I am very bloody sodding well fed up with tops in shops atm....

[CountessDracula]

grrrr

I hate them ALL

they are either

Too long
Too flouncy (HOW many puffy sleeves does one need?)
Actually in fact dresses and not tops at all but pretending to be tops (and I am 40 so I am NOT wearing leggings OR mini dresses when not on holiday and they look plain stupid over jeans and anyway it's too hot for jeans most of the time)
Disgusting patterns
Horribly bright block colour
Maternity smocks
Vast ballooning batwingy things

I HATE THEM

Fashion is SHIT atm for oldies

However I do not want to go down the boden/jigsaw yummy mummy look or the dowdy m&s

Please let all this stupid toppery end soon

yy have bought a few bits in white stuff lately

I need work tops though, nice shirts, there used to be nice short sleeved shrits with not tooooo puffy arms with little buttons bu tnow they have all gone mahooosive in their puffiness and I have big shoulders so loook like a right knobhead in them

Anne Fontaine CD?

peacocks is a bit like primark really - v cheap high street shop. we only have peacocks and qs in this town - m&s and next in posher town up the road!

but for tops I find they are v good, as most things never any more than a tenner and quite pretty. do you shop online? if you've seen any slebs wearing something really nice chances are you will find something similar on asos.com.

Try Great Plains, you can buy on line too and they are def not flouncy and am sure would have soem good work type bits.
www.greatplains.co.uk/

oh god ggg
was out at dinner with dh last night and he suddenly said "oh I forgot to tell you your mate from france's dd called last night"

So she DID call I am really sorry!

NOW
wtf is Anne Fontaine?

hmmm I have big shoulders too - I often end up getting shirts in M&S (boring I know) but it's one of the few places that at least makes shirts to fit properly

Trouble with ASOS is that a lot of the looky-likey stuff is in horrible cheap fabrics, ime.

They had a nice kind of eau de nil shirt with a little military twist (sleeves that roll up and have button to fasten them there)

Is there REALLY a shop called ethel austin???

CD - I so agree. I was in Monsoon yesterday looking for something to take on holiday - I let my standards slip a bit for holiday wear - but it was ALL unremittingly shit. I just wanted a summery skirt and tops to slip over swimming costumes and it was all FOUL. The only decent things around this summer are light cotton shirts with a bit of frill on. I have two but I fear they're a bit Boden

HOw about this one (sorry cant do links) but it is short sleeve and no puff shoudlers and in sale
www.greatplains.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&ProductID=J2B3Q&CategoryID=sho rtsleevetops&pageno=1

also friend of mine turned up at school wearing leggings and top/dress/smock (I know longer know what these things even are) and confirmed for me it ain't a good lokk once you;ve hit about 35.

ignore naff breathy french muzak in background

What's wrong with next or m&s for nice plain tops?

LOL @ CD. Ethel Austin has been around for years.

hatwoman
do they have big puffy sleeves?

Eaaaaaase into Boden CD.
You know you want to.
Accept your destiny.

Agnes B

Agnes B lovely but £££

don;t look at the label. not a puff in sight

have you looked in Top SHop? you'll have to wade through a lot of floaty tops and silly arms but there are one or two nice things in there

They have brilliant classic range of white shirts and lovely camisole type tops to wear under suits. Don't think their very chi chi website does them justice (more Jackie O than Paris Hilton).

Yes I was in there a couple of weeks ago
Nothing
Last year it was full of fab things
where have they all gone?

That boden one has long sleeves! It is effing summer!

ggg that is the MOST annoying website ever!
Clothes look nice
Don't do camisoles due to huge shoulders, they accentuate them (I do do them under things obv but not say under a suit wher eI may want to take jacket off)

dorothy perkins shirts

cant see any puffed sleeeves....