Jane Shepherdson becoming CEO and director of freshly bought-out store Whistles, which I have previously given some comments on their shifting branding hasn't actually been the talk of the town. In fact, I gather they want to keep things hush hush and slowly try and give Whistles the makeover it deserves. I must have been a little dumb not to have known that back in the 70s' when Lucille and Richard Lewin started up Whistles, it was an ickle shop in Marylebone selling labels like Jean Paul Gaultier, Dries Van Noten and John Galliano.  Boutique yesterday, chain store today.  How did a cutting edge boutique then became known for slightly mumsy looks and  soft-lit, hazily focused gals frolicking in the country side in their ditzy floral dresses and wrap cardis.  That I cannot answer by Jane Shepherdson along with design director Nick Passmore seems to want to rectify this and propose something a bit more polished, perhaps trying to get a bit of the Reiss 'high-end high street' pie with an added dose of heritage what with their specially picked out exclusive prints.  The lookbook is straightforward with no messin' around and whilst holding onto something for their former customer, the pieces on offer are far more adaptable and less rigidly 'English Rose'.  The clean presentation doesn't cloud the vision and for now these are going up on my new inspiration wall in the new pad.  I'd expect more of a hype-hype come S/S 09 though as Shepherdson begins to work her retail magic...