Why do I hate everything that,s supposed to be fashionable?

[orangeandlemons]

......when I have a degree in fashion and love clothes...

Skulls and crosses, ok for Goths I suppose
Studs..as above
Animal print, loathe anything animal print and am so sick of seeing it
Glittery and sequin stuff...ok for evening
See through jumpers...thought the point of a jumper was to keep you warm
Barbour jackets, great on horsey people, but not on the high street, even worse with huge visible label
Hunter wellies...as Barbour

I know this isn't the only stuff in fashion, but it seems to be what most people wear, and I don't like it, and therefore feel I am the one who is wrong! I have felt like this about fashion for about 5 years....

Where do you live? I rarely see any of that.

Up North. The shopping centre has a demographic of about 14 I think, but loads of middle aged women were dressed like that which makes it even more depressing....especially when worn with a helmet head hair colour

I'd be interested in some of the things you do like...? What type of stuff do you wear everyday?

I like stripes, denim, Peter Pan blouses ( as long as not polyester) ankle length slim trousers, sort of 50's type stuff I suppose. Some dresses, as long as not colour blocking. Don't wear skirts really, but am so fussy about fabrics, and it is a
Most impossible to just find nice fabrics on the high street anymore.

Hate Ponte < shudder> polyester, acrylic, they all look nasty, but on the high street it appears that is all you can buy, and people obviously do

It's probably because you have a degree in fashion that you're aware of the ubiquitousness of high st fashion. I'm hoping you don't follow them and you have your own individual style.

It's tough trying to find stuff to wear though, that isnt "fashion"especially now vintage and geek chic is so everywhere.

every day fashion is bloody awful, has been for years. and i wouldn't put barbour and hunter wellies (and your list) as items people who are really into fashion would buy.

i was in river island yesterday and thought most of the fabric was like stuff you would get in the market. you have to pay alot more for decent well designed clothes now. and there are some lovely things just not on usual high st.

Completely agree with you about the dire state of the high street offerings. Unfortunately the price of raw materials like cotton is prohibitively high to use for garments when the RRP is sub £50.

The older I get, the less I want to wear things that everyone else, I do like Zara, but just don't want to be like everyone else, if that makes sense.

How do you find the charity shops in your area?

I agree that the fabrics are bloody awful. Having said that, I think we're lucky to be in a time where practically anything goes ; you don't have to be a slave to trends. Perhaps you need to think "style" rather than fashion & have a smaller collection of things which you spend more on? Or customise charity shop finds?

Charity shops are full of polyester tat near me. If I look carefully I can still find cotton in the high street, and no more expensive than poly. So whilst I know that cotton crops are expensive, I am sure there is more to than just cost

I am glad that since The Devil Wears Prada I have something to make sense of my dislike and confusion for the High Street - The Sweater Speech "But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean." I just googled something about 'studs' and there's a blog post from Spring 09. The worst of it is ignorable now I have had the process explained to me like I'm 5.

stripes, denim, Peter Pan blouses, ankle length slim trousers

All things that have been in fashion for the past 5 years.

I suppose they have....I was just musing really..

However the state of High Street fashion ATM is abysma

High street fashion is bloody awful. The best shop we have in our city is Zara, although even though I like the look of the stuff in there, it rarely fits well so I don't bother with it.

I can't shops like River Island, I can't ever find anything decent in them.

What are we meant to buy then.......and where from? Are boutiques the answer? But, the prices! I like what you say, member, about choosing style over fashion.

Is there a gap in the market for brands that are cool, stylish and not too fashionable and 'now', but at high street prices? Maybe Mary Portas is onto something with her range, it's true what she says about no one catering to stylish 50+ women (is that her target age group?).....but what about the rest of us.....the 35-50 year olds? Where should I be shopping?

i like zara/french connection and karen millen, the latter is pounding my cc though!

I think Mary Portas is right about the gap in the market. The trouble is that she designs for women of her shape which limits her target audience, I think.

I like Comptoir des Cotonniers, Whistles, Jigsaw, some Gap is nice, french connection. We don't have any of those locally though. John Lewis and House of Fraser have some nice brands too.

I find actual real life shopping pretty impossible nowadays - much better online.

Like you I loathe polyester so am fussy about fabrics but I still find plenty to spend my money on.

Have done a massive wardrobe cull today and interestingly all my 'bargains' are what ends up on the charity shop pile. The more money I spend on an item and the more thought that therefore goes into the purchase the more likely it is to be something I wear loads.

I agree the usual High Street brands are awful atm
I like Mint Velvet,Phase Eight,some French Connection,some Autograph,Whistles etc type shops.

Online is definitely the way to go. It's just disappointing when you order something and it doesn't fit right, or look how you thought it would.

I really agree with what you say MrsCB. The clothes I fell I have spent a bit more on do generally get more worn more, and they feel so much better on too.

Definately gap in market on high street. Why not a chain of MN stores that can sell the MN scarf and do a good line in judges pants?

Whistles have changed their sizing I think - all their tops/jackets now have very broad shoulders. And their pricing seems to go up and up.

I do like J crew though but pain ordering from the US - looking forward to them opening in the UK this year.

Judgey pants

And Agatha all those little 'bargain buys' well they quickly add up. I guess that I take better care of my more expensive buys too.

wish there were more uniqlos, love that shop for basics. i went into a house of fraser the other day and it was fab, so many brands most of those you listed agatha, plus mango, esprit and hobbs. shame there aren't that many hofrasers about.

john lewis is ok but has alot of boring brands like white stuff

I have just recently come to the same conclusion MrsCB. I've been trying to get my daughter to curb her ebay habit and buy just one nice thing a month. Trying, but with limited success so far