Is NEXT the new C&A?

[purplepeony]

NEXT used to be good about 20 years back- quality knitwear amongst other htings.

For several years now it's been going downhll- recently I walked in and could not wait to get out. Reminded me of the old C&A- wall to wall polyester, garish T shirts, and boring office suits and jeans. Doubt if there was a natural fibre in the entire store - apart from the jeans.

Next varies from store to store. the one in my local home town is shitola. The one in Meadowhall was pretty ok last time i looked.

Yep. I used to buy a lot of office wear in Next when they were new on the scene. Went in recently, looking for a coat for dd, and was dismayed. (But then I've been shocked recently in M&S. When did M&S start selling plastic shoes?)

Wasn't Chelsea Girl part of Top Shop?
I bought a 'Clare Grogan' drop waist mini dress for our school leaver's disco ( no balls in them days!)
In reality it looked like a cut down maternity dress. ( that style came in useful for several of our school leavers that year)

I worked for Next just about the time they were starting to get a bit lost. They had travel agents and jewellers as part of the chain, and very good cafes in store. Does anyone else remember these?

The only item I have bought from Next in the last year was a pair of trousers for work... they are nice but I've not seen anything like them since.

The stuff with gratuitous patterning, logos does put me off.

BUT... DH bought a very nice 60's style dinner suit from there that does buck the naff trend somewhat. ( his other dinner suit is Paul Smith but I would definately fancy him more in the Next one)

Chelsea Girl is River Island I think.

Yes you're right... what was the teenage part of Topshop about 28 years ago?

at realising how ancient I am!

dunno but thread title made me lol!!!!!

Was there a 'teenage' part of Topshop? I thought it was alway all teenage.

I used to love Miss Selfridge though

C&A website

love the part where they say "fashion for 18-25 yr old girlsandboys

the lunar do you remember " Running Bear" lipgloss from Miss Selfridge?

Bare!

I've gone off Next too. Some bits are okay-ish for work but what's with the sizing. Jumpers etc are massive and anything tailored is tiny. I have size 12 jackets from 10 years ago that fit me better than a recent size 16 that I tried on (post-DS lardage ). I just go in there now for those pack of 4 tops etc for DS, which are handy for day to day wear.

at the new C&A

I do like Next, but I know what you mean. In there a couple of weeks ago they were playing 'stop the cavalry' - put me off a bit, at least other clothes shops have decent music!

Agree about the patterns - hideous orange and blue top I've seen on about 50 40-something women around our town - ugh!

And everything I've seen in their Xmas catalogue and planned to buy as Xmas presents is out of stock in both shops and online, grrr

River Island are selling those cotton carrier bag things with 'I

Next near me were playing Rock The Casbah this morning!

I don't like it. Most of the clothes are so shoddy but so expensive. And you know you will look like every other 30/40 something woman in the whole of the UK if you wear their stuff. Especially that nasty orange and blue top bluejeans mentioned above.

The quality is simply crap.

Row upon row of horrible T shirts or tops, and in-your-face evening wear, for tarts.

Sorry, but it is not my fave shop!
20 years back I used to "save" for a new winter jumper from Next- they used to do fairly bohemian jumpers that looked hand knitted, and the catalogues had real fabric swatches inside- for wool suiting etc.

Ah dear, those days are long gone.

I went in to one of their larger stores yesterday, I couldn't wait to get out. Everything was really garish, cerise pinks, reds and greens, covered in logos and sequins. I used to love Next especially their children's clothes.

i think next is quite good, i get more tops then bottoms from there for ds's the jeans i buy for ds1 (3yr) he always grows out of before any other brand, i got his winter coat from there though, a grey/black duffel coat and its lovely and virtually unlogo'd!!! i dont know about c&a though i am too young!!!

I think a lot of the shops look cheap and nasty at the moment - it's like going into a market to buy your clothes - too many racks and stuff high on the walls, too much stock crammed into not enough space. I did find a pair of dark grey wool trousers with a pinstripe last week that are great - lovely and warm and I wear them as an alternative to jeans - but nothing else inspired me and I hardly ever shop there for myself anymore. I find myself drawn in to have a look but nearly always walk straight out again.

I sometimes get DS1 (aged 10) trousers from Next. They are pretty good quality and good value. I also found him a good puffa jacket for school. I hate all the logo stuff and silly shirts / ties combos for boys though.

i've bought a couple of really nice things from next lately. think you just have to hunt a bit harder for the nicer stuff.

i used to love the make up at miss selfridge, the lipsticks lasted for ages. i still have my copper knocker somewhere

i find primark very similar to c & a

next is full of dusky clothes, dusky brown, dusky pink, dusky pruple, dusky grey. YUK
my friends dc all dressed in dusky clothes. im boden lover

I won a £50 voucher for C&A when I was in my teens and thought Christmas had come early as I ran amok in Clockhouse!

I live in slim Next petite trousers/ jeans, the cut is really curvy and they are properly short, not 29"! But they do have a worrying passion for polyester in general, it's true.

Lucky you! I entered a pop competition as a teen, I think it was on Radio Caroline (showing my age) which was sponsored by C&A. I won a t shirt with the clockhouse logo on the front (really big, in a bit of a "Frankie Says" style but pink). I LOVED that tshirt. I thought I was so cool! I won some neon socks too