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.

Totally agree.

I really need clothes and no idea where to look and it's so tedious I can't face it.

I went to a fairly large shopping centre looking for a couple of vest t-shirts for my holidays. I could get them, in sizes 8 or 22. And it's been this way for a couple of years, I was moaning to my 14 year old that it should be bloody obvious by now to the stores that they need to stock a lot more of what I would call the average sizes 12, 14, 16's. She rolled her eyes and told me to buy on line, but I want to feel the quality and try them on first. I'm in my mid 50's but don't want to dress like a teen or a 70 year old, where's the decent quality on trend fashion for my age?

No. I like shopping for clothes and I find that at the moment there is lots of choice. Surely this view depends on where you shop and what you can afford to pay.

I agree . I bought an expensive cardigan from crew clothing, wore it twice and it's bobbled to hell. Normal apparently.

I hate the disney stuff so much! Paying a premium on an awful cheap shirt because it has Tweety on it?? Wtf

I never encounter Mickey Mouse on clothes websites! Where on earth are you shopping?

@FofB Have you tried Woolovers for t-shirts? They have some very nice cotton and linen ones that are a decent length. I got some with a 25% discount recently and am very happy with them.

Fashion and style are meant to be fun - now it is a chore.

There is no more buying on a whim. And if you need something specific it requires research - as someone else said down thread - you put in the hours online. It is a ridiculous situation to be in. If you are a difficult shape to dress, it's bloody hard, and I am short. I have large norks, small waist, fat arse. It takes a lot of trying on to get the right fit.

It makes buying online a logistical nightmare - I see a couple of tops - have to buy them in several sizes so you might have to buy 6 tops to try on 3 styles and then send back what you don't need. So if they are say 40 quid each that's £240 you have to lay out, and then you have to go through the palaver of trying to get refunds. That's a lot of money to keep winging in and out of your account.

We need innovative people with money to come in and rescue the High Street. Not going to happen though. In about a century someone is going to come up with the idea of a store where you can get things all under one roof. What will they call it...a department store maybe.

I have access to more expensive shops if I travel into London. Some I feel wary of going into because of my inferiority complex, but I am going to have to go in at some point and pay more. I don't want to, but needs must. And whatever I buy is going to looked after and kept.

A lot of styles at the moment seem to be optimised for cheapness of construction. I’m a hobby dressmaker, and noticed that clothes increasingly: don’t have darts (shape the bust or hips), don’t have princess seams (shape bust and waist), don’t have separate set-in sleeves, have crew necks that you can finish with a quick run of bias binding rather than a proper facing needed for a scoop or v neck (in woven fabric), don’t have buttons or other fastenings.

These result in boxy styles which tie into the laid back aesthetic that’s still in style, but they are cheaper to make because they require fewer steps AND better suited to online shopping because the shape means they “fit” a wider range of body types - while not actually fitting anyone well. I wonder if fashion is really driving the changes, or are cheaper techniques creating fashion?

I’m still hanging onto some 00s tops until they fall to rags.

or are cheaper techniques creating fashion?

Really fascinating question, @MoreThanRubies.

I love a commodious hoodie as much as anyone, but I’m also entranced by craft and detail. It’s still possible to find outside the couture houses of Paris! Just look at these - the shirt has darts front and back, as well as the distressing at the neck; the skirt’s construction is frankly breathtaking (photo of the back), inside it’s half lined with substantial cotton canvas to keep the shape. It’s almost too beautiful to wear.

Online shopping doesn't seem to have adapted to the need either. What you need if you can't try something on easily is proper measurements. These tend to be lacking. Often they don't tell you how long an item is at all! Sometimes there's no size guide at all, just sizes. When there are sizes, it's mostly bust-waist-hip, which unfortunately is of little use to me. Bust a bit, but as a slim and tall and broad-shouldered woman, I've usually okay on the bust (or it's going to be one of two sizes) but little way of telling if it's going to be totally unsuitable by another measure. Sometimes measurements are provided, but when you get the item they turn out to be wrong.

You’re on the wrong sites, @Precipice - pretty much everywhere I shop from has all or most of those facilitating ‘things’.

But anyway, in the blink of an eye we’ll be able to utilise VR / AI / whatever to make remote shopping much more targeted and certain.

Or we’ll all be sitting in darkened rooms in a standard issue grey sweatshirt - only dressing our avatars before sending them out into the online world to represent us …

Agree, a trend that started in the late noughties, pandemic has accelerated this. Also any lack of pride in appearance by too many people, partly because of inequality but I don't think that is the only reason.

Go to France, Spain or Italy and see how much better clothes quality and appearance is.

@LlynTegid I agree but you will get jumped in for saying that.

Although with Primark getting a toehold in Europe, not sure how long that will last.

When our french friend visits the first place she and her teenage daughters visit is Primark. They usually bring a spare case for their Primark shopping.

They are part of the middle-of-Lidl specials. I've bought clothes from Lidl in the past and they are good value .

Grim isn't it.

I haven't gone clothes shopping since before Covid so I headed out during the coronation to have a bit of a splurge.

I came home empty handed. Didn't buy a thing. There was little I actually liked and the few pieces I wanted were out of stock in my size (10/12).

I still need new clothes!

I'd actually pay to get into a decent shopping centre full of well tailored classic clothes in good fabrics at this point.

This is really frustrating. I have a dress I bought from Whistles last year, £120 so not cheap. That tencel soft denim-like material. No box pleat in the back, so every time I lifted my arms forward I could feel it straining, even though it was a loose cut and not tight at all. It pulls and frays at the seams under both arms every time I wear it.

This.

This, and people preferring to buy online rather than in physical shops.

I ended up buying some fabric last autumn and making myself a dress, because I could't find what I wanted in the shops or online (natural fibres, good length, pockets etc). The bonus is that I was able to adjust the bodice to my own odd shape.

But yes, a lot of what is around is rubbish. Nasty fabrics, poor fit, skimpy.

Not from choice! Stock levels are so poor in shops now that if you want a common size you often have no choice BUT to shop online.

M&S had not one pair of cargo pants or chinos in any colour in the size and length I wanted.

That is interesting

Everything is so boxy

I also find the bodices of the dresses too short so they are almost empire lining on me, my waist is lower

I have a degree in fashion and used to lecture fashion history.

I think the boxy shape is not driven by cost. It’s driven by fashion. In a few years the fitted silhouetted will be back ( as a backlash akways happens). They will just find a way round darts etc

The boxy shape often has gathering/smocking/elastic/to create fullness. These are equal in cost to darts etc. It’s all made like shit though.

early 40s, I either use next, shein, cider, or some strange alternative brands. Contrary to what I hear other people saying shein stuff washes and wears well for me, lasting a lot longer than primark or other stuff and does a range of sizes. Cider is a bit more expensive but the designs are really unusual. I honestly cannot hate to look at most of the in person shops, if they do my size looks like a sack and weird colours. Haven’t shopped in m&s for over a decade, for me it’s not my style and looks dated.

mid maybe try fat face and the like if they regularly stocked by size but I rarely go physical shopping now admits too much for me these days.

o tend to wear things too k wear them out and sometimes make my own clothes although not so much these days due to health reasons