Anyone else go clothes shopping and think WTF at 95% of the stuff?

[Glassmatt]

I’ve never been someone who follows fashion, not in the sense I wear garish ‘alternative’ clothes, more in the sense I’m quite boring in what I like and I wear what suits me and what I feel comfortable in.

I’m also a bludy stupid apple shape which is hellish to clothe, so even if I see something I like, chances are it’s going to look not great.

My issue is, I feel like I hardly like any clothes. It’s a bit like online dating, no no no no no maybe no! It feels like an utter chore to find the nugget of gold in a store of items - for example, I might think that looks nice then I’ll turn it round and it has a big gold band attached to the neck line, or I’ll see a nice jumper from the front, pick it up then down the arms it will have several little bows on and I think what’s the point in that! Or a nice pair of jeans that have a massive buckle attached or studs down the back.

I get everyone has different tastes and they have to accommodate everyone but it seems that finding normal clothes is harder work than it should be and it makes shopping an utter chore.

I think I’ll set my own shop up called the boring stuff!

Alternatively this is an entire multi-brand site beautifully curated to appeal to colour enthusiasts:

https://rendez-vous-store.com/

Ooh ill.look.at all the links! Thank you. That's so kind!

It’s a pleasure. With Rendevous it’s sensible to chase up the various brands’ own websites, particularly if they’re UK based, to get the UK price.

As I said, these are not MN approved prices. As I also said - some places have extraordinary sales. Others can be bought from outlets, or obviously pre-owned.

I've only ever seen their stuff online. I don't think they have any physical tores near me, but I'll have a look.

Ill bear that all in mind. Im a second hand buyer all the way apart from shoes and underwear. I am ludicrously fussy I admit. And muddy applies to all colours. I am not someone who suits bright jewel tones at all.

@IzzyHandsIsMySpiritAnimal - these will be available at the end of August and come in a shorter length. They’re also 98% cotton so should keep their shape pretty well. I’d be amazed if you couldn’t make them work in the correct size for you. (The accompanying shorter jackets look cute too.)

https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/products/E481491-000/00?colorDisplayCode=69&sizeDisplayCode=003

They have a couple of very good sales a year. I started in the sales, but am now hooked on the comfort and lovely fabrics, so I lash out at full price occasionally now. I have 15 year old Toast that still looks great, whereas I’ve just binned a £40 M&S top after about 5 wears because it’s gone see-through. 🤷‍♀️

I'll join in with a moan - didn't wear enough on the commute this morning so resolved to pick up a jumper or cardigan on my way to work.

Could not find a single, plain jumper in white, black or a jewel colour that was not synthetic, no stupid detailing, not cropped just below my tits, not hugely baggy, no cut-out details, or extended down to my knees...this was in H&M, Zara and M&S in central London. They all appear to have loads of 100% wool jumpers online but when I asked in the shop, they said not in stock and pointed me towards this: https://www.zara.com/uk/en/oversize-wool-blend-knit-waistcoat-p06771112.html?v1=457154818&v2=2420306

Yes I know it's mid-August but it's 16c and windy!! Surely shops in this country should keep jumpers in stock all year round??

I'm going to have to shiver my way over to Uniqlo in my lunch break but it's just infuriating that they seem to be the only option!

Ahh I see…. I was hoping to set myself up as a business next weekend with my sewing machine 😆

Well, given what the shops can get away with, you could probably pin a couple of tea towels together and charge £59.99....

Yep. Tiers and ruffles, puff sleeves, cheap fabrics, garish prints. It's very very difficult to find anything that could be considered 'chic'.

😂

Yes about grown women in little girls' clothes! All the frilly ditsy print dresses 🤮.

Because most of the people who design for women's clothes are men! They have no clue what most women actually want to wear imo. They put on bows, all sorts of clutter and pointless faff to try to disguise the fact that their designs are bad - too low necklines, skirts too short, cheap sweaty fabrics, garish colours. You only have to look at mens' clothes, natural fabrics, subtle colours, generous sizing, no stupid decoration, just decent fabric, to realise most of what passes as fashion for women is awful. Especially for older women.

What do you mean by ‘fashion … for older women’? I’m in my mid-sixties and encounter none of the horrid things you list. All my clothes, without exception are in decent fabrics, subtle colours, generously cut, and without extraneous decoration. They’re also fashionable and stylish. And mostly, (if full price / new out of the shop) cost considerably more than is considered reasonable on S&B.

The problem isn’t a lack of excellent clothes for women - it’s that expectations haven’t caught up with the cost to a business of producing and selling good quality. People stubbornly still trailing around a shopping mall with £50-£100 to spend are pretty much guaranteed to be disappointed in what they find and in the long term viability of whatever they buy.

Unfortunately for a lot of people £50-£100 for an item of clothing is out if reach. Especially as a family of four which automatically means it is £200-400.
I would love to float around in beautiful quality, hand made, tailored to my figure clothing that will still look new long after I'm dead but if I was to achieve that it would literally mean my children starve.
I don't think most people traipsing around Primark are there because they think it is the most amazing clothing they can possibly get, they are there because it is the clothing they can afford.

You surely didn’t think I’m ignorant of the existence of a huge pre-owned clothing market? (Or the fact that half of MN seems to shop exclusively from charity shops? I’m hardly likely to come onto a public forum and insist people should spend money they don’t have, am I? I’m saying mainstream High St shopping is tending towards being a waste of money.

If you ignore the high fashion stuff in Primark, they have some decent, plain basics in t shirts, shirts and camis.

For me It’s the lack of tailoring and the waists being very high on dresses

i looked like a sack of potatoes in a recent purchase, so unflattering