Anyone else just lost all interest in clothes and fashion?

[mossybranches]

I was an avid frequenter of S&B here for over 10 yrs.
Love style and chatting about clothes, all the weird and wonderful sub categories from monty don (a thing on S&B) to mad prairie dresses. I used to even contribute to a style blog in the late 2000's and absolutely adored mooching in stores and online for clothes.

Then it just seemed to stop. I lost all interest. No big deal obviously, but if I think about it, it was when everything seemed to become ubiquitous and the quality of everything dropped, even at higher end stores.

It stands out to me because it was previously a life long love of mine, which just slowly dried up. I still have to dress myself and am pretty fussy about what I will purchase, but the entire landscape of clothes just went to hell for me. I remember waiting, curiously, to see if stuff changed, but with each year everything that comes out seems to get worse. I moved over to older stuff via ebay, then more or less stopped that. If my weight changes I am goosed

I could blame this on getting older, lol, but I strongly doubt it! I am not the type to just slop something on and not care.
But right now I am down to my last set of clothes, from yrs ago, and haven't been interested in anything new for a few years. This is not like me! I went into a high street store last week for the first time in a year, and nothing has changed. Long assed crotches up to the tits and clothes so wide and shapeless I would fear getting wet in case I solidified.

It can't just be me?

The acceptance of dressing for comfort and casually at all times has had an impact.
And also ,anything goes now. There isn't a strong look and things that are definitely in or out. Styles are just recycled and fast fashion makes trying to have a certain look less desirable.
Quality of materials is poor.
Many reasons why fashion is less aspirational and interesting.
I also lost interest when my body shape changed and things don't look as good as when I was younger. Sadly I feel I'm often dressing just to cover up.

In the past 10 years or so I've taken up sewing again (I used to see a lot when I was young, but stopped in my 20s - I'm now 59).
I now make all my own jeans for instance: they fit me perfectly and in the exact leg width I prefer. I've also got favourite patterns for tops and dresses and other trousers and I make these up in different fabrics for variety.
I look at stuff in the shops and the more fashion-y things are often so badly made, in crappy material.
I do still buy basics (uniqlo is good for those) and jumpers, as I can't knit. I get those in the Toast & Brora sales.
I appreciate that not everyone has the time, inclination or skill to do this, but it's an option. I feel like I've really carved out my own middle-aged-lady style!

I sew more now too. My sewing isn’t perfect but it’s better than what I can buy since I don’t want to pay top end prices and at least it fits, is made of nice fabric and since I shop around for fabric it’s pretty cheap.

Well … I was going to come back and berate you all for Moaning Minnie-ness and not looking hard enough. But I’ve had a lazy morning in Oxford and took myself off to the Westgate shopping centre, which is pretty much the only shopping mall I can tolerate.

Man - it’s all so sad. I was quite excited at the thought of hunting down an actual physical Cos shop. It’s closed down. The & Other Stories next door has plenty of space - but it’s mostly empty, with a few racks of limp polyester, or alpaca / polyester mixes. Hobbs had bright red polyester in the window. Swerved Seasalt - it’s far too late to start now (though I have a friend who looks fabulous in their dresses.) The clothes floor of John Lewis was an ocean of unspeakable saggy sameness. Never mind - there are always basics at Uniqlo, I thought. Nope. Every single thing is thinner than the finest Christmas tissue wrapping paper.

So now I’m sitting in the covered market eating a pie - and breathing a sigh of relief at the thought of an afternoon browsing proper shops on the Internet - where I’ve done 95% of my clothes shopping very happily indeed for the last 20 years. (I may wander into Toast before I go - at least the soap will still be lovely. And I should say there’s a very new and tiny men’s outfitters opposite the pie shop - filled with gorgeous things, but …)

. Every single thing is thinner than the finest Christmas tissue wrapping paper

That’s the thing isn’t it- it’s so thin.

We found ourselves, very randomly, on holiday, in Dartmoor Prison Museum. There was a mannequin wearing the high vis uniform worn by prisoners in the 1980s who were considered an escape risk. It was just sweatshirt and joggers but omg the quality! 100% cotton and so thick! 😮

I found the menopause did this to me.

Degree in fashion, was a designer and lecturer in fashion.

Age 54/5 l lost all interest.

Now l dress for comfort. I was always told l was stylish. I just do not care anymore.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow I'm the same. I think @Doingmybest12 is right that "anything goes." This means that you never feel totally "out of fashion" in most things from the past 12 years. Everyone where I live just wears gym or walking type gear. A wedding was the last event I saw people sort of dressed up for.

I feel the same. I am not sure if it is age (late 40s), post pandemic casualness meaning a lack of a look I want to achieve or just the general low quality/high price of pretty much everything on offer. I've put on inches around my waist (thanks peri) and could really do with some new clothes but I am wholly uninspired.

Everyone where I live just wears gym or walking type gear.

This is what I wear most of the time because I am always walking or going to the gym or the pool. Maybe I will just buy better quality walking trousers.
Sometimes I go to the theatre or the ballet, and guess what, people are in joggers or walking gear!😄

I live in fleeces.

@IWantedThereThereButItsGone I think your description really sums up why I've lost pleasure in clothes. It used to be such a treat to go on a shopping expedition and see what was there to inspire. It's not something I did or do very often but when I do have time these days for a long wonder around and to see what's currently in the shops it's when I return to Oxford once a year, as it's were I grew up. So it's interesting to me that Oxford is your example.

I have the chance to wonder around the shops once a year in May (which once would have been a great time of year for clothes shopping) and it's become my temperature check of the high street. I've been doing this trip once a year for the last ten and each year the chain stores seem to have died a bit more. The new John Lewis in Oxford that would have thrived a decade ago was empty. Not the whole store but very noticeably, the fashion department. The clothes were awful, it felt like they'd given up. Cos was very quiet (can't believe the Oxford branch has gone all the same). The shops just don't hold the stock anymore. Each year I return another shop has gone. The only big shop that seems to be doing well is M&S. The quality v price is another factor. I have also struggled with endless frills and fuss and florals in recent years.

However, I've noticed where I live that small independent fashion shops selling a variety of boutique brands are surviving and even thriving and it's these shops that seem to have well made and interesting clothing. These are the shops I now go to and the rest I do online.

The trouble with online clothes shopping IMO is that it doesn't allow for the pleasure of finding something interesting or different at the back of a rail or trying something someone suggests, it's like being stuck with your own style algorithm iyswim. I think that's what has knocked the fun out of clothes for me.

I have been thinking about this a lot recently.

I am late 50s, I am mortgage free now, I earn a decent salary and I have money to spend. I have recently lost a stone so I am feeling good. But nowhere to spend it.

I was brought up in central London, and it is only in the last 10 years I moved away. Oxford street was my High Street. I remember that street went it had a lot of department stores, it was a mile long worth of endless choices at every price point. Oxford Street is a dump now, a total disgrace full of American candy stores, duplicate stores of Primark, Zara. Strange perfume shops.

Shopping everywhere is so dreary. So many shops look like how you imagine Russia used to be.Some have this all pervasive smell of plastic when you walk in - the man made material stench. Even if you go up price points the quality is dire. And the shapes are either cropped or huge, nothing in between.

It is truly depressing. I used to be interested in style but there is no point in the UK. The access to great clothes has gone. Is it the same everywhere?

Luckily because I have lost weight I have classics that fit me now. I am not buying much. I am going to get a few jumpers for winter, and a pair of ankle boots, but that is it. If other people are doing that, it will make more shops close, but enough is enough.

I think Instagram and the like are to blame for a lot of it. All the hauls - an encouragement to buy loads, disposable fashion. There is a slight move on social media to sustainability but it is slow. Charity shops are full of Primark. The supplies of good quality clothing is drying up.

What is depressing is there is a generation now who doesn't know any different. Primark is their benchmark, all they have known.

So I understand the OP totally. Shopping is a depressing activity now. Our country has been going through a malaise, the average town centre is downbeat, so of course our interest in fashion is shrivelling up. It is inevitable. I think the High Street needs a proper government tsar. We now know what we have lost now all the shop brands have gone. It will guess worse unless some major investment is made. Otherwise the High Street becomes a hub of anti social behaviour.

Ah - but I really don’t experience online shopping in the way you describe, @YouOKHun. For me it’s all about constant stumbling over newness - either through random browsing or through following what's mentioned on other sites. And occasionally here.

So - beyond seeing the names of designers in Vogue, on multi-brand sites like Matches (RIP) N-a-P, Ssense, Browns, etc, discovering new places every week through FT Weekend / HTSI - if I for instance go onto a designer website I might look at their list of stockists and then search those online stores (often in Europe) and find out about completely new to me brands through them. It’s true I have over a hundred sites saved on my screen - but I never feel I’m stuck with what I already know. Online shopping for me is endless adventure. (And an ever expanding store of knowledge about what’s available.)

(It really is a shame about Oxford Cos, though! Maybe it was the wrong location - maybe just that their natural constituency all shop online.)

This is depressing!

I am in the USA so haven't tried for a while in the uk for myself but I find the uk is awesome for kids clothes (plenty of natural fabric and so affordable).

I mostly get things online or at gap/ Athleta . There's a banana republic near us which has lovely high quality things.

The thing is with the online experience is it is time consuming. You can't feel the quality or get a sense of what size fits. So if I am looking for a dress and I see two that might be a contender I would order both in two sizes and invariably send them both back. So I am then waiting, sometimes up to three weeks, for a refund of 300 quid upwards. Online is fantastic to access some brands but now it has overshadowed and overtaken access to physical stores.

@IWantedThereThereButItsGone yep, that's true. There is a greater reach and often suggestions online that are well worth following up. I suppose it's just that often what is presented online is different from the reality. A friend of mine was modelling for a lot of expensive brands and has described to me how clothes were held in place by massive bulldog clips and tape to disguise poor tailoring and finish which explains some of the disappointments I've had from online purchases.

As for Oxford, the greatest retail loss is Boswells as there is now absolutely nowhere to buy Lavender talcum powder and a Pac-a-Mac 😉

This with bells on.

I used to be moderately interested in fashion and sort of followed some of the trends but that stopped mid twenties and now I have no interested in matching the latest trends. I wear what I like and I like what I wear.

You have hit the nail on the head about validation; It is absolutely about that and very little else. The school pick ups and drop offs are comical with about 75% of the mums wearing similar attire with the obligatory pair of New Balances.

I never had an interest sadly. I like to look clean and tidy, but have no idea what suits me, what goes with what and where I’d find out the answers to these questions. My DH and adult daughter are far more knowledgeable and will sometimes give me advice but I know I don’t make the best of myself.

I think as people age they always say 'I think current fashion is awful'?

As years go by we don't like change as much, and prefer stability of the trends. We don't jump trends as much as we used to.

Most decent shops only sell polyester horrors at a huge price.

Oh god this. I really liked the look of some shirts in M&S but checked the blurb and 100% polyester. It's hideous fabric.
Next is the same and everything is so long now, not good for a shortages like me.

A friend of mine was modelling for a lot of expensive brands and has described to me how clothes were held in place by massive bulldog clips

A few of my favourite brands share their ‘behind the scenes’ modelling shoot photos! But their clothes are never disappointing.

Yep I agree. Used to be really into clothes. Now all I care is it functional, comfortable and not god awful!
Have 2 v small DCs so that impacts what I wear plus I've put a bit of weight on.
I just want easy stuff I can just throw on.

A friend of mine was modelling for a lot of expensive brands and has described to me how clothes were held in place by massive bulldog clips

that’s pretty standard

Same but I've put on at least half a stone in last year (peri menopause) and just don't like how I look. I've always been slim and many would say I still am but hate how tight jeans are etc. I keep telling myself I won't buy clothes until I lose weight...unless it's Vinted! I love the 90s look - maybe I'm sad that I don't have the 90s figure I had then!

Neither me or dh follow fashion. But he and I both regularly get stopped in public and complimented on our clothes. Dh gets his tops from Primark! My 7 year old year jumper from Next, a TU top everyone loves. A dress from Primark. Wear what you feel comfortable in. Im not young, slim or classy. I'm very much pull on dresses, tunic dresses and leggings but I only buy what I love. I'm actively not buying clothes this year to. I only really wanted a China plate print dress this year.