Since I first started shopping at Topman the brand has gone from standard high-street fare to uber-trendy outlet - the first port of call for any self respecting hipster. This was not an unwelcome change for me and many of the clothes they stock here are exactly the sort of thing I would (and do) choose to wear. There are occasional missteps (an obsession with gilets a couple of ago, the recent obsession with t-shirts with flappy bits hanging off the neck) but by and large decent clothes available with not too much effort.
The problem for me is both the cost, which has increased significantly recently (the 2 t-shirts for a £10 has gone up to £12, you will struggle to get a pair of shorts for under £25) and the quality, which is on some items frankly appalling (a pair of carrot-fit trousers ripped along the thigh only a couple of weeks after I bought them).
This particular branch also leaves much to be desired. Where the Topshop upstairs is given light and breathing space, the Topman is relegated to the basement and is cramped with low ceilings and racks all pushed together. There also seems to be some sort of obsession with varying the levels down here, with so many platforms and needless sets of three or four steps that it all just becomes a bit confusing. The staff are very friendly, it must be said, which I can only commend them for - I would find it difficult to be so cheery if I was made to work down here. read more