In recent years, retail and online retailers have taken the idea of disposable fashion to the next level.
We are inundated with cheap clothes that look like plastic rags and don’t survive a wash.
To get something of very good quality you have to spend ridiculous amounts. And even that’s no guarantee, as I learned a few weeks ago when I spent a ridiculous amount on a t-shirt from a designer’s website. I don’t shop often so I wanted to shop well and shop once.
I was expecting a beautifully crafted piece in 100 percent silk (for the price I paid, I would have liked to know the names of the worms). But when it arrived, not only was it 100 percent viscose, but the hem seams were twisted and it was falling apart.
Both ends of the market seem to have given up on quality. Meanwhile, in the middle—that mid-market sweet spot of stylish, affordable, long-lasting clothing—there’s a gaping void.
Leather blazer, £103, blue mini dress, £44.25, fashion.com warehouse
I remember I used to run to Oxford Circus after work knowing I could find something great at places like Topshop, Morgan and Kookai.
Where do I go now? Zara? Possibly, but more likely there is someone in my subway car wearing the exact same suit. MS? So my mother will be in the same suit. I like Massimo Dutti and COS but they’re not exactly affordable.
The warehouse was a favorite. It was Topshop’s sophisticated older sister, the brand that was a little harder to get hold of. I still have the gray pinstripe suit I bought there in the mid-nineties. Skinny pants and a boxy jacket, very Julia Roberts.
But in 2020 it fell into administration and the brand, assets and shares were acquired by online retailer Boohoo.
Warehouse has now been relaunched. I must confess I wasn’t expecting much, but rather than chasing that boohoo.com customer, this new Warehouse has an adult edge (sold through warehousefashion.com and debenhams.com, now also owned by Boohoo).
The minimalist aesthetic that we loved so much is mixed with standout pieces, all at a price that many can afford. Everything in our shoot was under £100 except the leather jacket which was £103, and for real leather, that’s still a good price.
Tailoring gives companies like ME+EM a run for their money. Just look at the red suit; The multi-pocket detail on the utility-style jacket, £80.10, sets it off, while those wide-leg trousers, £53.10, are wonderfully flattering.
They’re not as generous in length as, say, Zara, but that’s no bad thing: many stores seem to have forgotten that the average height of a woman in the UK is 5ft 3in, not 6ft.
Slim-fit blazer, £80.10 and matching trousers, £53.10, warehousefashion.com; blue linen shirt, £35 and roll neck, £25, both marksandspencer.com
Knitwear, £41, V-neck long sleeve dress, £51.75, fashion.com warehouse
Floral print midi dress, £59, olive blazer, £59.25, warehousefashion.com; all footwear from a selection at russellandbromley.com, all jewelery from orelia.co.uk
Gray knit, £48.75 and skinny jeans, £24, warehousefashion. is; white linen shirt, £35, marksandspencer.com
Swing dress with voluminous sleeves, £44.25, fashion.com warehouse
Asymmetrical dress, £41.40, fashion.com warehouse
Tailored trousers, paired here with a wonderfully cozy cable knit jumper, are a sophisticated way to wear jeans.
This new collection also marks the launch of Warehouse’s “partially sustainable” range, which it claims features “eco-friendly materials and recycled packaging.”
Hmmm, I’m afraid there’s no getting around the fact that most of the pieces are polyester. Still, the gorgeous orange printed puff sleeve dress above is 100% cotton (and under £45!). And the authentic leather jacket is precisely that. It’s a low bar, but it’s a more sustainable offering than many higher price tags.
Additionally, the real environmental benefit may come from purchasing items that last more than one season.