If you are in your late 20s, where do you shop?

[LittleMachine]

I've thrown all my clothes away, and I'm in desperate need of a Big Clothes Shop.

I haven't had a proper shop since before I got pregnant with DS1 in 2011. I'm now in my late 20s and the shops I used to shop in are full of teens with their bums out. I feel like I need to move on now, but I'm not sure where to.

I don't suit my old style anymore - lots of bodycon, skinny jeans with little vests etc.

So if you're in your late 20s/early 30s (or are just knowledgeable) where do you shop and what do you wear?

I'm early 30's and I wear lots of skinnies with various graphic tees, lots of fit and flare dresses/wrap/mock wrap dresses with cardigans, tube skirts and blouses over vests or with slouchy jumpers. I shop everywhere, there's gems in most places you look. I avoid anything obviously meant for the young and lithe like crop tops, bodycon dresses and micro minis but everything else is fair game. I like primark, top shop, river island,new look. Some bits of hobbs, boden, great plains depending on what I like, there's usually only a few bits as I think a lot of it's too old for me.I also get a lot in charity shops but that might not be your thing

Watching with interest. 18 months post ds1. I'm now 27 and stuck in a massive clothing rut. I feel like I want an entirely new wardrobe but have no idea where to start. I need to be relatively casual because of my job working with children, but at the moment I just feel frumpy.

I'm about to have DS2, so I'll be breastfeeding for a while, but would rather wear 'normal' separates or dresses I can pull down than bfing clothes.

Nutella, I feel exactly like you! OneLittleLady, I see what you're saying, you kind of pick and choose suitable stuff from a mix of shops.
I think your late 20s are a really in between time. I feel like I don't belong in New Look or in Wallis!

I'm early thirties, agree it's a tricky time.

I like whistles, topshop (I saw a style advisor there after having DD when my clothes didn't fit and it was great) odd bit from primark, donna Ida for jeans and then the Kooples, maje and sandro (but only in the sale)

I was having this conversation today with a friend. I get most of my stuff from new look, h&m, dorothy perkins and topshop.

It is a tough age for what to wear- especially casually. I also find it hard to find style role models in this age bracket

I tend to shop at Zara, H&M, Joy, Whistles, Oliver Bonas etc.

My style is either skinny jeans and a nice top with blazer/jacket or dresses - often with a print, tea dress/ditsy style and tights. For work it's the same unless I have client meetings when it's pencil skirts/shift dresses.

It's not just me then.

I like comfort now. Massive knickers. High elasticated waists. Flat shoes.
But I don't want to look frumpy.

I think Zara is a good in between shop, but a lot of the stuff is long and I am not long. Lovely clothes though.

I like skinnies and a blazer. I can still do that. Can I keep wearing my maternity skinnies forever?

Aah I love giant cotton knickers. Still haven't given up my pregnancy ones

I like whistles, reiss, urban outfitters (brands like cheap monday for jeans/tees) the kooples, maje, cos or h&m. I tend to buy the pricier stuff from ebay though.

I'm in my late twenties and I think it's a great age!
Have bit of money to buy nice clothes, still young, relatively thin 8/10 etc!
My clothes come from mix of zara, whistles, boden, gap for jeans, 7 for all mankind, reiss, lk Bennett, topshop, French connection, Great Plains.
Really a mix of places- I need smart stuff for work and then casual wear is generally skinny jeans etc.

Ooh j crew also. Bought nice blazer there recently.

I'm early 30s. I shop in Topshop, Whistles, Asos (branded stuff like Maison Scotch, Baum und Pferdgarten). I like the selection they have on Atterly Road and The dressing room. Also like Gap for basics, Cos, Reiss. I scour The Outnet for bargains and Net a Porter at sale time. Also get some basics from Hush and Zara for things of the moment- I'm getting less and less impressed with Zara quality though so find myself skipping it more than i used to.

Zara quality is terrible - I've just bought a vest where the seams unravelled after 2 washes it's just a cotton mess now. Something wrong with their stitching. Their jeans (admittedly v soft denim) also tore a hole in a strange place after a couple of months too.

I loooove DP - I buy most of my clothes from there. They seem to have fewer of the styles that you would find in places such as Topshop, that are frankly unwearable on anybody, and more classic cuts and styles.

Primark for loose floaty tops that look expensive and marks and spencer for good quality tops that don't cling everywhere so allow me to wear a dress size similar to my post pregnancy size. M&s limited collection is good for late 20's if you want something a bit more fashionable and a lot of the stuff ends up in the outlet stores if you have one near by.

Following on from the granny pants thread I just went to the outlet today and bought myself some limited collection lacy underwear as I feel sorry for my poor husband. I bought mahoosive knickers to go with the bras :D

Oh and Boden is also good I used to wear it in early twenties for work as long as you avoid the printed stuff you don't look too sloane ranger. Their high waisted ankle skimming trousers are great for work and they are often in the sale and don't make you look frumpy at all.

Yeah agree about quality of zara stuff, can be awful at times. I bought a jumper online that my head wouldn't fit into?? My head is averagely sized!
But it's good for throw away fashion type stuff.
Also agree re the outnet, net a porter, atterly rd etc
I think late twenties is a great age to be!

Someone up thread mentioned French connection. I used to live in their dresses for work. Managed to squeeze into one of them the other day so very proud of myself . The other one sadly doesn't zip up anymore as I have boobs now and a flabby back and gut wrestling for space

Hmm I don't shop v much now as I used to when working in a city job, be a little relaxed about NAP, outnet, mywardrobe, etc etc

I left said job.. but still need smart work clothes and casual clothes...now I probably always look semi smart unless wearing PJs. I like to feel ready to have to go in to work and be smart casual and on duty , I feel utterly drab and weird if I wear v casual clothes. I religiously stick to things I know I like and because I am lazy and very short of time I have been known to buy the same thing in couple of colours, or more than once, to save any shopping efforts!

casually I guess recently I've been wearing black dark grey or dark red skinny jeans with ballet flats or ankle boots, a slightly long top layered or a really nice sweater. Lots of navy, grey and teal things too. Decent coat though this year my winter coat was a £25 zara sale coat, really comfortable shoes are important I like my various Hudson boots and proper fitting shoes.

I also wear lots of dresses because they're easier to dress up/down and I feel less fusty in them is that a word - so I like black jersey dresses, dark grey.. I went through a printed dress or skirt phase too.. above knee length but not too short. Ponte is amazing for flattering you. So are body shaping opaque tights.

I like long jumpers. and scarves. I got very excited this week by a fancy cycling jacket

In summer I mainly wear skirt + a plain top all very non specific in how smart they are eg a black and blue printed skirt with a black silk vest and maybe a soft floppy blazer if it's cold.. or ankleish length navy or black slim leg trousers with a nice jumper or silk top and more colourful shoes. I guess classic suits me better than anything else and I feel less out of place than in for example my graphic tees or hoodies or my old vintage clothes which I feel require more effort or youth or something

Places I shop if I ever get around to it - J crew, occasionally anthropologie, cos sweaters, comptoir des cotonniers, whistles, twenty8twelve outlet store, bloch, New look for thin t shirts. Some particularly boring things from banana republic or Massimo dutti. occasional casual things somewhere like vero moda or oliver bonas perhaps, or kate kuba for some jersey tops

I'm not giving advice btw I am probably very boring, but mid-late twenties. I feel like most shops are too young, or polyesterised... I also love independent stores on little side streets so do still find odd tops etc to mix it up a little bit. ah and american apparel easy jeans for instant almost-pyjamas as so stretchy and comfortable skinny jeans

I'm early 30s. Recently had ds1 but before him when I had spare money I shopped in next, fat face, joe browns, bhs mainly for summer tops and knitwear, sometimes debenhams.

French connection
Oasis
Warehouse
Miss selfridge is still nice

Don't know what the hell has happened to Topshop these days!!

I think topshop is too young and hipstery for how I look now (not saying that others of you don't look good in stuff from there).

Dorothy Perkins, now I very rarely go in there, but when I do I often find nice things. I'll have to remember it more.

I'm probably going to leave my job, so DP will be buying my clothes in that case. He'll be thrilled when he sees me browsing net a porter

Thanks for all the suggestions, lots of places I'd kind of forgotten about, because whenever I do go shopping I follow the same pattern of crying in New Look at how fat I am and then go home.

I'm 28. Budget dictates my shopping unfortunately!

I still buy stuff in Primark, obviously not the high fashion 17 year olds stuff, but it's good for day dresses and some basics like vests. I've just got a fab blazer from there with rollover sleeves, I'm really pleased with it.

I like some stuff in Dorothy Perkins, but I have to search for it. I find that I'm not keen on 90? of their stuff, but I've had maybe three tops in the past two years that I've LOVED, so it's worth it to me to keep going back.

I get my basics from The Gap (we have an outlet nearby which is a lifesaver)

I like White Stuff and Coast but often can't afford them.

Primark, new look, h and m etc.