It's one of those seasons

[eurochick]

I had a rare spare hour on Friday to pop to the shops. I came back empty handed. Everywhere was full of frilly flowery floaty shit. Even the shoes were floral. I hate these years. I predict lots of "bargains" in the sales.

[jeaux90]

I was moaning about all the flowery crap on another thread. Mules. Ffs. Who needed them back!! I am trying to find a dress for Ascot and all I can see is frilly shit and flowers.

[NotTheBelleoftheBall]

I've noticed this too, strange frilly, rouched, 'cold shoulder' tops, in gingham and floral, like Paris Hilton and do-dah wore in that TV show when they pretended to be from the countryside.

I mainly shop is Cos, I'd rather an 'interesting' slightly sacklike dress in a neutral colour, thank you very much (also worth looking at And Other Stories for nonfaffy clothes).

[cleowasmycat]

Also alternatives seem to be gray washed out and have designer holes!!

[NotTheBelleoftheBall]

Actually scrub And Other Stories, their spring/summer collection is also a cacophony of flounce.

[Floisme]

The funny thing is, I'm sure I can remember looking through Vogue in January and they were featuring all kinds of looks for summer. Yes there were flounces and acid colours but there was also quite a lot of utilitarian / minimalist stuff plus sportswear, interesting (but not frilly) shirts and loads of stripes. So presumably it was the buyers who picked up on the frills and the flounces. Looks like they've misread the public mood very, very badly.

[BagelGoesWalking]

"Florals for spring ... groundbreaking"

It is really so unimaginative! Every single bloody year

[PickAChew]

The sales this summer will be fab for people who actually like this shit.

[KatharinaRosalie]

Tell me about it. I had an entire day set aside for shopping and didn't buy a thing. In fact wouldn't wear most of the stuff if they paid me.
What's with the funny sleeves everywhere? And frills?
Totally odd shapes - most tops and dresses look like they were cut in the dark and some parts went missing.
www.zalando.co.uk/new-look-petite-vest-red-nl721e019-g11.html
Or they have no shape whatsoever.
www.zalando.co.uk/ivy-oak-blouse-bride-white-iv321e00k-a11.html
Good news is that if you work as a clown, you can now get your costume on high street : www.zalando.co.uk/new-look-trousers-mid-pink-nl021a08n-j11.html

[Destinysdaughter]

I think this stuff will date v quickly, I wouldn't even both buying it in the sales!

[Floisme]

But how did all the buyers - all of them - manage to get it so wrong when they had other summer looks to choose from? I'm fascinated by this - is it just me?

[bojorojo]

Try somewhere like Massimo Dutti for stylish clothes and Zara has quite a few decent offerings. I have just bought my DD a pink boucle jacket from there with appliqué flowers/insects in jewels. She is mid 20s though - but it goes brilliantly with jeans.

Cold shoulder is always naff, but some of the florals are very good. Studio by Preen at Debenhams was recommended at the weekend in the Sunday Telegraph. Warehouse had some good silk florals earlier this year and Asos also had some suitable for Ascot - well that's what DD is wearing to the Royal Enclosure anyway! (I am a bit more boring). I think a some florals I have seen are a more "toned down" and very wearable. Pale pink is also the colour this year. Reiss is reliable for Ascot.

&OtherStories is disappointing this summer.

[Notreallyhappy]

Totally agree shops are bit naff this season.. need to be finding dress for dss wedding for abroad can't find cack all that not mother of the bride shite.

[olderthanyouthink]

Just going to leave this here

[eurochick]

My people! Hurrah.

I loved the clown comment.

I agree with the poster who said that it's like they don't want our money.

Massimo Dutti and Cos seem to be safe non clown choices.

[EnidButton]

It's all HIDEOUS! 🤢

I'm also interested what the thinking behind it was. It's been shown that on times of political unrest sales of seemingly frivolous things like lipstick and theatre tickets actually rises. So I wonder if the buyers thought we'd all be gagging for flowery, bright, frills? When I would have thought classic, simple lines would've done better.

At this rate we're going to look terrible come the apocalypse.

[KatharinaRosalie]

Who really is the target market for those horrible flappy sleeves? You can't do anything with them, can you? Is it just for standing still and looking pretty?

[LumelaMme]

At this rate we're going to look terrible come the apocalypse.

I got a very nice dress for a wedding in Hobbs: blue with spots, and a matching cropped cardy. Nice length, comfortable, elegant, nothing frilly (do not do frilly). The assistant did say that they had only had two sizes left in it and she couldn't work out why they didn't stock more stuff like this as it always sells. Of she might have been spinning me a line, but there was only one of those dresses left by the time I'd waltzed off with mine.

Caveat: I mostly live in dog-walking clothes and S&B is not my natural habitat.

[LumelaMme]

Oh, there was meant to be a after the bolded bit.

[KatharinaRosalie]

I don't actually mind florals, or nice cheerful colours. But they need simple, elegant, non-fussy cuts. Not floral-frill-weird cut-pretentios fabric-novelty sleeve-oh look more frills

[EnidButton]

Yes it's the frills and heaps of extra fabric isn't it? A floral print is ok on the right thing.

[KatharinaRosalie]

I have this one for example. Florals - yes. But nice fabric, not thick crimplene. And simple cut. I think it looks quite pretty.
www.esprit.co.uk/womens-shirts/flowing-blouse-top-in-a-material-mix-057EO1K007_840

[wigglybeezer]

I live in an old chilly house in Scotland, if you can't wear a vest under or a cardigan over it it's a big no from me...

[BagelGoesWalking]

www.the-pool.com/fashion/fashion-honestly/2017/20/sali-hughes-on-the-british-high-street-dressing-women-over-35

[DavidPuddy]

I saw a beautiful maxi dress in tommy hilfiger that might do for a wedding: eu.tommy.com/Chiffon-Maxi-Dress/WW0WW17741,default,pd.html?cgid=104010#!color%3D152%26start%3D46%26sz%3D12