I just don't like the current clothes fashion

[Jourdain11]

I've been on a few clothes-shopping expeditions lately - trying to replenish my Covid-depleted wardrobe - and I've come away virtually empty-handed because I cannot find any clothes I like or which look good on me. I don't know whether my perception is weird, but the current fashion seems to be for women to wear clothing shaped like sacks! Some women look amazing in it, but unfortunately I am not one of them.

Am I being weird about this, or does anyone else wish they could find clothing with some semblance of shape? Even dresses seem to be either shapeless or like something out of Little House on the Prairie!

I'm not very 'girly', but nor do I wish to dress in a duvet cover with holes for the arms and neck 🤔

I'm a very middle aged mum with no real interest in fashion and clothes and the current stores do not sell things I'd like to buy at all

Ahh, that’s so nice. Thank you 🙂

yanbu! I've been trying to shop for some new clothes recently as a treat to myself after losing some weight and everything seems to be either really frumpy or really revealing. I've taken to buying stuff on eBay because there are a lot of outlets and more of a variety of stuff than there is in the shops at the moment.

I like fitted skater dresses, sleeveless or strappy, which fall slightly above the knee (i have nice arms and legs). I've been buying quite a lot from New Look at the moment. This was quite a surprise as i shopped there as a teenager!

I've manned to find a couple of shirt dresses, nie from La Redoute and one from French connection, they have a more structured shape and a waist than all the sacks. That said I am wearing a pale grey linen mix sack right now, lovely and cool, but I'm on holiday.

I love the simplicity of this 😍

I do, however, work somewhere very conservative, so none of it would be suitable.

I also hate flowery prints, so am doomed 😂 I watched a YouTube video recently, about AW trends, which made me quite hopeful. Tailoring 😍 Lower waists 😍

Thank you to the PP who mentioned Esprit! I assumed it had ceased to exist so this was a happy surprise. I've already been online and ordered a pair of black trousers, some new culottes and some (hopefully) fitted tops 😍

I completely understand why some people adore floaty dresses and on loads of people they look gorgeous. They just don't suit me. I'm quite 'athletic' build skinny rather than elegant and lithe - small hips, long arms and legs and a bit flat chested. Like a stick insect, perhaps. And I just look like a lanky collection of sticks dressed in a swathe of floaty, frilly fabric. It doesn't work as a look.

I love Bon Marché ! Their jeans are great, they actually fit and don't swamp me.
OP, I feel the same about clothes at the moment. I've been trying to find something to wear to my niece's wedding in Greece in a few weeks - found something now but tried about 20 different things before I settled on my outfit - and even now I'm not 100% convinced but I've got to choose sometime !
I'm a size 16 and 5' 3", I try and be careful what I choose to wear and tend now to stick to classic items and colours.

Oh, and I am a confirmed charity shopaholic too !

Since July I have been doing the Wool & dress challenge. It's been a wonderful revelation. I realize I wasted so much time and money on clothes with bad fabric, hems and fit. I'm day 33 and it's so freeing just knowing what I will wear when I get up

How can you manage 100 days wearing the same dress? It sounds disgusting!

Plus I would die of sheer boredom, itchiness and would melt given the 40 degrees in the South.

You will turn into the real DutchessOfMuck indeed 😆

Ive actually dusted off my sewing machine as I wanted some new lightweight clothez in natural fabrics. Made anice blouse in a patterned lawn and am going to make it again in broderie anglai. Its the only way I can afford things in quality fabrics.

High street collections and deliberately curated for older people who are disinterested in fashion - because anyone who's keen on it will be shopping online. That's why the racks look like they cater for the elderly or the perpetually dull.

Hmm, last time I went shopping in person it was pretty much as described above - cropped t-shirts (I'm in my 50s with a belly, so no thank you), smocky things, big boxy t-shirts (yes I could size down but they'd still be shapeless and unflattering). I came away with nothing.

Know exactly what you mean.
Its either a load of tat or dresses with weird necklines or a weird shape. Hoping for some nice autumn fashion in soon

If everyone wore red it would look like a scene from the Handmaids Tale.

Jolie Moi? Someone mentioned them on Mumsnet a while back and I've bought a couple of dresses from there. They've got a sale on at the moment too!

Or Vinted? You have to know your size based on the retailer, so M&S size 14 seems to be Monsoon size 16. Also you have to look/guess how old an item is as a vintage item is a lot smaller than a current. A bit of trial and error maybe, but there are a lot of bargains on there. If you know what fits already it helps. I've probably has a 75% success rate on there.

I've probably has a 75% success rate on there.

And what happens with the 25% that you haven't been able to guess? Not everyone has spare cash to throw away. Putting it back for sale is a faff and a waste of time also

I disagree OP.
I think the shops are full of pretty, patterned dresses with tiers
Sadly too long for this rather overweight 5ft 3 incher.

I’m happy to take a gamble with Vinted or eBay. My success rate is probably about 80%, too. Closer to 190% for work stuff as I know exactly what brands and items I’m looking for and how they will fit.

What I like about secondhand online shopping is that you get styles from through the years as people clear out their wardrobes, so you don’t have to be a slave to what’s currently in fashion.

I really like some of the older M&S Autigraph stuff from 10 + years ago, when they did a lot of simple, tailored work dresses and relaxed blazers, for example.
(Now it’s all wannabe-Cos sack dresses or frilly blouses or horrible floral nightie dresses.) I can often find them on secondhand sites.

If you’re not a big online shopper then I can see why you wouldn’t want to risk it, though. I’m lazy and I feel like it’s less faff for me to do returns or sell stuff on than go out shopping on the high street!

They go to a charity shop. I could also sell them on but haven't done that yet. My reasoning is if you buy 4 new items (with or without tags) for less than £10 each plus postage it's still a lot cheaper than buying a full priced item. It is a risk though, and sometimes clothes don't fit or suit even if in good condition. And sometimes they do have a bit of a smell (though this usually disappears after washing). So not for everyone. And always read a seller's reviews.

I totally hear you OP - i've given up shopping in stores and now pretty much buy most of my wardrobe from Vinted. I have truly reinvented my wardrobe for considerably less than it would cost me buying new, and just find it to much easier to shop there! I look at my go to brands, and honestly, it's been a revelation. Naturally it's hit and miss, but i just sell on what doesn't fit/look great. Warning, it's a bit addictive!

Shapeless or half tops. I don't want my stomach out. I just a nice tshirt that isn't cropped or baggy

There are definitely a lot of those rectangular shaped smock dresses about. I don't like the shape either but I just wrap a belt around me waist to since it in and give it some shape. Maybe you could try that.
I also hate the jeans in shops lately. I literally look like a builder!

Yes it's not great

Lack of tailoring and high necks, horrible fabrics mainly

There are no skirts apart from huge billowy things. The drawstring ones don't look great on me either

I've found seasalt ok and some M&S chinos

I like neat fitted things mainly as I am hour glass and have a bust

Why did Covid deplete your wardrobe? If there's nothing in the shops you fancy, save the money for the next gas bill. You'll need it!

I absolutely love the floaty dress with trainers look. But it suits me. Many of my friends hate it.

We must be psychic op, I recently ordered a midi dress from Brora in the sale, my first thought when I tried it on was omg, I look like something from Little House on the Prairie😂