Would you buy your new season wardrobe rdrobe from Lidl?
SUPERMARKET FASHION LABELS are the opposite of logomania. If the brash designer logo’s main purpose is to signify to the world ‘I spent X on this’ or ‘I align myself with the values of Y brand,’ then supermarket clothes have been worn with a more covert attitude (‘This?’ – drops voice to a conspiratorial whisper – ‘It’s George at Asda!’ would be a typical reveal). Shopping supermarket collections is a guilty pleasure – like sneaking a chocolate bar into your basket at the checkout.
But whatever your attitude, there’s no denying that supermarket fashion lines – as well as George there’s Sainsbury’s Tu, Tesco’s Florence & Fred, Morrison’s Nutmeg – are big business. A prominent driving force in the UK’S value clothing market (which is worth a whopping £10 billion, or nearly a quarter of the total UK clothing market), supermarket fashion lines account for 10% of all clothes and footwear bought in the UK. These are billion-pound empires built on £20 jeans and £4 tees.
This month, German supermarket Lidl is joining the party with its Esmara by
Heidi Klum collection. An 18-piece capsule of ‘stylish wardrobe staples’ including trenches, shift dresses and hoodies, it ranges from £4.99 for a cami to £49.99 for a suede biker jacket and will be available in 670 stores in the UK, as well as a further 10,000 stores in 28 countries worldwide. On top of Klum’s star appeal, it’s coming complete with a New York Fashion Week launch and a Rankin-shot campaign. Lidl are obviously backing this big time.
But would you really shop your new season wardrobe in the supermarket? Would you pick up a frock with your frozen peas? Many do – and many love it. A/W ’17’s heritage checks trend is getting air-time on the shop floors at the moment, as are boho-style dresses. One fashion editor informs us that they’re also a great source for workout and leisurewear – not to mention a no-brainer for childrenswear.
The snobbery that once dismissed supermarket lines is old-fashioned. While they don’t bear comparison to shopping designer collections at high-end boutiques – this is no luxury experience – these value pieces have instant pick-meup appeal. And their affordability (with pieces retailing at less than the cost of a bottle of wine) plus wide range of sizes, gives us fashion at its most democratic and attainable – not to mention the height of convenience.