Gosh I love clothes.

[OneOfTheGrundys]

That is all.
They’re a hobby when I’ve free time, my armour when I’m feeling low and just all round fun too.
Ebay and charity shops are my favoured hunting grounds as I love a good rag pick but clothes shopping on the high st I also enjoy.
Just had to share. 😊

I too love clothes. They are an expression of creativity for me. I'm the same with makeup.

My greatest joy comes from finding lovely things in charity shops. It means I own much more expensive clothes than I would have otherwise.

Oh yes, enormous satisfaction from dressing someone else! And, weirdly, I can actually ‘do’ whole outfits for another person, whereas my own dressing always leads to a haphazard mish-mash. (And the wrong shoes. Invariably. Blind spot.) Few things are better than the look of surprised delight on my victim’s face, reflected in their mirror.

Yes, I'm often rubbish with shoes too. Probably because I have very wide feet so struggle to find shoes that are both nice and wearable. So I never seem to have the right footwear for my outfits.

Lovely thread! I adore clothes too, I rarely meet anyone in RL who loves them as much as I do . I don’t have the budget for lovely clothes these days that I used to but luckily the stuff I bought when I DID have more cash has lasted well - some great scarves, coats (always worth spending on imo), some good cashmere.

Now I have a high-street-only budget but I’m careful about what I buy as I am trying to live more sustainably where possible. I make sure I look after my clothes and get several seasons out of winter boots, good trainers etc.

But I LOVE thinking about an outfit, not even just for a special occasion but for every day. I like to think about how to make an impact; I’ve learned over the years what suits my shape and my personality. I don’t obsess EVERY time I get dressed obviously (my life is mostly school run and working from home) but I think hard about any outfits I might like to put together for anything in the future, even just for a meeting.

I quite often get annoyed because I can’t wear 2 or 3 great outfits I’ve come up with to a single event!!

It’s probably shallow and silly (though I do have a lot of other very grown up and serious interests too!!) but it makes me happy; it gives me confidence to feel I’ve put together a fab look from bits and bobs in my wardrobe, supplemented by newer things every now and then.

I'm completely obsessed with clothes too. I spend every spare minute I have looking at clothes online. I find wandering through clothes shops therapeutic and can while away the hours just looking at clothes in shops even if I'm not looking for anything specific.
My DH think I've got a problem
Nothing makes me happier than getting a new outfit I feel nice in and wearing it out at the weekend. I'm still the same at 45 post-DC than I was in my twenties.

Since I went from a size 22 to a size 16 a year or so ago, I've really got into style & accessorising. I've always had a thing for handbags, too. I buy mostly online and buy (& sell) loads of things on eBay, and have some pieces I absolutely love. Unfortunately, I'm physically disabled so I don't get out much. Often, I'm so poorly that I only get out of my PJs to put a clean set on! When I can get of the house, though, I want to feel good about myself. Unfortunately, I have arthritis in my feet so can't wear anything but flats which is disappointing!

I even took a 4 part online course with a professional stylist about how to style yourself, put different fabrics, patterns, shapes, lengths etc together to balance an outfit and the body. I throughly enjoyed it and learned a lot I didn't know.

I feel sometimes that loving clothes is viewed as synonymous with loving fashion or expensive things, or super styled looks

My in-laws have not interest in clothes and view them as essential items only. I’m used to them now but I find it depressing to watch women in their forties buy two pairs of identical trousers/two jumpers etc not because they love them so much but so they don’t have to worry about wasting time and energy buying another when the first one wears out.

They think I’m very superficial 😀

They have quite an ‘intellectual’ conversation and often turn to me and ask if I have bought anything recently. They make a point of saying it as if to highlight my frivolous ways. While I feel pity for them and their lack of interest in clothes, it is very obvious to me that they feel sorry for people who view clothes as anything other than functional.

Size 22 to 16!
That is absolutely awesome. Respect to you!! 🏅

No, no you don’t. You only need facilitating as this is a wonderful ‘vice’! 💚
I like hanging my whole outfit for the next day on a hanger (inc jewellery and tights) and looking at it.
Tomorrow it’s going to be:
Bluey ombré pleated skirt from M&S (new), fitted black jaeger jumper (Shelter) and camper ankle boots (ebay) with black tights and storm cloud earrings from Tatty Devine.
Today however is jeans and a sweatshirt as I’m off work as DH has a horrible hospital day in London 😞. DMs though, to keep me walking through the sad, stressful day.

I love clothes but have a guilty relationship with owning too many, and I probably don’t have much.

I feel especially guilt over things I love but won’t wear because of my lifestyle. For example last weekend I bought a beautiful wool tailored skirt in cream in a charity shop. I don’t know when I will wear it

Oh I’m sorry about that OP. I hope the day goes smoothly at least.

Clothes can be a great and positive distraction from other things you can’t control. I always obsess about interview outfits.

Currently wearing a combination of a brand new midi frock (winter take on the Zara frock) and an Armani jacket from the charity shop which is just gorgeous.

NotOnYourSmelly agree about the washing line! I love love love hanging out washing and making it look pretty on the line, arranged by colour - especially in summer. I currently don't have outdoor washing line space and I really miss it :(

In scotland there's such a thing as "'hanging out a lovely washing" which is a compliment from your neighbours :o

*Rowena" when I was with ex we sometimes used to hang out with his academic colleagues, and I would feel like the most shallow person in the world (although I'm really not!) because I would be more dressed up/fashion-conscious than them. I could easily have talked about other stuff but they would ask me about my clothes to make conversation. It was the opposite of this thread ! If I tried to talk about loving clothes they would all look at me like I was from Mars.

I love this thread (and the S&B board in general) - lots of intelligent, thoughtful women talking about clothes and getting a lot of pleasure from them.

I'm a bit embarrassed in RL to admit how much I love clothes. Not because I think it's shallow, but because people would probably expect me to be dressed a bit better. (Currently sitting here in an ancient dog-walking gilet!)

I do have a wardrobe of lovely things though and love planning outfits around them. Just wish I had friends in RL who loved a charity shop browse as much as I do, or would wax lyrical about the merits of different fabrics or cuts!

It baffles me that an interest in fashion, clothes, scent or make-up is considered somehow indicative of low intelligence or a trivial and frivolous bent.

People are not that binary.

We’re perfectly capable of holding opinions on Palestine, Hourglass palettes and pintucks because most of us have a lot of brain cells.

The best dressed person I know is a Professor of Engineering and I imagine it’s because the attention to detail and design that she brings to her work also transfers to her choice of clothing.

I think it's belittled because it's seen as a woman's interest. And to make matters worse, unlike say, cooking or baking or gardening or knitting, there is nothing caring or nurturing about it. We do it purely for pleasure which is very bad and selfish.

Of course some women buy into this too.

So nice to read that so many people are like me! I’ve had to replace my whole wardrobe this year due to losing a lot of weight. I’ve bought everything except underwear and nightclothes from eBay and charity shops, and have taken many many bags of my larger clothes to charity. Picking out an outfit every day is such a pleasure, and I do sometimes hang several days’ outfits on view just because I love my new clothes! Best recent bargain is an amazing vintage suede coat, Jigsaw, for £15. I’m in love....

Of course some women buy into this too.

Of course. Hugely.

If your husband opines that your personal requirements should be met from the meagre housekeeping he doles out, so that you come to judge your success as a wife through competitive frugality - how bitter are you going to feel towards the office hussy in her £10k of Chanel?

Love clothes and food.

Excellent thread.

I love boots and bags. And scarves. Nice to see some scarf love not sneers for a change.

Oh. And perfume. Mmmmmm love me a spray of something luscious.

One reason I know I have found my perfect partner is because DP loves charity shopping and clothes even more than I do.

Clothing is how we present ourselves to the world. It's massively imp ortant to think about. I have (deliberately) spent all of 2019 not buying new stuff, except shoes and underwear and replacement staples, and I am now missing the odd gems of fast fashion that would have kept me "current". I'm not going out naked, and you might not notice deficiencies, but I do. A steady dribble of fashion renewal is essential, especially when you are older.

Me too!
As I have got older I am more body confident.
I am a size 18 with a size 8 foot
I love shopping and love when I find a piece of clothing that I can rock!
I genuinely enjoy getting dressed for work in the morning and feeling confident in my style makes me feel empowered

What a lovely thread, OP your title made me smile. I love clothes too. And I love this thread and all the wonderful, insightful comments.

I too love charity shops and have virtually eradicated any first-hand shopping. It makes me so much more creative with what I wear and I own much more expensive and well-made clothes!

There is another active thread entitled 'plus size what are you wearing today' which also celebrates the love of fashion too. Really great thread even if you are under a size 14.