Whistles (Q3682)
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clothing brand with 46 stores across the UK
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Whistles |
clothing brand with 46 stores across the UK |
Statements
buying and design director
diffusion range collaborator
After days of fashion shows the wordstimeless signaturesstart to become meaningless. But for a brand like Whistles, filling the holes in a woman’s wardrobe—and doing it without a strict adherence to a certain time or place—is the name of the game. So the brand must rely on broad ideas like “classics” and “essentials” and “with a twist.” Whistles will be lightly forgiven for falling into fashion-trope territory on the basis of its ability to make everyday clothes that are actually exciting.For fall, the Whistles wardrobe ticks all the boxes. It’s a little masculine with wool overshirts to be worn with straight-leg trousers. It’s girlish in its flowing dot dresses and tiny bustier-inspired tops. It’s Western with fringe, and it’s posh with a new range of caramel leather separates and a sage knit maxi dress. In the brand’s showroom, emphasis was put on items that can weather several seasons, living and evolving with the woman who wears them. A standout dusty gray faux shearling looked hard to resist. Being glamorous, especially in such dreary times, can count as a “timeless signature” too.
18 February 2020
Whistles showed its Spring collection in New York this season with appointments at the Arlo, a trendy new boutique hotel offering the downtown experience at a reasonable price. The British high-street brand is also in the business of getting more bang for your buck. With a store on West Broadway and a growing online audience, Whistles is slowly wooing American shoppers with affordable day clothes.Prairie dressing has been having an extended moment in fashion and the new collection is banking on the ongoing appetite for that bohemian vibe. That said, whimsical printed frocks have long been a mainstay at Whistles and the best examples for Spring came finished with Indian block motifs and smocking across the body. On the more utilitarian end of the spectrum were cinched carpenter pants and jumpsuits that seem bound for retail success on both sides of the pond.
13 September 2019
Whistles is a very familiar brand in a working British wardrobe, though the name is still relatively new to American shoppers. The label is making strides to change that and opened its first U.S. outpost in Soho, New York, last fall. With a price point that floats comfortably in the midrange, Whistles synthesizes fashion-forward trends in a way that feels approachable and fresh. To that end, the emphasis on tailoring with a Savile Row bent was right on time. The louche tattersall suiting, in particular, offers stylish millennials seeking to climb the ladder an opportunity to dress the part without breaking the bank.Whistles has long been a destination for easy day dresses as well, and this season the brand delivered with romantic midi-length pieces that were printed in a variety of abstracted prints, including one that put a new spin on the idea of leopard. There were more utilitarian solutions to one-step dressing, too, including some corduroy jumpsuits.In New York, the brand is having ongoing success with their outwear offering, and there were several cozy options for fall, including a check blanket coat and a chocolate brown shearling. With a new focus on light, trans-seasonal layers—to be worn with or without those coats—the online arm of the business is primed for expansion from coast to coast.
19 February 2019
The friendly team at Whistles wouldn’t have been able to predict that their temporary Paris showroom day would coincide with the first snowfall of the season. But the gray skies and slush outside only served to accentuate the strong colors and prints within. A brand representative reminded us that this selection corresponds to its June arrival in stores (including the first New York stand-alone location in Soho), hence the summery dresses, jumpsuits, and coordinated looks that registered much breezier than usual Pre-Fall fare. From animated flora to abstracted fauna, the prints were plenty—and apparently, women love Whistles for exactly this.Perhaps that’s also why many of the linen and cotton items in solid colors resonated like a breath of fresh air—a little safari in the city. Some of these pieces featured boning and hook-and-eye closures, introducing just enough extra shape and substance for a weekend wedding. Necklines on spongy knits and other shirts were defined by a squared-off shape, which seemed arbitrary but not unflattering. Still on the subject of knits, those in crochet evoked blankets of yore, extending the ’70s trend that wafted through Spring. Elsewhere, a cute suit jacket and shorts in dark blue check looked like flannel but was decidedly summer-weight.
25 January 2019
Whistles, the London label with a cult following, dates back to the 1970s, though you’d never guess it from the way the contemporary line has repositioned itself. It hits current trends (sometimes too keenly, judging by some of this season’s accessories) at that mid-market price point, for those shoppers looking to upgrade from fast-fashion chains without spending 20 times the amount.The big news is that Whistles is opening its first U.S. flagship, taking over the old Sandro space on Spring Street in November. The launch will coincide with an aggressive e-commerce push—free stateside shipping, e.g.—which means Whistles will be widely available to Americans for the first time. Might this detract from its current appeal—that loss of Euro exoticism—or make it a strong competitor for the Reformation-wearing, Everlane-loving crowd?Only time will tell, but in February, New Yorkers will have their pick of molded resin earrings (from $30) and thick pastel cotton knits (from $40), bright green and violet floral print dresses (from $200) and cropped emerald suede jackets (from $500)—more easy spring separates than the city might know what to do with.
11 September 2018
For years, Whistles has catered to thirtysomething women who tend to juggle so many things at once they barely have time to hit the stores. They know that if they want a trend-aware jumpsuit to get them through the season, one stop will let them check it off their list in five minutes flat.This time around, those bestselling jumpsuits include ones with animalistic leanings, like tiger or leopard stripes in electric turquoise or more low-key mustard. Or straight-cut white and gray python pants to pair with a hot pink, bright yellow, or emerald green oversize cable-knit sweater. In a more artsy vein, several dresses and separates come in a pointillist red-and-pink print. The overall silhouette skews languid on the top, fluid on the bottom—wide-wale corduroys, burgundy cropped trousers, or a pleated print skirt play foil to brights so customers can just get on with racing through their day.Toward the holiday season, the brand will also amp up its focus on sustainable cashmere. Those pieces, plus a faux fur patchwork coat and a short leopard-printed belted leather trench, offer practical style mileage without breaking the bank.
30 June 2018
It’s not in Whistles’s nature to attribute its collections to niche themes or fleeting trends. Instead, the London-based high-street label offers cost-effective, intuitively designed clothing that reflects what its core woman needs and desires from season to season. More often than not, its impulses are right.For Fall 2018, the in-house design team placed a renewed focus on texture, offering tactile separates, tailoring, and outerwear in a plush, autumnal palette. The knitwear, for starters, was generously cut so as to fully envelop the wearer. There were teased mohair roll-necks, wool scoop-necks, and homespun V-neck jumpers with ample sleeves and cuffs, which will work wonders with a pair of the line’s high-waist corduroy slacks or supple leather joggers.For smarter occasions—or, hell, even a confidence boost—there were simple, well-crafted pantsuits in vivid shades of claret or sage that had a slight slouch to them (ergo: good with sneakers and heels). Not to mention the louche, kimono-style two-piece suit that was rendered in velvet with floral devoré indents and a long tasseled waist belt for good measure.Evening dresses had a ’70s bohemian feel, boasting long, fluid silhouettes with frilled cap sleeves and variations on a winter foliage print that was inspired by retro wallpapers. Yet, it was a mustard-color silk wrap dress with a monochrome bloom motif that will likely command the most attention after dark—and, indeed, graces the front of the brand’s lookbook for the season.By and large, however, coats were the high point and Whistles’s loyal clientele will have no shortage of options come September. Versatile wrap coats (a continuation from last winter) spun from a soft, textured wool are a clever stalwart and will appeal to classicists of all ages. While those wanting to make more of a statement might like to consider the slick chocolate brown leather trench or the shaggy “teddy” sheepskin coat—topped off with one of the collection’s open-weave scarf-cum-blankets, of course.
19 February 2018
This season, Whistles used the classic Breton stripe as an entry point into the French Riviera. But the reference felt loose, as the design team continued to focus instead on what the Whistles woman wants: approachable, on-trend items that are easy to style and take from day to night.Staples returned (jumpsuits in soft yellow suede and black silk chiffon), but the designers replaced the brand’s traditional fitted shapes with more relaxed, oversize striped tops and tees. There has been a growing demand for “occasionwear,” and Whistles delivered with an expanded lineup of easy dresses, like a simple azure silk wrap and black microdot mini with a single ruffle running up the neckline. Slogan pieces have sold incredibly well in the London store; there was a thin cotton sweater that saidLe Weekend, a coral tee withBrunch Club. Hoping to stay ahead of the curve, Whistles has exchanged last season’s “cold shoulder” dress (a long-sleeve piece with cutouts on each shoulder) for a single-shoulder version done in silk with printed kiss lips. A little basic, perhaps, but sure to satisfy.
7 September 2017
For Pre-Fall last year, Whistles proposed a resolutely pink message; here it would seem that the tone has shifted to blue. At least that was the direction suggested in the collection text: “From swimming blue turquoise that spells sunshine on a wrap dress to the crisp bite of teal on a pleated all-in-one . . . .” In reality, this was only half the story. Scanning the lineup in the showroom yielded far more variety—a veritable mix of earth tones and neutrals, ocher and emerald green. What stood out most of all were the breezy maxi dresses and jumpsuits covered in graphic florals that seemed perfectly calibrated to remain as fresh later in the season worn with heavier layers as right away, midsummer, when they hit stores.Indeed, this was a particularly well-edited selection of transitional items that registered as relaxed in attitude yet fully dressed in statement. Longer lengths—midi and maxi—made the difference, imbuing dresses with femininity that felt neither too assertive nor too modest. By the same token, some pants were wide enough to suggest a skirt silhouette, which nicely offset the mannish shirting. Even a detail as simple as a neckline seemed designed with extra care so that each one shoulder, lowered portrait, or deep V looked naturally flattering instead of forced. The range of pants—darker-wash jeans, trousers with corseted or paper-bag waistlines—made for nonevent updates, especially compared to the prettier dévoré wrap dresses.Co-ords,which is what Whistles calls a coordinated look, may have been a new term to this reviewer, but it reinforces how easy these pieces will be to wear.
30 January 2018
A return to Whistles’s temporary Paris showroom yielded a remarkably different direction than the previous pre-collection. Where that one oozed pink, this lineup made a sharp turn towards high contrast black and white, with hearty hits of red. That the brand can pivot so convincingly is a sign of the design team’s fast and confident response to shifting trends. Probably to no one’s surprise, they added jolts of sport and street detailing to the usual daywear checklist. Cutoff jeans got a boost from athletic side stripes, while the now-ubiquitous ringed zipper was used to update a basic black jumpsuit.Knitwear—whether funnel-neck under layers, or mohair over layers—usually wouldn’t be noteworthy; except that here, it became a textural and visual counterpoint to an emphasis on graphic prints.Elsewhere, a slight A-line of a workwear jacket, and looser but no less flattering jeans, demonstrated a design sensitivity towards preserving baseline femininity; regular shoppers will not feel betrayed. And anyway, as the lookbook attests, sleek, relaxed styling counts for a lot. But what stood out most was how so many of these pieces—the chic puffer jacket and bell-cut poplin blouse are just two examples—will have longevity beyond the normal life cycle of these trends. Whistles may keep following the prevailing winds, but you could be wearing the seasonless denim and casually tailored black suit for some time yet.
24 June 2017
Women who shop at Whistles will never be made to feel like fools. The design team behind the brand’s collections clearly have their finger on the pulse of current trends, but they’re judicious in how they distill them, steering clear of the trashy or the outré. The Whistles designers also maintain an admirable fidelity to the pieces that their clientele looks to them for, like this collection’s shearling jackets and toppers, some of them staple-y and familiar, some of them given a hint of newness courtesy of multicolor dye jobs or textural variation.This Whistles outing largely turned on a conversation between relaxation and formality. Pajama-style ensembles, track pants, and jackets were interwoven with blouses and dresses given a regal touch, whether a bit of frill on a high collar or a pouf sleeve. Print helped to heighten the tone: There were various iterations of chinoiserie-esque wallpaper florals, as well as a nervier graphic pattern featuring koi. But the strongest looks here used upscale fabrications to close the distance between dressy and casual. The velvets did the trick quite nicely, whether the plain velvet in a black A-line skirt embellished with geometric hardware, or the washed velvet made up into one of the pajama-y looks, or the bit of velvet in a black dévoré in that graphic koi pattern. It was just enough richness—no more.
21 February 2017
Those who look at this lineup and conclude thatWhistlesis having a “Think Pink” moment would not be wrong. Among the best of this robustly rosy grouping are the two outerwear pieces in faux fur and shearling, which will prove welcome mood-lifters when the weather is grim. No matter the antique blush flounced velvet pieces, the cotton candy lace, or the peony-hued denim look, the message is unmistakably monochromatic, as though Whistles is politicizing pink with deeper significance beyond sheer freshness and femininity. Perhaps that’s too much to expect, and that women who buy in will do so simply because these pieces stand in stark contrast to their wardrobe of neutrals. Either way, the reaction is sure to be favorable in stores.But for those who rejectla vie en rose—even as a fuchsia mule or pastel sandal—Whistles has ensured enough alternatives, which very loosely follow a leisurely Western folkloric theme, from a desert floral motif “cold shoulder” dress to silky pajama separates. A sleek black jumpsuit, the tailored blouson in navy suede, and relaxed polka-dot pieces were thrown in for age-inclusive good measure.
17 January 2017
London-basedWhistlestook a trip to bohemia this season. No bohemia in particular—the label threaded a hodgepodge of folksy and/or hippieish elements through its latest collection. A bit of peasant-ish embroidery here; a suede fringed jacket there. Baja stripe, ruffles, florals, et cetera. This magpie approach was canny—though it rested on familiar bohemian tropes, each individual element was deployed judiciously through a collection that, for all its sense of romance, conveyed the signature Whistles matter-of-factness.Ruffled dresses, breezy jumpsuits, and off-the-shoulder tops mixed with cropped pants in a variety of versatile cuts. Some of the most winning pieces here were simple ones that wrapped and tied in the front, lending these office-appropriate looks an air of weekend laissez-faire. Colorful suede jackets and trousers had a narrower appeal, but they did introduce a welcome note of toughness to the collection. By and large, though, this outing made love, not war. Its pretty, placid tone was nowhere better exemplified than in a dotted, tiered ruffle dress, tassel-tied at the shoulders. A great day-to-night look, it was sugary enough to be sweet, but not so much as to be cloying.
13 September 2016
Whistles is betting big on exposed shoulders, showing them throughout its Resort collection—from a sweater that encircles the cutouts with a flirty flounce to the cashmere tracksuit in which the athletic stripe splits in two. It’s an inclusive erogenous zone, one that doesn’t discriminate by age or body size. As a recurring statement, it came across as fresh and flattering. But the same could also be said of a satiny champagne-hued parka and a perfectly proportioned Perfecto. Indeed, the brand excels at filling in those ever-present wardrobe gaps; if you never knew you needed a laced chambray shirtdress, you do now. A white blouse with lace incrustations softly updated a business attire mainstay, while the green suede gauchos had their own office-casual allure.Indeed, for all the collection’s strong suits, there were a few weak links; most notably, a missed opportunity to push dynamic, easy eveningwear. Some of the pieces will date better than others; the florals, for instance, may fade fast, especially compared to an LBD in corduroy that seemed expressly designed for long-term restyling. The lineup ultimately sailed on its mix-and-match potential—take or leave the Eastern European traditional dress cited as a theme.
29 June 2016
Whistlesoccupies a funny place among the English high street brands. CEO Jane Shepherdson knows her customer wants seasonal novelty, and she gives her that. But Shepherdson also respects the fact that the woman shopping at Whistles isn’t in the market for pieces she’ll wear for maybe a couple of months and then toss in the bin; she wants stuff that will endure. For that reason, the Whistles team produces collections that go at current trends with a light touch. The brand’s latest outing was especially well balanced, as far as feeling of the moment, but not in a way that was faddish.There were plenty of elements here that signaled the Whistles crew’s familiarity with what’s “now”: The cold-shoulder dresses, the cropped pants with a ’70s flare, the must-have shearlings. But the collection was equally weighted toward clothes with a more timeless appeal, like the knit dresses tapered at the waist or a reversible fleece and nylon bomber. More often than not, the romance of the clothes was to be discovered in their rich textures—tweed, bouclé, velvet, mohair. There were also dramatic flourishes, to wit, the patchwork variation in a rust-toned shearling jacket, or the buttoned calves of a pair of tweed pants, but even these details weren’t the kind that would date the clothes quickly. Whistles sells at a relatively modest price point, but the company assumes that their customers nevertheless make purchases that are considered. This collection reaffirmed that Shepherdson and her team don’t take that consideration lightly.
23 February 2016
When called upon to write about a fashion collection, it's easy to love a concept. The clothes might not be so great, but at least a high concept gives you something to reckon against, a set of ideas enticing to unpack and discuss. Whistles, the British high-street brand that's made forays, of late, into the American market, does not do high concept. This season, for instance, the theme was "a modern take on the '70s." Not much to grapple with, there. Which leaves the harder work of trying to explain why you love the clothes. Perhaps it's easier to pose the question: Whywouldn'tyou? What woman is going to look askance at Whistles' cool tunic tops, easy bi-level knits slit nearly to the armpit on each side, culotte-legged jumpsuits, or washed-out indigo denim? These were wardrobe workhorse pieces, relaxed in tone but executed with a good deal of polish and not a little wit. The design team headed by Whistles' CEO Jane Shepherdson is savvy about layering in a little off-ness into their erstwhile accessible clothes—sometimes, a punchy, unconventional print, like this season's folksy daisies; sometimes, a proportion just shy of the expected, as in the collection's cropped suede jackets. This wasn't a perfect collection—the leathers looked a little heavy, for example—but it was a solid effort. Not much to write about, but lots to wear.
12 June 2015
For the past several seasons now, high-street brand Whistles has been operating in a spirit of expansion: expansion into more global markets, including our own here in the States; expansion into menswear and evening looks; expansion in terms of the design of Whistles' core women's sportswear offer, with larger collections featuring looks of great ambition in terms of cut and fabrication.This time out, the company took a breather, and returned focus to first principles. Inspired by the colors, rustic textures, and sheer frigidity of the Shetland Islands, the Whistles team debuted a pithy collection emphasizing cozy knits and even cozier outerwear, with bright print dresses and a few punchy tailored pieces such as cropped flares interspersed to lighten the tone. The drama here was to be found in the emphatic shearlings, but even those pieces served to underline the collection's theme of comfort.The real story—and the stuff that Whistles' clientele will scoop up by the armload—was the knits, which ran the gamut from taut ribbed sweaters to fuzzy thick dresses and wide-leg trousers with a pajama-like sense of ease. As relaxed as the silhouettes were, though, the execution was sharp. That rule applied to the collection as a whole. What it lacked in vision, it more than made up for in clarity.
25 February 2015
The new Whistles collection ought to get Stateside ladies stoked about the English high-street brand's nascent expansion into America. Dudes, for that matter, can join in on the excitement, too—there were a few polished looks from the new Whistles menswear label interspersed through the show this evening. But the women's clothes were the main story here, and a fine story it was. The strongest looks had a sensual simplicity—a little cream-colored dress, cut away at the waist and through the back; a culotte jumpsuit in black, with deep slits under each arm; a slouchy one-shoulder top in white, paired with matching, equally fluid pants. Linen pieces trimmed in raffia fringe made more of an overt statement, but exuded a similar sense of ease. Laser-cut leather is emerging as a big trend here in London, and the Whistles take on the look was executed with flair; the only qualm, really, is that these looks seem likely to die in the closet after a season, or perhaps two. Some women may not mind that, given that Whistles is a sticker-shock-free zone. But the brand's best clothes always seem meant to endure—an appealing quality, regardless of price. Good-looking pieces, designed and produced to last: That's something to get excited about.
14 September 2014
Whistles is getting ambitious. The British high-street brand expanded both its repertoire and its aesthetic horizons today, introducing a small range of evening looks on the one hand, and presenting some rather challenging garments on the other. The evening looks were a no-brainer: If the genius of a brand is its ability to identify an untapped niche and then perfectly fill it, then you have to credit Whistles for ingeniously seeing a need for well-priced, minimalist eveningwear. There is a customer at this level who wants to dress up simply, and Whistles navy calf-hair sheath and lavender beaded skirt and off-the-shoulder top will suit her to a T.Among the day looks, meanwhile, the big story was print—specifically, blanket check that was elaborated in coats of mohair and jacquard, and as cool silk prints. Shown together, in full looks, the check took on a kind of monumentality—fine for a fashion presentation, but most Whistles customers will want to mix and match these items with other stuff lest they wind up looking like furniture. The silk looks that interrupted the check with pleats were a touch less intimidating in that regard. Elsewhere, the Whistles team were on terra firma with their plush knits—always a killer category for this brand—and their slouchy trousers with folded-over waists. In general, the Whistles vibe is just very, very convincing: Theres polish and sophistication here, but the atmosphere is chillaxed. Thats a hard tone to nail, especially on the relative cheap. Usually, calm in clothes is expensive.
16 February 2014
The English really are blessed in their high street. And one of the very best high-street brands—the labels whose storefronts dot the main thoroughfares of Great Britain—is, indisputably, Whistles. Under the direction of chief executive Jane Shepherdson, the brand has marked out a very specific niche, selling clothes that are well priced but elevated in tone and accessibly fashion-forward. The Whistles shops have become regular stops for the international editors who attend London fashion week, and so it stands to reason that the label is planning to expand its distribution overseas, and throughout the United States especially.This season, Whistles staged its first proper runway show, and the clothes didn't disappoint. Even if looks like a horizontal-stripe slipdress or voluminous cropped trousers didn't shift any fashion paradigms, they were executed with great verve and polish. The clothes here seemed expensive. A lot of that had to do with the application of just-so details, like the choice of a compressed shiny raffia as the material for a slouchy coat, or the collarbone-baring cut of the straps on a tank dress. Whistles is also justifiably known for its prints—this season, the theme was animal print, magnified until unrecognizable—and the brand's relatively new shoe range is attaining similar consistency. The shower shoes here seemed like a must-have. So, for that matter, did the silver separates, and the cropped cashmere knits, and the leather dungaree dresses. The greatest thing about Whistles is that, when it comes to those must-haves, you can actually have them.
13 September 2013