To not understand the 'per una' thing on mumsnet?

[Tortu]

What? Why the snide comments? I was in M and S today and think Per una has some lovely stuff. Ok, it's a bit middle of the road and I don't actually own any, but I'm about to move into the M and S demographic (bit old for Topshop, too short for Zara, too cheap for Jaegar) and, perhaps, need to have it explained to me why I can't wear it.

I LOVE M and S and think it's pretty much the best shop ever (ahhh, if Waitrose sold clothes). I cried, yes, actually cried when I came back from two years in a deprived part of Africa and first entered the food section.

i have a completely gorgeous dress from per una, from last spring. and i've a few bits from M&S over the years that i love. per una certainly contains some worryingly awful items but so does everywhere else imo. i can't afford to shop at the permitted places, and we have virtually no shops here so i mostly wear tesco and george since someone broke dorothy perkins a few years ago. but i dont like any of my clothes, i just cant go about nekkid.

I actually can't believe someone in their 20's would wear Per Una. I'm 23 and I wouldn't be seen dead in it!

What happened to Next? I loved, loved, loved it in the late 80's/ early 90's.
Now I walk in and usually walk back out again. Also liked Principles and then had a short love affair with Monsoon - but find the fit weird now and nothing looks good on anymore. Is it me that's changed or the shops?

God yes Next is crap now. It was so fab when it first opened. Ditto River Island.

I agree, bampot, Next has gone mad in the last 2 years. I cant find anything in it that isnt very "mumsy"

begonyabampot
i think the same Next has dramatically changed over the years. It's seems to have rows of cheap suit/work type stuff.

I like Kew, fat face, gap, for casual stuff really struggle for good clothes. I have bought the odd smart piece from Jaeger and recently I bought a lovely dress from Stefannel which I didn't realise still existed.

Oh! I also like style and butler

I think per una is expensive,so even if I see something I like I would rarely buy there. Next seems to be full of clothes for teenagers early 20's. I like a lot of their stuff,but at 46 I think I am far too old for most of their stuff. And if I see anything I would wear I can never get it in my size.

I saw a gorgeous blouse there last Autumn that I still hanker after. Only 2 left in the shop, none my size. Every time I looked online it was sold out.

I don't think any shop at mid to low range price caters well for my age range. Its fine if you are just buying plain t-shirts, tops and jeans. But for anything else it seems to jump from clothes you have to be very slim and young to wear to pretty frumpy clothes.

That is why all my clothes are from all over the place.

Next mumsy! Not where I live. It is full of very very short dresses and skirts.

I don't really buy new stuff often but I do like the look of phase 8
ifancyashandy do you use phase 8? cos I agree with all your other comments!

I agree with normcan'tfixit about the jeans - my body shape is the same (hugely long-bodied between crotch and waist) and every other pair of jeans I've ever tried either gives me a huge muffin top or a ginormous camel toe. Very fetching. So Roma jeans it is - I just wish their 'straight leg' really was straight leg and not just a less-wide bootcut....

I do agree with the rest of their stuff, however... sweet baby Jesus, those zebra keks - are they actually see-through? Why? WHY???

lesley, really?! Oh my. Here it's all a bit "nice", plus the business/work/wedding stuff (which I never look at)

Next is mumsy but trying to be fashion forward. Every single thing they sell seems to be not quite right.

Per una on the other hand is so wrong it is laughable.

Ninah, no - not a fan of Phase 8, find it a bit too old / boring (sorry...).

Ted Baker in another place I hunt. And ASOS. Must'nt forget ASOS - their own 'White Label' does soem lovely stuff. Recently got a fab jumpsuiit from Gap n'all - and not normally a fan of their stuff.

Never heard of ASOS before. Just had a look and it looks ok although a bit boring.

Yes Next locally does the wedding/work stuff still which I have never rated. But they used to do lovely tops and trousers, which I can no longer find.

In amnot very trendy so happy to accept that the Next stuff is trying to be trendy but doesn't hit the mark. But last time I looked I just thought there is no way at 46 I am wearing a dress/skirt that short!

Also NEXT seemed to have a lot of prom type outfits.

My 68 year old mum LOVES per una.
One of her recent purchases was a scarf which was basically a greeny/browny/orange-y feather boa; except it looks like someone has trampled on it and dragged it through several bushes and of course comes with the trademark frayed edges. However she loves it and thinks it is very 'hip' and 'trendy' (her words not mine)

I find Roma jeans a wonderful fit. So much so that I have just bought 2 pairs the same because I find that no one else's jeans fit my shape. I also wear skirts that are mid calf(never shorter) and I like their style that is figure hugging and flare out slightly below the knee-if they are plain. I don't like the appliqued bits, a lot of the colours, the frayed bits or anything that makes them immediately recognisable as Per Una.

That particular skirt style makes me look slim so I all for it!

exoticfruits
I get exactly the same style from per una slim over the hips and flares out at the bottom. When ever I wear it someone asks if I've lost weight
They don't have bits on though. I might also add that I remember next doing a similar style years ago and I had one then too!

All the clothes in per una are frumpy and ugly they don't even look good on the models. Plus M+S have no respect for you as a woman they sub-let to Hooters and justify it as a purely commercial decision. They put more thought and effort into their policy on bag reuse than they do on ensuring their company policies respect women.

Oh and I'll repeat the clothes are revolting. You need no more reasons to avoid them.

Oh well, shall just have to accept that I am frumpy and old fashioned then. Funny that so many people say "you look nice onceamai", where did you get that from?

Glad it isn't just me, it takes lbs off, so having found it I am sticking to it-it does need to be plain though, flounces etc undo the effect.
I assume that M&S find it all sells or they would change-despite MN.
I get the Boden catalogue ,but have never found anything to buy. I can't risk trousers mail order-the size varies too much.

I agree that the Per Una jeans are excellent if you have a smaller waist and bigger bum/thighs. I have been buying their jeans for about 18 years and never go anywhere else. Per una not so good for anything else. I find next poor quality and am too poor to buy Jaeger etc.

So where do the 40+ size 16 ladies go?

PS I am an old punk rocker at heart so do not want the 'classic' look.

ASOS sells everything from French Connection to Mango to high end designer - can't all be boring!