If you are around 40 and not rich, where do you buy clothes?

[maggiethemagpie]

It seems that M and S and Next just churn out more and more crap every year. I can't afford to go to the really expensive places like Whistles or Reiss. I'm stuck in a white stuff/ fat face/ mantary rut for casual stuff and have historically gone to M and S for work stuff but just can't face wading through piles of guff any more.

Where the hell do I go? After two babies and a lifelong love of food I'm a bit podgy round the middle, a size 14 so not massive but not a skinny minnie.

So, mid to lower end of the market, what's best?

I've actually found that the clearance sections of John Lewis and Debenhams have given me some remarkably good dresses for work in the past couple of years for very good value. Especially Precis and Phase 8 (also have a tummy).

I used to go to M&S but increasingly H&M for plain tops to go over trousers, and then have a couple of more striking jackets or big statement necklaces to go over that instead of worrying about the top.

Primark for work and h&m is fairly reasonable.

I've had many good finds in charity shops and 'agencies' - eg a beautiful Oska overshirt yesterday for £15 - but how the hell do you remove the smell of highly perfumed washing products from secondhand clothes ?

I buy from Tesco, Asda and Matalan mainly. (I'm 40). Occasionally Peacocks.

Mostly Gap for work clothes and jeans and H&M for casual clothes. The odd thing from New Look, Oasis and Warehouse.

Oh and nightwear from Primark, bras from Debenhams, sports gear from Primark or Decathalon. Just for completeness!

Also late 30's and a 14. H&M, charity shops, ASOS, Gap.

I'm too tall and fat for Primark otherwise I'd definitely shop there for odd bits. I do Tesco and Sainsbury's, occasional bits from Evans (jeans/leggings and plain tops) I used to buy a lot from Simply be when they had sales on but got annoyed with buying from catalogues all the time.

I am rich, but I am also chronically frugal. I have worked out which local charity shops get the good stuff and I comb them carefully, and I have a special spam email account to which I get GAP's thousands of discount vouchers sent.

Oasis are actually very good and have started to do longer dresses and skirts which makes them more forty-something friendly. H&M have good stuff in amongst the tat if you look carefully.

Mainly ebay, Cos, Uniqlo, TK Maxx, Muji, H&M. Occasionally &Other Stories but the quality isn't amazing or Gap in the sale. Picked up some lovely bargain dresses in the summer sales from Liberty, Selfridges, Mon Showroom.

I'm 41 and not rich.
Just bought this dress for work... From Dorothy Perkins.
https://m.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/billie-blossom-petite-black-spot-dress-5870768

Lovely dress Framey!

H and M and charity shops. The odd bits from EBay and Primark.
So long as you buy stuff that is made from natural fibres, keep to a fairly neutral colour pallet and buy stuff you know you will wear you can't go far wrong.
Each season I pin like mad in Pinterest, write a list of what I would like and go find.
In the last month I've got a gold silk shirt for £1.75, lambs wool grey jumper for £4.99, Ted Baker lbd for £2.50, marks and spencer this season black heels for £1. All things I had on my list. It is seriously amazing what you can get, if you have the time to visit charity shops regularly. I'm pretty much kitted out for winter.

I'm 42 and have a similar kind of budget. My shopping is quite varied. I get some stuff in sainsburys - you have to hunt around but I got a dress in there last autumn that cost £15 and I get compliments every time I wear it in my city workplace (where everyone else seems to have unlimited budget). I get odd bits in Oasis, basics in gap and recently discovered and loved Uniqlo - just ordered some winter stuff from there and am waiting to see how it turns out. I buy odd expensive bits too, but tend to try and wait for sales.

Topshop, h and m mostly and the odd plain thing from Boden that I know will last.

I actually buy a lot from M&S, but agree that it takes time and effort to search through lots of rubbish to find the few good items. I generally search online, by fabric, and then investigate a few items in store, rather than wandering all around the store looking at everything.

I get a lot in charity shops too.

Also, Whistles sales and bits from Warehouse, Topshop and Oasis, H&M etc.

Oops, I'm outside the demographic for this thread. It's still interesting.

I'm on the Next advance sales list. I got on it by phoning up and complaining as I'd agreed to having catalogues sent and didn't think mine had arrived (it was due week after).

At the same time I asked about the advance sales list and was told it's random. Shortly after I started receving emails to book timeslots in advance of sales (when the best items are still available).

I order online and return fair amount due to sizing, but in the sales have picked up some lovely items at low cost. So for shops that regularly have sales it is worth getting on early-bird lists and just asking can work.

I like H&M, Primark and DP too.

H&M, Gap, Zara, Mango, Hush (sale stuff), some bits of Boden (sale), Ebay, charity shops.

I'm 41

I'm not very loyal to any particular brand so I like ASOS and TKMaxx because lots of choice

I agree with you that Next seem to have gone downhill in style & quality in the past few years

I have stuff from Warehouse, Oasis, Boden, H&M, Sainsbury, M&S, Gap, Phase Eight, Debenhams, Coast, plus many other shops

I also search for discount codes before I buy online and ask for clothes vouchers at xmas.

Another Sainsburys fan here: quality is great. Loads of choice (in the big stores) and good value.

I also love be charity shops when I have the time, I've had some fantastic finds. It's recycling, a good cause and a bargain, what's not to like?

Tescos
Amazon
Evans
Next
M&s

H&M, Zara, All Saints, Baukjen sale. Sometimes Oasis.

I am actually pretty rich but I rarely if ever spend more than a fiver or so on clothes. Car boot sales, or sometimes I re-sew or re-stitch older clothes to make them different or new

Seasalt are great and Fat Face