High street staple selling ‘middle class boring clothes’ set to open 10 new stores

Since 1981, Cornish clothing brand Seasalt has been the uniform of middle class dog walkers who live on the coast and own Dryrobes.

It’s signature anoraks, jersey and denim dresses (which tend to have pockets and cost up to £125), and woolly jumpers, offer similar ritzy styles to the likes of White Stuff, Joules, and Fat Face.

But despite this stiff competition, rising business rates, and numerous claims of a slowly perishing high street, Seasalt is defying the odds to open a staggering 10 new stores this year.

The brand already has 79 shops across the UK and Ireland, with a further four stores in the US and some in New Zealand, and intends to open its new stores in Britain’s market towns, as it claims demand for its clothing remains strong.

‘It has undoubtedly been a challenging year for the retail industry, with new challenges consistently facing our sector, and this is unlikely to change significantly as we move into a new year,’ Paul Hayes, Seasalt chief executive, told The Times.

‘However, we have built a very resilient business model, particularly over the last five to six years, and we’re confident we can navigate these times and continue our growth trajectory.’

Three of these new shops will open in early 2026, while the rest will open in the second half of the year.

It’s a positive start for the family-owned brand which began in Penzance, selling traditional workwear to local farmers and fishermen.

Three brothers, Neil, Leigh and David Chadwick created Seasalt after their father, Don, opened the first shop, then known as General Clothing Stores, on Adelaide Street.

The brand is loved by its 63% of its shoppers because it feels like a ‘sustainable choice’, according to Which?, given its a UK-based brand, uses non-toxic materials and has durable clothing.

It also uses paper packaging and even has a take back scheme, where you can get £25 to spend for returning used items. If they can be resold, they are marketed on the Reskinned website or eBay.

That hasn’t stopped some shoppers poking fun at the Cornish clothing brand, though, who might be surprised to hear of the brand’s 2026 plans.

‘I feel like Sea Salt is just Fat Face but exclusively for the middle aged and can’t be bothered to make clothes with an actual shape,’ wrote on Redditor.

Another called it ‘middle class boring clothes’, while one said: ‘If you need a hundred quid hoody to walk the labradoodles near the beach then they got you.’

For clarification, Seasalt’s most expensive ‘sweatshirt’ will set you back £75.95, still a pretty penny.

Others confused Seasalt with the likes of Fat Face and White Stuff, admitting: ‘I went into a Seasalt yesterday (dragged in by the wife and mother-in-law) and it took me a few minutes to work out what it was.

‘I don’t get it, they all sell the same generic stuff in the same shabby chic style shop quietly playing elbow in the background.’

But where there is dark, there is light, and the shop has plenty of diehard fans too. One user wrote: ‘Sea Salt has dresses with pockets and that is better than anything. Also, much better quality than thin cheap rubbish.’

Seasalt also has hundreds of stocklists at the likes of M&S, Next, and Bloomingdales, and even plans to launch with the Australian department store David Jones this year, too.

It will have five in-store trials in the following cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane.

All this investment took its pre-tax profits from £7.3 million to £4.4 million in 2025, but in the same breath, it had its ‘best ever’ trading period with a 16% increase in direct-to-consumer sales in the fortnight leading up to Black Friday last year.

So watch out, there are some dresses with pockets coming to a market town near you.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Comments Add as preferred source