The five fashion brands worth queueing for

There are queues, and there are queues. Those interested in seeing the chic-est – and possibly longest – of these should hot-foot it down to the new Polène store in Regent Street, London, which opened this week. Founded by three siblings in 2016, so high is demand for Polène’s well-made, well-priced handbags (its current bestseller is the £330 Cyme) that in Paris, where the brand originated, fans will happily wait in line for two hours to buy one. “We regularly have customers who arrive at the store with luggage, having come straight from the airport,” says a spokesman. “Often those from faraway countries such as the United States or Japan say it’s the first thing they do, even before going to their hotel.” Their enthusiasm has seen Polène reach sales of over $150 million (£120 million).

In Britain, we love to queue. During the pandemic, we all queued virtually for a supermarket slot, waiting patiently as we moved from 111,254th to next in line. Post-pandemic, life might be busier and more complex, but the queues are equally as long. Only in 2024, that’s the point.

Rather than a necessity or a chore, queueing is a badge of honour, an IYKYK (“if you know, you know”) activity that signals your belonging to whichever tribe you choose to queue with. It’s also highly social; a bonding experience where friendships can be forged or strengthened. Fuelled by social media (especially TikTok), we now live in times when the queueing itself is as much of a thrill as the item you’re queueing for. Some people even get dressed up for the occasion – not as daft as it sounds, given the likelihood of you ending up on someone’s Instagram feed. For if you don’t film the queue, can you even be said to have queued at all? Apparently not.

It’s hard to pinpoint any magic formula that makes these brands worth waiting for. Scarcity, either of product or opportunity, is one: limited-edition drops, sample sales and pop-ups tend to generate hype, particularly on social media. But more important still is the product itself. It doesn’t have to be cheap, but it does have to be perceived as good value. If it’s well priced, well marketed and well designed, the sky (or rather, the pavement) is the limit.

Here are five brands worth queuing for.

Polène

Polène’s store, location and products give the impression that it’s a luxury brand whose prices will require customers to brace themselves before parting with their money. Spoiler alert: prices are exponentially lower than expected. Which is why, on any given day, it draws a queue of fans eager to buy one of its sleek, well-crafted bags, typically priced between £330 and £520.

Visiting the Paris store on Rue de Richelieu last week, Ema, a nanny from London, found the queueing experience very civilised. “I arrived at 10am, and was given instruction to scan a QR code, which generated a number and an estimated queuing time of 55-65 minutes,” she recalls. “Rather than wait in line, customers are encouraged to stay nearby, and their phone will message them to say when they can enter the store.”

Once inside, Ema was assigned a personal adviser, who helped her try out different colours of bag, although the one she wanted – “Numéro Neuf” in camel (£380) – wasn’t in stock. “I called my dad, practically crying because a two-hour process still had me leaving empty-handed,” she says. “Most people did buy something – the queue for the till was quite long.” She pre-ordered the bag instead, and expects to take delivery on January 17.

Of Polène’s appeal, she says price is definitely a factor. “A luxury bag costs £2,000, and at the other end, there’s Zara. Polène fills that gap in the market. There’s a lot of hype around it, and constant rumours that prices will go up, so I’m really glad I bought one now.”

Although next time, she won’t have to travel to Paris, but simply join the queue at Polène’s new two-storey London flagship.

Join the queue: Polène, 74-76 Regent St, London W1B 5RL

Sézane

For years, the only shops in London’s chi-chi Marylebone guaranteed to draw queues were food-related, namely La Fromagerie and The Ginger Pig. This all changed last year, with the opening of Sézane, the French label beloved for its “cool girl” clothes, shoes, jewellery and bags, which, like Polène’s, look more expensive than they are. In fact, scrub “cool girl” as a descriptor and replace it with “cool midlifer”.

Brits have had a crush on French style since Brigitte Bardot, but Sézane’s particular trick is to hone in on its less intimidating iterations. Rather than the skinny-jeaned, pointy-booted all-black look beloved of French fashion editors, Sézane majors in pretty blouses, slouchy jeans and Mary Janes in soft autumnal hues. Nor do you need to look like Jane Birkin to wear them: sizes run from 4 to 20.

Wool jumper, £106, Sézane

On a Friday afternoon, the queue was fairly short, comprised largely of solo women, as well as the occasional couple (the store also sells menswear). Ask customers why they’re queuing and they’ll look at you as though you’re slightly mad. “I’m happy to queue if it means a nicer shopping experience once I’m inside,” says 40-something Nadia. “I wouldn’t queue for long,” she added. Based in Herne Hill, she’d come in person to try on a £95 “Gaspard” cardigan because she was unsure of her size. According to a Sézane spokesman, it’s this season’s bestseller, along with the Clyde trench (£275) and the white Vannie shirt (£105).

Join the queue: Sézane, 29 Marylebone High St, London W1U 4PL

Gucci, Bicester Village

By what strange alchemy Gucci manages to generate the longest queues of all the fashion emporia in Britain’s most fabled designer outlet centre, we do not know. But it does – to an extent that is well documented on TikTok, for those who haven’t experienced the phenomenon for themselves.

No amount of velvet rope or polite but firm security staff can stop some queuers from becoming irate, particularly at peak times (don’t even think of going on a weekend). For many, it’s a family affair: husbands and wives queuing with fretful children in tow can be a common sight, as are head-to-toe Gucci-clad couples in the first flush of love. It would almost be sweet, if it wasn’t so agonising, although Bicester has now implemented a virtual queue system. The classic loafers, bags and belts will never go out of fashion.

Join the queue: Gucci, Bicester Village, Unit 109-110 50 Pingle Drive, OX26 6WD

Djerf Avenue

Few things are more dispiriting than queuing for a pop-up. No matter how early you arrive, it is a stone cold fact that 453 people will have arrived before you – even if you pitched up at 6am.

While pop-ups aren’t exclusively aimed at younger customers, they’re particularly popular with Gens Alpha and Z, partly because they’re the only demographic with the requisite time on their hands to spend queuing. Alas, the glaring flaw in the plan is that they’re also the demographic without the requisite funds to pay for their wares. Which is why, at certain pop-ups throughout the land, you’ll probably encounter a line of knackered and baffled parents, the most far-sighted of whom will have come prepared with camping chairs and Thermoses.

Forever Blazer, £165, Djerf Avenue

Kudos, then, to Djerf Avenue, the Swedish brand whose pop-up in London’s Covent Garden distributed free coffee and saffron buns to the lengthy line outside. It helps that the brand’s founder, fashion influencer Matilda Djerf, is barely older than her core customer: she launched Djerf Avenue in 2019, aged 22, and clearly understands her market.

Canvassing the queue on a Saturday afternoon, it seemed that the fruit-print nightwear was a draw (for Gen Z, anything with a cherry or strawberry print is a licence to print money), though so, too, was the founder herself. “I was here on the day it opened, and Matilda herself was inside,” beams Sophie, 16. “She’s been through a lot herself, like an eating disorder, and I think it’s inspiring how she’s built this.” Her friend Leonie agrees. “It’s like Brandy Melville, minus the sketchy ‘one size only’ vibes. Sizes go up to 3XL, so it feels inclusive. [Matilda] cares about where the clothes are made.” Where are they made? “I’m not sure – but not in Thailand.”

Join the queue: Follow Djerf Avenue for details of future pop-ups

Stüssy

Launched in 1984, Stüssy was drawing queues long before skatewear rivals such as Supreme and Palace were even born. Both would admit owing a debt to the granddaddy of all niche surf and skatewear brands, whose £350 down-filled jackets, £130 hoodies and limited-edition “drops” are catnip to Gen Z, just as they once were to their parents. Nor is it just the London store that draws queues: its outpost in Margate, boldly opened earlier this year, is equally popular. In July, a collaboration with Nike spawned hours-long queues, while the mere fact that it’s December will generate lengthy ones. Take a book, buy a coffee and prepare to make friends – unless you snaffle the last grey beanie.

Join the queue: Stüssy Margate, 18 Marine Gardens, Margate CT9 1UH