Sali Hughes on high street fashion for women over 35

[elotrolado]

Just read this - so true.

www.the-pool.com/fashion/fashion-honestly/2017/20/sali-hughes-on-the-british-high-street-dressing-women-over-35

I too long for those 'flattering frocks, neat at the shoulders, sleeves and neck, but with enough fabric around the middle to invisibly accommodate a bottle of red and more than 19 calories ...'

Backless dresses and tops are just ludicrously stupid. Unless you're Kate Moss or Cara Delevigne, which almost NO ONE is! And yes yes yes to the sweaty synthetic fabrics. I thought it was just me being a fussy sod so it's nice to hear that lots of you feel the same. Almost everything in the shops now is viscose or polyester - WHY????

Yes!

I ventured into Zara with my 5yo dd the other day. She was totally shocked at the level of rippedness in all the clothes "But do people BUY these mummy? They are WRECKED."

And just WHO is buying all the dinky peasant girl stuff? Do I want tassles, frills, cold shoulders, embroidered everything? NO.

Have in desperation ordered some more leggings, shirts and t shirts from H&M. Dull but at least wearable. I really hope the Autumn brings better stuff.

I'm 38 and can't remember when I last bought anything from the high street. Very occasionally a jersey top from H and M or something. I get all my clothes online, largely good quality second hand from Ebay - Jaeger, Hobbs and the like. But it's not ideal! I feel like the high street has been totally taken over by trends from Instagram and the Kardashians, forgetting that this is the UK and not sunny Southern California, and we don't want to wear neon bright backless ruffle dresses or hot pants. Or try and look like a sultry gypsy or something. I want to look like what I am, a reasonably well-off late thirty something who cares about her appearance and wants to look smart. I'd be prepared to spend well on the right items, but are they out there? Gah!

So true! I'm British but live in the US. I really should be spoilt for choice but... US clothing, well, if I go for an XXS petite I'm ok. Otherwise everything is too big. UK - just drab really! I was in London a couple of weeks ago and bought loads for the kids but nothing for me. This never happens! But there was nothing that appealed. I like J Crew as their XXS fits me but the quality is poor for the price. I tend to use J Crew outlet in the US and that just about makes it worthwhile...

I'm only 30 and I totally agree, feel like I've been wearing the same few outfits on rotation the past few years and really struggle to find new things to add to my wardrobe as everything fits so strangely or has weird cut outs or terrible fabric.

I agree with every word. I'm 29 and hate all the crap clothes around at the minute. So many vile fabrics and prints, too much skin uncovered for me!

Perhaps it's aimed more at younger women because they buy more clothes? Sali Hughes may have the money to spend but I guess a lot of women in their 30s and 40s who have kids don't have masses of disposable income. I spend very little on clothes nowadays.

Yes! Yes! Yessssss! [Meg Ryan emoticon]

I got very impatient reading that because I wanted to come back and agree. Especially about the man-made fibres thing. If I've had to wrestle two children to breakfast club, catch the train into London, run through the tube and down the road to the office things get a bit sweaty in poly-whatsit fabric because it doesn't breathe. Not much chance of going day to evening in a stinky shift.

Sali is spot on. The only thing missing is she didn't mention the assumption retailers make that the average woman has a 30" inside leg. That's not average, that's Amazonian.

Is there such a thing as a flattering sweatshirt dress? I tried one on recently, and my dds agreed with me that it looked stupid. There was a whole pile of them on a sale rack. I don't know anyone who cares what they wear on school runs tbh.

yes to all of it.
(although uniqlo are making a great stab at the cardies and v necked jumpers).

workwear is my particular bete noir. I can't wear anything the slightest bit revealing/skintight, but nor can I wear suits or anything else with a strongly corporate look. on the style threads here everyone jokes about NHS workers in our shitty black polyester trousers but there is just nothing out else out there.

I totally struggle to get tops and jeans to meet in the middle. I'm 5'9", so on the tall side, but far from unusually tall.

I'd happily spend more towards the Jaegar/French Connection mid-market end of things, but whenever I have, the quality has not been noticeably better than at the H&M/uniqlo end.

Just to add I'm mid-30's, tall and skinny and I don't want clothes that hang off me, nor do I want a fitted crop top!

I had a look in Fat Face and White Stuff this week and it all seemed a bit frumpy.

This sums up every rant I've had when I come back from shopping. I'm 48 but don't want to dress like my mother or a teenager and want to buy it in the shops. Every top I pick up is 3 inches too short- to flatter anyone.

I was going to post a link to Sali's article! I agree completely!

All I can say is, wait until you're 60.

I'm going to go against the flow. I'm not a frilly person either but this season strikes me as no worse than most summer offerings and in fact better than many. At least this year there's an alternative to skinny jeans and I can find trousers that don't show my arse to the world.

I completely agree with Sali on this!

I agree high street shopping is depressing at the mo if you like to look pared down/stylish.

Online is the way forward with some EBay offerings to keep the price down.

Most of my wardrobe is made up of jumpers/thicker jersey top/tunics because the weather is shite most of the year. The clothing needs for two weeks of summer we generally get can be met with some plain maxi dresses with a cropped denim jacket I find.

Back to the point of where to buy. For me the following works for my average size 12-14 frame with a stomach that has seen better days. I also like good quality shoes ....

White Company consistently has good basics. Perfect maxi dresses, tunics that aren't too long, light linen tops/ jumpers. They are expensive but they are good quality and flattering.

Phase Eight - excellent for jumpers that skim a muffin and have a nice slouchiness about them.

Pure collection- great cashmere and linen

Mint Velvet - their shoes and boots are excellent quality. I don't get on with their clothing as too much polyester is used and cashmere money charged,

Autograph- great for substantial cashmere that washes well and other basics too. Autograph does some great shoes as well.

Woolovers - pick your cut as they do a lot that is frumpsville but the quality is there.

Jigsaw- only their winter collection. Great for coats and knits, Shoes generally good too. Generally a nice colour palette too.

Next for great jeans and longline vests that stop little holes forming in other clothes when worn underneath.

Blue Velvet shoes.

Hudson for boots.
Companies I have found disappointing in terms of materials used and /or cut of clothing- that are supposed to be aimed at our age group. Also shoes-

Hush
Mint Velvet clothes
Whistles
Baukjen
Laura Ashley
Boden - esp the shoes.
Clarks
John Lewis Modern Rarity
Everything else at Marks and Spencer

I agree that a long sweatshirt dress is a hard thing to find.

Yessss to pockets! Pockets big enough to put an average smartphone into. They should come as standard in all clothes, just like they do on men's clothes. Oh, and particularly in gym leggings/hoodies, where they should come with zips so you can run.

My rules:

1. Pockets for smartphones
2. Natural fabrics
3. Unusual shapes (eg cold shoulder, Bardot tops, racer backs etc) should take into account bra-wearing. I am fucking fed up of putting on clothes and wondering how the hell you are supposed to wear a bra with them.
4. Boob/waist accommodation. The average British bra size is something like a 34DD. I want clothes that go out for my boobs but come back in for my waist, rather than drapy tents that hang straight from boob to hip. Oh, and an awful lot of designers seem to think that everyone is very flat-chested. We're not.
5. Clothes thick enough to wear without a vest underneath. If a T-shirt is so thin you can see every detail of the bra underneath, it is too thin and Trading Standards should get involved. It's not just women's stuff - my DH has some white T-shirts from H&M/Primark that you can see his chest hair through (ick), and he's got light brown hair, hardly Sean Connery.
6. Bras should be designed to take into account that most women wear bras underneath clothes and therefore a nude bra should not be fetchingly accessorised with black accents, unless point 5 is properly addressed.
7. All shoes should incorporate a certain minimum level of comfort/appropriateness. So for example, a stiletto should feature a nice soft cushiony bed for the ball of the foot. Ballet pumps should have some sort of instep support/have soles thicker than a piece of card. The majority of women's smart office shoes should incorporate straps so they don't fall off your foot as you walk, rather than straps being the exception. Women walk. It shouldn't come as a surprise to shoe designers! I want pretty shoes that don't fight against my feet and gait with every step. Exemptions would be made for shoes that are clearly intended for party-wear, but everyday shoes should be fit for purpose (but not ugly).

I wish all this stuff was enforced by Trading Standards.

I want clothes that go out for my boobs but come back in for my waist, rather than drapy tents that hang straight from boob to hip.

Amen to this! I'm 5 foot 6, size 10 so slim and average height but an hourglass shape so this apparently means I have to dress like a box or wear skin tight sleeveless stuff all summer. I find dressing for warmer weather tricky as it is.

and do buyers in retail think we spend all Summer at garden parties (whatever the fuck they are) and at weddings? Where are the clothes for popping into town, catching a train, going shopping, going to a breezy British seaside town, ordinary everyday things?

Agree Enid. Flowering, flouncy shit everywhere can get to fuck.

I agree with pp that money is burning a whole in my pocket. I think this Spring/summer 17 is particularly awful, I can't even get clothes for my 3yo dd in Next it's all frills, cold shoulder and camouflage or tropical print!

Surely sales are going to be awful on the high street - will all the shops survive?, I bet brexit gets the full blame when the buyers are responsible!

I have thought of another one.

1. Coat designers should consider the fact that we live in a rainy, windy climate. Coats should therefore be waterproof to at least some degree, and have at least one button (could be concealed if necessary). I went spring coat shopping about 6 weeks ago and couldn't find anything that fit those basic criteria that I was willing to wear. I ended up with a very cute Topshop coat which is buttonless and unlined boucle cotton stuff (ie, it's essentially a cardigan in the shape of a coat). I have managed to avoid rain so far but I know it well be hopeless in heavy rain, but I have to hold the edges shut in the wind or it all bells out like a sail. Il faut souffrir pour etre belle? Fuck off.

Part of the problem is that traditionally, women of our age would have been dressing in M&S by now. Good quality, nice cut clothing at not-extortionate prices. But how many of us would even consider stepping into M&S these days? Not a hope in hell. So there's a huge vacuum.

The younger end of the high street (Topshop, River Island etc) is just too young and then there's a huuuuuge step up in price (but not quality) to Jaeger, Hobbs et al. They're so expensive. No t-shirt tagged 'basic' should cost more than £25 really, should it?

If only M&S could just get its act together.