Browse through the rails of colourful couture in Dress For Less and you’re confronted with all the big designers; Burberry, Jigsaw, Ghost, Alexander McQueen.
Underneath them, written on the price tags, are other, less familiar names; Jane, Rachel, Simone, Emily. The St. John Street shop sells new and nearly new designer clothes on behalf of people who have no use for them. They make sure that the original owners get their due – giving their names pride of place on the tags and taking only 40 or 50 per cent commission.
The business was started 17 years ago by Anna Coles, after she realised that it would be more profitable than a car boot sale:
“It started as a way to get rid of some designer clothes, it was mine and my husband’s clothes, and our friend’s, and then it just grew. More and more people started bringing clothes and we sold them for commission.”
Seventeen years on and thousands of people visit the shop each week, to buy dresses, shoes, jeans and bags. Anna says that the most expensive item she’s ever sold was a Burberry Prorsum Mac, for £500. She’s now trying to expand the business, and the shop has a presence on twitter and facebook: “We’re still working out how to use them though, we’re not sure how yet!”
Dress For Less: 391 St John Street, EC1V 4LD, open Monday -Saturday
Image credit – Dina Rickman
