Middle Class Ugly Clothing part two

[RoyalFamilyFan]

Original thread here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4446999-To-think-so-many-middle-class-clothes-are-ugly?pg=40

I admit I am hardly a style guru. But when I joined Mumsnet people talked about lots of companies I had never heard of like Toast. So I followed links of clothes posted and looked at the websites mentioned. And was shocked at how ugly so much of the clothing was.
Shapeless grey dresses. Black loose trousers teamed with black tunics which make the model look like she is a member of a cult. Shapeless brown t-shirts.
They are just so ugly. AIBU?

But UK made fashion isn't necessarily ethical. Look at boohoo

Looking at the prices is a big give away that it isn't ethical. I wouldn't buy clothes that cheap for that reason.

The company’s website states that it puts over 500 new products online every week. An item can go from design to sale intwo weeks. On one day in April 2021 ‘new in today’ items include dresses for under £10 and leggings for under £7. Heavily discounted sale items included a bikini reduced to only £3

These clothes are not designed to last from one summer to the next. Such low prices and quick turnaround times imply Boohoo’s disregard for the planet and workers’ rights

www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/whats-ethical-impact-boohoo-asos-buying-well-known-fashion-brands

[quote KirstenBlest]White Stuff is ok. As a pp, the finishing, fabric and detail is good.

@BigHuff, try this link
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3667982-If-i-like-Toast-and-Margaret-Howell-with-pics#prettyPhoto[/quote]
Lots of names to look up - thank you!

Is this growth in modest fashion actually just part of the growth of consumerism generally? My mum largely stopped buying clothes in her 40s just wore the same thing, whereas women in this age range now are more likely to have more disposable income and marketers are targeting that in appealing to that demographic

As in historically "fashion" only really targeted the young and now they're are more brands appealing to older consumers. And with the internet it allows for the more niche targeting. Whilst I don't like the dowdy aesthetic I think, perversely it gives more opportunity for self-expression through styling than buying say a print dress from M&S which 0000s of others will have and you can almost guarantee you'll bump into others wearing same thing.

@ChampagneLassie I am in my late fifties. My clothes wear out or get out of shape and I need new ones.

@ChampagneLassie

Is this growth in modest fashion actually just part of the growth of consumerism generally? My mum largely stopped buying clothes in her 40s just wore the same thing, whereas women in this age range now are more likely to have more disposable income and marketers are targeting that in appealing to that demographic

I think you are right. My mum, now nearly 90, still wears a couple of M&S summer dresses that she bought in the late 1970s. My wardrobe includes some "old favourites" but doesn't quite stretch that far!

@KimikosNightmare

Can you name some of the brands, please? I did not realise there were so many companies making clothing in the UK - I was very pleasantly surprised to see so many examples on the previous thread!

At the moment a lot of my clothes are from & Daughter , Palava and Edina Ronay. Knitwear from Palava and Eribé. One fabulous dress from Eponine.

I have dresses from a local boutique from a brand called Emperor's New Clothes which recycle fabrics. Jackets from local independent dressmaker or other UK or Irish tweed companies. Max Mara coats which are made in Italy. Lots of tailored stuff from a Dutch shop Pauw. So not all UK.

Shoes are easy to buy from EU producers as Spain, Italy and Portugal have really cornered the market. Not sure if there are shoes made in UK ( There probably are but suspect they might be too utilitarian for my taste)

Thank you for replying! I am kind of amazed that I have never heard of any of these brands.

The dresses on Eponine really are fabulous, although I guess they do underscore my personal preference for more anonymous clothing.

@tectonicplates

I'm so fed up of women asking "Why don't you buy men's clothes?" when we complain about quality, because there's a certain amount of sizing privilege involved. I'm 5ft 1 and even most women's clothes are too long for me, so where the AF am I going to find men's clothes that fit me?!

As a short person, I'll give a chance to any company that makes petites (which is an ever-diminishing number). This means I'll often buy things from shops where I wouldn't necessarily have chosen them for the style, if I'd had a choice. That's why I have a couple of things from Land's End (boring but comfortable), and a few plain things from Asos and Boohoo.

Anyone who's very short, very tall, or larger than a size 18/20 knows this. We shop where it's possible to shop, which isn't always where we'd like.

And don't even get me started about ethical/fairtrade clothing companies. They make a much narrower sizing range than high street shops and then what we request more sizes, they claim there isn't a demand when we know full well that there is. If you don't make ethical clothes that for us then you can't go complaining when we buy stuff from Boohoo, who seem to actually want customers.

If it's of any comfort my husband complains that high street options for men are generally very poor quality.

[quote RoyalFamilyFan]@ChampagneLassie I am in my late fifties. My clothes wear out or get out of shape and I need new ones.[/quote]
Yes - and my mum would still be wearing those 20 years later! (honestly she's wearing things in her 70's she had in her 20/30s!, holes and patched etc) My point was ladies today do buy more clothes I think than the 40/50/60 year olds of 20-30 years ago.

@ChampagneLassie maybe that is the difference. Clothes from my 20s don't fit me anymore.

my mum would still be wearing those 20 years later! (honestly she's wearing things in her 70's she had in her 20/30s!, holes and patched etc

@ChampagneLassie are you Zara Phillips??

@KillingMeDeftly

my mum would still be wearing those 20 years later! (honestly she's wearing things in her 70's she had in her 20/30s!, holes and patched etc

@ChampagneLassie are you Zara Phillips??

Ha, ha, ha. I wish! Princess Anne wears some fantastic things.

ChampagneLassie

I'm sorry but I don't recognise this at all.
My mum is in her 80s and spends much more on clothes than I do.
My Granny, who was born in 1910 loved clothes and fashion. Yes she was thrifty, and didn't do disposable fashion, and she woudl repait things (but she wouldn't wear it if it had holes or a bad repair) but she enjoyed shopping for a new dress in her 70s and 80s.
In fact both my Grannies did.

And neither had a lot of money.

You are welcome @BigHuff.

Just re-reading that thread, Toast sell branded shoes but collaborations, as do YMC and MHL. Plumo sell branded clothes (Ganni, Stalf, Two Danes etc) as well as Plumo-branded clothes

The shoes, or very similar ones, are often cheaper on the maker's website and will be available in a wider range of sizes.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

Can I just big up the M&S footwear. A friend of mine is friends with an upmarket cobbler who rates the quality highly. A bit off topic for this thread, but I’ve been buying the DC’s school shoes from M&S for a few years, and they fit abs last really well. I can’t buy shoes for myself there anymore because they stopped doing women’s 9s, but I have a brilliant pair of navy leather brogues which are 6 or 7 years old and going strong. They polish up beautifully, and will take a sole. They are leather, and leather lined, and like the school shoes, considerably cheaper than Clark’s equivalent.

Love your name btw. He would have been 75 today.

Now seriously off topic!

Buying expensive ethical/sustainable clothes is also a very middle class indulgence. Not many people can buy several £300 dresses and offset the guilt of buying unnecessary clothes by knowing those clothes will last years. For many people that's out of reach and their choices are Primark etc. And they may well keep those clothes for years too - I have had things from there which have lasted ages without bobbling/losing shape. I really rate their bedding.

I was in Primark today and noticed they were selling things made out of recycled materials, which is good. But middle class people aren't necessarily doing better in their shopping habits if they are a)buying more stuff than they need or b)buying expensive things that don't filter down a fair amount of the money to the people at the bottom of the chain.

@KirstenBlest

You are welcome *@BigHuff*.

Just re-reading that thread, Toast sell branded shoes but collaborations, as do YMC and MHL. Plumo sell branded clothes (Ganni, Stalf, Two Danes etc) as well as Plumo-branded clothes

The shoes, or very similar ones, are often cheaper on the maker's website and will be available in a wider range of sizes.

I constantly have a pair of Blundstone boots on the go - Plumo always have them too, but always £30+ than direct from Blundstone.

Ah thanks @alliscalm. I know, 3 yrs and 3 days younger than DM.

I feel attacked by this thread 😭

@Frenchfurze

On the issue of comfort, I’d be interested to see a poll comparing the Toast and Cos etc haters with the significant number of Mners who come home, rip off their bra practically on the doorstep and immediately change into pyjamas, and seem genuinely shocked at the idea that they might make dinner or lounge on the sofa wearing whatever they had been wearing at work or whatever else they were doing outside the home. This always suggests to me that their day to day clothes and underwear must be uncomfortable.

I totally agree with this

My middle class friends buy their clothes from Gilead Garments close to Dystopia.

Nooo @dangerrabbit - don’t feel attacked! I’m sure you look lovely in whatever you wear.

And just know that your username is great. I don’t know why but it just gave me glimpses of a superhero mouse! and that’s cool (I’m not usually a nerd…..)

I haven't had a chance to read the posts on this thread yet, but in response to some of the comments on Part 1 - who genuinely cares if other people find your clothes frumpy or Playschool-esque? (Autocorrect really hated "Playchool-esque" and I've had a lot of wine, so that took more time than it deserved to type 🤣)

I colour my hair (blue), choose my clothes, apply my makeup, and manage my body hair according to what gives me joy, comfort, and a sense of self. In the nicest possible way, I don't care who hates it. I just do me and I hope other people just do them too. (Just FWIW, I live in a typically middle class area and I'm definitely the odd one out. I don't care, and nor do I care what my friends and neighbours wear)

This is going to be an expensive thread for me. Already bought a pair of Saint and Sofia trousers. Justifiying it because they are perfect WFH wear.

www.toa.st/collections/womens-dresses/products/garment-dyed-linen-tunic-dress-black-coffee

I would definitely wear this linen tunic (in black, yellows do nothing for me). I wouldn't even do any 'dressing up' with accessories. I'd need a bigger size than XS.

The jersey knit shift dresses on the same page are imo very wearable too.