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 😊

[ABuckToothedGirlinLuxembourg]

Yes.

[Peregrane]

The trouble with a lot of the "young" shops is that they sell atrocious quality. Disposable fashion that is unpleasant to wear, wears out fast, often unethically produced and is a massive drain on the environment.

Not everybody has the budget for high quality fibres and construction though (although I do wonder if quality costs more today relative to incomes than a hundred years ago - I suspect not).

Do you know Massimo Dutti? It's a slightly higher quality sister brand to Zara. At a higher price point, Maje reads very young to me - most of it too young for my 36 years :) - and often good quality. Cos - much of it looks frumpy as hell on the website, but I've had luck in their physical stores. &otherstories? Uniqlo, especially for basics?

[fluffiphlox]

Still not sure why I can’t say that I’m 60 and find Joules frumpy. It’s my opinion. Wear what you like. (Just not one of those stripy/floral combos they do ).

[MadameBronte]

Joules, Fatface and White Stuff are all very frumpy. I think they design clothes for women who are scared of looking even slightly sexy or sophisticated.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

No MadameBronte, they make you look frumpy. Some women look sexy in them, some look sexy in a bin bag. Other women make haute couture look like a shapeless sack.

I'd personally rather read about the brands that posters like to wear rather than see them denigrate brands that others say they wear. Because doing that sounds a bit snide.

[franktheskank]

I agree with madam bronze actually but I don't think they are designed to be sexy really, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[MadameBronte]

Okay well I will amend my post to say that Joules, Fatface and White Stuff clothes make me look frumpy, and every woman I have ever seen wearing them (and you can spot their clothes at 100 paces).

[elastamum]

I buy a fair few bits from joules as the quality is good. But I never touch the flowery stuff. Currently wearing a lovely black patterned just above knee dress and long boots. Am 53 btw

[VileyRose]

Wow shocked at some replies. I'm 30 and love it. Most people think I am younger and I don't tho k I am a frump. I think it depends what you wear it with. At 20,this won't age you!

[BelleandBeast]

Like others have said, is not what you wear, its how you wear it

Yes, you could look like Mary Berry

or style it a bit like this?

[Beetlejizz]

I think at 20 you'd probably look pretty cute wearing it.

[Lashalicious]

Op, remember that the people who say it looks awful are probably older and bigger than you. It may look awful on them but on a slender 20 year old, it would look very nice.

Wear what you want and what you like. Don’t let anyone tell you what you should wear and shouldn’t wear. Trust yourself. Keep in mind the possible motives of friends who are criticizing your choices; often it comes from a place of jealousy or envy.

[RavenLG]

I think they design clothes for women who are scared of looking even slightly sexy or sophisticated.
Ah yes, because no woman should dare dress anything but sexy.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Sexy or sophisticated? Neither are anything I particularly aspire to looking on a day to day basis, tbh.

I don't necessarily love the top in the OP, but I'd defend the OP or anybody else's right to wear it and to hell with it. I actually think that it could look -pretty cute with jeans and a biker jacket, or a little denim mini and boots, for example.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

MadameBronte, not much of a revision, was it? It just sounds so snide and I cringe at the thought that any woman, any time she steps out of the house, will be judged on what she's wearing by you and your ilk.

I notice lots of different styles and even though some of them are not my thing, I wouldn't suggest that any woman is frumpy to wear them or any other style.

But since you did go there, I'll suggest that if you think you look frumpy in all THREE then perhaps it is you that is frumpy?

I'm going to focus on the nicer aspects of this board now. I'm know there are some, albeit I've spent a fortune in mascara this year already.

[MadameBronte]

Are we meant to pretend then that people don't make judgements based on appearances? Because if that's the case then it makes this board rather pointless doesn't it

And considering that Joules, Fatface and White Stuff all stock very similar styles of clothing, then obviously you are going to look frumpy similar in clothes from all three shops.

If you somehow manage to look frumpy in clothes from Joules, Fatface, White Stuff, All Saints, Whistles, Karen Millen, Top Shop, French Connection, Warehouse, Newlook, H&M and nauseum, then I agree it's you who is frumpy, not the clothes.

[franktheskank]

MadamBronte is spot on

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

No, Madame, I'm not saying that people don't make judgements based on appearances but it's not possible to do that on this board, is it? It's not Skype, we can't see each other (thank goodness as my hair is a frizzy mop tonight). I'm possibly a little oversensitive about this as my mother (and aunt) and any random woman co-opted by my mum had an opinion on how I looked from a very young age...

I'll concede the Joules, FatFace and White Stuff are similar in style BUT I can't agree with you that it's frumpy. I however would look frumpy in clothes from those shops as they wouldn't suit my shape or my personality/lifestyle. I think that if you're large-boobed (as I am), I can't and don't suit casual stuff. Women with smaller boobs look great in it.

I like tailored stuff myself and it suits me better. Today though, I would have any designer pulling their hair out.

Completely with you thinking about it, because those three shops are similar, if you don't suit one you probably won't suit any of the three.

Your last post is gracious and I'm glad you didn't take mine as a deadly insult as it really wasn't intended to be.

[Frankiewears]

Joules, Fat Face, White Stuff and Seasalt are practical clothing choices for a lot of mothers who’s main aim is to look tidy and modest albeit often with a cheerful ‘jaunty’ slant.Perfect uniform for primary school teachers too. Clothes that can suffer numerous washes and stretch for comfort.

Most of the stuff though isn’t stylish or attractive but that isn’t what everyone wants when they get dressed. It depends on your criteria.

If your leisure time is spent scraping off hummus from smearing toddlers whilst traipsing around National Trust properties then it is probably a good fit.

If you want your partner to have lustful feelings about you.... not so much. Which could be a blessing... 😁

[Jellyheadbang]

namechangedtoday15

Why are you shopping at Joules if you're 20? I know it's a sweeping generalisation but it's one of the brands I lump together - Joules / Boden / Fat Face / White Stuff that are firmly in the "middle aged mumsy" bracket to be avoided if there's any prospect of looking young(er).

I'm 45!

This is what I was going to write, even down to my age!

[Flomy]

I shop in Topshop at 45. Hopefully I dont look stupid or like Im trying to hard.

[Worieddd]

I’m 35 and would not wear that top sorry!

[RockinHippy]

Yes, sorry, I wouldn't wear it & I'm in my 50s. It's rather frumpy

[NoqontroI]

I think it looks frumpy but then it would look terrible on me. Might be ok on a young thin person (which I'm not).

[NoqontroI]

Looks ok on the model actually. Not my style, but yeah it's nice enough.