AIBU to ask where 30 year old women shop

[Loaferloveforyou]

I haven't bought clothes for agggges! I've got some money to update my wardrobe and went back to my usual shop (can I mention it here?) and find that it's aimed at early to mid 20s.

I don't wanna spend loads but I do wanna look great and show of the 3 stone I lost

So can I be totally unreasonable and ask where 30-odd year old women shop who wanna look stylish but not like a 20 year old?

Hairyhands of course, I'm not going to go out and spend loads of money on clothes just to find them too big in a month or 2, but at the same time I'm also at the point where my clothes at big and 'frumpy' and I want to reward myself. £500 is my limit, but would also be nice to spend less but have versatile clothes which can grow (?? / shrink) with me, but that's another thread.

As for style, sadly my style up until now is 'anything that fits which vaguely looks ok on me'

I think Zara goes up to size 14 or 16 depending on the item. However, H&M can have nice stuff on a budget. It's also worth popping into tk max but can be time consuming and hard work. Some of the m&s collections can be quite nice too (I think limited edition and autograph but not sure).

Basics from Uniqlo, Gap, New Look (good plain stuff to wear to toddler groups!), H&M.

Lots from TK Maxx, and then I eBay for stuff I can't afford full-price - I like Farhi, NW3 by Hobbs, Whistles and the occasional bit of non-blingy Karen Millen.

I've got big norks, so love Pepperberry too, but that might not be relevant to you.

I wear mostly plain colours with leather shoes, a nice handbag (when not lugging the kid backpack), and understated jewellery from places like Asos.

Pyke ** I know, it's only In the last few weeks I am realising this is a thing: maybe you have alway shopped at 'age appropriate shops' (if there is such a thing) but I work with someone who is super stylish, the same age and dresses just so. I looked online a new look and thought 'come on loafer, you are 32, these clothes are too young for you' and found myself asking MN. Although there are a few bits and pieces which I can 'pull off' I hope

I'm 33 and I mainly shop in Zara, Oasis, River Island, H&m for the basic tops etc and Asos. Coast and sometimes Karen Millen for the cocktail dresses etc. Well done on the weight loss, that's amazing!! X

Thanks April. For some reason I've never Been a fan of River Island. I may revisit that though

Op 32 is young.

However I think people should consider to dress size appropriate and shape appropriate rather than age appropriate.

Loaf You sound so lovely, in your head, do you have an image you want to project, do you have someone whose style you admire? What are your proportions, you talk about 'super stylish people', what do they look like to you?

What would 'super stylish' be to you?

I'm trying to pin you down here woman!

Because it's no good people reeling off a load of shops unless we have an idea of what you want to achieve.

£500 is a decent budget, you can do a fair bit with that, think what you already have in your wardrobe and what you want to achieve then tell us that.

We can help you.

Im 30 and i shop in Topshop and Urban Outfitters because i may very well be 30 but i dont care!!! (shop in H&M when im a bit skint)
Just look in windows and online and decide what YOU like and go in that shop. It doesnt matter how old you are... when you are 50 you will be looking back, wondering to yourself why you did just shop wherever the hell you wanted!

Congrats to you too Loafer !

Ah, I've not actually found it too arduous - finally separated from stb-exhusband earlier in the year, and finally became happy so no longer comfort-eat anywhere near as much
Still have the occasional wobble though, which is why I love dresses so much - they seem to be a bit more forgiving!

I'm finding this size is odd though. At the top end of 'normal-sized', but the bottom end of 'plus-sized'. All my weight is on my stomach and boobs though, I have a surprisingly small arse Another reason trousers/jeans don't really work for me.

I'm in a similar situation to you - hoping to lose more weight, so don't want to spend ridiculous sums of money on clothes that will [hopefully!] be too big again in a few months.

If you find anywhere that has nice dresses, please let me know?!

Ether I posted my message and thought 'omg what if she found it easy and I'm being patronising' due to PCOS I've found it hard and just assumed everyone find its hard. I hope you wasn't offended.

Reiss do fantastic clothes, including good tailoring. Also Ted Baker, I still have a lovely little above the knee kilt I bought 10 years ago, worn with thick tights and ankle boots.

I'm terribly out of touch with fashion though, and just wear what I like.

agnes b make lovely, flattering clothes.

Pyke I know 32 is young to some people but it sounds so old in my head. Mind you, I cried when I turned 20 as I was 'officially old' then was also horribly hungover with a freshly knocked out tooth but that's another story. Mentally I'm still about 25!

OP you're only 32! as previous posters have said it's a good idea to dress in a way that suits your personality and lifestyle rather than some arbitrary age defined look. i have a friend who's 36 this year and last time i saw her she had green hair, purple tights and some fantastic vintage adidas trainers on. not 'age appropriate' at all but perfect for her, she's a DJ and club promoter and would look bloody awful and nothing like herself in tasteful basics from zara

what kind of look do you want to project? are you feminine, or a bit more punky? do you like colour? what kind of fashion eras/icons do you admire? are you curvy in the waist or do you have a straighter figure? what's your best feature? all these are much more important than your age!

Hairyhands as I said, until now I'm just wearing what fits. I see people on my commute who just look fantastic but also I know what suits one doesn't suit another. I've never had a 'style' really. At the moment I love skater dresses. They feel flattering and hide my gunt and are easy to wear with my growing/shrinking size. Also, Easy to wear with leggings and tights and long cardis. Maybe that's my style. Just seems so predictable and boring to me x

Oh no, now I feel rubbish for saying it's not been too bad! So no, not offended at all!

I've friends with PCOS, and know how hard they've struggled, so even more well dones and congrats to you.

I'm almost 31, and understand what you mean about feeling old. Turning 30 hit me like a freight-train!

Knit you are so right. Maybe it's a Style change I want/need rather than a different shop. Just have no idea where to begin. Your friend sounds amazing, I'd love to pull of multicoloured hair!!

I'm 31. I like White Stuff, Fat Face, Mantary (Debenhams), Indigo (MnS), Tu (sainsburys) and Next. Colline (verbaudet) for breastfeeding tops too. I've got a couple of nice dresses from Boden as I find their cuts/lengths really flattering.

Ether I know, turning 30 was panic stations for me. Childless, living at home, long term boyfriend. Then I got engaged (on my 30th birthday) and bought my first home 6 months later so i feel like I've grown up a lot in the last 2 years (still childless but that's ok for now). My 30th birthday month was the best time of my life! I would recommend everyone turns 30 at least once

Next mainly.

Then Loaf, change your style! I'm 43, in the last year I have had a mohawk, a buzzcut and a steel grey quiff, I tend to keep my clothes VERY sharp and simple and piss around with my hair, but always keep it sleek, because I have a large nose, angular features and am tall with long legs and broad shoulders, quite masculine, but with mad lips and tits!

So what do you have? We all have good bits, what are yours? Find a way to highlight them and work it, I'm not a conventionally beautiful woman by any stretch, but by God, I am smoking hot.

Do you want to be sexy? Wholesome? Cutting edge?

There's always a way, I sense you're in a rut and want to break out, you have to work out who you want to be, my mother always said I was a bit of an actress because I always dressed to inhabit the role, we all have many roles, which one do you want to occupy now? If you can work that out that's half the battle, then the clothes will come to you.

I'm doing tactile androgynous sex fiend at the moment. It works for me.

I buy most of my clothes at Sainsbury's nowadays. They're my kind of style and I can always find things that I like (I'm very picky usually). They're good quality and good value for money. And they often have 25% off all clothing (including this week).

I also like Next and M&S. I occasionally have a look in New Look, Dorothy Perkins, Asda, Matalan and Tesco. I like Primark for skinny jeans, Debenhams for swimwear and Clarks for shoes.

Reading that back my fashion sense sounds so boring I suppose with getting older and gaining weight I choose the flattering and safe option nowadays, rather than going for anything fun or daring anymore.

I'm mid 40s

Orla Kiely (but last season the quality was poor for the 1st time ever so a bit cautious this season)
Some Maxmara
Some hobbs- but again the quality is very patchy
Recently discovered halhuber- great quality and well priced for the quality .
NJD jeans
Odd bits of crea
Tedbaker- mid ankle length skirts
Go to the USA a lot and used to buy J crew but gone off it.

I struggle to buy clothes I really like.

Primark/tesco/asda for basic stuff, online for something interesting.