Can John Lewis fill The Gap?
As it launches an ultra-affordable range for everyday wear...
PICkING up a T-shirt for six quid or finding a dress for £40 are bargains you might expect at the cheaper end of the high Street. But from today, these are the prices you can expect from the John lewis Anyday fashion range. Every item in the collection costs less than £100 — an average 20 per cent cheaper than its previous own-brand offerings.
The launch follows the success of the Anyday home range unveiled in the spring (billed as John lewis’s answer to Ikea), which is the retailer’s most successful own-brand launch to date.
Can John lewis knock it out of the park with Anyday fashion, too?
The womenswear is well-judged. The vibe is casual, everyday style, inspired by the ‘two-mile wear’ — a
Japanese concept which means pieces that are relaxed enough for home, but stylish enough for coffee and a catch up with friends at a cafe.
Jo Hooper, ex-head buyer for John lewis, used the same ethos for her label nRBy.
anyday’s range is far more affordable, though. you could say it fills the space left after Gap closed its Uk stores: easy essentials alongside pieces that nod to seasonal trends in an understated way.
So you’ll find a great zip-up denim jumpsuit, £48, (second from left) an instant outfit; just add white trainers and a crossbody bag. There are good-quality joggers, knitted hoodies and crew neck jumpers in fun colours, all £25 to £35.
The dresses are the kind you can throw on and feel comfortable in, but have enough design details to feel in vogue. For example a simple, button-down blue shirt-dress in corduroy. Or a grey jumper dress with a funnel neck and small side slit (above centre) to wear with bovver boots.
a green faux-shearling borg jacket, £55, or a quilted khaki coat, £75, feel cool and modern but won’t fight for attention.
Fashion at this kind of price often raises questions about sustainability. John lewis promises that all cotton in the range adheres to the Better Cotton Initiative for sustainable farming and production.
Where possible, anyday uses 100 per cent recycled polyester and EcoVero, a viscose made using sustainable wood. and it adheres to John lewis’s existing Responsible Sourcing Code of Practice, which sets out standards for issues such as fair pay, workers’ rights — and no child labour.
Which makes its success at creating easy, contemporary, ‘without fail’ pieces at affordable prices even more impressive.