Beyond the High Street

[TheLongRider]

I'd like to start a collaborative thread for everyone to contribute shops, designers or online clothing sources that they love or think others might like. It's easy to get stuck in a rut of available high street shopping, but that choice is a becoming more limited as physical shops close.

There is a world of online shopping available, it does have disadvantages in terms of sizing and delivery charges but I think there is far more choice out there than just the high street.

This thread is an attempt to show what else is available across different price points and styles. It would be great if people could give an idea of what the brand is known for and it's price point. The brand/shop should have worldwide shipping so that all Mumsnet users can use them.

I'll start - I have no connection with these companies.

L F Markey UK based womenswear - strong focus on colour and casual wear. Price ££ - £££

Stable of Ireland Irish store promoting Irish design and production, natural fabrics, womenswear, menswear & accessories. Price ££-£££

Marimekko Finnish company - Womenswear, menswear, children's clothing, home wear and accessories - often does collaborations with Uniqlo. Price £ - £££

MOT Nigerian company - Womenswear, children's wear. Price ££

My contribution is Les Animaux - everything is handmade and hand-dyed in their Margate workshop. I believe you can order any of the pieces in a colour of your choice. Really lovely, wearable stuff and very nice people too!

There's a gorgeous green Issey Miyake dress on that Apres Paris site...in the sale...in my size...aaaaaargh.

@Cososom - Les Animaux seems to have exactly the same garment naming instincts as

Toogood

(Prices in the current sale are not dissimilar - they otherwise range from approachable to - but the clothes do seem to be ‘considered’ and I have two different colours of their epic knitted winter hat.)

Another one from me, again a woman owned business:
studio wylder

Ha, yes, very similar @IAmNotYourZiggaZigAhhh . Love love love The Potter dress on the Toogood site.

I think Les Animaux could do much better in terms of showcasing their really rather beautifully made clothes - the website seem to have gone for a 'Vinted listing' vibe unfortunately, which is not doing them justice.

I like https://elevenloves.co.uk/ it might be well known to you but certainly not in my circles.

also this Cardiff based boutique, their instagram is so fun

https://kiticymru.com/

On the subject of the woman owned business (and in the full knowledge that no one on MN ever reads a list, no matter how informative), this covers quite a bit of ground. Some of the businesses are widely known, like Me & Em, or Rixo. Others like Palava are suggested almost every day here. I obviously cannot vouch for any of them, but do recognise a fair few names:

https://buywomenbuilt.com/lists/buy-women-built-fashion/

Adding to the list British Boxers www.british-boxers.com and Cyber Jammies www.cyberjammies.com .
British Boxers make high quality cotton knickers that wash well & don't lose their shape (unlikne M&S these days)! Their men's dressing gowns are excellent as well. I can't pry my DH out of his. If anybody has bought their ladies socks please tell me what they are like.
Cyber Jammies make PJ's & dressing robes in fab patterns that wear well & wash really well (and are super comfy). Both of these I found via Mumsnet a few years back (sorry - I forgot through who!).

Brilliant thread. Thank you ☺️

I can never afford the suggestions but love looking at the brands and watching out for them on Vinted.

Great thread! I’m enjoying browsing some of the suggestions - even if some are above my budget!

This is my recommendation - Ami Amalia. I have their Romanian Blouse cardigan and it’s gorgeous https://amiamalia.com/product/romanian-blouse-cardigan-black-merino/

I also like Knotty Ones https://www.theknottyones.com/

Oh also as I love knitwear, one more: https://jaggerylondon.co.uk/

I've just purchased 100% cotton barrel trousers and jacket from Nomads Clothing. Tripped over them in a independent store and impressed with quality.

This is a brilliant thread, thank you OP.
I've nothing to add! I've only rekindled my interest in clothes and am losing weight so trying not to buy too much (😅), but some brilliant things to aspire to here.

This is on the made by women list. Their smocked dresses are lovely but the nightdresses are in another league of prettiness.

Smock London

The smocking brings to mind:

Horror Vacui

(Another brand that has been roundly mocked on S&B. I’ve found their clothes breathtaking and am perturbed that they seem to be veering away from the intricate, specialist design work of the past, and offering more completely ordinary dresses. Presumably to bring down their average price, as the wildly intricate pieces are inevitably costly.)

And

Hill House Home

who also seem to be branching out from smocking. There’s a white organza dress that would be an amazing, low key, relatively low cost wedding dress.

A few New Zealand brands
Juliette Hogan… beautiful locally made clothes, natural fibres, silk, cotton, merino.
Kowtow. Ethical producer. Uses buttons.. no zips as unable to find ethically sourced. Beautiful quality cotton.

Agree about Kowtow (if only it could have remained a secret!); their fabrics are lovely and the clothes seem actually designed, not just flung together. While the Big Puffy Frock I bought over lockdown was a mistake (for me, despite extensive alteration) this years dresses are pretty impressive. I think I bought mine from

Goodhood

which always has a small but select curation of cool womenswear. (Though no Kowtow currently.)

Great idea for a thread. Thanks to all contributing!

Just had a look at Studio Wylder, @MrsRadichio. How have I never come across it before - though I must have passed it when I’ve been to Colenimo. The founder Natasha Kelly seems hugely interesting herself, so I’ll look out for it next time I’m in that area.

A tip for physical shops, I use Google maps and I save places I want to visit into collections for different cities/ countries. It's like using bookmarks in a browser, see the image below. When I visit the city I can plan how and when to visit the shops.

Few more:

Shrimps (£££): Super-fun, veering into the deranged, incredible coats

Samantha Pleet (££): Gorgeous prints (I'm holding out for a re-issue of the Harvest print). American so watch for sizing.

Pleats Please (£££): Obvious maybe? But I love this range so much, currently eyeballing the Tatami Cardigan.

Alix of Bohemia - i bought a dress from this brand recently via Net-a-Porter and it's ruined all my other dresses for me as it's too gorgeous!

I've remembered another:
Wall and Jones, 340 Hackney Rd (possibly not a million miles away from Colenimo and Studio Wylder?)
They appear to have given up on their website and the shop was never open every day so Google before calling in. They still seem to be active on Instagram so hopefully they're still going.

They recycle and redesign vintage fabrics. Compared to most upcycling places I've come across, it's pretty high end and uses lush fabrics. Some of it's totally bonkers but there's more everyday wearable stuff too, or at least there was last time I was there when I bought a skirt made from an assortment of pinstripe tailoring cloth. (I'm about to digress so scroll on if you're not interested.) It was actually a bit tight but they didn't have a bigger size. I could have ordered one but didn't want to wait and it was one of the few things I could afford. So I wore it about twice then donated to a charity shop where I thought it would find a suitable home. Not my smartest buy but I comfort myself with the thought that someone else bought it for thruppence and I still look out for it when I'm in the neighbourhood.

Anyway back to the point: according to their Instagram there's also a kind of sister shop - Trash - recently opened in Norwich. I've never been or bought from them but they seem to have a working website.

https://www.instagram.com/wallandjonesshop/?hl=en
trashnorwich.sumupstore.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafD8nWesSAS5rvXdRNo7vWJ7qfDHr9ql3vgNXWcoQgbgdlrNtAxlxLneul5QA_aem_F02u0AtSsX4UcWWRp8VHnw

Thank you all. Have been trying to find new clothes to suit home work and going out, not feeling temu or shein are for me based on their business model (and being 45 and having no idea what to wear ) and have bought some lovely things

Have just recommended this t shirt brand on another thread so might as well leave it here. Not dirt cheap but well worth what they cost; really well made and don’t fade in the wash:

https://www.simeonfarrar.com/