To hate all clothes... too young or too mumsy

[gwincath]

Having a mare picking clothes for a few special occasions coming up over the next few months... I'm late 40s and clothes just either seem too young or too mumsy, I just wanna look nice
Any store/brand suggestion appreciated

LK Bennett have some very nice and quirky stuff at the moment - worth a look. I was very impressed (and usually don't like them). Also Whistles. And Reiss?

What sort of budget ?

Ted Baker? Look on eBay.

@SirVixofVixHall I'd go up to about 50 for a top if I loved it

Cos

I feel exactly the same and I’m 32.

I can’t find any decent shoes for going out for meals/bars that don’t have skyscraper heels, or resemble something my 91 year old Nan would reluctantly wear.

Everything else seems too short, too tight, or has a multitude of cut outs that would reveal all manner of body parts. The clothes I do like the look of (not many), are usually of poor quality when I examine them up close. The rest are dull and frumpy.

My Mum and her friend are in their mid sixties and have complained for many years of feeling invisible when they shop, as they feel nothing apart from frumpy clothes are targeted at them. I didn’t expect to feel very similar at half their age!

Yes Cos, & other stories, maybe bits of Zara. What is your style generally ?

Oasis

I'd try Euro brands like InWear, Cream, Part Two, sandwich, Soaked in Luxury. You can buy them at lots of boutiques in the UK.

I like Joe Browns. You can get them in Studio, Simply Be, QVC. They're quite quirky. Talking of quirky, Quacker on QVC are good too, if you like a bit of bling/sparkle.

@SirVixofVixHall I think part of the problem is I don't even know what style I should aim for anymore .. I basically live in fat face stuff .. but as Ds17 kindly points out I always look like a teacher/librarian

Hush

I wore Fat Face for a while, until someone referred to it as clothes for fat au pairs…. Avoid White Stuff, Mistral and all the other variations of the faded Cornwall look.

I am 50 but refuse to lose an interest in fashion and I love Zara, Cos, Finery and &other stories

I can’t find any decent shoes for going out for meals/bars that don’t have skyscraper heels, or resemble something my 91 year old Nan would reluctantly wear.

I hate New Look but they do have a good shoe range of heels that you can actually walk in.

I like M&Co they have a good range

Totally agree Argeles it is so depressing going shopping, the choice seems to be club wear or frump wear, to try and buy simple well cut clothes in quality fabrics which are fashionably designed is just impossible, and even harder when you live in a non cosmopolitan area where the most cutting edge shop is Next. Shopping these days is utterly depressing I don’t know why I bother.

I have been searching for an outfit like this came home empty handed, all I wanted was a coloured pair of skinny jeans (not jeggings ) and a well cut quality white long length shirt which actually has shape and is not cut square! Is this really too much to ask?

Clothes and shoes are a nightmare for me.
Hate it all.

@BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo that's lovely

betty I got a pair of trousers almost exactly like those in Primark last year. They didn't last brilliantly but they didn't really need to, I think they were about £12. And the cut was incredibly flattering.

Sugarhill? Look on eBay at new.

Yes Cos.

Maeve

Twenty twenty one

Zara, Jigsaw (in the sale), French connection

I used to buy Hobbs clothes when i worked in the City and still really like Hobbs. Now I live in White Stuff as they are the only clothes that suit me. I hate clothes shopping.

I have the same problem, and I'm 37. I feel I've grown out of being able to live in jeans and tshirts, and I need to be a bit smart for work anyway, but I never know what to buy. I do like Hobbs for work dresses, but it's not exactly stylish. I buy a lot of stuff from Sainsbury's as it's handy when doing the food shopping... But I do actually have more of a budget these days, though no opportunity to shop. I do like White Stuff/Mistral, though not so keen on Fat Face. Don't like Seasalt or Boden. I keep wondering whether I should book a personal shopper session somewhere and update my wardrobe. Argh