Where can I buy lovely but non fashionable clothes?

[HarriedWithChildren]

I've just ordered yet another plain jumper from Boden and just wish there was somewhere else to buy clothes that are:

Mostly natural fabrics
Machine washable
Print free, mostly
Classic in style but youngish
Reasonably affordable

I'm fed up with having to trawl through websites full of trendy polyester wear I'm too old and fat for to find e.g. a red "boyfriend" cardi to go with a dress I already have. Yes, I have been known to buy things from Bhs.

Where do you go for classics/basics?

[FrancesFarmer]

Toast? It's a bit expensive but the sales are good.

[Popbiscuit]

J. Crew.

[southeastastra]

la redoute?

[neuroticmumof3]

braintree fits your criteria. I've just bought this and this and think they are both gorgeous. The material they use is very nice, a hemp/cotton mix.

[cerealqueen]

lands end have some lovely stuff.

[RightUpMyRue]

Marks and Spencer.

[Cartoonjane]

Jigsaw? Pricy but good quality and not too young.

[HarriedWithChildren]

Thanks all,

Braintree looks cute, a little colourful but cute. Don't fit in and/or can't afford JCrew, Jigsaw or Toast so I guess it's back to Marks, just like my MIL, how depressing.

Will have a look at La Redoute when I have a mo.

[madammecholet]

NO don't look at marks..... wash out your mouth.

Look at White Company (sale), White stuff (fits some people - not me), Cos, Great Plains here or Uniglo here also look on places like not on the high street like this bargain dress

[southeastastra]

i'd got some nice things from marks lately! (the larger stores) and they're fab!

[animula]

Comptoir de Cotoniers

[delphinedownunder]

Try New Zealand Nature company - I love their bamboo stuff. They will ship to the UK.

[polyhymnia]

Comptoir are gorgeous.

M and S very mixed to put it mildly, and much of their stuff is ghastly, but I'd have thought a few things - eg the Autograph cashmere range - do meet your criteria.

Jaeger? Plainer things in Hobbs?

[teta]

You could be me, Harried.I think Marks is actually having a good year and i have bought bits and pieces.But i hate the mass of synthetic fabrics available on some really quite expensive items.I always buy down and cashmere coats in TK Maxx as generally the quality is better than standard high street coats.I love the Braintree site,the colours and styles-thank you Neurotic.....I am going to order from there today.I live in the countryside and 12 miles from a small town centre.Therefore i have no access to Hobbs,Comptoir etc.Also i am in my 40's [albeit with young kids] and i now suit different shapes to when i was younger.Its now much more difficult to order online and get something looking really good.I really just want clothes that suit me,look good and are comfortable to wear [no polyester!],I'll leave high fashion to my 12 year old dd.

[higgle]

Save up for something from Brora?

[HarriedWithChildren]

Snap Teta, also live in the middle of nowhere, well actually just outside Leeds but might was well be the Gobi desert as far as quality shopping for the just over 40 but not quite past it woman is concerned. So everything has to be online.

La Redoute has a long red cardi, hurrah. I used to like Kew but it's gone urban or something. Will look at White Company and Uniqlo when next in London.

What is it with that suspiciously soft knitwear that's everywhere now but makes you sweat like crazy and bobbles immediately? I loathe it. Is it at least made of recycled plastic bottles or some other commendable process?

I love Hobbs but quite frankly with 3 DCs under 5 it's out of the question and will have to wait they know how to blow their noses, on a hankie not on me.

[CaptainNancy]

I wear things similar to your list of criteria, and I shop (very infrequently) in
gap
M&S
white company
kew
white stuff

ebay sometimes.

[CointreauVersial]

I also loathe synthetic knitwear with a passion, and the first thing I do when I pick up a garment is rummage around inside for the content label!

Nowt wrong with Marks, as long as you go to a large-ish store.

Another vote for Uniqlo. Very nice quality basics; their heat-tech tops are legendary for layering.

[Sinkingfeeling]

I love Peopletree, though their collection is quite small.

[vixsatis]

Brora
Jigsaw

[Emo76]

GAP (few times a year there's a 30% off code)
Uniqlo

[HarriedWithChildren]

Those brands are all really lovely but I'm not adventurous enough to wear 90% of their clothes. Once you strip out large patterns, anything over the knee, polyester, black, non washables, anything over £100, etc... it's no wonder I'm so frumpy.

Maybe I need to lose weight and go splurge at JCrew.

[SootySweepandSue]

What about Whistles? Unfortunately pricey but there is usually quite a bit on eBay. I've bought some Orla Kiely clothes from eBay recently too. Fashionable yes but very understated.

[Emo76]

have you considered keeping buying plain boring things and wearing what you have but adding different shoes/scarves/jewelerry in different colours/textures etc? might be a cheaper fix?

[SootySweepandSue]

Banana Republic also good but again pricey.

Have you thought about trying to make a capsule wardrobe of less items (but slightly higher quality ie more longevity than regular)? I'm trying to attempt this myself but not doing it that well yet as I'm too skint and keep changing shape...I'd love to have a wardrobe of really really nice things that all match and coordinate and look good even if it was just 20 things.