Clothes shops for elderly mother

[cantkeepawayforever]

Compared with many on here, this is an extremely trivial question.

However, my mother (mid 80s, frail, mild dementia) would like some new clothes. She wears - has always worn, for as long as I can remember - blouses, mid-calf skirts and high neck jumpers or long open cardigans. Plain colours - blue, maroon, rust, bottle green etc. Blouses should be cotton, buttoned to the neck, can be slightly floral or checked.. Skirts kilted, pleated plaid, or cotton chambray for the summer. Jumpers and cardigans - fine knit, lambswool. Picture Edinburgh Woollen Mill about 20 years ago, or the late Queen in her last photo, but in a more practical colour.

I am drawing a blank in finding clothes shops or brands for her. M&S has almost no skirts. Edinburgh Woollen Mill has gone all polyester swirly. No local House of Fraser. In person would be best as she is very very tiny and bent now, so sizes are uncertain.

Anyone found any excellent stores for the elderly lady who has dressed like an elderly lady for the last 50 years??

(Oh, and, if possible, not frighteningly expensive. She bought these things when normal shops - M&S, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Debenhams - had them in large quantities, so she’s not used to ‘luxury niche Scottish brands’ pricing)

Have you tried Bon Marche ?

Damart

House of Bruar. Very many traditional clothes but it is in Scotland.

Try vinted for older good quality stuff

Online - Lands End, Cotton Traders.

Seasalt if she wants to be a bit daring 😉

House of Bruar do online and have an outlet section (both online and in person).

M&S knitwear might be suitable. Cotton Traders and Landsend may have blouses but skirts are often very long. Damart and Roman have quite a few skirts. John Lewis have knee length skirts but not cheap. I second Bon Marche as they do have shorter lengths but maybe a lot of polyester.
You could ask advice on Granset as there may be older women there who like that style or other daughters helping their elderly mother.

I want to recommend you sit with her, with a laptop, and try to get her to choose among the items (when you find some you think are about right).

If she's unhappy about prices, maybe fib & say you have a 50% off voucher?

Thank you! Needs to be natural fibres if at all possible, especially blouses and skirts, which is an additional challenge. She would tolerate a wool mix skirt or wool mix jumper, but nothing she would dismiss as ‘slimy’.

Would also suggest Bonmarche. Most of my mums clothes are from there. She has never worn trousers in her life and is quite petite.

I got a beautiful coat last year in the sale, I need to get the old fashioned buttons replaced though.

My mother is in her nineties. In her 80s she bought quite a bit from Toast, but she finds it a bit staid now - so it might suit a more conservative dresser. They regularly have ‘massive’ sales, so that would be a good time for your mother to stock up.

When my aunt's home got burnt down, aunt lost everything but the stuff she was wearing, cousin & I drove around to charity shops, trying to find the sort of perfect cotton long nighties that aunt would like. In retrospect, this was a mistake. If someone is that particular, you need to involve them as much as possible in the actual purchase event. Too difficult to get it right without their direct input.

Woolovers are good for knitwear.

This kind of thing? No idea what the sizing is like, though.

https://www.countrycollection.co.uk/

My late Mum was a huge fan of Bonmarche. She was tiny in her latter years and the clothes always fitted her well and she looked nice🙂. Mum liked trousers and Bonmarche ‘petite’ fitted her well. House of Bruar - yes, if you can afford it!

Damart is good and has paper catalogues which she might like. Which brands are you looking at at the EWM. Honor Milburn is nice.

Woolovers . Do other natural fibres and not just woollies. My Mum lives in the cashmere and merino knitted polo jumper in a range of pretty / neutral colours that they change regularly ttps://www.woolovers.com/womens/tops-and-shirts/ladies-cashmere-and-merino-knitted-polo-shirt-blue-17295

Thought might be worth a look - good cardigans, My mum (v late 80s, tall) has this skirt https://www.wearethought.com/collections/womens-sustainable-skirts/products/ullima-organic-cotton-chambray-skirt-chambray-blue and a few tops.

Pricey but Gudrun Sjoden are beautiful quality and have some lovely pieces that my 90 yo aunt wears https://www.gudrunsjoden.com/en-gb/clothes/essentials-tops?page=2

https://www.gudrunsjoden.com/en-gb/clothes/tunics?page=2

I like WeAreThought but they are very hit and miss quality wise.

My mother (early nineties) finds a good selection of cotton dresses on the Adini website. Have also found pure cotton cardies in Uniqlo for her.

I second House of Bruar. I see you'd rather do in-person but perhaps you can order a few sizes online and return what doesn't fit? Lots of lovely pure wool items (I'm half your mother's age and love their plain knitwear).

HoB have cotton liberty print blouses your DM might like?

I have the catalogue so have taken a photo to give you an idea. I'm sure if you ring them up they'd send you the catalogue.

I seem to be on the House of Bruar mailing list. I’m in my 60s and their stuff always makes me think of Her Late Majesty 😀

My mum likes country collection (linked by a PP)

www.countrycollection.co.uk/ladies/ladies-skirts

Also Celtic & Co eg www.celticandco.com/womens/clothing/kilts/linen-button-through-midi-skirt?colourid=1065