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 ...'

[FelixFelix]

I am echoing everyone else even though I am 26. I am finding it a massive struggle at the moment as a size 14 hourglass and hate all the fecking frills, cold shoulders, sack of potato dresses in the shops. I am an art student and like to dress slightly 'cool' but my god it's difficult. I am desperate for some new clothes but can't find anything decent!

[woodhill]

Agree totally, especially the crap fabrics.

[BobbinThreadbare123]

I'm early 30s. I don't like frills, flowers, pretty little birdies, that awful washed out dirty looking pink, baby blue, excessive polyester, anything tight or t-shirts with stuff written on. I have huge boobs and quite a long body; we are all getting taller as a population so why don't tops come a little longer in the actual tall range? I want black, fitted, plain and enough depth of crotch to not have to go up a trouser size just to get my gym thighs in!

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

Ugh that awful nude/pink colour. It seems to have been around for ever. I blame Next. They only seem to be able to design with this pink, mink (wtf is mink!!?) black white and navy. Every year.

[SuperFlyHigh]

Amen to all she says!

Now who the heck sells these clothes...

[littlepooch]

Oh god I totally agree with every word. Im pregnant so currently living in hideous outfits but when not pregnant I long for well cut, well fitting clothes in nice fabrics that don't cost the earth and cover my post baby over 35 wobbles.

When I look on the high street recently everything just looks cheap. And then to get anything a bit nicer seems to cost more than I can spend so I come home empty handed!

[Therealslimshady1]

The fashion is just all baggy and weird.

I find things on e-bay these days.

Flattering, comfy, washable and with sleeves.

That's the holy grail!

[OCSockOrphanage]

German and Danish clothing brands tend to be better, but much more expensive than the mid High St ranges. Think two or three times the price, but the cut and fabric quality matches the price. Sadly not as widely stocked as they need to be.

[Floisme]

I think decent clothes are like decent tv - still being made but there's also a lot more crap around so you have to look much harder.

There's no shop that caters for me but I keep moving and I rummage. I never buy many summer clothes as they don't suit me but I still find stuff in some of the shops you're writing off, including H&M and even the despised M&S. Ok ok the pink dress is hideous but there's still plenty in Autograph that looks perfectly wearable - and free of frills - to me.

And if you don't like the current stuff there's plenty in vintage, dress agencies, charity shops (if you live in the right area) or Ebay. Some of my favourite buys this year have been second hand e.g. Dior and Vivienne Westwood - both for under £50.

[Hairq]

Can I please add more dresses and tops with a v neck, or at least any neckline that doesn't go straight across at the top? I have large breasts and my arms are not thin. These necklines make anyone like me look massive and square, whereas the same top with a lower neckline would look lovely. There is practically no choice of items without these annoying high nexks that can only look good on the very skinny and small of breast.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

The thing is Flosime that many people just don't have the time or the inclination to go to so much trouble.

We just want to be able to go to a shop and buy stuff. Stuff that fits and isn't frumpy, is flattering and doesn't need hours and hours to track down.

[Notadacrefan]

Such a true article

[Tanaqui]

I mostly agree- I personally like sleeveless!- but my biggest bugbear is dresses with waist bands 3 inches above my waist! Makes me look dreadful. Boden is awful for this (which is a shame as they do still have cotton fabrics), and Jack Wills had some gorgeos cottony floral dresses (one admittedly with one of those vanished backs!) but all the waists way too high. And I'm only 5'4!

[AwkwardSquad]

Yy, Hairq. I like Cos, for example, but so much of their stuff has those blasted high necks.

[RealHousewifeOfPontypandy]

Another one here who agrees with the article. If I win the lottery I'm going it get myself a Personal tailor.....

[woodhill]

Waists are mainly in the wrong place, Hobbs not too bad.

[MorrisZapp]

Does anyone remember how awesome Ted Baker was in the nineties? I used to absolutely love treating myself to tops and jeans from there, they were of the highest quality. Now Ted Baker is wall to wall polyester frill with a side order of pink handbags made out of coral coloured welly boot plastic adorned with rose gold bows.

I have money. But they don't seen to want it.

[camelfinger]

I agree, but then again I'm not sure what I would like to wear. We're all so different that I guess they can't please everyone. They probably put ruffles on etc otherwise it'd just be plain T-shirts and blouses. Which is fine with me, but I'm pretty boring, fashion-wise.

[Absy]

I did also think "look in cos" while reading this. Some of their stuff is a bit ... out there but you can find decent dresses that don't have weird cut outs and are comfortable (they're my go to for pregnancy wear).

I 100% agree with her on synthetic fabrics. It really REALLY pisses me off when you see a nice piece of clothing, only to find out it's f'ing polyester, particularly if it's more expensive. I refuse to shell out £50 on a polyester top

[hollyisalovelyname]

Wasn't Mary Portas supposed to be sorting it all out with her range for House of Fraser ?
What happened?

[7Days]

I think I will go to the local seamstress and get her to make me 3 dresses with the right neckline, sleeves, proper waist and hitting the knee at the right place. Proper fabric. Maybe trousers as well. And do this every couple of years til I die.

[Firenight]

Absolutely.

I have given up with the high street and make clothes myself half the time.

[silkpyjamasallday]

I'm 22 and a size 6-8 and although this should mean that the high street caters to me perfectly, it doesn't. I don't want cut outs or stupid frills or any bloody polyester and I don't want to look like a teenager trying to get served by dressing 'sexy'. I look at most things in the shops and just think but when would I wear it? I think it is the rise of throwaway fashion and increased competition within the clothing market as they chase profits that has prompted all this hideousness, because retailers expect that you will only want to wear something for one season and want the things you buy to be 'on trend' so they spew out all this horrid crap and wonder why people older than 15 aren't willing to spend their money on it. The shops encourage you to spend spend spend and constantly refresh your wardrobe because they wouldn't make as much money selling classic good quality clothes that people would only have to buy once a decade.

I am willing to pay more for good quality fabrics and classic designs that I can wear in multiple ways, but these things are hard to find unfortunately so I make do with things that aren't quite right and don't make me feel great when I wear them mixed in with the odd perfect piece. One of the best things I own is a navy wool duffle coat like Sali mentions, I've had it for just over a decade, bought it in the Ralph Lauren children's shop (boys section) in Bicester village and it has been worn by my DM, DB and I over the years. If you are petite the age 14 in Ralph Lauren is roomy and the coats are amazing quality and because it's the children's section a wool coat is under £100, cut nicely and classic no stupid unnecessary embellishment, just good quality practical garment that can look relatively smart if needed but equally good on a scruffy day.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

I used to like Ted Baker years ago when it was good. Now it's just 300 quid for a plastic dress

Mary Portas had her own range in H of F for a bit. The shapes were good, but it was all polyester and horribly expensive.

And what is it with waistlines? I've given up on dresses. Waistline round the boobs every time.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

Esprit can be ok too. Sometimes.