Jack Wills

I shopped at this location on holiday back in 2008, and they were absolutely lovely.
The environment in their stores is truly «Fabulously British», and their shop gives off a great vibe.
Great location, and great selection, they’re a must do for your Brighton shopping day!

Jack Wills’ strapline is Jack Wills: University Outfitters. It calls itself this in the same way the old magazine ‘Just Seventeen’ (I don’t even know if that still exists) is not actually read by any self-​respecting seventeen year old; it is aimed at thirteen year olds who want to be seventeen. Jack Wills is mostly worn by preppy school kids for whom going to Oxford or Cambridge would be more about what it would say about their class than what it would mean for their education. Jack Will’s isn’t solely worn by children, obviously, I — to my great shame — actually quite like some of the clothes, although I enjoy it with the full consciousness that what I am buying into whenever I go in is completely phoney and slightly distasteful. This was never more the case than a few seasons ago when their catalogue (and thus their store) had a kind of British Raj aesthetic going on. The photo shoots for the catalogue were all in India, so you have these kids in horrendously overpriced cricket jumpers lounging around on elephants, accessorized with old leather suitcases and the like. To me, that was basically like crack — a terribly guilty pleasure that I am addicted to but oh so ashamed to enjoy. Despite being a liberally educated individual who studied all about the damaging effects of colonialism, I would secretly bloody love to be able to go back in time and live my life like E.M. Forster’s Passage to India, and that’s what Jack Wills sells — a ‘terribly British’ aesthetic, all public school, tea and polo matches. It’s a fantasy, and the clothes are hideously overpriced, but sometimes I can’t help but be seduced.

Jack Wills is definitely the best-​designed shop I’ve ever been in. Very impressive. It sells both women’s and men’s wear, along with some basic houseware (bedding, cushions, etc.) but it feels like you’re a guest in someone’s home, free to snoop through their stuff.
Some shirts were folded neatly along bookshelves (intermixed with books, of course) whilst others were hanging in closets. The shop’s first floor includes a den — complete with television and pinball machine — and a bedroom, where socks neatly peek out from one of the dresser drawers.
Sales clerks were bustling around, tidying every section as though they were expecting visitors at any minute. They all seemed to be really dedicated to their jobs, though too focused to offer assistance or greetings.
This shop was a treat to look through, although I wouldn’t buy anything. It’s quite pricey. (I must admit it was tempting to pick something up, as my initals were embroidered onto everything. Personalised sweat pants!)

Jack Wills is best described as the British Abercrombie & Fitch. If you don’t know Abercrombie then just think preppy, preppy, preppy — American football team, chiselled jaw lines and ripped torsos. Jack Wills is definitely a British brand, but the preppy peppiness is very American. The branding is obvious and, unlike the brand’s aspirations of classiness, it is rather crass and gaudy. Some of the products are nice, especially the girls’ clothes, which are cuter and more subtle than the boys’.
The clothes are expensive, which is kind of the point. The quality is pretty good, but I’d rather buy Diesel or Levis jeans for £98. However, people who wear Jack Wills want you to know a) that they’re wearing Jack Wills, and b) that the Jack Wills clothes they’re wearing cost Jack Wills prices
To give the store its props, the layout is very nice and the attention to detail in the window dressings and the internal displays is highly commendable.
I personally prefer brands that focus on quality rather than obvious branding, but there are one or two Jack Wills products that I’d buy: so long as it didn’t look too Jack Wills. But I guess I’m not their target market?!

Gorgeous Store. Lovely lay out. The staff upstairs in the women’s section are always very friendly and helpful. There can be a tendency for staff to talk amongst themselves whilst serving you at the cash desk. The cash desk should be the main place where you get top service one to one. I have found this to lack on a couple of occasions. Overall, worth a visit to the store.