PrettyLittleThing's rebrand: from bodycon to boardroom

PrettyLittleThing, famous for cheap clubwear, has received a makeover as it attempts to establish a higher-end identity.

"It's the fashion equivalent of an influencer getting her lip filler dissolved," said India Block in London's The Standard, as the company switches to "elevated fashion essentials".

Its parent company, Boohoo, is also rebranding as Debenhams after a "fall from grace", said James Sillars on Sky News. But whether changes for the "struggling" retailer can make a difference remains unclear.

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'Jump on the bandwagon'

Once the go-to for "clubbing attire at bargain basement prices", PrettyLittleThing's "all-pink logo and packaging" captured a generation, said Block in The Standard.

So ditching this for a "palette of greige, sage, taupe and watered-down burgundy" leaves something to be desired, especially given price increases not "reflected in the quality of the materials and fit".

A company that once "conjured up images" of "bodycon dresses covered in cut-outs" now sells items "reminiscent of Angela Merkel's capsule wardrobe for a G20 summit", said Katie Rosseinsky in The Independent. The tactic of the brand is "clear", even if its "sustainability practices or supply chain transparency" are not. Pretty Little Thing (PLT) is attempting to "jump on the bandwagon of so-called quiet luxury".

These are not just "blazers and beige blouses", said Tayler Adigun in Blavity, but a symbol of a "right-leaning" and "regressive" culture. PLT exists amid a "tandem cultural pivot" towards the conservative, where women are encouraged to be "financially reliant on their male partners" to secure a "soft life".

Not everyone will buy this "shallow" attempt at "posturing as a luxe-label" and this could mark the "beginning of the end" for the brand.

'Struggling badly'

It is "hard to escape the impression" that this fashion company has "simply had its day in the sun", said Nils Pratley in The Guardian. The "new name" of PLT's parent group, Boohoo, is Debenhams, restoring a well-known and trusted brand.

But this "resuscitation operation" may prove fruitless, given how the company is "struggling badly" amid competition in both fast fashion and second-hand spaces.

The best way for the company to secure future success is for it to "make good on its promise" to turn away from fast fashion, said Jenn Szekely in The Drum. Only by offering a "higher-end product" and increasing transparency on its progress can this rebrand "have legs".