The Rise and Fall of TopShop

TopShop was once the golden pig of the Arcadia Group. Almost single-handedly propping up the British High-Street in it's most dire years. However, through a string of only slightly misguided choices, they lost their relevancy and slowly fell from their once heralded spot, bringing the whole group with them.
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[@JamesWelsh]

I worked for both Topman and ASOS. I worked for Topman’s personal shopping so Phillip Green would use our lounge a lot when he visited us in the Oxford street store (we called 214) and he was one of the most disgusting, vile and rudest people I’ve ever had the displeasure of being around. The women I worked with would hate being around him as he would always comment on their appearance. I then moved to be a stylist / personal shopper for ASOS and myself and the other stylists had a meeting with the then CEO Nick Beighton (now MatchesFashion). He was so polite, humble and we had a good chat about how one day he wanted Topman / topshop on ASOS. It’s horrible to say but there was something satisfying about watching Arcadia’s downfall, knowing the man Phillip Green is.

[@understitchYT]

From how it seems in interviews and in that BBC doc (did you watch it back in the day? me and my mum loved it) I think your opinion is particularly common in relation to Green's behaviour. Honestly, who wants to support someone so chauvinistic?

[@JamesWelsh]

@@understitchYT I watched it and made all my old Topman friends watch it too 😂 it was spot on. I’m glad he got his comeuppance but I’m sure he’s off living on a yacht somewhere haha

[@understitchYT]

@@JamesWelsh Considering his wife had that 1.2 billion pound bonus in 2012, I wouldn't be surprised if that and their other bonuses kept them nicely stocked up for any future yacht purchases

[@re7416]

​​@@understitchYTSomeone like Philip Green needs adoration, fear or attention...(of any kind)...to feel relevant, worthwhile or validated. ▪︎ Rest assured that him not taking centre-stage @ London Fashion Weeks, him not having luminaries...(esp. of the nubile, beautiful kind)...hanging off his arm...and he being 📸 with them...requests 4 interviews NOT being asked of him...his opinions on where fashion might be going next NOT being sought...all these things will hurt him more than anything else, really. ▪︎ BTW...U could supplant the name Philip Green with Donald Trump or Harvey Weinstein or Robert Maxwell or Conrad Black for this type of physically large, over-bearing, bullying business magnate. ▪︎ I wonder if it's something in the CoolAid...🤔

[@haaaaaay]

I worked in a couple of stores and we were always told never to make eye contact with him when he came to instore to visit or he'd fly off the handle. He's a vile man.

[@GodsFaveSim]

I worked in Topshop in Dublin from 2019 until the stores closed down in 2021. I still have several pairs of the Jamie jeans and they have not lost their quality at all. I met Phillip Greene (the Greene monster as he was known in the two stores I worked in) and his attitude was abysmal. He was so rude to several of my female colleagues and I saw how my mangers walked on egg shells around him. It was so weird. He made a big fuss about the u.s dollar and Uk pounds prices still being on the price tags and we had to explain to him that we couldn’t remove them as the euros was the very last tab on the pricing tag. He didn’t even try to understand in the why his opinion was incorrect or the fact that we had many international customers so it helped them with conversion rates when deciding to buy the items. I got The news the the physical stores were closing down from Twitter, our managers hadn’t even been informed.

[@understitchYT]

I have heard stories of just how awful he could be to the store staff, yeah. It's a shame, even if only that he could have learnt from listening to the people on the ground. I am sorry that you learnt about the closure via Twitter though, thats awful

[@StephanieChaseWrestling]

I worked in Topshop’s Oxford Circus store,or 214 as James said from 2008 to maybe 2010. I remember when I started you were made to feel so cool just by getting hired. I worked on the shop floor and also on the ‘information desk’ for a while. Anything I saw or heard about Green was bad and he caused a lot of stress among the managers that negatively impacted the floor staff. I’ll never forget a rude woman asking me to look after all her shopping from other stores at the info desk while she browsed. This was something we didn’t do and had been told never to do. She asked for a manager, when the manager got there she said she was PG’s cousin or something so the manager apologised and gave me a dressing down in front of her. Honestly a big change with the staff came when they introduced a uniform for us, some horrible cheap blue T-shirts that had ‘Topshop’ ironed on them, morale went down and the treatment got worse. I had some fun times in 214, it was like a student experience in the beginning but Green was always gonna tank the place

[@understitchYT]

its so awful to watch the demise of a place like that from the inside, and I have seen pictures of those t-shirts (and have a vague memory) and I can understand why morale crashed after that :l

[@ajsuflena156]

This is so interesting to hear

[@littleblackpistol]

Sounds like rude piggery was a hallmark of the 'Green' clan.

[@holistic_rebel_leeds6357]

This is so well researched i remember working at topshop during 2008-2011 and the writing was on the wall even back then. Still remember when we launched the Christopher kane collection in our store with a sales target of 2-3000 for the 1rst day. We only sold 3 pieces and the manager brought up to look after it went back down to london after 6 days. Kate moss started popular however greatly finished after a year as the store stopped opening early because no one was queuing up and alot of it went onto the sale rail. Another massive problem was that they were so expensive compared to river island and new look, a day dress (nothing fancy) was 45-55 pounds average new look was £20 cheaper.

[@understitchYT]

Can I ask where your store is located? That’s a real shame to hear that the designer collabs even were losing popularity to that degree. Though, when you have that many of them, they cannot all be successful, they lose novelty

[@holistic_rebel_leeds6357]

@@understitchYT leeds

[@understitchYT]

Oh yeah thats a big city too, damn

[@holistic_rebel_leeds6357]

@@understitchYT yup

[@ajsuflena156]

It’s interesting to hear that the decline began as early as 2011 but it makes sense because of the prior financial crash

[@xweetokfairy]

I still only exclusively wear topshop jeans. I get them on Vinted. I will never give up on them. Hooked for life!

[@understitchYT]

The really old ones were incredible quality

[@markjohnson2257]

Another very informative video-as always. I remember when TopShop 1st opened in NYC. It was crazy. Same thing with H and M. Btw- your Vivienne Westwood was great. Nothing to be embarrassed about.

[@understitchYT]

Did you go to the opening? The reason I said that it’s embarrassing was because it’s not the level of depth that I would usually go into today. Back then I was trying to make every video 16 minutes so I cut so much out that I really wish I hadn’t, that’s all. I really want to redo it

[@heftyyjelly9766]

@@understitchYTi would watch the updated version!!

[@markjohnson2257]

@understitch - No l didn't go to the opening day but l went the same week. The H and M arrival to NYC was even more crazy. Everyone was in shock at how low the prices were and how trendy the clothes were.

[@understitchYT]

@@markjohnson2257 H&M coming to america seems like a fable, I literally cannot remember a time without H&M on the high street. I mean I know it exists but in all the time Ive lived and travelled in Europe I dont have any recollection of not seeing it everywhere

[@notpurrfect6397]

​@@understitchYTI love Vivienne Westwood and would happily watch an extended on-depth update of your video. I thimk that was the first thing I watched on your channel. I subscribed and haven't missed a single video you post. Thank you!

[@Elliot-s3l]

I've just done a brand report on Fred Perry for uni not knowing much about it before researching but it was very interesting. I'd love to see your version of it ! also would love to see a video on Jaded London as I feel like they have become the British Topshop of this time

[@understitchYT]

Oh actually thats so interesting. I guess Jaded is the closest thing we have now, but thats still primarily online, it doesnt really have that sense of community as TopShop had

[@a3zth3tikz]

if ASOS is smart, they can resurrect Topshop right now and capitalize on the resurgence of the Y2K aesthetic

[@understitchYT]

Yeah, but top wasnt y2k at all. I think they could bring back 2016 fashion tho

[@2120musiclover]

I remember when topshop first opened in nyc. The clothing I wasn’t that impressed by; it looked like better made H&M and I remember the prices being way more expensive than H&M. What I absolutely LOVED about Topshop was how dope the shoes were. They looked so cool!

[@understitchYT]

I was so hurt by the fact my topman shoes wore out within a few months/a year that I have literally never purchased another pair of shoes from the high street ever again 💀

[@nancyrobinson3567]

Their shoes are absolute garbage. I have one pair of pony hair and leather chunky gladiator sandals from them that are great, but my other 4 pairs of boots and 1 pair of strappy heels are 💩.

[@understitchYT]

@@nancyrobinson3567 literally I had trainers, theyre usually such a long lasting shoe that I dont usually veer towards, so i was painfully disappointed that not only were they worse made than my usual smart leather shoes, but that they were horrible quality for a trainer as well (this is before I learnt more about shoe construction and materials - I still dont know enough, but far more than I did then)

[@joshmiller7777]

As someone on the upper end of their demographic these days, maybe I'm not a great judge - but I agree that I cannot see TopShop returning any time soon. You are right that it's very strongly associated with 2010s, and fast fashion. Where many fast fashion brands tend to lean into greenwashing these days, TopShop will have been dormant, and will still have a reputation for a horrible environmental impact. Or maybe that is the answer, to rebrand to a sustainable and ethical company? Not that this is possible at such a price point. Brilliant video :)

[@understitchYT]

The greenwashing of the highstreet is just awful, especially with the knowledge that quality has just continued to fall. The planned obsolescence from both the fashion and function angle is terrible, only then to be mostly made of plastics

[@joshmiller7777]

@@understitchYT thank you for reading my comment :) I completely agree, and I hope things speed up steering consumers towards better options

[@understitchYT]

I try to read all the comments but unfortunately the app doesnt show me them all, idk why tho 🤷

[@tothemoonandforward]

Fantastic video essay. Please keep it up ❤

[@understitchYT]

of course!

[@kikidee3204]

I was a fashion student in the 80s so shocked top shop folded iv worked with clothes all my life making costumes for films and west end I even had an interview with Westwood who is my heroine love your site xxxx

[@understitchYT]

All businesses fall eventually, but this was a real shame to see go. Also, very very jealous of your VW interview!

[@oneotherandrew]

I was very excited when TopMan opened here in Sydney but rapidly lost that excitement when I saw the merchandise assortment. They never really worked out the seasonal difference between north and south hemispheres, so the clothes always felt a little out of season. The range also seemed a little boring, like we were getting the lines that didn't sell well in the northern hemisphere. They didn't feel well suited to the Aussie lifestyle, and as time went on, and the store appeared to struggle, just got worse and worse.

[@understitchYT]

Was it like you were getting just what didnt sell from the opposite season? Kind of like a half-timed outlet store at full price?

[@oneotherandrew]

@@understitchYT yes, especially as time went on. Either that or they just didn't have a handle on the Aussie lifestyle, but I think the former was probably the main factor

[@sergioortega9877]

Hi!!! I love your videos! Could you talk about the rise and fall of BLUMARINE in your next episode?

[@understitchYT]

oh I would loooove to, but it defintiely wont be my next video, each video takes weeks to make and I hone it over time

[@sergioortega9877]

@@understitchYT I understand ❤️❤️❤️❤️ in any case we have to wait for the debut of the new designer; Walter Chiapponi and his critical reception

[@u.802]

I found my grandmother 's topshop top and its a better quality than all my clothes

[@understitchYT]

The older stuff is phenomenally good quality, but after it was dropped in pursuit of profits, it never went back

[@kaboombox1581]

This was really interesting, I remember Topshop/Topman entering the US market and it seemed to be everywhere. Then it was gone. On a related note, and I know it’s a deep cut, would you consider a rise and fall of Biba?

[@understitchYT]

I would love to do a rise and fall of Bieber, but I don’t know how many people know that brand? (Or that Anna Wintour once worked there)

[@dottieland7061]

I loved this company when I was student when was in my twenties with a young family I could still be trendy and be myself. I was shocked when I heard what had happened as I moved to Japan by then and then my style had changed. I always Philip green was shady and yet he got away with it. It’s funny that ASOS now owns the name.

[@understitchYT]

Yeah its a real shame to be away for a few years to see major companies fall

[@sumnimapun6384]

I miss top shop underwear! I loved the fun cartoon collaboration. There really isn’t anything like it now

[@understitchYT]

Omg yes!! With the doughnuts or pencils and stuff, all the boys at my school had them and would purposely wear their trousers low so you could see the colourful prints (it was an all-boys school, so only 10% of us were distracted) 💀

[@BeeBee_woo]

Please do etam/tammy!!

[@Psychocoko]

Would you consider talking about biba and Barbara hulanicki?

[@understitchYT]

I really really want to, did you know Anna Wintour used to work there?

[@Psychocoko]

@@understitchYT I did not! But why am I not surprised???

[@gotrik.a]

Another great epsisode! I always look forward to your uploads!! :)

[@understitchYT]

Im so glad you enjoyed it 🙌

[@BittersweetMayhem]

Yes all my friends bought topshop clothes but it was too expensive for me. It was so trendy then. Definitely the rest of the brands in the arcadia group were old lady stuff

[@understitchYT]

I used to love the sales tho, you could really get incredible bargains at the very end of the season

[@p_nk7279]

I used to shop at the NY store on Fifth Avenue, then it quickly went away. I’ve only lived here about 8 years, now everything has changed anyway… but I miss Top Shop!

[@understitchYT]

Thats so sad, whats in its place now?

[@BeantownMrs]

The way I hassled my mother every weekend to go to the gigantic Topshop store in Chicago 😅

[@understitchYT]

I hope you sang the song on the way 🎶CHICAGO CHICAGO It's a city that's exciting It's a city that's inviting🎶

[@marinahuizar6067]

i keep trying to sell my Topshop stuff to Plato's Closet over and over again, hoping they'll eventually take it...NOPE😅😅 But they'll take my Fashion Nova and Shein, np

[@dundonoz]

TopShop opened a huge store in Brisbane Australia in approx 2012 & left in 2017 (same with forever21). We were so excited & then bitterly disappointed on opening day. Also TopShop sizing was worse than H&M

[@understitchYT]

I included it in the video yeah, really didnt go well in Aus

[@4evergogo]

awwww.. i still have a few Top Shop items in my closets. xx

[@understitchYT]

I think Ive worn through all of mine. But then if I love soemthing I tend to wear it very much into the ground repairing it along the way

[@SupaDupa97]

I also feel like the current climate of how we consume fashion is vastly different now. Apps like depop and vinted are more popular due to people wanting cheaper, second hand clothes without breaking the bank. I don't know how a brand like Topshop could come out on top again

[@understitchYT]

I think thats a huge factor, but charity shops existed in abundance then as well due to all the other shops on the high street going bust. The real problem is that we arent buying shein, zara or h&m because we adore them and simply must be seen in them. We are buying them only because theyre affordable and accessible. If a high street store was to once again be actually desirable, we 100% could see that kind of phenomenon again. But its obviously a hell of a lot easier said than done

[@nazmin635]

I used to work at Topshop Oxford circus, I still have some of my old clothes

[@understitchYT]

Im so jealous of anyone that had the JW Anderson stuff

[@mts3277]

I had the JW Anderson shirt & dodo jumper, worn them a lot until I grew older, my body started to change and I couldn't fit in them anymore. I don't have the shirt anymore but I've kept the jumper. @@understitchYT

[@aaronjanlistanco]

now TOPSHOP replacement are UNIQLO, H&M & ZARA are all doing what Topshop done.. H&M collection now featured in Vogue Runway called H&M Studio, Zara I seen they having a fashion show/runway.. Uniqlo have diffusion line called Uniqlo C which the creative director is Clare Waight Keller a former creative directors of CHLOÉ & GIVENCHY

[@understitchYT]

Thats so interesting thank you

[@VioletFem]

Great video! I always wondered why TopShop declined in popularity.

[@understitchYT]

Isnt it such a shame?

[@nadine8764]

I wore those jaime jeans until it was thread bare 😂

[@understitchYT]

The way they were intended to be worn fs

[@sophiacadiz8016]

More affordable brands like Forever 21 and eventually H&M killed Topshop in the philippines. Im amazed Zara is still standing strong here today.

[@understitchYT]

Is there not much market for slightly more pricey high street?

[@DrRichardMarques]

Great video! ⭐️

[@understitchYT]

Thank you doctor

[@ssua3035]

here in latam topshop was never affordable 😭

[@understitchYT]

Better than Prada 🤷

[@mrhat50]

Top "Stolen Penions'' Shop

[@t-pain1827]

Why is your Vivienne Westwood video embarrassing?

[@understitchYT]

Just because back in those days, I was trying to make every video be 16 minutes, so I cut out a significant amount of information I wish I hadn’t. Today, I pride myself on being really full of information, and that one is just not as full as I would make it today 🥰 (I really want to redo it) Though, while I say this, I hope that in the future more of my videos will become embarrassing to me as I become better at researching and better at explaining, better at editing even. It’s a good sign that there’s been growth

[@rusha590]

@@understitchYTWhat a pro way of looking at it!

[@gavrielcorazon]

Please cover American Apparel too! They were the quintessential of Tumblr 2010s 🥲

[@understitchYT]

I really want to, I think there were such an interesting brand and the way that they fell was such a shame

[@Dreaming5]

I was a teenager in the 2000s, and I looooved Topshop. I remember as I got older, going in and seeing less and less items that I liked/ suited me. It was then that I realised I was ‘getting old’ and had aged out of Topshop. Maaaan that hurt to realise 😂😂

[@understitchYT]

Nothing great can last forever 🤍

[@user-hc2tu7ul7j]

@@understitchYTforever21 says I at the age of 30 😢

[@understitchYT]

You and me both 💀

[@BluePepper49]

I didn't feel like I got too old for it, there were always things I liked, it was just the prices were too high 💰💸

[@raz7573]

I loved Topshop and ASOS too. In 2000, I started making better money and did an image overhaul. Topshop was my go-to store.

[@burgersuperking]

TopShop rose with the whole anglomania-indie sleaze wave in 2000-2010, on the back of Christophers Bailey Burberry. It all sank altogether.

[@understitchYT]

Well topshop debuted their designer collabs and were popularised about a decade before Bailey debuted at burberry. But sometimes its just about the zeitgeist right? What made us all collectively watch slime or ASMR? Its hard to tell

[@SkyelarEagle]

Anglomania indie sleaze? Like the bohemian wave

[@jocelynedwards]

@@SkyelarEagle .

[@shawnadyment]

When TopShop opened in Vancouver (2012), everyone around me went crazy for it. If you walked down the street you could spot a TopShop shopping bag in every direction. What an era - Jeffrey Campbell 'Lita' boots, TopShop fits and cake pops.

[@understitchYT]

I was with you at Jeffrey Campbell, but cake pops?

[@dean.mcmxcvi]

The cake pops really were there too 💀😭😭

[@understitchYT]

I dont remember that at all. To me cake pops are from disneyland 😅

[@shawnadyment]

@@understitchYT I wonder if it was a west coast fad or not, but they were everywhere on the tail end of the cupcake boom. Late 2000s in my city - cupakes. Early 2010s - cake pops. Everywhere 😝

[@understitchYT]

@@shawnadyment Maybe Im just not a human being, I missed that entirely haha. I do enjoy them a lot tho, but I feel like Ive only ever seen them in Disneyland Cali, not even outside, just DCA, specifically on Pixar Pier. Maybe its because Im not a sweetooth I just missed it?

[@beammeupscottyny]

People forget that Jaded Ldn started as concession in Topshop, alongside Ragged Priest.

[@understitchYT]

oh my god ragged priest, new memory unlocked

[@rosieroo538]

This made me a little emotional, I used to love spending hours in Topshop on Oxford St as a teen whenever I’d go to London. All the small boutique brands, the cafe in the basement, the cosmetics brands that were new to the UK or up and coming, it was always such an experience.

[@understitchYT]

Remember the Kylie Cosmetics launch there?

[@miola2083]

I still have one of the trending TopShop "it" dresses, which I bought because of Beyonce. That dress is awesome to this day and still on trend, such good quality too. Can TopShop return? I say yes, with cool collaborations, strong website, limited brick & mortar stores and a dramatic rebranding with a clear narrative.

[@understitchYT]

Topshop quality actually used to be amazing. In those open uni interviews they talk about that being their earliest differentiator, kind of like bringing actual designer quality to affordable prices. I remember it too. It was noticeably different from h&m for example

[@merry_christmas]

I do, perhaps pessimistically, think that if TopShop is planning for a return it will happen at the cost of quality. The general quality of clothing has degraded immensely with the exponential rise of fast fashion. If TopShop wishes to return, it will have to reintroduce itself to a spoilt audience (there's cheap dupes of high fashion everywhere) and somehow still be profitable in an extremely competitive landscape. They will have to sacrifice quality OR triple pricing. Long-term fans will not appreciate either.

[@naregm5492]

I legitimately get excited when I see one of your videos pop up in my subscription feed.

[@understitchYT]

Thsnk you 🤍

[@NaturalSounds1]

Same

[@natashacutmore7005]

I remember going to the London store when I was about 15- I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Fast forward a few years, and when I got my first pay check, I bought a two piece suit from Topshop, which I still own and wear today. I was so sad when they went under and I still miss the shopping experience of their stores.

[@understitchYT]

You mean the Oxford Street location? my friends and I used to go to the top floor and work our way down, that was a whole day out in itself. Good times.

[@juliac6256]

i was obsessed with topshop in 2014 when i was also obsessed with american apparel. i was 14 and constantly on tumblr lol. i saved the shopping bags and i still have my american apparel shopping bag

[@understitchYT]

omg that whole thing of saving the shopping bags to carry around your school books in?! you just unlocked a memory for me

[@juliac6256]

@@understitchYT hahah i decorated my room with them

[@Lunapple1]

Yeah the Jane Norman bags right! People would sell them on eBay for profit

[@LyfeWithJoy]

Could you cover American apparel? I have a feeling their story is crazy and if you could do a special on brands that were founded by rappers and why they aren’t around anymore. Thanks. Lol.

[@understitchYT]

Ive definitely got it on my list 🥰

[@virginielekiwi]

I would defitnely Watch an American Apparel video

[@4TheWinQuinn]

Your simple, clear black on white editorial style and including the dates/ extra info (like which collection on the runway etc) in the bottom left is so easily readable and everything ties togtethr very wel. I peronsally rememebr Topshop/Topman being an absolute giant of the fashion industry in early 2010's. Good video.

[@understitchYT]

Thank you so much, if you do have any tips on editing, do let me know 😅

[@aaronjanlistanco]

Topshop was very famously in era of late 2000's to early 2010's here in the Philippines.. every magazine was featured in every fashion section and evey luxury malls here

[@understitchYT]

Do you know if you had presentations like Singapore?

[@aaronjanlistanco]

@@understitchYT I haven't.. sorry

[@garethjd78]

I remember moving to London from Sydney in my early 20s. Topshop/Topman was revelation. Australian high street fashion was all beige/white/blue, the "Country Road" aesthetic. Realising that my darker skin was better suited to brighter colours - and Topman/Topshop summer collections were so vibrant. As a skinny teen, it was amazing to find XS sizing across everything - you simply never found it Australian high street brands - not to mention how cheap it was compared to what you got in Australia. When Topshop/Topman arrived in Australia it was a little disappointing, I couldn't work out if they were just sending us the UK leftovers, or if I had aged out of the brand.

[@understitchYT]

I completely forgot about how the clothes used to fit, and you’re so right. I was a very skinny youngster as well, and the other brands just didn’t have anything that fit me as well as that did, especially when the skinny style was all the rage. I remember the other brands like H&M, Zara, Burton, were all just made for bigger people, they were made for men. Nothing was made for me as a teenager. Thank you so much for that memory, that blast from the past

[@garethjd78]

Interesting, I just assumed all brands in the UK did XS sizes because they had a bigger market to do it in. To see slim male models in giant Topman adverts made me feel 'seen' for the first time. Local brands in Australia (and I'm sure elsewhere) picked up on the 'slim fit' movement in the mid-00s, dampening some of the excitement about Topman arriving. In smaller markets like Australia, I feel like Zara has only recently filled the hole left by Topshop/Topman - expanding beyond it's minimalist/mature market to brighter and more adventurous offerings for the young/young at heart.

[@understitchYT]

Most shops did XS, but topman/topshop did XXS and XXXS that you could actually find in stores. Huge gamechanger

[@Parnersful]

This is so interesting. I moved to England from Australia in 2003 and I remember really missing Sportsgirl and feeling like Topshop wasn't as good

[@tacs9960]

Growing up, Topshop was an aspirational store for me, great stuff, but everything was too expensive imo, £22 for a printed T-shirt I remember. However, their sales were the best. Got accessories for £1, boots £5 and jeans for £5. Wish their regular prices were like that!

[@understitchYT]

Omg the sales were incredible, the accessory bin was peak, all those necklaces, vracelets and rosaries for next to nothing

[@Contessa_Savannah]

I was obsessed with topshop. I live in the states but was always a fan of pop culture and fashion in the UK. I would check the site every other day for updates. We finally got a store here in Atlanta GA...and it did terribly. I think the newer generation didn't "get it" and couldn't get into the elevated fast fashion compared to forever 21 and h&m. Also I feel the quality of stylish clothing had declined by 2014+. The stuff was so much better before.

[@youwantthis]

topshop was such an aspiration to me as a young overweight working class teenager. I remember thinking it was so cool and for the beautiful, stylish and "perfect" girls. Girls who were confident etc. I would go in with my crappy weekend job pay check as a 16 years old and come out with a piece of jewellery because non of the clothes fit me or if they did, didn't looked good on me lol. Ahh memories.

[@understitchYT]

Oh thats awful, im sorry you had that experience, did they ever improve their plus size range?

[@fluorescentgreys]

Oh god yeah, I just remember my tiny skinny sisters shopping there and I felt like it wasn’t ~for me~ :/

[@jeanettemullins]

Oh that's interesting. I remember doing ok in Topshop because one of their jeans styles accomodated my wide hips really well and I would just rebuy that style most of the time. I was a late 90s/early 2000s shopper though so sizing might have changed.

[@ajsuflena156]

I have similar memories

[@TeefahXOXO]

This was such a good video. For me going to Topshop Oxford Circus was always something I just had to do whenever I visited London. Was hella shocked when I came out of the Oxford Circus stop in Dec 2022 and was so shocked to see no Topshop! Prior to that I’d had no idea about all their issues.

[@understitchYT]

I literally never go to Oxford Street anymore tbh, who is in the space now?

[@shineka11]

@@understitchYTit’s still vacant!

[@understitchYT]

@@shineka11 oof, thats a really valuable space too

[@sayurik]

Im from Singapore and Topshop was booming when I was a student in the early 2010s. Despite its more expensive price tag, the quality of their items were impeccable. I still have a playsuit i bought from them in 2013 which still looks timeless, have a thick fabric, great tailoring and holding up after multiple washes. I visited them again in 2018-2019 and its just a bunch of overpriced fast fashion pieces with the topshop label sewn onto them. Was genuinely disappointed to see the fall of a really good brand!

[@understitchYT]

Its been a long time since we have had anything that was meant to be great quality (while being fashionable) on the highstreet. I know Zara tried for a long time to compete on that platform but that seems to have gone south very quickly

[@sayurik]

@@understitchYTit is a gap in the market with real demand! I’m wondering which brand will step up to fill in that gap in the future. So far the best i can think of are Uniqlo’s collaborations with high end fashion designers? But the designs run more minimalist to cater to the japanese and asian market

[@erinhawkins5984]

Your videos are always top notch. So much work goes into them. Much appreciated.

[@understitchYT]

Thank you so much, I really enjoyed writing this video

[@pb4197]

Loved this, I remember getting the train to London from the Cotswolds just to spend hours in Topshop Oxford street, it was so iconic

[@understitchYT]

I love that we all have that shared memory of early early destination shopping on oxford street

[@SuperMarkizas]

If I recall Topshop eventually reduced their clothing sizes as well, as one day I woke up, and couldn't buy anything but accessories from them.

[@tuttuttut7758]

I think you are right. In their final years I never could find anything. I’m quite tall so always need a 14 size, sometimes 16 for sleeves and such

[@SuperMarkizas]

@tuttuttut7758 I was upper size 16 and was quite fine with finding clothes circa 2009. Then forgot about the brand (I actually matured out of it), few years later needed few fashionable affordable items, and couldn't get anything to fit. Plus everything went cheaper polyester route

[@siobhanharte5075]

Haha yes, I also noticed how small and childish their clothes suddenly became!

[@Emma-dh7by]

As a teen I was a size S-M and I still felt too big for the tiny scraps of clothing they were selling in the mid 2010s

[@tuttuttut7758]

@@SuperMarkizas I actually remember myself being able to be ok with the clothing. I believe they actually had talloze clothing sections etc. But in the final years it was all cheap, flimsy and barely available. Let alone it would fit me

[@lazerlightening]

I was an American student living in London in 2010-2011. I remember being in the Oxford Street store blew my 21 year old mind. The two collections that stuck with me the most that I still have some items from was this colorful bohemian one and a western cowgirl one. As the later years went on I noticed how the clothes just seemed cheaper and didn't have a real 'wow' factor to it anymore. Then one day the website was non-existent and I was confused when it simply became a search on Asos.

[@understitchYT]

Wasn't that store incredible? We used to go from top to bottom, looking at each and every item individually, it as thrilling. Such a shame what happened really

[@GK-up6xz]

Growing up in Tokyo in the 80s I saw the rise of Muji and then Uniqlo. They have their problems but Top Shop was just so ugly compared them...

[@understitchYT]

But theyre such different angles, Muji and Uniqlo are utility, TopShop is fashion

[@GK-up6xz]

@@understitchYT I see your point. I suppose it’s apples and oranges I’m comparing…

[@understitchYT]

Yeah but at least they are indirect competitors

[@possum6562]

I remember the cooler kids buying from Topshop, but I just never felt like I fit in with the brand. I think I bought a top and a dress from there once, but always felt like a fraud wearing them. Whenever I went in, I always struggled to find my size, and if it was in my size then the proportions were so wrong, it was unwearable. Topshop and New Look always made me feel bad about my body, I’d leave the store almost in tears because I just felt so ridiculous in their clothing. Their clothes were just not made for girls with bodies like mine. I didn’t realise the brand was so old. Topshop wasn’t for me, but I do feel a bit sad that so many old brands have just collapsed.

[@understitchYT]

Don't feel too bad, it's the circle of retail, brands come, brands go, it's just the way it is. All brands are bound to fail eventually, but I kind of see it as a good thing because it allows for innovation and newness to come through in a way that's faster than other sectors because of the desirability. What's more important is the way that they made you feel because that has a lasting effect even past where the brand has fallen to now. I hope you found Brands that more closely align to who you are as a person since

[@ajsuflena156]

Where did you buy from instead ?

[@dis7777]

I worked for one of the bigger Topshop stores in London 2019-20 as a stylist, in it's dying years, I guess. For me, my time at Topshop was wonderful, we had a really great team and it really felt like they encouraged your creativity. If not for covid, I would probably still be working there :( But it's bittersweet how it ended. We were always told even when we went into administration that there was nothing to worry about and I truly didn't think that a brand like this could just completely disappear off the high street. Fast forward a few months into the second lockdown and I find out we're all out of a job through twitter 🤕 I would love to see it come back one day, maybe under better managements with a better vision.

[@chelseaann3091]

I worked at Arcadia head office. It was such a toxic workplace that filtered down from Philip Green's number 1 and 2

[@understitchYT]

There really doesnt even seem to be one good story of this chap

[@Chloe-vi5mb]

The topshop Oxford street shop was my heaven as a teenager it was an amazing experience and it’s yet to be replicated it’s a shame because the uk high street definitely needs something better than what we have right now

[@understitchYT]

Yeah we really have nothing really exciting atm, theres not really a reason to go shopping 😬

[@ModernVintage31]

Nicely done. I never did get around to the Topshop craze, but I’m a Gen Xer. I started transitioning from high street/mass market to quality made second hand luxury goods about twenty years ago and have never looked back.

[@understitchYT]

Second hand clothes, when you know what to look for, is just infinitely better quality, so its probably for the best tbh, but Im glad you liked the video nonetheless

[@spa-peggymeatballs4861]

I was so obsessed with Kate Moss when I was a teenager. I adored Topshop at the time.

[@dobcsek]

Me too! I remember when I moved to London, I went to Topshop for the launch of her collection. She was in the window, wearing a red dress. Will never forget

[@understitchYT]

Thats it! Theres very blurry pictures of that red dress!

[@harriet3572]

Topshop was my shop. I was 18 in 2012 and had been shopping in there since I was 11. I was devestated when it closed 😢 have never found a shop that fills that gap for me completely.

[@selfraisingsugar898]

This is how i feel. My favourite highstreet brand. Still can get some nice bits from them on vinted though

[@understitchYT]

There really has never been anything like it since. Even when the high street was dying we still wanted to go there

[@ajsuflena156]

Wow

[@rxlfe7177]

your mom seems really cool. reading her messages made me like her quite a bit. xx

[@understitchYT]

Im so glad 🥰

[@oc2538]

I would buy my jeans and a few basic pieces from Topshop but the quality was crap. I started buying more Zara but they too are pretty rubbish.

[@understitchYT]

Honestly all of fast fashion today is awful, but way way back when TopShop was getting popular it wasn't terrible, its just with all the corners cut in pursuit of profits today, theres not much good product left

[@alixday4346]

Topshop was a culture in ans of itaelf. I was a teen at the peak of the indie-sleaze time and topshop fashion was idolised. Us teenagers used to go in just to see what the staff were wearing and they were seen as the cool "kids". It makes me so nostalgic to think about it now! I know it sounds a bit sad haha but we were only kids/teenagers.

[@understitchYT]

I was a teen then also, and I remember going into stores to see what the staff were wearing too. It's really the last great high street store for England, nothing has taken me back to the high street like it

[@slitfit]

It’d be nice to listen to your rise/fall series as a podcast!

[@understitchYT]

Ive definitely considered it in the future, but for now as a small channel still it seems foolish to disperse my audience. It just means less impact for the algorithm

[@Mariathinking]

​@@understitchYT maybe, but it might expand your audience, if you have it on Spotify 🤷🏻‍♀️ It's good work either way

[@understitchYT]

Yeah youre right that it might do, but I think thats a thing to explore in the future when Im a bit more stable

[@LyfeWithJoy]

Everyone uses multiple outlets so having you on multiple platforms I think could work in your favor

[@understitchYT]

@@LyfeWithJoy It's a tough balance. Do I spread out to get more people to funnel here or do I focus on YT to make the biggest impact and hope to hit the algorithm? It's really all a guessing game at the end of the day, noone really understands the algorithm to an extent where we can all benefit

[@tumibuchanan]

I always get happy when I receive a notification for your uploads. Thanks you, and I can't wait for the next one.

[@understitchYT]

Im so glad! And hopefully you wont have to wait too long 🥰

[@TrvisXXIII]

Ahhh Mann, when topshop aka topman came to NY around 2011, that was my go to for clothes next to Zara. I got so sad when they closed down

[@understitchYT]

It’s amazing just how much topman outside topshop, but then I guess there really wasn’t an alternative

[@AlexG-pp3oy]

Found this soooo interesting! I was a 13 year old “girl” (at the time) in 2011, so right at the bottom of Topshop’s usual demographic at that time. But I never set foot in there. Around me all the trendy stuff was elsewhere and Topshop was seen more as “adult” fashion. I genuinely had no idea about Topshop’s teen focus until this video, which I think speaks to how they failed to capture people like me at that time. Despite this it does still feel strange to see a high street without it. Great video!

[@understitchYT]

It's amazing, you're born very close in age to my brother (he was 97) and I dont think he either was captured by the hype. I never really thought about it until now, but youre right that its amazing they lost their grip so quickly

[@PleaseApplaud]

That was around the time it seemed to get extremely boring, in my memory. I assume they still made some fun stuff, but they didn't send any of it to the small town stores. All they seemed to send to the smaller stores for a while was plain dye t-shirts and a whole lot of brown stuff.

[@secondbestpriest]

I love Topshop in the 90s and early 2000s. Become unaffordable for me as I got older

[@understitchYT]

I also got too jaded to buy cheap clothes as I got older. Now I buy less buy well, and in most cases buy secondhand

[@secondbestpriest]

@@understitchYT I've still got some clothes from Topshop. I buy everything second hand now

[@MelanieTahata]

And everything is made in Bangladesh

[@understitchYT]

Inherently not a bad thing, but in those days the biggest reason to produce there was lack of regulation

[@rhy8336]

I only found out about top shop from going to London from America in the 2010s. I liked the clothes more than Zara back then. But once the clothes actually came to America I didn’t have as much interest. I could get cheaper similar clothes online and like you stated that just blind sided them. Also I love using you using your mom as a source. Can’t wait to see the one on top man.

[@understitchYT]

Hahahah who wouldnt love my mum as a source 💀💀

[@anibalopina]

I still own some Topshop and Topman pieces in perfect condition, and I would treat them with the same reverence as i would treat my vintage Benetton duffle bags collection, some Resurrection findings, and new acquisitions from Vetements, GR, Vans and Balenciaga.

[@understitchYT]

These days they will probably be worth more than what you paid for them honestly. They sold a lot but our generation wore the crap out of it 💀

[@susanwood1445]

I don't know about being significant in 2010. I was a student in the late 80's and every Saturday everyone would be in Topshop. They were also on TV being mentioned on the Fashion Show. If you want 80s fashion you think Topshop.

[@understitchYT]

I mean, it's probably both tbf, it rose and just rose again

[@dgotguts]

another hit, and you gotta let the streets know why you think the Westwood vid is not good to you. Gotta quote from you saying you were "embarassed", why!

[@understitchYT]

Because its not as thorough as I would be proud of now. Back then I tried to get everything in 16 minutes and I think it just truncated her career too much

[@chelskaf]

i'm still mad to this day the fact that i was gifted a £90 top shop gift card for my birthday then a week later they randomly shut down 😭 and i didn't see any warnings signs or anything lol

[@understitchYT]

Omfg the timing of that is hysterical and awful 💀💀 Thats kind of the genius of gift cards though, it ties the money in before a purchase is even made and they can often guarantee people will either spend more to get their moneys worth or spend less and they pocket the difference. Great for retailers, very annoying for customers

[@NubianPrince85]

Topman.....was da sh*t loved it!

[@understitchYT]

Wasn’t it though, so iconic

[@gi4734]

2014, I think I would have been 11, I went shopping with my money gifted to me from Christmas. I went into Topshop because all the cool girls went there from school, and I got a scarf from the Miss Selfridge section. I remember my Uncle telling me it’s a really fancy brand which made sense because the scarf was £26 which was a lot to me back then and I guess still is for a scarf. I still have the scarf, and with the 2014 revival I think plaid scarfs will definitely come back in. I remember seeing a lot in the autumn . Great video 😊

[@understitchYT]

Youre a 93 baby like me? Year of the cock (Ive always loved that)💀 Miss Selfridge was another really interesting brand because brand perception across the UK was never ubiquitous and Im not sure why. Down in Kent and in Birmingham it was a cheaper brand, in London it was edgy/contemporary and up north and in south it was more fancy. Just really interesting. I dont know of another brand that was so divided like that

[@ajsuflena156]

I was 12 then :( time goes by so fast I’m kind of sad thinking this

[@nicoler5713]

I always have conflicting feelings about Topshop because on the one hand, as a teenager of the 2000s, it is Iconic with a capital I. Losing it was the fashion equivalent of losing Woolies. On the other hand, as a fat (by 2000s standards) and poor teenager, I never felt the democratisation of fashion they were supposedly offering. I just felt excluded because even if I could find something in the sales, it was never going to fit me comfortably.

[@understitchYT]

Now woolworths was a horrendous loss to all, so iconic. But I get what ypu mean about the irony in their inclusive ethos by not having a wider size range

[@mewrrorball]

omg in late 2000s early 2010s i wanted to buy stuffs in topshop so bad. i was a preteen tho and the selections were too expensive for a fast fashion

[@understitchYT]

Yeah, they were always a little bit more pricey than the other High Street brands, but I guess that’s what enabled them to have the better quality garments

[@ohthechitchat]

Rise and fall? ….Phillip Greed.

[@understitchYT]

You said it

[@youngslav_official]

Oh, that one is gonna be interesting! As a Pole, I remember TopShop being extremely popular among my richer friends in Warsaw when I was in high school 2009 - 2012.

[@understitchYT]

Did you manage to go?

[@leoprg5330]

There was a small TopShop/Topman franchise shop here in Paladium Prague. Quite nothing when compared to Oxford Circus or the one in Westfield White City. I used to work in visual merchandising for Marks and Spencer CZ and I always loved checking out TopShop styling and windows when in London. It was a peak era of high street shopping before online became the norm. To be honest I didn't think much about their quality and used materials, but their styling was goals!

[@jeanettemullins]

I was a teen in the 90s and Topshop was such a core place to shop. I remember their jeans being great because of their sizing. I still have a jumper I bought in a Topshop about 20 years ago though it is falling apart. It suddenly seemed to get less good at some point in the late 2000s. Probably a mix of me growing out of that style and a change in the kind of products they sold. I started buying a lot from Dorothy Perkins after that but they also declined. I would love to see their Denim back in a range similar to 20-30 years ago. I think it would be popular.

[@understitchYT]

I wonder if they will be branded to come back to our generation, or if they will just go for a younger demographic again, it’ll be interesting to see what is going to happen with the brand

[@a.westhart6381]

New to your channel. I've enjoyed it. Could you do a video on Header Ackerman, Yoji Yamamoto, Azzedine Alia. Thanks

[@understitchYT]

All three are very firmly on my list for sure. Glad you found the channel

[@penelopevisser1441]

I LIVED in topshop mom jeans from their first days available right up until a year ago (quality so bad since asos took the brand). I used to shop in Manchester Topshop for everything, and back then there would be so many items I wanted, all in one place, every time! Those mom jeans remain the best jeans I ever owned. I also used to buy Ragged Priest from there, and still buy from them to this day!

[@understitchYT]

I miss going into the shop and having that feeling of everything being amazing, I used to have to do maths on what I wanted vs what i could afford and I bloody loved every minute

[@omomo202]

Mom JEANS! I remember seeing those online and freaking out because Oprah practically bankrupt herself giving 80s and 90s moms makeovers to get the OUT of those! LOL! I finally caved and bought a pair 4 years ago and I love them! lol!

[@turbatg5759]

do videos on other fast fashion brands like uniqlo gap forever21 zara etc

[@understitchYT]

I would love to cover Zara tbh, their logistics channels are so famous in retailing

[@alexmoon066]

I have a lot of stuff from tooshop 😢 it was my favorite brand 😢😢😢😢

[@understitchYT]

It was so electric back in the day

[@GradKat]

I loved Topshop. I’ve still got a Kate Moss jumper.

[@understitchYT]

Thats such an iconic collection 🙌🙌🙌

[@gillianwatt7421]

I remember TopShop opening in Melbourne to great excitement. There were queues of excited teens around the block. The reason for the failure is because of a mistake made, which is common to so many international retailers. They think that their Australian stores are a good dumping ground for unsold stock. If the products didn't work in the UK, why would going to work out here? The stores became messy and unappealing.

[@drc4168]

Topshop is the reason I, a 42 year old woman is still renting!!!!!? 😂😂😂😂

[@understitchYT]

that and avocado toast haha

[@drc4168]

@@understitchYT oh ya that too ffs :)

[@keekeesmellsgood]

The only time I’ve ever been inside a Top Shop was to look for Ivy Park items and I never found any in store. 😅

[@understitchYT]

That was a real phenomena, huh? Shame what happened to it really

[@K.aterina]

omg I totally forgot about topshop. I used to watch youtubers back in the day, doing topshop hauls but it was never available where I live.

[@understitchYT]

Where do you live? Lucky we have the internet now so its more accessibe 🥰

[@K.aterina]

@@understitchYT I live in Greece. I just checked and it it available online!

[@davidmunoz-sm9hf]

Sad, an atrocity of a great trend setter in the teen market, I remember shopping the stores in London to see what Europe teenagers were wearing in such a competitive junior market. Such a strong influence in fashion to be mismanaged and destroyed, I am not getting it?. ..these reviews are just depressing.....:(

[@MayorSom]

I still can’t wrap my head around how Next is still in biz. They are just very low MSQ garments for 30+ demo

[@understitchYT]

Imo it's because it's got the market on one very specific thing and it banks on repeat purchases. It's reliable for smart casual stuff you wear to work and serves a very large demographic with focuses on repurchasing. One day it'll need to rebrand after their demo retires, but for now I'd imagine they aren't doing too badly (but still not phenomenally well either)

[@jensm4026]

​@understitchYT my parents have retired . Yet I still go there for similar stuff as do my now adult kids! I thi k some of their stuff is lovely.

[@jensm4026]

I am only 40 but we use next to span ages. My daughter is 20 and is likely to have her own kids rereasonably soon, and it it all works for all of us.x

[@pastense]

When I went to the UK in the early aughts, I thought Topshop was a fashionista’s dream! Then when it popped up at my local Nordstroms it kinda lost my interest. Same exact pattern happened for Zara, H&M, and more recently Primark. Other than Uniqlo, I think Japanese brands really keep their appeal by staying exclusive to their own country and have the rest of us peaking interest.

[@understitchYT]

Uniqlo has one of the biggest footprints of any high street store surprisingly, but I get what you mean, they do it *differently* so it's still interesting. Plus, really theyre the only company rn actively promoting their quality (which is saying somthing in itself honestly)