to wonder where exaclty IS suitable for 40'somethings to shop for clothes?

[MilliONaire]

So. If Boden, Joules, jigsaw, Whistles etc are too 'boring & middle class', H&M, topsho, primark are too cheapy and 'trendy' (for the most part) & designers are too expensive - then where is left for a 40yr old to buy clothes?

Just wondering......

Seasalt used to be nice, until they started emblazoning (sp!) everything with their label in bold contrasting letters.

I think it depends on what age of 40 something you look like not how old you are.

I wear combats, smart trousers and items purchaesd from Next, I also like River Island, Miss Selfridge, Wallis etc.,

It is not what you wear it is how you wear it.

I can easily wear a mini skirt, or even skin tight trousers.

I real get miffed that age has to denote what you wear, it does not.

I used to be able to get Danish clothes in a local place, they were great. I get jeans that fit in Marks Per Una - and it is worth checking out all items in that department to see what not to wear. I'm in Ireland so can get a lot in Dunnes - between Primark and Marks in quality and style.

Uniqlo, COS, Zara... always good stuff in these.

fabbychic, I know exactly what you mean - I too wear skinny jeans with long boots and short shirts etc with thick tights and boots and I do not dress like a 'typical' 41 yrs old (if there even is such a thing these days) I am often mistaken as younger than my age. But it really is a fine line..and I have recently seen a few women my age and though to myself 'oops mutton dresses as lamb' and it had nothing to do with their body shape - they were simply wearing clothes that were too trenady for them and it made them look older than they were iykwim?

I am definitely finding that I wanat a classier look (for want of a better way to describe it) recently, but most definitely do NOT want to end up in big arsed, skinny ankled jeans and a sweatshirt a la a significant number of the mums on my school run iykwim?

ahem - that should say 'skirts' I would NEVER EVER wear a short shirt - the horror!

Is Whistles boring and middle-class?

I bought 2 dresses from there recently and I'm 31 >

I don't think it is fafftastic - but I have read stuff on here how whistles, boden, joules etc are all just midddle class and boring...I like them though! Which dresses did you buy?

I couldnt see me wearing a skirt up around my arse to be honest or clothes that were befitting a teenager, but I do wear clothes that a 30 year old would wear because I still look mid thirties even at 46.

Wherever the hell you want! If something looks good on you, why does it matter where it came from? :)

Milli - Their 'Lucky Chain' dress and 'Parrot Drape' dress:

www.whistles.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/shop?resetFilters=true#ID=id_903000055798

www.whistles.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/shop?resetFilters=true#ID=id_903000055515

Along with a few other bits and pieces. Am in denial at the moment though as to how much I have recently spent

fafftastic - they are gorgeous! Well wear!
I saw a lovely grey jersey dress on their website, it had a sort of inbuilt belt at the waist, but can't seem to find it there now. must have bee imagining it! Fabbychic, I am envious!

backwardpossum, I generally do just buy what I like but wondered where other 40-something's were buying, especially since there is a lot of scorn reserved my mumsnetters for certain shops

Love Faff's choices, they might even work for me!
I used to love Boden but have gone off as they use too much artificial fibre in jumpers (polyester used this way makes my teeth itch) and their patterns are so recognisable they may as well be M&S.
Also, no-one seems to consider that lots of us like longer length snuggly jumpers that hide a multitude of cuddly bits.
I actually love Woolovers, really good value, totally plain, jazz it up yourselves.

Wear what you want.

Boden sucks btw

I'd never heard of Boden until I came onto Mumsnet .... but I'm too old to wear it anyway ..... a bit young for my age group. And to be honest I don't think I've missed anything.
I would have been hard pushed to afford this type of thing at 30 plus years old anyway. It's not expensive to me now, at this stage in my life, but it would have been 20 years ago relatively speaking.
At 50 years old I have trawled shops looking for jeans, jumpers, smart trousers, blouses etc. and have ended up exasperated. Where can you buy a long-sleeved shirt in a plain colour??? (Bloody three-quarter sleeves look like the Queen Mum's outfits)
I don't want to display my flabby arms/turkey neck but it seems to me that shops only cater to either the very young or very old.
Nowadays I like Coast, Hobbs amongst others, but I also like Gap and Laura Ashley.
I hate River Island .... it used to do really good stuff 20 years ago but now it does horrible "trendy" stuff.
I was browsing their stock for DS Xmas and all I could think was "He wouldn't be seen dead in Jumpers/T-shirts/Hoodies with button styling/applique crap like this!!"
Horrible tat.

Mowiol

Your 50 well so am I and I see very little limit to what I wear then again I spend a lot of gym time making sure I dont have flabby arms or a turkey neck.

Joules is lovely, but very country set. Otherwise, Next (if I was slim). Or wherever the hell I liked in fact (again, if slimness figured the way it used to). If you can't do what you like at 40, when can you? Even if you want to sport the mutton-dressed-as-lamb look, well...who chuffing cares? Really? And if they do, they should mind their own and let us 40 somethings get on with it.

Lands End is also lovely quality and classy, but sporty.

I think Boden can be good selectively.

I like their black wrap dresses as they actually wrap enough so you don't need anything underneath without flashing your bra. I also got a great black wool mini skirt (but not too mini- just above knee) and a great pewter coloured belt.

M&S also have some gems but agree with elastaelf that you need one of the bigger stores or go online.

I also like some Hobbs stuff (esp the shoes), Phase 8, Whistles, and Joseph and Nicole farhi when I'm feeling flush. I think John Lewis on Oxford St has a great "one stop" load of concessions for the 30-40 age range.

My look probably is middle class but I am and why would I aspire to look working class?

I would also add (any) John Lewis which is a sure sign I have reached middle age and/or respectability. But they pick the best stuff from most of the brands above (luckily not Boden). They also have a personal shopping service which I would love to try.

Off to the sales today. Are jeggings good or the devil's work?

This 41yr old just bought some leather heans from Zara. Would arather eat my own head than wear Boden / Joules / Kew / MandS etc.

I shop in Top Shop, Zara, Whistles, Ted Baker, Karen Millen, Office, Dune and shed loads from ASOS.

I adore fashion!

Oh and jeggings are indeed the devils work!

That would be 'jeans' (blackberry...)

Oh and French Connection, Reiss, Cos all do fab stuff.

I just turned 40 and shop in next, new look, top shop etc I look better now than I did 5 years ago as I've lost most of my excess weight. Wear what you feel comfortable in sod everyone else.

Lurking with interest as finally started losing the huge amounts of excess weight I have been carrying since I was 20. So this time next year I will be 42 and 6 or 7 stone lighter and will have to find a whole new way of dressing as a size 12, 42 year old very different to a size 8, 20 year old.

Meanwhile I have been very very lucky and been given a whole wardrobe by someone I met at Slimming World to tie me over for now having lost 2.5 stone so far. Includes things from Monsoon, M&S, Wallis and a variety of things from small local shops. By March though I won't have any clothes that will fit and have to sort something for over the summer then buy a whole new wardrobe next Christmas when at target.