Good People, Good Places. 10 Years of Frontiers, Edinburgh.

18.09.2026

Frontiers Man and Frontiers Woman are two neighbourhood stores that sit opposite each other on the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s West End, run by husband and wife Jane Forbes and Nigel Pashley. From the brands they stock to their in-store events, they focus on quality, authenticity and connecting with their community.

Jane opened Frontiers Woman in 1990, with a move to the West End in 2007 and Frontiers Man following (along with Nigel) in 2015. Both stores have stocked Universal Works in some capacity since then—they each curate their picks with their respective customers in mind, although they often see men and women shopping in both. Jane tells us, “It's less about rigid categories and more about personal expression. We see customers crossing between our two stores all the time, picking pieces that work for their style rather than their gender. Many of our brands lean into this fluidity—great style has no boundaries.”

That relaxed, welcoming feel is key, whether people are heading in to shop the new offerings or just popping in for a chat. Community comes first—from hosting events and working with local makers or championing brands that share their values. Like Nigel says, “It’s about creating a space where people feel welcome. There's no pressure. People can take their time, discover new brands and maybe try something different when they’re ready. It’s about making shopping feel easy, social and enjoyable, rather than a hard sell.”

Two people that are likely to agree with this are Jo and Jim, who wear their favourite Universal Works pieces for a shoot around the stores with the rest of Team Frontiers. Jo is a Welsh Interior Designer who arrived in Edinburgh via Mexico and the States who has shopped at Frontiers for the last 20 years, and Jim, a Head of Product, who has been a customer since the very beginning of Frontiers Man—nine years and counting. That’s loyalty.

Nigel sums it up perfectly; “It’s not just a job or business; we live and breathe it every day. It’s now not just Jane and Nigel, it’s the entire family, and when you run a business together, it becomes an extension of who you are. Customers can feel when something is built with passion and integrity, and we hope that's what sets Frontiers apart. We're lucky to be part of something that feels bigger than retail.”

Something bigger than retail. We really couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

It has been ten years since Frontiers Man first opened its doors in Edinburgh, and Universal Works has been on the shelves since day one.

Whilst Frontiers Man celebrates ten years in Edinburgh, Frontiers marks over 35 years as an independent retailer. To commemorate the occasion, we created a special edition of the Zip Overshirt in three Harris Tweed cloths. There are just 30 pieces altogether, ten in each colourway, a small run to mark two significant milestones.

Frontiers Co-Founder Nigel explains why they chose our Zip Overshirt in Harris Tweed.

“Universal Works was one of the first brands we secured when we decided to open a menswear store in Edinburgh, and their collections that we stock have grown in size over the years as our business has expanded too. We have previously undertaken several successful promotions with them, including the Good People Good Places feature last year. Universal Works is extremely popular with our customers, as it is with our team, and they are quite simply great people to deal with on all levels. It felt like the obvious choice to partner with them on this project.

One of the most exciting things about getting this season’s collections delivered is the fabulous range of overshirts and jackets from Universal Works, with the Zip Overshirt being a front leader. It can be worn as a layering piece or as a lightweight jacket. The decision to go with Harris Tweed just seemed like such an obvious choice, being based here in Scotland, and having already stocked the Chore Jacket in Harris Tweed over a number of years. The Outer Hebrides is one of Jane’s and my favourite places to visit, having spent some time in Lewis and Harris over recent years. It is quite a special place to be at any time of the year.

We were looking for a fairly small run of garments and Universal Works suggested the idea of one style but in three colours of 10 each, to represent the 10 years we have been trading. We agreed that the Zip Overshirt would be ideal, and David sourced a number of options of fabrics. We particularly liked the suggestion to number each item out of 10, which has been embroidered on the label in red, and one has also been produced for each of our Team members with their initials also embroidered in red; such a nice touch!

The whole process has been very smooth and it has been a pleasure to work with all the gang at UW to make this a successful collaboration for us both.”