Have you fallen out of “love” with a shop you previously loved?

[Britpopbaby]

For me it’s &Other Stories. Granted I looked in yesterday and did try something in but there’s been a change of direction and Inam not liking it.

I'm falling out of love with Oliver Bonas clothes a bit. Last year even I could go in and pick up several things I liked but this year hardly anything. Far too boxy and baggy, weird colours and prints, weird lengths of trousers. In 2024 and 2025 I bought their wide legged trousers in four colours as they were so good. Sizing was a bit generous but it has gone absolutely off the wall now. I'm 5'7", measure 12 waist, 10 hips, 10/12 bust depending on the shop and would definitely want a size 8 in OB. I'm 36", 29", 37", not a size 8.

Ultimately, I need to buy less. And the poor quality of clothes on the high street is making that easier for me to do.

I have never had a ‘go to’ shop but only wanted really a small fraction of what was on offer anywhere (apart from 90’s LK Bennet when I wanted literally everything in the shop - agree cyclingforcake I am sad too).

I think you really have to hunt down the one item in the sea of tat but I do adore palazzo pants (death risk trip hazards though they are) so I am quite lucky at the moment and have got some cracking ones from M&S and Zara which should see me through until the next time they are in fashion!!

It’s just all the godawful man made fabrics that I cannot stand. I saw an ad for a lovely little navy cropped cardigan from M&S. Style and shape looked excellent. Checked the price (about £25) and realised with a groan that it was going to be horrid acrylic etc. I think it’s got about 5% wool. Just so disappointing.

Any1fortennis for the garroted muff experience 🤣 have you tried Stripe and Stare underwear? Insanely comfortable and (whispers) a very wide gusset!!

M&S have been fantastic for clothes recently, especially the menswear. The new Sparks card is putting me off though, it feels like I'm being conned!

Other Stories - cheap tat now.
Boden - they need to improve the quality, keep the choice of lengths though .
White Stuff - the menswear is better quality than the womenswear, why?

Sloggies used to be indestructible. Now holes appear so quickly. The quality of fabric is so poor now :(

@Pamalamb I am not totally anti things like viscose and polyester but generally I prefer cotton, linen and wool or at leasr a blend. Two reasons - I have sensory issues with fabrics and natural fibres feel better. I also think dyes sit better on natural fibres, it looks less cheap and stark.

Oh and akso given the hotter summers we are having, cotton and linen are so much cooler. We have Egyptian cotton bed linen on at the moment and it makes the hot nights bearable.

Most stuff in Zara and H&M is just cheap made in China fabrics. If you could be arsed to go through one of the cheap Chinese apps like Temu or whatever you can get identical quality for 1/3 of the price. But I understand why people don’t as shopping for clothes online is a pain in the arse.

Sorry if this is tmi but I have to wear liners every day since getting the coil. The pad keeps sticking painfully to my thigh. It must be the narrow gusset on my new M and S pants. I hadn’t clocked. Ugh.

Worded beautifully.

Yes, that's it. I'm buying a lot less too, it's great.

Partly oddly it's losing a couple of stone last year. I did think that the effect would be the opposite and I'd buy more clothes, but once I'd got some smaller clothes, I realised that when I was bigger I was always on the hunt for things that were flattering or different to make me look good. Now I actually just look better in more things so I'm not looking for that elusive outfit all the time.

I have a few bits from there I still wear now. Their leather jackets used to be gorgeous.

The quality of clothing has gone through the floor whilst prices have rocketed. That’s an observation on the general state of the high street these days. Other than sporting or walking gear I mostly buy natural fibres, but now even this is difficult as cotton is thinner and of lesser quality and things are so badly cut. Fast fashion is also ruining the planet.

The only clothes shopping I can get enthusiastic about these days is vintage.

"Amazon.co.uk: wirarpa: WOMEN" https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/wirarpa/page/AB40B5AD-6676-4312-A59A-CB8787E61ED4

Wirarpa wide gussets, good quality.

I love the word ‘notions’: always delivered with a knowing look!

I actually quite like Next online still for some things. Had some really good bikinis earlier this year, loads of separates, different cup sizes. Though the sizing was off - one 34D was very much not the same as another I tried- I did get three bikinis from them. Also they have some good concessions within the brand, it's more of an online department store these days.

What a lot of online shops need though is more filters. Some you can't filter for fabric and I don't want to wade through acres of polyester shite.

Clarks and Camper since they stopped doing (Camper) and reduced to a skeleton range (Clarks) their size 43 ladies’ shoes.

I loved Anthropologie around 15 years ago but clothes seem cheaply-made and poorly-fitting these days. It seemed like an expensive hippyish H&M when I was last in.

Clarks, the assistant said my son had 'weird' shaped feet, she said they didn't have any shoes in such an 'odd' size. I could see DS was upset and of course told her he doesn't and her language was wildly inappropriate. They were going downhill before that, they barely ever had boys shoes in stock (DS's feet were not the issue, friends with boys all said the same) and the quality wasn't as good. We now get their shoes from Next or Startrite.

On the other hand, Topshop is now filling the gap created by Zara.

What?! The quality of kids clothing in near is the very best. Puts M&S to shame. I'm amazed at the details level.and quality of fabrics in the kids range at least.

I guess I don't shop at all for myself anymore so I don't know about their adult range.

Laura Ashley was the one that jumped into my mind too. I loved them for smart clothes and footwear in the 1980s and 1990s, and their wallpaper and soft furnishings were probably responsible for me buying an old impractical house that looked good in bold patterns and big curtains. Then I watched the company disintegrating in front of my nose.

I'm also an ex Body Shop customer from back in the olden days of a small familiar range of products and refillable bottles. I did try Lush, but their marketing always felt like a hard-nosed and cynical business exploiting a gullible customer base. I'm not convinced it has got worse, just bigger.

I was fond of Arc'teryx for durable and well fitted outdoor kit once upon a time, but it went mass market and the quality and fit became less reliable though it remained expensive.

River Island. I used to adore them, specifically the bags, but now the designs just don’t float my boat!

M&S used to be the place to go where you could get cute jumpers and jeans. Especially per una! Now it’s all weird asymmetrical odd looking dresses which have the look of the late Queen Elizabeth, but with really strange necklines and waists. I also love their period knickers, but they stopped doing the 3 pack in the style I like and replaced them with lace ones, so now I’m stuck paying £20 for 2 pairs of ok-ish period knickers.

I'm going to go against the fabulously 100% cotton linen grain here and disagree with the comments that toast has lost its way. I only learned about it about 7 or 8 ish years ago. When I see old toast items on vinted I can't believe it's the same shop. I think Toast has really found it's identity. It isn't attractive on a wide scale, but the quality is great. The things I have that are 7 or 8 years old still look new or barely worn. So it may not be a style that you like, but they have a strong identity and the quality and longevity of their clothing is fab.

Surprised only one or two people have mentioned Monsoon. They used to make lovely good quality dresses but ever since Covid the fabrics have felt cheap and the designs are awful. Haven't bought anything from them in years.

M&S used to do reasonably priced quality shoes that fit me. Haven't bought anything from them since 2019 when they changed their sizing as I fell in between sizes.

Benefit is one that hasn't been mentioned. They use to do really good skincare products. Their sunscreen was fantastic. They also used to do makeup kits that were designed to make it easier to apply. They can never keep the staff to do eyebrow shaping either. I suspect I'd be aging out of their target range anyway now but I unsubscribed from their marketing.

White stuff have actually been better this season. I bought a jumpsuit from them in the first time for 11 years.

H & M is just crap now... nothing is sewn properly - everything is wonky and badly stitched. Child labour is just not what it used to be...