Ok, where should I be shopping?

[NotQuiteCockney]

I tried to buy some clothes yesterday, and did ok (jeans from dp, and a few little things from topshop). I tried on lots of stuff.

I am a size 14/16, very pear. Most days, I am on the bike a lot, and I'm not changing. So it would be nice to have nice enough clothes I can wear on the bike. Right now, I'm trying out wearing city shorts I bought last summer, with running tights or leggings underneath. If I wear trousers, they need to be stretchy, and ideally not with big cuffs to get stuck in the chain.

I could be tempted by an above-knee skirt with leggings, maybe? Tricky.

Clothes need to be machine washable. I'd like them to be a bit funky or young or something? I do like fatface, should try them more, maybe?

And then I have weddings and so on. I'd like to have a dressy dress that I actually liked. I did like some stuff in Phase Eight, for that. I like Paul Smith and Ted Baker, from what I know, but I'm pretty sure they don't do 14/16 do they?

I don't mind paying good money for clothes. I don't want clothes to be really really trendy. I'd rather they lasted a little while, just because I hate shopping. I don't wear really girly stuff, frills, seethrough things etc etc.

Are there shops (real life preferable) that I should be trying?

white stuff do nice stuff

great plains?

Oh yes, had heard of White Stuff but not checked them out. Their stuff looks cute.

Great Plains doesn't look bike-ready. Or are they for dressier stuff?

well I like this top ,may look good with cropped trousers and boots for cycling.

That looks pretty and light. I thought wrap tops were for the norkishly impressive, though? They always look a bit depressed to be on me, so to speak ...

No specific shop guidance, I'm afraid - my technique is to wait till I need something then pcik through every shop in the high st. Debenhams is always worth a look as they have so many concessions in one place.
I'm a fan of short skirts for cycling - A-line stretch cord ones from Gap for winter with thick tights (or leggings if you like), and cotton from Gap or FatFace for summer.

For dressy dresses, Next, Monsoon and Laura Ashley (among others) are doing 50s type boatneck dresses this year which work better for the less norkish than plunging ones, but the waists and full skirts may or may not make the pearshape worse. Worth trying a couple, though unfortunately many are unpleasantly floral.
Next also have a rather cool b&w print empire dress 3rd from R (you do do empire, don't you?)

I think, unfortunately, it's a case of picking only what suits you from a wide variety of shops rather than trusting one shop to get it right every time...

I pretty much only do empire.

I don't want to have to shop! I hate shopping!

Maybe next time I am out in Oxfordshire I'll do a binge at Bicester Village. It's a bit shite, but there's everything there, and it's all cheap, so if I end up hating it, no big deal.

Otherwise, I'll stick to Tristan & Isault, back home. Or Esprit, I like their stuff. Or Mexx. I should try shopping in their stores here, really ... (I know T&I don't have shops here, but the other two do.)

I appear to be becoming manic about exercise again, so maybe I haven't stopped changing size still. Maybe I can just avoid shopping.

I like the short skirt thing, but as I have a child seat in front, it is slightly tricky. I will keep an eye out for short skirts I can stand - I mostly only saw pelmety ones in Topshop, which did seem a bit 'mutton dressed as spam'. I do have to wear leggings etc all the time anyway, though, as a) I am often sat on the floor with kids and b) I chafe. Less than I used to, but still ...

I don't get on with Bicester Village - everything starts out so expensive that even reduced it's still not especially cheap.

My favourite is MacArthur Glen in Swindon or Bridgend (think there are some others) because they have cheap versions of Normal Shops like M&S and Gap as well as Aquascutum, L K Bennett etc. DH hates shopping too but can normally get a year's worth of clothes there in one day. And the have a Mexx as well.

have you tried reiss?

There's a Mexx at Bicester. You're right that some of the shops are truly pointless (Ralph Lauren?!?), but Mexx, Monsoon, etc are good. I should try another outlet village, I'm happier doing a mad blitz and just buying whatever.

Tutter, I did try Reiss, and I like their style, but a) it didn't seem cut for my build and b) they seem to stop at a 14, and not have too much of that, even.

hmmm

what about french connection?

How big do they go? I did peer in there, but there were a lot of things with logos on them, and I'm not a fan of the whole 'tee hee hee, we nearly said "fuck"' thing.

I do have a skirt by them that I like, though.

are you pearshaped or hourglass?

cos I was delighted to find out the other month that if you have wide shoulders you can be hourglass without the norks

thus the wrap tops with a low t-shirt underneath (M&S 'vest' t-shirts good for this) are okay

it's okay to wear a shift dress or wrap dress with leggings now, isn't it? like the 1980s all over again

I do like topshop - I can still shop there at my age without feeling ridiculous

but what I found worked best for me, as you sound like me (convinced you're going to be a different size) was to take the lovely advice dished out by some mners last year - go to H&M, TopShop and Primark and buy things for NOW - it doesn't matter as they're cheap so they don't need to fit you forever

I'd certainly been putting off shopping because 'it was no point spending a lot since I was going to start running again and the weight would just fall off'

could you carry this off with leggings?

I couldn't cos I don't have particularly strong features but if I could I'd love to cycle around town with it in leggings

provided that the skirt wasn't too long not to get trapped in the wheels

How about a slightly goth look? Plain stretchy tube skirt (I've got a long lycra one that has held it's shape before, during and after pregnancy) over stripey leggings/tights and a fitted velvet jacket over the top?
Similarly how about combining dancewear with tailored jackets? A little skirt like this over footless tights (very in right now.) Kind of respectable but cute too and if your bust is that small you'd look great in a ballet cardi!

agree, the whole fcuk thing is vile

but if you ignore their t-shirts they have some really good things - generally minimal in styling - very few frills and flounces

Capp, I think I looked at that one. Would it be ok for regular wear? I'd like to look more interesting. I could pull off that pattern, yes, my colouring is right for it.

Don't think a tube skirt would work for biking ... not sure I want to look goth when dressing up. My life seems to mostly be either a) normal regular life, b) slightly dressy if I feel like it (pub etc) or c) ludicrously dressy.

I'll look at fc again, I was put off by the tshirts. I do like the skirt I have of theirs, it's flarey and simple and black. I think I wore it to the meet-up even.

just get the damn dress nqc

if you like it and you look good in it