So, is Atterley Road the answer to all our online shopping dreams?
Aimed at the “middle market” both in price and fashion terms, the site aims to bring together the best of the British high street and independent designers. So we logged on to take a look. Was this going to become our go to online shopping destination, or was it going to be just another rather uninspiring “version” of ASOS, the online Holy Grail?
First impressions were good, they have clearly gone for the Net a Porter look (but why not do something new?) rather than ASOS, lots of white space and easy to navigate categories. The list of brands looked promising too, a few of our favourites such as Whistles and Levis Made and Crafted and a few new ones we haven’t heard of.
Selling clothes online very much relies on editorial to help sell the brands, as this is the only way to tell the customer how to put the clothes together. There are no friendly shop assistants to offer words of advice (if this is what you like – personally I hate it) and no instore displays to suggest outfit combinations. So mood boards and images of models in different looks are key to help the customer on their journey.
Believe it or not ASOS can actually sell more of a particular item, based purely on what model wears it – blonde’s sell more clothes apparently!
This is a little more difficult in the “middle” market, as we “middle” aged women get all prickly about seeing our potential new dress on a 16 year old (quite rightly too). So Atterley Road have quite cleverly use generic, slightly older models and cut their heads off when illustrating Looks. They have also included videos, which is a good idea, as it allows you to see the outfit at a 360 degree angle.
The mood boards or Features as they call them look inoffensive and easy to wear, but are a tiny bit dull – but perhaps I am being picky. Two ways to wear city stripes, Modern Monochrome and Three ways to wear winning colours, all seem a little bit mainstream and obvious to me, but lets give them time to work out their point of difference. And here’s the thing, these days you do have to have one. It is not really enough to just target the “middle market,” as what does that mean?
Middle aged, middle income, not quite high fashion but not quite High St.? Who knows. Hobbs, Kew and NW3 all spring to mind when I think of that market and for me they are nice but a little uninspiring and if I’m honest, that’s how I feel about Atterley Road.
It’s like the really nice mum you meet a the school gates, she’s friendly, has a good job and is a great mum, but you just know she’s not going to want a sneaky fag and a bottle of wine at 4.30 in the afternoon!
Let us know what you think?
Hmmm, I agree with you, Jane. Fine, but nothing v inspiring. My test for online sites is the shoes – is there anything I haven’t seen before? And in the case of Atterley Road, neither Jigsaw courts nor Hunter wellies are going to prompt me to reach for my credit card. Helen x
Totally disagree. Saw Atterley Road last week and it is just what my friends and I were waiting for. Lurve the look and feel and great combo of some brands that I trust but can’t find where I live, with some stunning, quirky pieces and labels I had not seen before (Des Petits Hauts – never heard of but love love love!). Ok so there could be little more choice for shoes (but am assuming that will come) but so nice not to have to trawl through the endless uber-trendy fashioniasta fads on N-A-P. Just who has the time and money?!?. Which reminds me, it’s payday today! Is it me or does online shopping not feel like you are using real money? Dangerous…
Totally disagree. Saw this site last week and it is just what my friends and I were waiting for. Lurve the look and feel and great combo of some quality brands that I trust but can’t find where I live, with some stunning quirky pieces and labels I had not seen before (Des Petits Hauts – never heard of but love love love!). Ok so there could be little more choice for shoes (but am assuming that will come) but so nice not to have to trawl through the endless uber-trendy fashioniasta fads on N-A-P. Just who has the time and money?!?. Which reminds me, it’s payday today! Is it me or does online shopping not feel like you are using real money? Dangerous…
I am thrilled there’s somewhere to buy Made & Crafted, bought well, online. A
…and they only go to size 14…
Well certainly doesn’t blow my socks off, I’m sure if you dig through the incredibly boring presentation there could be great individual pieces to be had but nothing on the site made me want to go that far, I feel AR would demand far more trawling than say N-A-P which,even if I can’t often afford the clothes, gives me great info and fabulous editorial which AR as yet doesn’t come close to. Why does “middle market” (hateful term) always have to be so pedestrian?
Fab idea. Love the range and nice to find a site that can actually afford – torn between belle rose aloe jumper and Made&cafted pettle shirt. Too many beautiful things here, not enough moolah! @notsurebut I think the presentation is great – simple, classic, clean but each to their own!
Nothing decent above 14, and everything out of stock! Teething problems or just rubbish?
I’m not sure it’s that middle aged, just seems same as Next.