To feel so disappointed in clothes shopping now compared to what it used to be like?

[mrsgreggspastry]

AIBU to think that there used to be far more choice and just more appealing clothes than there is now? Just everything, the fabrics, not something I pay much attention to normally, but now things just seem so thin and cheap looking. The colours, styles, choice, everything. I can remember going to the shops and really struggling to choose between so many lovely things. Now it's hard to find things I like at all.

I really struggle to buy for my DD. She's only 7, but needs a longer length t-shirt as she is tall, but all the t-shirts for girls are extra short in the body. Just why should young girls have to have their belly exposed all the time?

I hate it. Was looking at dresses online today and finding polyester dresses for over £200! Less choice in the shops, having to do more online ordering, then sending stuff back as it never fits. Got a coat from Uniqlo yesterday I could have fitted two of me in it!

I can imagine it must be very frustrating if you've got a wedding or event to go to and need something.

It’s the opposite. For a “look nice for one day only” it’s easy. You can forgive shit sizing and sell on afterwards.
Its finding everyday t shirts, shirts, toro users, dresses and jeans that are made from all natural fibres. I have to buy white vest tops annually because the enjvitably go grey at some point and colour run is crap on synthetics generally

This. Cheap fabrics, fast fashion and landfill clothing pre dates Brexit.

100% agree. Everything I try from places like Zara and H&M is total crap. I have given up and just but a select few things from shops with better quality items. I was driving my husband mad with all ordering and returning to find one thing. I gave up on in-store shopping because the selection is poor. I miss the days when going shopping was fun!

Yep so many hideous things. I seem to buy most of my stuff online now which I’m sure just makes the overall issue worse…!

But there's no alternative to cheap fast fashion in the form of good quality, great colours, great designs, more expensive lovely, flattering things that you can save up for.

I agree and I’ve stopped buying fast fashion now. I pay more and buy less.

100% agree. Everything I try from places like Zara and H&M is total crap. I have given up and just but a select few things from shops with better quality items. I was driving my husband mad with all ordering and returning to find one thing. I gave up on in-store shopping because the selection is poor. I miss the days when going shopping was fun!

It did used to be a lot more fun, now it seems like just trawling through places trying to find something halfway decent rather than have a selection. I've tried online but always have to return things. Lately I have tried to find a pair of jeans, just nice quality, fairly soft feeling straight leg jeans, and I can't. If I could just find some jeans and t shirts which were good quality that would be a start. But you did used to be able to have a great selection of all sorts of nice things, I'm sure. It might mean saving up and getting things you really liked. But now there's nothing that nice.

Where do you go PurpleFlower1983?

Even if you have a wardrobe full of clothes do you basically just wear the same few things?

As well as the quality falling, this is a Shit Season. Every few years there is a season of fashions that just don't work for me. The shapeless linen stuff the shops are full of don't work on my shape. And all of the bare midriff stuff (that I remember from my early 20s) doesn't work so well now I am mid 40s.

Unfortunately this coincides with me needing a lot of stuff. I didn't buy much during covid. Plus I've put on a few peri menopausal pounds. And have a new job with a new dress code. If the shops sold stuff I wanted I would be spending plenty!

Definitely. I'm slowly trying to replace all the clothes i've never liked and don't wear with just a few that I do and will.

I hope you only wear organic cotton.

Disagree - I love the clothes in the shops at the moment - beautiful dresses in monsoon, M&S, Zara and H&M - I could spend a fortune! Culottes are good too.. I'm 55

Well of course there is! What do you mean?

I would love to be able to find scooped necked cotton t shirts that sit on the hip bone and are shaped in at the waist, everything is literally a square piece of fabric these days.

Probably so, but the same dire clothing situation - the mass rise of the poorly made synthetics - has certainly happened to Poland, which is still in the EU. The UK swung in that direction before Poland did, but the same problem is there now. No doubt to other European countries too: I don't really believe that there's some elusive European market left where all the clothes in the town shops are typically made of cotton and linen and wool if they're jumpers. I think that in the UK too it predates Brexit.

Look into visting charity shops I think you could be pleasantly susprised by what you can find sometimes.
Also it's a bit of fun , just like Swish clothes swaps fares that quite often spring up in various places for e.g communities centres.

Shops in spain are also full of expensive, ugly, polyester clothes.

Yes I tend to

I love Zara! But I get annoyed at Zara in UK. Its like a car boot sale. Zara in Spain is amazing. Loads of lovely stuff and laid out properly.
A lot of shops in UK are quite depressing. I tend to head to Charity shops, although quite like John Lewis/Mango and M and S

Here is what I want. A white t-shirt, cotton, larger size- THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THROUGH. Not thin jersey. Not something which goes out of shape after the 1st wash. A sturdy white t-shirt which can be worn and washed repeatedly.

Used to be able to get great ones from M&S and Land's End. No more.

There are far more niche brands now but they're all online. Think Komodo, Thought, Lucy and Yak.