The grown-up guide to shopping at ASOS
I say ASOS, and you think... Let me guess. For many, ASOS- which began life in 2000 as As Seen On Screen, selling clothes to match those worn by celebrities- will register as the online-only millennial fashion mecca, bursting at the seams with pieces catering to the fast fashion sensibilities of twenty-somethings seeking to tap into every trend going at the click of a button or swipe of a phone screen. You’d be correct, of course.
But to dismiss the company, which holds an astonishing 85,000 items in stock at any one time, is to underestimate the new horizons it could open for your wardrobe. ASOS has grown and grown where other high street names have faltered. In November last year, it overtook Marks & Spencer in market value. In December, the website notched up 174 million website visits between 16 million active customers. On its app, users spend an average of 80 minutes per month scrolling its offerings.
The numbers are, undeniably, enormous- searches for ‘trainers’ and ’tops’ elicit 2,699 and 22,803 results respectively, at the time of writing. It’s enough to prompt an endless, time-guzzling and ultimately frustrating trawl. The secret, any seasoned ASOS veteran will tell you, is to find the corners which work for you.
Curve gingham coat, ￡65, ASOS; Frill waist trousers, ￡35, ASOS
This could be a regular pilgrimage to the 'New In' section. Here, the breadth of the store’s collection can be witnessed in its full glory; I come across a great leather-look ‘midaxi’ skirt (a useful term to describe a timelessly chic yet of-the-moment mid-calf length), a breezy black and white ‘drouser’ (that’s a dress designed to be layered over trousers), chunky practical but cool sandals and lots of pretty dresses for between ￡40 and ￡100 which would be great for summer events. All this co-exists with the more weirdly wonderful offerings, like a ￡28 take on the sock trainers currently favoured by avant-garde sneakerheads.
“I always head for the new-in section because it changes daily,” says fashion editor Erica Davies, who regularly wears ASOS buys in the photos she posts to her 80,000 Instagram followers, proving the site has plenty to offer those with a grown-up attitude to style. “I use the filters to find the pieces to suit. Otherwise you end up scrolling through thousands of items that - I have discovered - are not meant for 41-year-olds. So I personally filter the styles - always ‘midi’ or ‘maxi’ - and I am even quite specific about brands and colours.” A recently added function also allows you to upload a photo which is then scanned to find matching items (I tried several times with varying degrees of success).
Leather-look midaxi skirt, ￡48, ASOS
For time poor shoppers who don’t want their wardrobes filled with one label alone, ASOS- which offers same day delivery in London, Leeds and Manchester, plus its ‘Premier’ unlimited next-day delivery option for ￡9.95 per year - comes to the rescue with the plethora of labels stocked besides it own; The Telegraph's fashion coordinator and regular ASOS shopper Krissy Turner bookmarks everything from high street names like Stradivarius, Mango and Warehouse to contemporary brands including Sportmax, MiH Jeans and Gestuz. Then there are the various own label offerings such as the sleek new ASOS 4505 sportswear collection to ASOS Made in Kenya (the next drop of which arrives in April) and ASOS White which has become a go-to for fashion insiders seeking thoughtful pieces with a knowing-but not-too-obvious nod to trends, like the oyster pink ruffled dress, rope-detail trench and pleated white and cornflower blue ditsy floral skirt which are online now.
“My first port of call would always be ASOS White, where I have bought an awful lot of pieces over the years,” advises Davies, who wore an orange dress from the collection when she appeared in The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine recently. “There’s a very modern handwriting to the pieces - and as it’s unique to ASOS, there isn’t anything like it on the rest of the high street.”
Pleated dress, ￡55, ASOS; Bamboo clutch, ￡35, ASOS; Striped mules, ￡24.99, ASOS
ASOS has also embraced diversity where many of its competitors have not- lots of items are photographed not just on sample size models on but on curvier women too, while its ‘nude’ shoe range has options to match a full spectrum of skin tones. Sustainability is not being ignored either, with recycled cotton and eco-friendly yarns used in the latest denim range, although given the fashion industry’s pressing need to address its environmental impact there is always more which could be done.
For too long, our shopping habits have been segmented according to the stores we feel we’re ‘supposed’ to shop in. ASOS may at first glance be all about its teen and twenty-something core, but scroll a little deeper into this retail giant and you’ll find it’s mastering ageless style with just as much flair.