Does anyone else not ‘get’ Kettlewell?

[slowraindrop]

I’m in my early 40s and had a colour and style analysis a few years ago, which gave me a much better idea of what clothes and colours suit me best.

I really want to like the Kettlewell stuff, which is colour coded for seasons. I’ve got a couple of tops from them to go under jumpers / jumpsuits etc. But generally the clothes seem so dated - e.g. loads of waterfall style cardigans.

I imagine they’d do really well if they focused on fewer, well made, more on trend pieces in a smaller range of colours. Perhaps a bit more like Community Clothing. But am I missing something?! They seem to have a cult Facebook following!

There styles are very dated. Everything is so much looser and more fluid at the moment.

And (speaking as someone who had her colours done), so many of the clothes scream ‘I got my colours done’ rather than focusing on interesting texture and sophisticated shades.

Whatever your colour season, no one, but no one is going to look stylish or modern in a bright green or orange vest top.

I have a few basics from there I wear a lot - vests and long sleeved tops - but there's too much jersey for me and I agree that the colours could be more subtle.

If I want a top or T-shirt, I size up a lot to get a loose/baggy/relaxed look. A size extra large looks so much more modern if you normally wear an 8 or 10.

I've also wondered why they lean so heavily on jersey fabric. Does anyone know why this might be?

I've commented on this before and was told I was wrong because the clothes are not made in sweat shops. That's obviously a good thing but that doesn't follow that the items have to be frumpy.

I, against my better judgement, bought a top in a two colour pattern, I didn't really like it that much, god knows why I didn't return it. Then I wore it once, washed it and the colours ran!

I don't know why the prints are so bad and there aren't any trousers I'd wear.

I find things in my “colours” just as easily with a colour swatch in normal shops for a lot cheaper!

Sadly not quite such a range for me in my colours. Most other shops are more limited by their current colour choices for the season.

Dated and pricey for the quality.

The concept is great - the execution isn’t.

Anecdotally I have a v neck from Kettlewell in a particular shade of blue which gets me compliments every single time I wear it. It’s quite something. I buy v necks and scoop necks from them; very happy with colour and quality. The rest of their offering is terribly dated. Anything even slightly 21st C. seems to get sold out in days

I have a few tops and one pair of jersey trousers from them.The colours are gorgeous and far bigger range than you get anywhere on thr high street , but agree a lot of the styles are very dated and terribly expensive.
I am on the Kettlewell style group in FB and I think a lot of their target market could be 65+ , but that’s not how they position the brand.

They seem to focus heavily on how the colours all work together and how true they are to each season. They go into raptures about how these shocking pink trousers go with this bright blue top and lemon jacket, never for a second considering that nobody dresses like that other than to attend an event ... or for fancy dress.

What they could do is create a lot of dark and light neutrals in warm and cool tones, in nice materials like silk, corduroy, gaberdine, lambswool, cotton, viscose, bamboo etc., then just have a few proper 'colours' for each season. So if you were a Spring, you'd be able to buy some dark grey ankle grazer jeans/trousers, a light grey boxy jacket and a loose mid-blue t-shirt. Modern & wearable.

Totally agree @Game0fCrones - your suggestion is exactly the sort of approach that I was thinking of. And I agree with a PP who said the overall vibe shouldn’t be “I got my colours done”.

Although some seasons and subseasons are supposed to be high contrast with different colours and other seasons and subseasons are more layered tones and shades

Having said that I mean black dress with red earrings and lips high contrast not Timmy Mallet in his prime.

They know that the majority of customers will not be dressed head to toe in their colours unless attending a CBBC convention or emulating Prue Leith. I never quite understand why it mattered so much what colour my trousers were when they won’t be against my facial tones. Having said that on the fb group I am generally quite stunned by how much many people spend on each season’s clothing. These appear to be mostly retirees as well - maybe they all have fabulous final salary pensions that they don’t know what to spend on.

However if they started churning out standard wear then they would lose their USP. They do try to push a few neutrals for each season.

I get what people are saying about the founder. Often the summer dresses particularly seem to be very girly and flouncy or patterned, but a thin person like her can look good in them, less so other mortals like myself with menopausal tums.

Omg I completely agree OP! I’m “middle-aged”, 45 to be precise, and tall size 12, and find their stuff cringingly dated! Clingy jersey, wrap dresses, suede fitted biker jackets, and as you say, waterfall cardis!! The problem is as a Bright Winter I rarely find the right colours for me in the high street except white, black and navy. Even the grey shades are never right. And you can forget finding ice shades in the shops. This is where Kettlewell is amazing as their colours are so on point. However the styles are so awful and sizing is very small. I always buy 2 sizes up to make things more oversized and try to stick to the most basic items I can find like t-shirts and v neck sweaters. I do wish they’d get into the 21st century on shapes though, as then I’d buy a lot more.

They wouldn't lose their USP as the neutrals would still be colour coded to light, dark, warm and cool (so hard to find these anywhere). I'm a bright season so look terrible in muted tones but they've been dominant in fashion & in shops now for years, so Kettlewell is needed, it just needs modernising.

So I agree with @minecraftmind on the colours, but I don’t agree with the consensus on the thread about wanting bigger sizes. I’m a big busted 10 and wear their small, so I don’t think the clothes are particularly tiny. I do need fitted rather than boxy, though, as an hourglass.

45 isn't middle aged @minecraftmind 🤨😆

@tobeeisnt it?!! Genuine question? How old is middle aged??

and what is 45 defined as?

I think 30-60 is middle aged isn't it?

@Game0fCrones30?!! Seems a bit young!!

30? Jeepers! I’m 47 and consider myself in early middle age.
Actually, I try not to think too much about it. I don’t feel middle aged at all, and certainly don’t think much about my age in terms of the clothes I choose.

Someone bought me a balloon with a gravestone on when i turned 30, so i may be biased. 😄

I am a big busted size 10 and wear their large, as i like it to drape, not cling.