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 ...'

[Lottapianos]

TooExtra, I love your post. Trading Standards is right! Flouncy, frilly bras with 3 different colours on them look great on Rosie H-W in the M&S ads, less great when you're trying to actually wear them under a t-shirt or a white shirt or whatever. And yes to the stupid strappage on tops that are impossible to wear with a bra. Nearly all of us wear and need bras! And do not get me started on lack of pockets and yes, gym gear is particularly shit for this. Its like so many clothes these days have been designed by someone who has never met an actual person and has no idea of what actual life is like

[SchnitzelVonKrumm]

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

Ha! For some of us 30" is knee length. We can shop at Gap (online only) or, erm, Gap.

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.

Same here. Does a short boxy top
suit anyone? I generally like Cos but they're a prime offender here).

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

1. (I'm on a roll!) Gym tops for women should not expose one's entire side boob or be really low-cut. I bought a high-necked singlet thing from New Look after discounting a zillion plunge sports vests that would have shown two-thirds of my sports bra. When it arrived it turned out to have such massive armholes that my entire boob popped out. When I go to the gym I'm not doing it to give men a free peep show!

[hiveofactivity]

Its because, like every other retailer, they're chasing the younger market and they assume the older market wants to look like the younger market - because YOUTH IS KING.

But guess what? Children of oligarchs/billionaires aside, the youth haven't much money to spend.
Everytime I see another headline about clothing retailers in decline I think no wonder.

Like others on this thread, I've money to spend but nowhere to spend it. And no I don't want to spend £200 on a polyester dress Whistles.

[7Days]

You should try Dunnes Stores they deliver ti the UK now. They use Linen and Cotton and the Lennon Courtney range is quite Cos like imo. Very wearable and you wont need a second mortgage

[PassiveAggressiveLunchbox]

I've lost faith in Dunnes, 7Days. All the Lennon Courtney and Carolyn Donnelly stuff is pure polyester and the sizing everywhere else is completely inconsistent . It's gone very notioney looking at you Joanne Hynes range. Even Paul Costello can't make me spend €300 on a tweed blazer.

I'm 38 and don't bother with high street shopping on the whole, mainly for the reasons in the article (although am I the only one who found it incredibly poorly written?) My problem is that because I'm not in the UK, online shopping become ridiculous because of the cost of delivery and particularly returns. Even the bricks and mortar shops I like (eg Massimo Dutti) carry very small ranges here so I regularly find something online but can't see/try it in a store.

[BitOutOfPractice]

What Sali said. I agree with every word

[Deathraystare]

Oh yes. So true! I hated the 80's flouncy blouses in the 80's and still hate them now! Hate low slung anything and tops that ride up or aren't long enough. I also wish there was more natural fibres around. I heard that viscose is 'natural' but I just sweat like a pig in it. Sweaty back and back of neck and forehead whenever I have worn anything viscosey. I also hate when I find a dress only to see it has a high neck. I hate feeling strangled.

[Akire]

Great article, I've been looking for basic tops/tunics that cover my backside. I'm 5,3 so not asking for much. The only tunics I've seen are hideous patterns, no arms, slashes and or ruffles. I'm this close to trying make my own!

[user1487175389]

Amen.

But the fashion industry doesn't want to sell us timeless, flattering versatile clothes we can pull out year after year and still look good in. They want us to feel shit, buy quick and chuck it out when we realise it does nothing for us. That's how they turn a profit.

[RebelandaStunner]

Good article. Explains why I have bought 5 things this year, one of which was sunglasses and my teenage DD always finds lots.

[namechangingagainagain]

I went holiday shopping the other day. Came home empty handed and spent it all online at uniqlo. At least they have some non polyester stuff.

Everywhere seems a sea of polyester ruffly shit in hideous day glo colours.
I agree with whoever said that they pick up something and it ends up having material cut out somewhere or a good awful ruffle somewhere.

I'm only 37 ffs but "fashion" at the moment is not for me at all.

I'd recommend uniqlo by the way... I think I spend 90% of my clothes budget with them..... unfortunately online only as I'm miles away from that there London

[MuchasSmoochas]

I was all set for my birthday splurge recently and ... nada. Zara in particular was a riot. A cross between Mormon and Daisy Duke. H and M... my eyes. And let's not start with M and S. Have gone off COS recently, too much nurses uniform. I don't think I can face anymore structured tops. I fell for the statement sleeves and looked like a flamenco dancer.

[HandbagCrab]

Wanting something with sleeves and comes to my knees rules out 90% of dresses, which are the only things that suit me. I do ok from asos and white stuff but I'm under no illusion that I look stylish. However I'm not spending £100s on polyester stuff that's still made in sweatshops in Asia that the higher end of the high street peddles.

[dangerrabbit]

I agree with this thread. Take heed, M+S! (Unlikely)

[styledilemma]

It makes me want to round up all the designers for the big stores, coral them into a room and force them too read what Sali Hughes has written.
You never know.
Some of it might just sink in.

Failing that, we should bombard M & S, Next etc with links to this article.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

Viscose isn't really fully natural. It's made from wood pulp, but uses a ton of chemicals and processes to make it. It's natural in so much as the wood pulp is natural, but it is not truly a natural fibre like cotton or silk. I hate it. It makes me sweat and itch.

[Goldfishjane]

I think the article is right though I don't shop a lot, but I hear this all the time and this year, I'm glad I doubled up on jeans and tops that fit well.

I'm surprised someone mentioned coats because I find there are so many I'm tempted by new quite often (I don't buy but I am tempted).

Pp saying about fabric being so thin it needs a vest - yes
Also the natural fabric problem
And sports leggings - I actually have a bit of a bleach mark on one set of running pants, but everything is either too thick or too fitted, it's a battle to find anything right.

Also, MN introduced me toKettlewell - I see it's mostly polyester so I've never ordered anything, but there are some great colours which I rarely see. To be fair though, even a couple of years ago I bought some white tops and dyed them!!

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

I used to be a womenswear designer (shoot me now!)

Trouble was, l was just a giddy girl straight from uni with a load of similar others. We just designed what we were told to design. We had very little say, it was down to the buyers really.

But at age 24, l wouldn't have had a clue what to design for an older woman! And there are very very very few older designers. It's a throwaway but competitive job where there is always some cheaper who could do what you do.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

So no one is really aware of what the older woman wants.

I also used to design childrenswear, and the one thing that got me when l was a mother, was what is the point of a coat in the UK, with a zip off/ pop off hood. They just get lost.

But year after year all the buyers who were late 20s insisted on them. But none of them actually had s child.....

[Goldfishjane]

Emoji, one of my 40 something friends designed straight out of uni. I've never bought lurid flowery polyester....I also don't recall her being asked for it till recently.

Also, haven't high street shops done quite well in recent years but now the over abundance of tat is resulting in profit warnings?

[Goldfishjane]

"So no one is really aware of what the older woman wants"

Honestly who wore thisat 20? Also I think a lot of women, if your shape hasn't changed, would still be looking for a lot of the things in the article, but we found them at 20 - I think they exist, but they went to more expensive shops.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

But how much was your friend being paid? The same as a young adult straight from uni?

It's a horrible cut throat industry. No one is interested in style or quality, except the higher end. It's just about profit.

[Gah81]

Calling all hourglasses: if you have the budget (it can be pricey) and like the look, do think about true vintage from the 1940s and 50s. Great lengths, cuts and materials, beautifully designed from an era when our body look was 'in' and it wasn't about straight up and down designs that are easy to mass produce.

This is what I have been doing for a while now. It's easy to make it look modern if you e.g. pair it with other modern pieces/do modern hair and make-up and my goodness, the bliss of not having to have Every. Single. Thing. Altered. To. Fit!

[Goldfishjane]

Emoji - when she started? Same pay as everyone else I imagine.

my sister is a big shopper and window shopper and also says this is peak polyester