Time to buy better clothes. What brands?

[TomatoTrousers]

I’d like to decrease the amount of clothes I buy, and buy better quality pieces instead (to be fair I don’t buy loads of clothes, but I want to do better).

I currently buy H&M, New Look, M&S, Primark, and Tu. I’m 40 and size 12-14. My style is pretty mainstream, I feel too pudgy after having kids to wear anything too standoutish.

Can you recommend any brands to me? I suppose at the minute I spend prices like £20 a top, £30 a dress, £40 for jeans, £50 a coat. I am willing to up those price points about £30-40 (or whatever is proportional) to buy quality, long lasting pieces.

Advice welcome!

To get significantly better quality, style, cut etc, o think you might want to look at spending a bit more still I'm afraid. Jigsaw and Boden once filled that mid price gap for me, but I find that the quality is no longer any good.

Crew Clothing might be worth a look. They are never going to be cutting edge fashion, but they are ok, quality isn't bad, they use a lot of cotton still and price is around what you're saying. I tend to get a lot of work clothes from them, and also Tu. Tu also do great jeans. I also really like Forgotten Tribes for casual and the off thing from Toast in the sales.

I really like Reiss for quality basics

You should be looking to fabric type too, less plastic more natural fibre. Cotton, linen, silk etc.

I shop at the places you currently do, to get better quality I think you have to spend a lot more.

£200 trousers, 120 top , 500 coat/jacket etc.

Can you try Vinted or Ebay? Any clothing ive got that is wool, cashmere or silk is vintage or second hand.

The cheaper clothes I buy do seem to last though, I wash at 30 and don't tend to tumble dry unless its jeans.

I think various brands are excellent for specific things:

Boden for tailored trousers
M&S for Jeans
I quite like Seasalt/White Stuff/Kettlewell for tops
The last time I was in JL, there were lots of new brands that looked good - there seems to be a turning point moment
Whistles for occasional bits/their soft tailored jackets
Occasional Baukjen

But as others have said, quality means much higher price points. Day to day I'm happy with ana M&S lightweight puff jacket or a coloured coat but for a good quality, coat to last for 10 years, I'd expect to pay at least £350.

I don't have e a massive wardrobe and probably buy half a dozen items, sometimes ten, a year but spend about £1200 a year.

Uniqglo would be at your price point. Also some M & S is still decent quality.

Other than that you are going up a notch but I would look at Reiss, Hobbs, Whistles & Baukjen and try and go for sales.

What sort of clothes do you buy @TomatoTrousers , and what do you want to buy?
How do you treat your clothes?
I don't think there is anything wrong with the brands you are buying, but it depends on what the item is.

I wouldn’t discount some of the places you have mentioned. I still buy plain long sleeved tops for layering from h & m as they are 100% cotton. Similarly, M & S have some clothing that is all natural materials. Many more expensive places are now lacking in quality so don’t assume spending more means getting better, Karen Mullen have kept the look of their winter coats but they are now almost completely polyester where they used to be a wool and cashmere blend

I rarely wear cheap fabric and poorly made clothes like new look, etc. I go to charity shops and look on Vinted for quality brands instead as I can’t afford nice quality brands new. You would need to up your budget considerably if you want brand new.

I stick to wool, cashmere, leather, silk, cotton

Brands like cos, Boden, Reiss. Hobbs, vintage jigsaw, vintage marks and Spencer, woolover, baukjen

You may have to pay a bit more than an extra £40. I also moved up like you are planning to do. I wear Toadt , Poetry and wrap and keep away from synthetic fabrics as much as possible - I also like White stuff as there is a branch in my town and they have good sales

I rarely wear cheap fabric and poorly made clothes like new look The clothes I've got from New Look and H&M have been fine. There are better brands but the NL and H&M clothes have lasted years.