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

I love Jaeger. It's too elegant to be mumsy.
Cos is nice in theory but in practise it makes a lot of people look like they are wearing oddly cut out bits of cardboard. You have to be tall and stick thin to make it work.

What about All Saints?

@MinaPaws yeah I did look at cos but don't think they'd suit my apple/muffin top figure

Isn't Cos just shapeless, drapey stuff?

Another place worth looking is Top Shop. They have very short mini dresses that I wear as tops with jeans or black cigarette pants for evening wear.
If you look on their occasionwear section there's some interetsing stuff. If you usually wear White Stuff, you can get away with some of the more boho/floral things they have, maybe something like this? or if you want a more classic look, how about this. Probably not quite right, but they have some great designers.

I spent hours looking round all the grown up shops for something to wear at Christmas, then saw something just right in the Top Shop concession and had loads of compliments on it, which I don't often get!

I thought this too then I realised that actually I just hate my body. No style of clothes can make it look good.

@TheDowagerCuntess seems to be... all the tops seems quite plain

If you think it's bad now....
I feel just like Argele's mum. Had a dreadful job finding anything for a dd's wedding - did not want your typical MoB outfit - there were plenty of those, often in ghastly salmon pink! - just a really nice dress, not mumsy nor too short or sleeveless. Even personal shoppers in big stores couldn't find me anything suitable.

My mother wouldn't wear frumpy-old-lady things even at 80 - I think it's even harder now to find anything stylish and elegant, and not mutton dressed as lamb..

When I try clothes on in Cos I always feel like a little girl whose mum made her costume for the school play in a hurry when everyone else had stuff that actually fits them.

@Oysterbabe that may be my problem too... apple shape , no boobs and the dreaded 'mum bob' hairstyle doesn't help (which I deeply regret getting)

@gwincath but what style hair does suit us? I grew mine for ages because I just couldn't bear the idea of the mum bob, then paid a mortgage for a cut with top stylist and he gave me... a mum bob.

I think a middle aged female hairdresser could make a fortune setting up a salon chain dedicated to women who want to still look stylish, and train hairdressers not to stop seeing you as human just because you have a bit of jowl.

I have this problem but I am also 6’1 and a size 16 so I may as well live in a sack. I am so very very frustrated.

My lovely colleague knows I struggle and sends me links to things she thinks I’d like, but even she’s realise that sending me things wear the mode is 5’9 isn’t going to work and commented yesterday that it’s impossible

Yes! I find clothes shoppongoverwhelming as I have no idea what suits me now.

Since I turned 40 and started wearing glasses I now look awful in anything feminine, it’s really weird. No idea what to wear or where to buy it

Argh auto correct where the model wears...

Toast, Whistles, Allsaints, Otherstories, H and M, sometimes Zara, Massimo Dutti, Topshop Boutique.
I'm 40's

I'm 46 and shop mainly from Hush these days, love the style, wears well apart from some of the tees which can be a bit thin, I love being able to try it all at home, procrastinate for a day or two then decide - otherwise White Company. I would say it's mainly for smart casual and my work clothes come from anywhere I see a smart shift dress I like, so Hobbs, White stuff, M&S etc.
I recently bought a dress for a wedding from Hush though ' Layla dress' and pink heels - it's now in the sale .
Join us on the Hush thread if you have any questions.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3208059-Hush-we-just-cant-get-enough-S-S18-Mark-2

I’m 50 and use Boohoo loads. The odd thing from ASOS too. I hate the High Street so it’s all online for me. So convenient.

@gwincath yup I'm an apple too. I always try and find something that is more fitted at the top but doesn't cling round the tummy but it usually ends up looking like maternity clothes.

Someone tell me too. And yes, Next is cutting edge where I live, so I can't even window shop.

Right... I've made a start and ordered this from Hush

I got the yellow and the burgundy jeans at GAP.

www.gap.co.uk/browse/category.do?cid=57386&departmentRedirect=true&mlink=1033202,,flyout_women_Jeans#color=1031,1022,1028&pageId=0

Hush is lovely, Toast is weird - expensive and tent like. I feel I want to like it but just cannot get over the vastness of every garment.

I found a couple of nice tops in the Savannah Miller range in Debenhams. I tend to buy in White Stuff (though there current spring/summer range is pretty poor IMHO), Monsoon and M&S.

Before DC I loved clothes shopping, felt confident about what suited me and could generally just pick up my size and know it would fit. These days clothes shopping is a hideous experience that leaves me feeling sad and frustrated. I can also now spot a ‘flattering’ mirror in a changing room from a mile away!

Yes to Cos being for the stick thin. I owned a dress from there (didn't buy it myself) and honestly it looked like I was wearing a sack. Or worse 'hiding' a bump (I'm 35 and a 12).

The best fitted shirts I have are from M&S (unpopular I know) and Jaeger.

I also like a few bits from Fever Clothing. I've had some really nice jumpers from
Ness.

I don't rely on one place though and tend to shop locally so I can try bits on for fit and quality, and once I know what they're like I find the label online.

Some good suggestions on this thread. I am 39 and Fat Face used to be my fave too. But i got a bit sick of their frills and flowery prints. Now I've moved on to Uniqlo (everything is plain which i much prefer) and little bits from Whistles, Hush and Cos (often eBay bargains!)

I love Poetry but they are ££ and more everyday than evening wear.