Whistles

This store has a pretty, understated chic and slightly rustic vibe. The clothes are laid out carefully with a spacious, well organised feel. Having not ventured into Whistles for some time I was impressed by the pretty fabrics and there were several pairs of trousers I loved, with a stylish casual chic look. Up a wooden staircase reminiscent of a country house is a delightful little set of tiny wooden shelves housing trinkets such as shells, marbles and miniature figurines adding to the vintage charm of the place. The female shop assistant upstairs seemed lovely and friendly, but without any in-​your-​face well-​honed sales techniques and left me feeling comfortable to browse, which I did! Overall a very pleasant experience.
I think the clothes in Whistles have a bit of a timeless feel, which is great in the currently trend-​obsessed world of high street fashion. They also seem higher quality than found on most of the high street. I saw many items that could appeal to women of all ages as the colour palette was muted and tasteful but still pretty and playful enough to appeal to a younger customer.

I always presumed Whisltes to be a man shop. Man wear. Man suits. Man things. Check the wrong box again. Like seriously wrong, this is all woman. W-​O-​M-​A-​N woooman… ok pardon my reruns of American sitcom speak that runs through my head as I type. It’s a stylish store with equally stylish stock. Nicely laid out, good for perusal, good to poke at the quality and good to see just what exactly is (and I detest this phrase) on trend. I can’t quite decide if it’s a slightly less expensive copy cat store of the catwalks and runways and what have you, but it’s got a certain something that doesn’t dip into the pretentious side of style. There are some cute little dresses, and prices for such outfits average at the £100 mark, with jeans hitting an average of £50, and tops around the same. Jackets are obviously on the pricier side of the budget, but I did espy a lovely leather biker jacket for £350. Swings and roundabouts again I do believe. Sizes seem to run from the size 6 to 16, but fashions in this store seem to cater specifically for the heroine chic style. Many fashionistas would cry outrage at the thought of a size 16 walking around in a pair of super skinny jeans. Each to their own again. But with a name like Whistles, it’s hard to escape the whistle and flute cockneyism and connotations of men’s suits.