What is going on with Fat Face? Anyone else think it's gone really downhill?

[kettlechip]

I normally buy three or four things from Fat Face each season (and usually have to restrain myself from buying more) but I can't remember the last time I actually liked anything in there and next season's range isn't inspiring me either.

The styles are samey and unflattering, the colours are horrid - either frumpy burgundy or garish blues and oranges, and it all seems to be sold in the condition in which I'd normally stick something in the charity bag.

It's really not cheap either. White Stuff is far better now imo. Is it just me?

white stuff miles better...the Fat Face jewellery is nice and the kids stuff

As soon as I saw your thread title I nodded in agreement and was about to suggest you try White Stuff. Really good quality, I went in there last week to get a denim skirt, hadn't looked in advance but knew they would have one, and could have bought about 20 things if I'd had the money. Lovely shop.

I agree, just looked at their sale items and was not impressed. I agree Mry - the jewellery is nice.

have never liked it for all the reasons you mention.

I agree. It's very over priced considering a lot of their knitwear is acrylic.

I got the boys some lovely trousers though.

Agree, jewellery and children's clothes are nice. And sometimes shoes too.

Last time I went in most of the store seemed to be taken up with a display of big woolly slipper boot things.

It's a shame, amongst the half finished surfer stuff you could normally find some nice knitwear bits, floaty tops and nice trousers. I honestly would not want a thing in store at the moment, no matter what it's reduced to.

I agree re:FF and WS. Anyone seen the Mantaray range in Debenhams? Similar, with some nice bits and pieces.

Fat Face is dire. Frumpy, lumpen clothes for woman who don't shave their pits

I just can't stand the changing rooms.

Yep agree - I keep going in there in hope as it's one of only two clothes shops vaguely aimed at my demographic in the small town where I live (the other one being White Stuff). But nothing looks right when I try it on, and most of the time I don't even get as far as trying things on.

White Stuff on the other hand is great, the only drawback being that every local woman aged 30 - 60 is also festooned in it.

try mantaray at debenhams, its very whitestuff/ fat face inspired and lots of it on offer at the mo

Also totally agree. Even the children's range this season not v inspiring. I bought one cardi for DD2 when they had a 20% off thing. Noticed that the one item I had my eye on (a cord pencil skirt) rapidly sold out whereas the the shop was full of baggy oversized rubbish. The whole 'active dude' image attempt always a bit vomit-worthy but there used to be some better stuff in there.

I bought a fantastic wool jumper from there about 5-7 years ago that didn't bobble, and looked recently to see if I could find something similar. I was amazed at how different it all was. It's horrible.

Agree. It's horrid this season and the sizing is all over the place. I am not a size 8, believe me, but I am in their tops as they are so huge, baggy and unflattering.

White Stuff looks good on hanger but makes me look like a sack of potatoes, shapes don;t seem flattering for me. Fat Face sizing is enormous so good for the ego but again, never seems to look good on me. Maybe I'm getting too old for these slightly ethnic / surfy / hippyish styles.

both fat face and white stuff clothes look like per una to me.

Couldn't agree more. Four years ago I would have worn 80% of their range but now I'd struggle to pick an outfit if they were giving it away.

Bizarre colours, weird ethnic-y fabrics and crazy fits that leave tops standing up off your collar bones.

I'm gutted because I used to love it, and because I get to be a size 12 there.

Seems to me they have gone the way of so many shops ie used to sell good stuff but under pressure to create 'new' styles twice a year have ended up producing bizarre tat that's a million miles away from what they started out being successful at.

Also, they charge way too much for their acrylic items - they always have.

Oh God yes, the changing rooms. Like getting dressed in a garden shed. The doors never quite close properly either.

They used to do really nice quality basics - cashmere mix sweaters, cords, fleecy tops in lovely muted colours but have really lost their way. I don't know who their target market is these days.

I might forward them this thread. Every time I walk past the shop I itch to write them a long letter telling them where I think they're going wrong

Need to check out MantaRay!

jewellery is nice but every time I look at a piece it breaks

I used to love Fat Face around 10 years back, now all the clothes look frumpy. I'm sure that during the last 10 years the average customer age has increased by 30 years.

Soups - that's because women of a certain age don't feel, or want to look like, well, women of a certain age. The remarks about Per Una are relevant here, as M & S made similar mistake.

Mantaray is nice just bought DD a hoody and a T-shirt from their range for her b'day. here and here

Hoody nicer in RL than in the picture.