Recently I was invited along to the White Stuff‘s flagship store on George Street for a tour and to hear about what was going on there. As well as their regular line-up of special events and promotions, during August they became a Fringe venue and hosted the Craft Scotland Summer Show.

Lucy Roscoe

Ursula Hunter

Taking place across the second floor, the Summer Show featured makers from all over Scotland specialising in everything from textiles, to ceramics, jewellery to papercrafts. The White Stuff also hosted Meet Your Maker events where the public were given the chance to hear a free programme of talks from selected artists.

Next I got a tour of the changing rooms. Bit confusing as these are clearly wardrobes. However, each one is a Narnia, opening into an individually designed room. I don’t want to spoil the surprise but here are a few of my favourite details:

The last room – Under the Sea – and a few others were designed by kids in a competition. Their original drawings are hung on the door which is a really sweet gesture.

These kinds of gestures continue throughout the store. Everything is considered. As you first come into the store there is a tea-stop where you can rest your weary feet. There are chalkboards where the staff write about what else is happening in Edinburgh that week. By the changing rooms there is a fort for kids to play in and watch a cartoon. The men’s section boasts a vintage pool table. Dog bowls are available for our pooch pals. There’s a book club with books provided by the company. Overall, there is a real community spirit in the shop. There’s no hard sale here, it’s just very nice.

Another major plus is the sweet shop. You know me, can’t resist something sugary! In all seriousness though, the sweet shop, along with additional fundraising activity such as bake sales, raises money for Lothian Autistic Society. The store has raised over £16,000 since 2010 which is amazing.

And let’s not forget the clothes. The White Stuff is known for quality pieces with a focus on good design and construction and cheerful designs. With the season changing, let me tell you, there are many jumpers, scarves and jackets that I very firmly have my eye on.

The White Stuff team very kindly gifted me a goody bag which included two of the recent reads from their book club. What a great selection! Need to get myself on the waiting list.

Lastly – the selfie mirror! This is located in the changing rooms and emails you your pic to share to Facebook (or your preferred form of digital communication) and instantly canvas opinions on your new outfit. Genius!

Massive thank you the entire team at George Street for inviting me along and especially to Vita (their fantastic Marketing intern) for the tour. The White Stuff is truly a unique shopping experience. The staff seem to really love working there and I think that is so important for the atmosphere of any shop. I highly recommend you pop along and check it out. With an eclectic mix of events (bit gutted I missed the free gin for National Gin Day), you’re guaranteed to stumble across something special happening, as well as some gorgeous clothes!