Sweaty Betty - the final nail in the gentrification coffin?

[pato]

...to feel good Otta...

[Otta]

Part & parcel.

[*Bob*]

I confess!

I like fancy joggers.

I never jog.

Lord have mercy upon my soul.

[SueV]

x

[jacks09]

Otta Wrote:

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> Surely most people that are serious about sport /

> exercise prioritise comfort and practicality

> before style? (not that they don't want to look

> good too, otherwise why bother in the first

> place).

Why are you assuming they aren't comfortable and practical? Maybe p, just maybe they are functional and reflective of current gym style.....

[Otta]

I am not assuming anything, nor could I actually give a shit either way.

I just suspect that a lot of people doing yoga or gym or whatever won't have the look and style as their top priority.

[indiepanda]

Otta Wrote:

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> I am not assuming anything, nor could I actually

> give a shit either way.

>

> I just suspect that a lot of people doing yoga or

> gym or whatever won't have the look and style as

> their top priority.

Not top priority maybe, but especially if you aren't feeling that confident about your appearance, having some decent kit can help.

Mind you, I am speaking as someone who used to get everything in Decathlon and have only recently progressed to buying last (or earlier) season Reebok stuff in T K Maxx. Not sure I see me buying full price Sweaty Betty stuff any time soon. (might venture in during the sale)

Has to be said the Reebok leggings are noticeably better than the Decathlon ones. The latter need a drawstring to stop them falling down and the Reebok ones have a nice deep waistband that stays up without needing to be tied on. And they do have a more interesting range of prints etc than the basic black Decathlon ones.

But to be honest, the only things you really need to spend money on sports kit wise is decent trainers (cheap often a false economy) and for a women a well fitting sports bra.

[midivydale]

Having only read part of this thread (lunch break nearly up!) and realising that most of you have prob moved on weeks ago (need to venture to the lounge more often).

I just out of interest wonder about the Sweaty Betty/ Space Nk thing. If one is against Sweaty Betty as it attracts the coffee drinking, sun glass, pram pushing whatever else the description was then how is the targeted demographics any different for Space NK? Genuine question, please explain (not that you have to obv Lou, but as a fellow space nk lover I am genuinely interested). Having just returned from the Space NK on Liverpool St this morning, I genuinely wonder how a shop like that can be described as "serving the community"?

That argument seems flawed to me that is all, the chains of high end somewhat aspiring shops that are so detrimental to the community and our area, are indeed ok - if they are make up shops??? Or because it is a shop that you like?

I fail to see how Space NK would serve the community in any other way than Sweaty whats her name would.

[Earl Aelfheah]

A lot of people virtually live in 'active wear'. It's not necessarily just for going to the gym in.

[LondonMix]

If any of you lot went to the local gyms around here you'd see that many people working out invest in high tech and/or fashionable kit.

If you work out a lot (5 days a week etc) then it probably becomes more rather than less important to you what your kit looks like as you spend a lot of time in it.

Gyms around here are also very social. People hang out with gym class mates outside of the gym so its an entire scene on to itself.

That fashionable gym kit is a thing (at all price points) is evidenced by Kate Hudson's very successful (affordable) line in the US and Beyonce's new line with H&M. Nice looking kit makes people feel better and high functioning kit (smart breathable fabrics etc) are more pleasant to work out in.

[nxjen]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> A lot of people virtually live in 'active wear'.

> It's not necessarily just for going to the gym in.

Is this what they mean by virtual reality?

[Louisa]

midivydale Wrote:

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> Having only read part of this thread (lunch break

> nearly up!) and realising that most of you have

> prob moved on weeks ago (need to venture to the

> lounge more often).

>

> I just out of interest wonder about the Sweaty

> Betty/ Space Nk thing. If one is against Sweaty

> Betty as it attracts the coffee drinking, sun

> glass, pram pushing whatever else the description

> was then how is the targeted demographics any

> different for Space NK? Genuine question, please

> explain (not that you have to obv Lou, but as a

> fellow space nk lover I am genuinely interested).

> Having just returned from the Space NK on

> Liverpool St this morning, I genuinely wonder how

> a shop like that can be described as "serving the

> community"?

>

> That argument seems flawed to me that is all, the

> chains of high end somewhat aspiring shops that

> are so detrimental to the community and our area,

> are indeed ok - if they are make up shops??? Or

> because it is a shop that you like?

>

> I fail to see how Space NK would serve the

> community in any other way than Sweaty whats her

> name would.

I am more than happy to take up your points midivydale. Thanks for responding and bringing this thread back on topic.

My concern with Sweaty Betty is that it is appealing to a niche market, as others have pointed out, it's a very lucrative market in colonised neighbourhoods such as ED. The yummies will be queuing up to waste money on outfits for their gym trips and that's upto them, Sweaty Betty are only taking advantage of that business opportunity. But it's not appealing to a wider clientele or demographic. My concern for LL is that the balance of useful shops for everyone against useful shops for a small proportion is the population is becoming unacceptable.

Now, on your point about Space NK, yes they are a higher end chain, but a beauty shop will always appeal to a large section of people across a wide socio demographic population. Even if it's just for a treat once in a while. I am of course partially biased as I have a thing for Body Shop, Lush and Space NK. I do however believe, that they would be a great addition to the area as they would give us somewhere to go that's more mainstream to buy gifts and treats for ourselves and friends. It would be well used, and it would bring the community together in a love of all things beauty. Two very different types of chain which will affect LL in different ways.

Louisa.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

I somehow have Lou more down for a pink Juicy Couture jogger. Ideal leisure wear for a glass of vino in the garden.

Could be wrong.

[Louisa]

You aren't wrong HMB. Pink or a nice off-purple. If it gets chilly in the evening, you can't go wrong with a jogging outfit. Not sure id venture to SB for said items though, I'm more of a TK Maxx kind of girl.

Louisa.

[LondonMix]

Louisa, you are just biased. You don't have to be rich to treat yourself to nice work out close occasionally and you don't have to be rich to treat yourself to nice make up. Its just about spending priorities and personal preference.

[edcam]

Buying pricey nonsense in Space NK is neither better, nor worse for East Dulwich than buying pricey nonsense in Sweaty Betty.

[midivydale]

It is interesting points, all of them.

Lou if you saw me in the street you probably would snigger at my pram pushing(although now more scooter pulling), sunglass clad self. You would most likely NEVER see me without a coffee in hand(or wine if you saw me past 12 noon). Lou, in many ways I look like the person you describe (although I AM the banker, not married to one).

However, looks are deceiving, and provides just a snapshot of someone's life. It does not give you on iota of insight into who that person are. If you saw me on maternity leave the sunglasses would be there because of painful rosacea and lack of sleep (My son did not sleep for 12 mnths, it nearly broke me.) Ditto the constant coffee drink was because, somehow, I just had to get through the day.

I am a "banker" as in work in one, but like so many I fight most days to keep my eyes above water in terms of my financial commitments.

I too, am more of a TK maxx girl than Sweaty whats her name, and I spend more than I should in Space NK. Like you I think it would be a great asset to the community. I am sure my partner would disagree.

What I am getting at is that there are many many of us sunclad, coffee drinking, pram pushing types that care deeply about our community too!

[Mick Mac]

Help-Ma-Boab Wrote:

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> I somehow have Lou more down for a pink Juicy

> Couture jogger. Ideal leisure wear for a glass of

> vino in the garden.

I can picture Mrs Rab C .....

[ed_pete]

Not Sweaty Betty but Really !!

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,2080981

and

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,2070631,2073475#msg-2073475

Perhaps I need to combine the two and offer an ethical buggy cleaning service.

[Seabag]

Really, this needs to be retired to the ?Old Threads Home?

Things have moved on, it?s nearly 2020