High-street fashion sales have generally been rather underwhelming over the past couple of years. Blame the fact that we’re all being more careful with how we spend our money, and that many of us are turning to second hand for our clothes – it’s a perfect storm.
And yet a handful of brands are bucking the trend: Next reported a 3.2 per cent rise in sales compared with the same period last year, while Mango’s revenue rose by 6.4 per cent on last year, its strongest first half of a year ever.
There’s also a brand you may not have expected to see in this line-up: White Stuff, which announced a 2.4 per cent uplift in sales on Wednesday.
So what is it doing right? And should you be shopping there? The short answer is yes. I’m not going to claim that everything it offers comes fashion editor-approved, but White Stuff is something of a dark horse of the high street – you’d be surprised by the number of gems you can find there, and the price point is refreshingly modest.
White Stuff credits this success to sales of cotton dresses and jersey tops (fun fact: it’s the UK’s biggest retailer of fairtrade cotton). Also worth paying attention to are its chore jackets, which sell out fast in the most popular sizes, and its denim which come in a broad range of sizes and lengths.
The cleverest move, though, is its focus on the midlife customer. While other retailers are trying to create the next viral “it” dress, White Stuff has been turning out pieces with hanger appeal that are designed with a midlife body in mind.
“White Stuff really resonates with customers who are so often overlooked and underrepresented on the high street – midlife stylish women and men who know who they are and what they want,” Jo Jenkins, CEO of White Stuff tells the Telegraph. “They love the design details that give their clothes a little something extra – unique prints, unexpected colour pops and textures.”
The company has doubled down on this by putting customers front and centre in its ad campaigns, a move which saw an enthusiastic response, and conveys the message that it doesn’t need to resort to size zero models to convince them to make a purchase.
But White Stuff isn’t the only under-the-radar hero of the high street. Mint Velvet, Albaray and Aligne are all favourites on The Telegraph fashion desk. Hush got a major reboot last year, winning it lots of new fans, while Phase Eight’s had some standout pieces in the past year too – it’s excellent for inclusive occasionwear.
Turkish chain Maksu has also been a welcome addition to the British high street; its Zimmermann-esque offering looks much more expensive than it actually is. And don’t neglect the White Company, better known as your trusty go-to for bedlinen, towels and candles – its fashion offering is elegant and extremely wearable. Shop its linen now, and its cashmere come winter.
And before you say that you don’t have time to do a proper trawl of all these shops and websites, don’t worry – we’ve done it for you.
Our picks
Organic cotton chore jacket, £70, White Stuff
Cashmere blend polo top, £69, Albaray
Cotton dress, £110, Maksu
Wide-leg jeans, £95, Aligne
Wide-leg jumpsuit, £199, Phase Eight
Diamante studded Mary-Janes, £170, Hush
Suede tote, £126, The White Company
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