I don't like anything anymore.. TANTRUM

[LouraLoura]

From anywhere, everything seems incredibly overpriced for what it is, all the shapes and patterns are grim, and the styles are not my cup of tea.

There are a couple of stores I can tolerate but even then it all seems like a giant rip off.

It's the first time in my life that I actually can't stand any current trends or even anti-trends. All dresses are relatively the same across all brands, as well as trousers, tops, etc. I used to like Poetry and White stuff, but it all looks either shapeless now or cheap.

What to do? Well I could head towards used stuff, I do like old things but not the typical retro/vintage styles. I suppose I am fussy, but when I look back into the past (film, tv, etc) people wore such lovely things and in comparison contemporary clothing depresses me.

Anyone feel similar? That it's all just shite?

Look at this dress from Baukjen, it's a nice enough thing at first glance, but then they want nearly £150 for an unlined, thin, flowery hapeless gloop of ecovero (or whatever) crap. I give up!

www.baukjen.com/products/molly-dress-with-lenzing-ecovero

I feel your pain, I'm tired of going clothes shopping to try to find something "nice" (by which I mean pretty, feminine, well fitting clothes that suit my body shape) and instead ending up trawling through shops full of ugly, formless, utilitarian, gender neutral type clothes in horrible colours. That or slutwear Because I'm an apple shape I don't suit the high necked, frilly collared tea dresses that seem to be the only nice things around at the moment. I just want to look pretty!

I don't like the Baukjen dress because I don't like the print much –I absolutely love prints and print dresses, but I think there is a glut of ugly prints around and a lot of places seem to think "need a floral print because that's what's in - this'll do". Designing floral prints well, that look good from any distance and don't end up looking like the contents of a recycling bin (the blue/grey ones) or vomit (the beige/pink ones) is a skilled job and so many of these prints are just not very nice.

I don't mind viscose, I quite like it but I do get annoyed when supposedly higher-end brands have something that looks promising then it turns out to be polyester - bleurgh.

ugly, formless, utilitarian, gender neutral type clothes

My tween DD loves these. She and her friends are all in baggy hoodies, wide trousers, oversized t-shirts with garish designs, etc. So she's happy and can always find something else she wants.

Style and quality ended in about the late noughties in the UK. The level of sales in Primark and Sports Direct bears this out.

I am also really really sick of every shop resorting to 'animal' print and sod all else. M&S is stuffed with it, every second dress or skirt. Why no other patterns? It's either that or large, lurid florals, even Toast (which I mentioned earlier) has given up on decent pattern, which they used to do so well. Everything is jarring, unsubtle - and that's ok if you like it, i suppose!

Add the utterly shit quality of everything into the mix and I really cn't be arsed anymore.
A few years ago i decided enough was enough and stuck to a very minimal 'uniform'. Got bored very quickly. I guess I will just stop buying for the time being, that's never a bad thing.

Glad im not alone. But we are all different. I know everyone is happy with super high waists and I hate them, too! We can't win em all.

@MoonOnASpoon

Or there’s always sewing your own - I do that too. Do you have an idea in your mind of what styles you do want? You could try looking at the sewing patterns at places like merchant and mills, true bias etc.

Every shop is flowery tent dresses, or pie frill collars, or frills, ruffles. I hate it all at the moment going to sit it out until hopefully some un ruffled un floral things appear. Boden are the worst offenders and they used to have such good things. I'm now wearing H&M premium cashmere jumpers (plain) and my old Boden Richmonds trousers or jeans.

I agree with the PP re animal print. It used to be that leopard print was a bit Bet Lynch, and not something to aspire to!

Have to agree with you, just been given a huge birthday voucher to spend and everything is vile! I have broad shoulders, so ruffles and puffed sleeves and frills just make me look like an American football player, and the alternative - weird up and down boxy shapes - don't do anything for me either. I'm going to end up spending the whole voucher on jeans because I literally cannot find anything else I like. Even shoes - it's like a choice between white trainers or horrible pointy flats and nothing else.

I've found my people. I had a job interview last week, very corporate role. Ordered all the stupid cut off trousers, floaty tops and blazers everyone is wearing now. Looked ridiculous and not smart enough. Reluctantly picked best of the bad bunch.

On the morning hated how I looked and started to lose my confidence. Rummaged around and pulled out a 10 year old Hobbs fitted shift dress and matching jacket. Heavy, quality fabric. Hung so nicely. I looked so smart.

When did we stop wanting to look smart for work?

I watched Trigger Point on tv and found myself admiring the woman superintendent’s wardrobe of beautifully cut dresses and immaculate court shoes.

I have specific likes and my style hasn't changed much in a decade. Unless you're into wearing full 1940s dresses handcrafted by a tailor, you'll be able to find what you do like (and even if it were something that niche, you could have it made if you wanted).

I think the problem is you're looking to retailers to provide you inspiration for what you like when, for whatever reason, that isn't in style right now (and I feel that, as I'm the same!). So you're not going to be able to window-shop right now and pick up bits on a whim - you're going to have to shop for items you're lacking or would like specifically.

Which means you need to decide what you do like - high quality trousers with sharp tailoring? A-line floral dresses made from a specific type of linen? All-neutral basics made from eco-friendly materials? Get yourself on Pinterest, or Excel or pen and paper and draw up what type of things you're specifically looking for or are missing in your wardrobe, and hone in on looking for those items - I promise you unless they're so niche they can only be handmade for you (which can be pretty cost-effective if you find a good dressmaker!), you'll be able to find what you want.

(Of course, if you're just sick of not being able to have that, "Ooh, that's nice, I'll buy it!" feeling then I empathise!)

What clothes from the past do you like, OP? I can understand and empathise with a lot of your criticisms, even though personally I still find a fair number of individual items I like (but admittedly only by sifting vast amounts of dross). I do agree that looking back, there seems to have been much more that attracted me in earlier years. I can't really put my finger on what you want, though, from what you've said in this thread.

There is absolutely TONS of stuff out there. Including used but plenty of new of all styles. I think as PP said, if you look for stuff you like and then hunt around for a price you're happy with. Vinted has a billion flowery dresses on it. To be honest I spend money on things I wear a lot (jeans, coat, bag shoes etc) but I would spend much less on a dress and not really care whether the quality was less as I would wear and wash it much less often.

Also now is a terrible time of year to shop as spring stuff looks all weird when it is so cold outside.