember the staff wearing their ‘brand’ - how different lots of the clothes looked on a body, not just on a hanger and how some of them really knew their stuff so could help you to try something you otherwise might not - it was an early personal styling service I suppose.

Totally agree with the TU/Sainsbury's comment.
But that's most of the high street now, even top end.
Over £300 for a polyester tea dress at Reformation - i could have got it in M&S which is basically now supermarket level clothing.

I miss the days of buying silk tops from River Island!