Matalan - the trendiest brand this year?

Anyone else noticed that Matalan is everywhere recently? For me, Matalan has never been a brand to associate with fashion. When I thought of the shop, jogging pants and comfort came to mind.. I owned some clothes from there as a child but I never once ventured in as an adult..

BUT, this year I think they're outdoing every other high street shop in the style stakes.

So, how have they gone from drab to fab?

Their secret (besides great PR and a beautiful model) is in a capsule collection called 'The Statements' - everyday pieces will easily fit into your existing wardrobe, can be mixed and matched and come in a variety of colours.

They've kept every item simple and classic with a perfect fit. Last month I needed a leather jacket and searched high and low for the perfect one - biker, with zips, not too short and maybe some quilting... I looked in every shop I could think of (I set my heart on the beautiful one in Zara but my bank balance didn't agree) and then I saw it in a magazine. The perfect jacket, for £30.. FROM MATALAN?!
I had never even thought of them!

PU Leather Jacket £30

It's probably the best faux leather jacket I've ever come across and it's so soft!

After a good experience with the jacket (and a store card with discounts!) I decide to do some online shopping. I was amazed at what I found!

Heart Blouse £12 , Grey Cocoon Coat £40,  Textured Knit Jumper £20, Grey Midi Textured Skirt £16, Embellished Blouse £16, Waffle Wrap Skirt £14, Zig Zag Print Sequin Dress £25, Ponte Skort £14

All these items would work easily together and with the clothes that I already own. The Burberry printed heart shirt is so in demand and they've have the common sense to make their own version at an amazing price! I think Matalan have done a great job with the quality of their items - they look a lot more expensive than they actually are.

Shoe Boots £24, Oversized Tote Bag £20, Across Body Satchel £15, Triple Buckle Ankle Boots £24, Lace Up Shoe Boots £24, Tote Bag £15

Did anyone else immediately think Mulberry Alexa when they saw this satchel?! It's beautiful! This bag is only £15 and I have the burgundy one (definitely recommend it!) One tip with buying bags from Matalan - don't buy online. Always buy your bags instore. I bought a lovely grey tote online and it arrived covered in dirty marks.. I had to go to the store to exchange it (which is how I ended up with the burgundy satchel!) Speaking of burgundy, the Triple Buckle Ankle boots also come in black!

It's also worth mentioning that Abbey Clancy and Liverpool based designers Philip Armstrong have their own collaborative collections instore now! Abbey has some great leather pieces and Philip's courts are beautiful!

I still think there are a lot of clothes that don't relate to me or my age group but they're doing a great job at branching out to the younger audience and I think their collections are only going to get better!
.So what do you think? Have you recently bought anything from Matalan or are you still not convinced?

x

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All photographs from Matalan