I was told this top was "ageing", is it true?

[WatercolourFlower]

I was shopping with my friend today and was having a look at the new stuff in Joules, as they ususally do lovely patterns.

I saw this top and immediately loved it (what a gorgeous and delicate pattern!). I said this to my friend...and she immediately said how ageing it would be. Here's the link to the top, in the cream botanicals print www.joules.com/Women/Tops/Harbour-Print/Jersey-Top/Cream-Botanicals?id=Y_HARBOURPRINT%7CCREMBOT

Is my friend right? I'm not ususally affected by stuff like this and wear what I want, but a man recently said I looked much older than I was and now I'm overthinking things. For the record, I'm 20 years old.

Any advice much appreciated 😊

madame I wonder if Sainsbury's are due for a 25% off soon actually. Haven't seen one for a while. Anyone know?

I don't know sorry. Hopefully someone will know.

I actually really like that top OP - I'd wear it with distressed lighter blue skinny jeans, wedges and a nice beach wave hair do in the summer. X

@expatmigrant are you not a fan of the humble pinafore then? 😂

Shop in Zara! Perfect for your age

I've got some stuff from Zara, but I've stopped shopping there as I bought a top that fell apart after one wear. It was one of their more expensive pieces as well

Plus Zara stores are always absolute chaos. Why is it that whatever city you go to, you can guarantee that the Zara floor will be covered in clothes and the accessories are dangling in tatters off the end of the rails?!

I wear Joules stuff and I am 44yrs old, but find this frumpy and certainly don't looks like mutton dresses as lamb.

Oh no! I really love it, it's pretty. I'm in my 30's, clearly i am a frumpy dresser then.

Yup, if you’re 20.

It’s a bit ‘I’m 35 and this is the work office party so I’m wearing a nice top’

Wear it with a cream or pink leather skirt and ankle boots or black jeans and chunky ankle boots.

Don’t wear ballet flats, they’re horrible for arch support and look v 2000s

I was interested to check out some 'trendy' fashion shops, so off to the top shop page I went. Wow. I need some new dresses but so many are awful, including this monstrosity.

I like it. With some tight jeans and suede ankle boots and a nice chunky leather belt it would look good

Also isn't Topshop main stock- Boutique is their more edgy/unusual stuff.

Also isn't Topshop main stock- Boutique is their more edgy/unusual stuff.

Yes, I believe it’s the runway stuff. Certainly not what your average shopper would be buying. I buy pretty much everything i own from topshop and have never bought a thing from the boutique range.

Zara is Lisbon is a fabulous oasis of order!

It’s a pretty top and worn with super skinny dark jeans and some cute ballet pumps could be a fab outfit

Super skinny dark jeans & cute ballet pumps are a sure fire way to look outdated & old now.

Don't do it!

BobLoblawLawBlog

Sainsbury's 25% off frequently coincides with school holidays, so half term maybe?

I don't want to use 'ageing' because a) don't want to tell people what to wear or not when they're old and b) always sounds vaguely negative, which obvs is part and parcel of ageism. I don't like that when I think 'age 50' I think 'frump', as the two really don't need to have that kind of relation to each other. The only reason we make that equation is because we're relentlessly marketed to through immutable channels of meaning decided by powerful corps and reinforced by everyone else. Since a young person is physically able to wear this top, that should be enough to dispel the idea that it could only be for older people, just like dresses are not vagina operated and wearing one doesn't make you womanish. Talking about 'ageing' is playing right into the hands of those who rely on these strict divisions of identity to very precisely match their products to certain demographics, and persuade them that this is what they like, because this is what everyone else their age/sex is wearing. Sorry for the rant! Don't mean to pile it all on you OP, it's more directed at myself, as I know exactly what people mean when they say it's ageing and I wish I didn't.

It's not something I'd wear: 3/4 sleeves & wide neck are the big things for me. Combined with A-line shape & fact that the back is slightly longer than the front (not always bad on their own), there's too much going on. I also love the blue & pink combination, but think it would be much nicer without the greeny stems. Also is the top pure white or cream? I don't think cream would work.
But then I'm vvv fussy about my tops and don't usually like split or wide hems, random buttons, long cuffs, random details that look like they've just been plonked on to revive last season's tired designs but don't actually add anything nice to the clothes.

Exactly.

op I may not have seen all your posts but I've read a few of them and it seems to me that you're naturally drawn to a classic, slightly preppy style. Please don't go changing it just because some people have rigigd ideas about how a 20 year-old should dress. It's a good look and I think you should trust your own instincts.

If I were in your shoes, I would seek out posters who like a similar style and get their advice. It might be worth starting another thread and calling it something like 'Where do you buy classic clothes with a modern twist?' Apologies if I'm being presumptious and I may of course have got it completely wrong (won't be the first time). But it does sound to me as if that's what you're after.

rosewhitetips I love Zara in Lisbon too and any other of their shops outside of the UK. The same here with H&M, they look more like your shopping in a warehouse with way too many clothes. I don't even bother anymore.

Is such a shame that UK Zara's are such a bomb site isn't it! Especially as it's hard to order online from them as their sizing is bonkers!

I'm nearly 20 years older than you, I don't like the Joules top but seems you've decided you don't like it either.

I like some of the other things you've linked to. For a cheaper red jumper try searching on H&M online, they've had some lovely ones in. Probably not as good quality but I've got some H&M tops and jumpers that I've had for years. You might also like the black denim skirts, stripe tops and denim shirts they do.

I'd try Topshop for nice tops, blouses and pinafores, H&M are great for basics and knitwear, Warehouse & Oasis often have nice dresses, Zara can be good, I recently got a lovely floral wrap midi skirt from there.

You haven't mentioned shoes/boots but I think a pair of DMs or Bikers would go well with the pinafores.

Yes, I think I am a fan of the "Preppier" look...and thank you for the advice! I will definitely start my own thread in the future, but just for now...does anyone like the preppy look here? what do you mostly wear?

I'll definitely have a look in H&M, they have a big one locally so I will just pop in and have a look around.

I love this Pinafore I had one just like that in the 60s, maybe a bit shorter. Everything (well almost everything) comes back round if you wait long enough.