Flannels

I think the consensus is Flannels is expensive and snooty. Umm well what do you expect when your shopping for high-​end fashion. Yeh i admit, the staff can be pretty snobby when it comes to helping those who ‘don’t look rich enough’ but its part of their job to be a little aware of people who might be up to stealing dresses that are £900 plus, it happens.
I did however go in just after Christmas to check out their sale and noticed this D&G shirt i had been craving after and it was down to £90, bargain. So its well worth a visit during their sale as its much quieter than Harvey Nichols and you are more likely to grab that fashion must-​have before someone else does.
Within 1 minute of being in Harvey Nichols you get an eager adviser asking you if you need anything etc, the same can’t be said for Flannels. The staff didn’t once acknowledge me, i literally have walked in and out before purely because there was nobody to assist. Yes i may look like a student but it does not mean i don’t want to buy something, thank you. With high-​end fashion you expect exquisite customer service, this place doesn’t exactly execute this and its no wonder of a weekday Flannels is empty! If your looking for top designers, Harvey Nichols is the best alternative, Flannels is more kind to the likes of middle-​aged Birkin carrying snobs.

I think this was perhaps one of my more embarrassing shop visits, to be perfectly honest, and so it wasn’t exactly a positive experience. Certainly nothing untoward happened but I don’t think I came off in the best light particularly. I was having a bit of a mooch around town and I ended up along Vicar Lane, which isn’t my usual area of browsing I must say. Having always walked past Flannels, and not really thought much of it, I saw a divine dress in their window and so decided to nip in.
For a start I nearly accosted a guy walking into him as I tried to enter their doors, which was enough of a scene to attract the attention of the two store guys, so head hung in shame I apologised and briskly walked over to my beacon of fashion — the dress. I noticed then that although it was on display in the window it was pretty much the only women’s item on show down here and so became really aware that it appeared that I was shopping in the men’s section! Irk. Not the case. I quickly glanced at the price tag, feeling the laser beam eyes in my back still watching me from my prior clumsiness, and saw the fee for my beautiful garment.
£900 odd pounds.
Yeah. I left pretty instantly after that.
And they totally knew why. I can almost hear their thoughts now, in my head. «She’s too poor to shop here.» Gah, how embarrassing! Beautiful clothes, I am sure. But not, in my humble pauper’s opinion, worth a third of an MA degree, not worth a third of a good car, not worth a MacBook Pro. God no. Not for a mere dress!

I had never been into Flannels until recently. I don’t think the name really reflects the shop — it sounds odd and clumsy and well, makes you think of flannels. It is a vast minimalist space and very sleek and classy in appearance. Men’s formal wear is downstairs. They have a bespoke tailoring service, which makes me shudder to think of the price as most of the ready to wear clothing here is way out of most people’s price range. I saw a coat for over £700. Seven hundred pounds.
There is womenswear in the adjacent room, full of high end designer pieces. There are some very pretty pieces, though in the sale a top was still over £100. Upstairs there’s loads more womenswear including shoes and accessories. Again the design of the shop is vary spacious and minimalist with hangers set at fixed points on the rails to make everything have a streamlined, ordered appearance. It’s a pleasure to browse, though if you’re skint like me the enjoyment is somewhat stifled by the inability to bring yourself to even try anything on! Men’s casual wear is also upstairs with a general feel of understated classic chic.
This is a shop for people with cash to splash — I imagine wealthy businessmen nipping in on their lunch break to pick up a ‘little something’ to impress their love interest, for whom only the best will do. And if she likes high end designer fashion and classy, understated glamour he’ll definitely be in her good books.

With stores across the North and Midlands, it’s perhaps wrong for me to review Flannels’ Leeds branch — but I had such good service in there recently, it’d seem rude not to share this with everyone in the Unilocal community!
I’ll put you in my shoes. I’ve just left university — where I often was found wearing flip-​flops, joggers and one of my dad’s t-​shirts. In winter. In my mum’s gloves. I can be stylish, when I want to be, honest.
Anyway, Flannels. I needing smartening up. Job interviews, weddings, functions, work. I needed a new suit. I tried the usual high street and was disappointed not only by the quality of the suits — but the prices, too.
So, heading back to the car park disappointed, I wandered past Flannels. Saw a really nice suit in the window, walked on, then went back. It was really nice. I went in. The member of staff immediately offered to help. I told them my predicament. Within half an hour, I’d tried on the suit (it was a bit out of my budget, my other outlets were M&S and River Island…) and then tried on another.
It was perfect.

its expensive with lines like prada, chanel, LV etc shoes and bags
just clothing, no beauty counters and ladies is upstairs
lifts or stairs
the suits for the men look and feel very nice to the touch
restaurant top floor and toilets that are basic, but really nice hand washing facilitys and very clean (i normally pop in on way to the open car park) staff are always helpfull in a quietly pleasent way.
worth a look in as the ladies clothing has other brands like budda punk etc but they might have stopped doing these lines. which would be a shame