what's the mn-verdict on Next?

[hatwoman]

I actually quite like some of their stuff but have noticed that when it gets something right - you see it everywhere. and I can remember someone once really turning their nose up at it.

so....I have a 40th party to go to tomorrow night. my only realistic chance of any shopping between then and now is if I quickly scoot to an out-of-town big Next. tell me, mn style gurus, is it allowed?

I like a lot of NExt stuff

It can be quite "safe"

but EVERYBODY gets stuff from NExt, I do think you run a high risk of "same dress nightmare!"

If you must go to next, get summat quite plan and have FABULOUS shoes, bangle, big ring etc

IME the clothes are cut really oddly. Can never get anything to fit - always gaping at the top and too tight over the hips.

I am not a fan. You are right that they are so popular that you see things everywhere. I think people see it as a bit mumsy too though that shouldn't necessarily put you if you like their stuff

Are there other stores apart from NExt out of town. If you've got big branches of chains in a retail park or something, I think the Limited collection at M&S might have something suitable.

hmmm - but the only place to get said fabuloous shoes would be....Next!

one option is to wear a nice shirt (a black -see-though-ish-affair with a frill down the front) with jeans - that I already have - and get a pair of really good shoes...from Next...

someone on MN described it quite brilliantly as 'a temple of frump'

I quite like their shoes atm. I would go for the shirt and jeans option.

Soooo frumpalicious.

Cod was always very keen on Next if that's of any help...

Great for casual, everyday wear. But for a 'do' you do run the risk of someone else having the same. I remember 2 people turning upo to my wedding in the same Next dress.

They do have good costume jewellrey though

i have never shopped in next, its boring grown up stuff.

Everything is too over embellished. But I did see a cracking pair of ruffle front red wedges from there.

I am too tall for Next stuff. Tops are always too short at the sleave and midriff.

Agreed about the costume jewellery, tends to be quite nice.

When I was a teenager I thought Next was for women in their late 20s. In my 20s I thought it for 30-somethings. Now I am mid-thirties, it is definitely for women about ten years older than me...I wonder if I'll ever catch up?

Marvellous for DD2 (who's two). Wouldn't buy anything for myself though... maybe something basic like a tee shirt or a pair of jeans. I made the mistake of getting a nice cream hoodie there the other year. I have seen precisely three million women wearing the same thing.

dont like it at all. kids stuff horrible seems always full of tattoo- esque logo things (whispers ch word), womens stuff too cheap looking , well on me anyway. maybe if i was more glam would get away with it. shoes ok though.

Not sure what you mean by tattoo esque logos Moopy! Haven't got DD anything quite like that... Anyway, DD is a bit of a ch word actually...

Most of the clothes are a bit but I have found things in there that I like and never see anyone else wearing the same thing. Perhaps that's because I have questionable taste............

But I do notice a particular "casual" type item every season which suddenly appears everywhere - as others have said, a particular hoody or t-shirt. I also think some people lack imagination in the way they dress themselves and so result to a formula which Next sells basically.

I think if you take something plain though and style it up in a Gok-like fashion, then it won't matter even if someone else is wearing the same dress/item of clothing because you will have put your own fabulous spin on it. If it does happen and you are mortified then you need to do what I did at a v posh black tie event 5 years ago.......march straight up to them with a big grin and say "you have great taste" and walk away!

I do think that every season they manage to create a good stand-by - and that's the one you see a lot of. A few years ago they had some good work-type shirts - and they were everywhere.

well, I think I'm going to go anyway...and look for shoes first, or, second choice, something kind of basic/classic that I can dress up.

I wear NEXT clothes although I do have to admit I don't like them very much. I know a few people in rl who slate them but the very same people will splash out £100 on a top and think nothing of it, not all of us have that luxury.

I wouldn't be seen dead in Next clothes. the epitomy of giving up in middle age IMO.

despite the rebrand and the very very gorgeous model it is still bit sh*t imo.

I don't mind some stuff from Next like jeans, plain cardis (am wearing a cream one today!), t-shirts and the shoes and accessories are good. The thing about seeing people in the same stuff is true of many of the high street shops. You can't move here for people wearing identical white stuff, fat face, monsoon etc.!!