Yet another unsuccessful shopping trip and wasted afternoon! Totally fed up so any advice really welcomed please!

[Jemster]

I am so fed up with trying to shop for clothes and coming home with nothing!

I had dd 16 months ago and my body is all over the place. I used to be a size 10-12 but all my clothes in those sizes are too tight. My top half is now a 12 but from tummy down I need a 14 to be comfortable.

As my size & shape have changed none of my old clothes fit well and so I literally have only a handful of things to wear.
I work in an office and feel embarrassed as I churn out the same things day after day while my colleagues have huge work wardrobes. I look and feel frumpy.

The worst thing is when I need something for a particular occasion I haven't got anything to wear so I go shopping in a big panic but can't find anything to fit, especially dresses which I like, as I am two different sizes. We have an important visitor coming this week at work and I have nothing smart to wear.

I am spending far too many Sat afternoons on hopeless shopping trips when I should be with my family. The other slight problem is I have very little spare money for clothes so I usually end up with cheap crap that lasts only a couple of washes!

I really don't know what to do. Would really appreciate any advice or suggestions. I feel like a freak that I can't find any clothes!!

I'm a different size and shape to you, so not sure how helpful I can be but I didn't want to read and not post.

Have you tried the 'Five pocket jeggings' in M&S? They are about £23 iirc and have a nice high waist to hold one's stomach in a bit. :) Even my (skinny) 16 year old dd really likes them. The midwash blue denim ones are excellent and better than a number of far more expensive pairs I've had. Don't be put off by the name. They are jeans, not leggings and not one of those hideous cross-breeds of jeans and legging either!

Cos have some decent plain t-shirts. They are not super-cheap, but they are less than £20 and are far better quality than the Dotty P/Tesco etc ones.

H&M do longline vests, which are good for layering under a t-shirt or jumper which otherwise feels a bit short - if I'm wearing skinnies, I like my belly to be covered a bit!

With a nice jacket and a pair of Converse or boots, that could well sort you for casual wear.

For work, M&S do good cotton pencil skirts for about £30 max. These wash really well and can often be picked up for half price in the sales. You could get a plain one and a printed one, perhaps?

Not sure if that's any use at all to you, but might give you a starting point. Fingers crossed...

Thank you Remus. I haven't got a casual jacket, what sort of thing should I go for? I'm so out of touch. I'm 38 and feel too old for many shops and too young for the others!

Personally I'd go for a personal shopper session at debenhams ( time it with one of their blue cross days)

A) I can't find stuff in debenhams but they go searching for you
B) if you need a different size, they go and get it
C) my experience was trying to get a smart casual wardrobe for Christmas in the UK & work stuff for the tropics ( so quite difficult brief - it was December)
D) I had an absolute max budget of £250 for everything and got loads.
E) they brought stuff that I ended up wearing to death in both UK & tropics but would never have looked at in the shop. And I still bitterly resent the fact wallis have never repeated the skirt I bought.

Re jacket - well, I have no idea whether they are still 'current' or not but I have quite a few biker shaped jackets.
This one might still be available in the sales
This one

I haven't seen this one irl but like the look of it.

Gap are doing a great looking wool biker for £55. And New Look have lovely roll sleeve T's in cotton for £5 each.

Unfortunately, I can't agree that Debenhams is a great department store (went there mid week), but lots of MNers like the John Lewis personal shoppers.

I'd say get a blazer that you can wear to work and look smart, or wear with jean and a scarf on the weekend.. something like this asos but maybe not linen.
get a pair of jeans that fit well. A striped tshirt underneath looks smart

For work, have a look at these trosuers from Gap. They are a really good staple, and wash really well. I wear them with shirts, and also with something like this.

I carry all my weight around my tummy, and find dresses really hard to suit, as I find I need the 'pull you in quality' of trousers, skirts etc.

Jersey blazers, or jersey/wool bikers are lovely as casual jackets, they are in most stores now.

Re money, get signed up to the latest discount codes, and also ask here on S&B for them. Whistles should be having a 25% soon, and House of Fraser, John Lewis often do something similar.

How smart do you need to be for work? As you're different sizes, separates might be better than a dress. How about a pencil skirt with a pretty top or shirt? I mainly wear shirt and trousers for work, or trousers with a long sleeved t-shirt with a sleeveless pullover over the top and an interesting necklace (but then I don't need to be too smart). I have a couple of smart dresses for work, but then I tend to feel I'm overdressed!

I went shopping the other week with a friend who was in a similar situation. For casual clothes we were looking at jeggings/skinny jeans with longer length tops/tunics. And coloured t-shirts with coloured cardigans over the top. My friend can't really do scarves/necklaces yet as her wee one is wee-er than yours and just grabs at everything!

John Lewis personal shopper. FREE. AMAZING.

You need a simple jersey dress - something like this. www.isabellaoliver.com/baukjen/uk/600/dresses/DR534.html;jsessionid=8CFBE9025B1AF49C899035788F48469B

It's the kind of thing I relied on when I felt 'all over the place' as you say. They are pretty good when you feel 'sorted' (which you will ) as well.

As others have said, add a blazer, or cropped card (like this).

Different coloured scarves, necklaces etc to vary the look. Can ever layer under a jersey blouse (likethis) this and wear as a skirt.

Stick to a few colours which suit you - e.g. black/ grey / navy plus accent - pink / red/ beige/ navy - this will make it easier to interchange items.

Also check out the Operation Renovation thread in S&B for there are many of us with redistributed bodies following children, all aiming to de-frump, groom and get fit by Christmas.

I would also suggest that you try shopping online and ordering lots of things in lots of styles - that way you're not wasting time at the shops (Saturday is a hideous time to be on the High St) and you can try on at home, at leisure and with clothes and shoes you already have.

I also find Pinterest very helpful for seeing how people put outfits together.