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 generally buy everything online because there's wider ranges available and more size options.

I really recommend looking at things on pintrest to get ideas of what you like and usually then you find places that sell similar items/styles.

Im the wrong side of 50. My go to shop is Zara. Also Debenhams, Ted Baker ( sale), Sainsbos ( sometimes). Buy a good pair of high waisted jeans. Zara do a great pair.
I cannot wear killer heels anymore, so I tend to wear low heeled ankle boots with jeans. For shoes, I go to New Look, Marks and Spencers ( usually discounted that shop but their shoes are great, although some are frumpy), and surprisingly Primark who now do comfy and wide fit shoes that even I can wear.
Principles and Warehouse are good too. And Next are good for tops, although they got too corporate for my tastes, but I like their new season stuff.

I am fifty la la.

If you have £££ then Whistles is spot on.

Otherwise, & Other Stories is probably the best place for the look you are describing. Fabulous quality and style.

I find Cos too cocoony for my shape. I think I just invented a word

Every year or so I go to John Lewis and have a consultation with one of their personal shoppers. It's free of charge and they are great at getting me to try on new brands and shapes that I would overlook on the shop floor We have a very posh dinner coming up and I am actually in the happy position of thinking 'which one of my nice outfits from last years shop will I wear?' Rather than panicking and thinking I have nothing to wear.

I can't say that I have go to shops any more. I have to really so around. Most recent buys have been cos (great for non clingy t-shirts), hush (great boyfriend jeans), kin at John Lewis, a bright orange jumper from jigsaw and eBay (I find decent brands expensive so make use of discount codes or pick the up on eBay). I find Zara and mango ok at times too.

I am early 50s. I want to like cos but I don't. The clothes are a weird shape.

Me and m is good but expensive.

scabbers The weird shape for Cos clothes has now been defined by me as "cocoony" Have you looked at & Other Stories? Same group as Cos but without the weird shapes.

I also think M & Co is good for cheap and cheerful.

Yes Kin and Weekend at John Lewis

Got a good work dress in Sosander sake which is good quality and non iron (which ticks all my boxes for workwear)

I like & other stories. Jumpsuits have been good for me recently

Yes, coocoony! Exactly

Have you had a look at Joules and Boden?

Gosh, yes it is really hard!

Fatface/boden/joules/mistral/whitestuff/seasalt are all a bit boring now and just not modern or fashion or fun or even flattering. It is all weekend-dressing if you don't mind looking like a playgroup teacher (or is that just me)

Hush used to be a bit more fun and fashion, but ALL their dresses are baggy and wide and short on me (the cut has gone weird, and some is now polyester

Toast used to be great, but is now all 100% Soviet librarian. As is Cos.

Uniqlo sometimes ok, but their sizing varies wildly, I can be an M or an XL there (size 14)

Whistles/Hobbs/LKBennet/Reiss are too formal for me

I started browsing in boutiques, and noting down brands I like, the scouring ebay for these lesser known brands.

Even if tortured I would not tell you which they are

H&M sometimes do nice stuff (google dresses and start with the most expensive)

It is hard work, dressing nice.

There are too many days I just wear my fatface clobber..... I give up

Betty Oasis white shirt? They have a cotton one too but looks a bit square to me!

Have you tried:
Boden
Joules
M&S
Joanie
Hush
Yumi
Hobbs

I hate clothes shopping now. I'm late 40s & feel like there's nothing in the shops for my age unless I wanna pay a fortune, which i dont. Also it's coming up to summer, I want light , bright colours but most of the trousers I've seen are black or navy !

I tend to buy quite a bit from topshop. I like their jeans and we have a frumpy rural branch and they tend to have things in that anyone can wear, nice sweatshirts etc.

Isn't Cos just shapeless, drapey stuff?

Mumsnet is obsessed with Cos (and Hush). When I opened this thread I made a little bet with myself about how long it would take for someone to mention it. It didn't take long. I loathe it personally

I agree about Zara. Much more grown up butcquirky than much of the high street.

I buy a lot from esprit. They seek to have a huge variety of styles. Even the really short dresses they sometimes have work as more of a tunic for the (ahem) more mature woman.

Esprit is good as delivery is only £1 and returns are free so you can order lots to try on.

THere are quite few over 40 bloggers and instagrammers whose aim is exactly to get out of the invisibility of White Stuff and Fatface frump. They vary in vibe so it’s worth having a look and seeing which floats your boat but they include

Midlifechic
Myfashionsbleforties
Doesmybummlook40
Iwontwearsludgebrown
Alifetostyle
EJStyle (a bit younger but v classic/minamilist style)

All of these also have lists of the bloggers they like so you can widen your search

Isn't Cos just shapeless, drapey stuff? So glad someone else has said that! I've just been looking at Cos dresses - all of them look as if they've been dumped on the nearest model without any consideration of whether they're actually her size.

I realise that I've got so old I don't even know how to recognise whether something is frumpy. At one time I could get away with just merging into the background, now I'm so unfashionable I stand out.

Loads of places ! Cos , Zara , large M&S , Hobbs, and other stories etc

Plus do your hair and get some nice jewels

For a wedding I would target a Zara and go early and try on loads and loads

Have to say Zara always gets a compliment (even though a 14 is XXXL !!)

Depends on your size. I love Zara but I'm too fat. I like phase8 and hush (but find it really expensive). Was in Next the other day and the new summer stuff was really nice.

I used to scoff at my mother going in Roman. But I have to say their (elasticated) ankle grazers/crop trousers are fab.

I've paired some navy ones with a H&M tunic.

Also bought some grey skinny trousers from Primark. They may only last a week but are stretchy and flattering. I wore them to work after years of dresses and everyone remarked on how nice they look.

I think h&m is my go to. Like Zara as well. Liked the top postef up thread but £65 too steep for me (hence h&m)