CAN YOU SPOT THE SUPERMARKET STEAL?
While fashion stores were shuWhile fashion stores were shut , many shoppers discovered a surprising guilty secret... While fashion stores were shut , many shoppers discovered a surprising guilty secret...
1. TESCO VS GANNI
The must-have leopard blouse
Blouse, £16, and trousers, £13, Tesco, versus blouse, £155, and trousers, £155, ganni.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: £281 THE fashion crowd has gone crazy for this leopard-print Ganni blouse with an oversized frilled collar, but I would struggle to justify spending this much when the Tesco version is so similar.
Often the fabric will give the less expensive version away, but these are both 100 per cent cotton. Ganni’s style has button sleeves rather than elastic cuffs, but who would know? WINNER: Supermarket
2. TESCO VS M&S The versatile denim dress
Dress, £25, F&F at Tesco, versus dress, £55, marksandspencer.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: £30 THese are ideal for the current entertaining options — wear them over thermals and boots for now, then roll up the sleeves and slip on sandals when warmer days arrive.
I’d happily wear either of these — not only is the shade of denim almost identical, the fabric is very similar and both have button cuffs. It’s a close call, but the m&s one just edged it. WINNER: High Street
3. SAINSBURY’S VS WHISTLES The dress-down jumpsuit
Jumpsuit, £25, and trainers, £16, tuclothing. sainsburys.co.uk, versus jumpsuit, £149, and trainers, £139, whistles.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: £247 I’m DeLIGHTeD that jumpsuits are still in fashion. They have the all- in- one convenience of a dress, but with a load more practicality.
The sainsbury’s version is less tailored than the Whistles one, but at this price, I can absolutely see myself buying it as an easy- to- throw- on alternative to jeans, to wear while I am hanging around the house.
The Whistles offering has a much more sophisticated vibe — the slight puff shoulder and nipped- in waist are flattering — but at almost six times the price, I’m not sure it’s worth the difference. WINNER: High Street
WITH regular clothes shops shut for months on end, supermarkets upped their fashion game during lockdown. As a result, they won over a host of new customers who would previously never have dreamt of buying clothes at the same time as picking up a pint of milk or loaf of bread. But with the High Street open again, can budget supermarket offerings really compete with fashion stores in the long run? And when presented with similar styles, can you tell the difference between them? Here, CLAIRE COLEMAN compares styles, pitting lines from our top supermarkets against those from the High Street.