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 ...'

The only decent jackets in Zara were a variation on their blue and white woven ones... They had a nicer one

I'm so disappointed with Jigsaw, their knitwear is atrocious- looks mishappen and old after a few wears, their dresses are shapeless and too "whacky". I used to love Kew (the same company) and still have dresses and knitwear from there. Shame they closed Kew down rather than expand it!

Ifyou I was in jigsaw the other day and saw nothing I liked...

Got a top for my mum's birthday whilst there a top they've done oooh for past 5 years or more and a 'staple'.

One decent dress they had last year was the nautical stripey jersey number. At least that was versatile. I didn't buy one but a size 18 friend did (joules) and wore it a lot and v flattering on her.

No, nothing in Jigsaw I would like to buy.
A few things in Massimo Duty, but they were better last year.

I've only ever managed to buy one thing from Cos (work dress) and &OStories (a smart top) but both are good quality and I wear a lot. They were both unusually structured and smaller though (most stuff there I find too loose - I see 5ft 8 normal sized women buying XS - something ain't right with the sizes).

There's no one brand I can rely on anymore - its bits here and there.

I used to buy more from Uniqlo but their sizes have got bigger as they cater for the UK market (when they first opened here they were still Japan sized - brilliant for shorties).
I'd still recommend them as one of the few retailers trying to use natural materials, minimalist styling and not slavishly following trends.

Half my stuff is Esprit. They have the occasional funny off shoulder thing, but most of the clothes look refreshingly normal.

I've only just read the article buy holy cow yes. I'm only 27 and I agree with everything. I seem to live in H&M Basics/the odd "nicer" top which is invariably polyester, and dark skinny jeans because, with two under 5s in tow, have I fuck got the time to figure out what clothes aren't booby trapped with narrow chests/missing parts/random slogans.
I'm a SAHM, don't drive and live on a pretty windy hill in Scotland - I'm desperate for clothes that look nice but won't make me look a twat chasing a 4 year old on a bike 3/4 of a mile to nursery (and back) twice a day, while it's windy and/or raining. I don't want to dress like a 16 year old!

Thank you and to the OP. Apart from enjoying grousing along with everyone else, I liked The Pool enough to browse through lots of it.

Couldn't agree more with Sali.

I went shopping yesterday - really wanted to buy some new things - but most of the high street was a washout.

Mango, Gap and H&M have some good cotton basics, if you really search and filter out all the polyester crap. But anything more interesting is always too cheap looking.

I like the fabrics and colours in Jigsaw but it doesn't wear well. And a lot of it is droopy and shapeless. I have a £100 credit at Jigsaw that I'm struggling to spend.

Cos has daft shapes and doesn't suit me as a 5'3 petite hourglass.

Pure Collection is decent for knitwear. But a lot of its other stuff verges on frumpy and is always in navy, grey, black (yawn).

Boden has some decent shapes and fabrics but why can't it do some subtle plain colours - it's always a choice between crazeee prints or navy.

Poetry has lovely fabrics and colours but the sizing is huge and the cuts are shapeless and droopy.

Me & Em used to be good for work stuff but has gone a bit too "architectural" for me. Trapeze dresses with huge pussy bows would make me look pregnant. In fact pregnant in the 1980s.

Reiss doesn't seem to do casual wear. Same applies to Coast, Karen Millen and a few others. It's all silky tops, over embellished knitwear in manmade fibres and dresses.

Oasis, Zara, Warehouse... I walked in and straight out again. French Connection had some nice things if I was still 22 and non lumpy.

Esprit is a good call Katharina. I had forgotten them but do have a lovely jumper from there. Will have a look.

I'm in my 20s and agree with a lot of this.
Also I'm flat chested but never buy dresses that you can't wear a bra with. I wear lots of fancy dresses for work (weird job) so can't be without a bra - so it's not just people with big boobs who struggle.

Completely agree with everything Sali said in this. Ad I like the fact that she pointed out that her larger friends didn't want crappy clothes and neither did she at a size 8. I'm a 16-18 so at the larger end of the high street.

I end up ordering loads from Boden because their tops work well for me, are good quality and not too pricy with all the discounts. Plus they never quibble when you return things. I also quite like a mad print so I'm ok there.

I bought a lovely linen top in White Stuff recently but then had a battle to return it when it changed shape after the first wash. Apparently it was my fault for not reshaping it firmly enough [hmmm].

Another one signing up to this.

I have disposable income and I want to spend it on clothes. But these days I buy on ebay because clothes used to be so much better made. Why would I not buy second hand, good quality for less. Rather than brand new, poor quality expensive tat.

I wish retailers would sort it out. Where, for example, are the good quality work dresses. I need them and would spend several hundred on good quality. I literally can't find anywhere to spend my money.

had a look at Cos
many tops, I can see online that they will need a vest under them.

I don't wear dresses but there are some bizarre ones there.

ABSOLUTELY!

Having spent the last 6 weeks looking for a dress for a summer wedding I totally agree.
Found the sleeves...length too short
Found the style...horrible pattern
Found the length...frumpy

Asked for mn's advice, went to larger Town 40 miles away, trolled the net...zilch

Settled for a M&S bright pink number, wouldn't be 1st choice but SO fed up with looking.

"Settled for a M&S bright pink number, wouldn't be 1st choice but SO fed up with looking"

um. and combined with your username...oh I just don't know anything any more!

Mumsnetters did find a lovely one, fitted the bill exactly, except it was ruined by a V at the back low enough to see bra strap.

Bloody infurating!

Eh? Goldfishjane

french connection is worth a look this season. Lots of cotton stuff but their sizing is ridiculous. I ordered a top in a 'Small' and honestly it's would fit a 16. So I can't buy it as even an xs drowns me. I am not waif like by any stretch.
Hopefully it's not their entire range that's gone off piste size wise as there were a few things I liked.
Their website is awful though.
I know there was a long thread on here about bloggers recentlyut they look so much better than the website models with their sulky faces and droopy shoulders.
Retailers should have full outfit pictures of real women rather than trying to make a woman look like a mannequin

Is COS really different when not worn by oddly standing models? Because on the website everything looks like a shapeless oversized sack. Could anybody model one of their dresses?

Also, S.Oliver is nice, but I don't think they have shops in the UK?

Could not agree more.

The crap fabrics and materials retailers try to fab us off with drive me mad. They don't try that with men's clothes, I've noticed.

I was in an outlet village with DH the other day. I walked into French Connection then walked out. Everything made of crap, cheap polyester. You used to be able to get good cotton, silk etc. in French Connection. Ditto Reiss: everything felt cheap.

However, in the men's sections of both of those shops, the clothes were made of proper fabrics, cotton etc.

We also went into a Kurt Geiger outlet. I have been a long term customer of theirs, but I've noticed that in the past couple of years, the only leather shoes you can get in Kurt Geiger are those carrying the 'Kurt Geiger London' brand, i.e. their most expensive range (£200-ish average cost). The Carvela, KG etc brands are now almost all plastic and 'suedette'. I just won't wear plastic shoes, and I certainly won't bloody pay £120 for 'suedette' sandals.

Predictably, the men's side of the shop was replete with proper leather and suede shoes and boots.

I walk into Oasis, Warehouse, etc and walk straight out again. Sweaty, slippery, cheap polyester from wall to wall.

I used to live Karen Millen and I've been a long term customer. They used to sell lovely silk tops and use cotton and wool etc in their knitwear. No longer: it's all polyester and bloody acrylic.

Do shops think we're stupid? Or stupider than men, at least, because they still get offered decent fabrics, don't they?

Where, for example, are the good quality work dresses. I need them and would spend several hundred on good quality. I literally can't find anywhere to spend my money.

Have a look at The Fold. Dresses are £200-400 but they look really good.

For less money, try Me & Em though as I say upthread they've gone a bit odd recently.

in the men's sections of both of those shops, the clothes were made of proper fabrics, cotton etc.

YES! I've noticed this. Drives me mental that we don't get the same. I presume it's because the retailers think women want disposable fashion and men want quality classics... NO! Women want quality classics too.

I used to LOVE Karen Millen, that is.

Forgot to say: the high, misplaced waists on dresses drive me mad as well. I'm 5'8", but even short people complain about the proportions, so it can't be my fault for being tall!

However, in the men's sections of both of those shops, the clothes were made of proper fabrics, cotton etc.

Have you noticed that the men always have the best colours as well.
There' s alwayslots of heathery colours and soft reds.
We get all the garish, shiny crap.