Why are the shops SO disappointing?

[JanisMoplin]

I went to Oxford Street for the first time in 2 years hoping to buy a couple of nice simple tops to go with black or grey trousers. It was like the 7th circle of sartorial hell. I am 50, 5"7 and a size 12 so not Alexa Chung but not massive either. Went to
& Other Stories
Zara
Massimo Dutti
M and S
John Lewis

Hated everything. Everything was recycled polyester, frilly great yokes, oversized, too cropped, see through or with principal boy sleeves. Even Uniqlo has succumbed to huge poufy sleeves and it used to be great for basics. Baukjen and Hush in John Lewis were no better.

There were some nice coats but I wasn't looking for coats. The dresses were horrible too; completely sister wife territory
I returned with a boring black knit top from M and S which was £12. Returning to my athleisure!

I try to vaguely follow fashion trends so last year bought a gingham nobodys child dress. I am 50 and a size 12. In my 20s and a slim size 10 i used to love big checky dresses and chunky boots kind if amish style. I now find as i age my shape is changing i have a huge D cup chest and a thick waist. I need something that defines my waist and isnt fussy or high necked. The flouncy, frilly collared style just doesnt suit me at all and I dont think these nightie style dresses suit many women most need some definition of their shape.
I am enjoying the new style of barrel legged jeans and paperbag waisted trousers. Hopefully by autumn a new style will come in and we can wave goodbye to the milk maid dresses and blouses x

@FlyingGeeseAgain

If anyone knows where to get decent quality cotton t shirts that aren’t box shaped with man made fibres, please let me know!

Abercrombie and Fitch do the nicest softest cotton T-shirts.

I’m not impressed with Kin. I bought 3 sweatshirts from there at about 50 quid each. They all looked like rags when they came out of the machine, and 2 shrank. When l contacted them they were quite snotty, so l sent 2 of the rags back.

I was refunded even though ‘no one else had had the problems’

I do feel the pain too - another one here who can't stand the frilly/tiered/scratchy chiffon style. I'm particularly struggling with dresses; I'm happily done with bodycon as a 40-year old size 16 mum, but I'm not yet ready to look like a last-minute extra cast on Little House on the Prairie.

I've just thrown out a pair of socks in bought at an h&m in Stockholm on a trip with my mum in 1999. They only just wore through. I also threw out (=textile recycled) a pair of straight-set jeans I bought at m&s about 8 months ago and wore less than 30 times. Mid-range quality stuff is so hard to find.

And everything seems impractical. I was on the lookout for a cozy jumper dress in the winter... they all had 3/4 sleeves. Why? If its winter and cold, I want my entire arm covered, thank you.

Rant over.

I'm 5ft shortarse size22 and although they would probably look hideous on me quite like these dresses in the shops. Why oh why are they so long? Petite size obviously doesn't go up to a 22 as no one 5ft is this size apart from me! Actually this is another thread completely

I hope there are some buyers reading these threads.

Shops are dull really generic but I bought a beautiful dress from Ebay. Unfortunately it accidentally went to the wrong address and of cause it was stolen. Really sad about it. I danced around the living room when my bid won. If I see someone wearing my derek lam frock I'm ripping it off her bloody thieving arse.

I was in M&S at Meadowhall (Sheffield) this week. It's a large, supposedly flagship store
It felt like they'd given up. Loads of things in the wrong hangers (size 10 with a 16 marker etc).
I went to use the changing rooms - no attendant you just walk in and they were truly filthy, litter, food wrappers and tags and general grime on the floor- definitely not cleaned that day and I suspect longer

I have had success recently with Fatface. Got a long sleeve soft, thick cotton top. Ok it was £29 but the quality surprised me. It’s so warm. It’s probably frumpsville but I’m comfy in it. It’s got a boatneck which I like.

I wanted a nice white tshirt, should be easy but nooo every one I tried was a paper thin bra flasher

I think the 90s fashion has made a comeback

[quote TottersBlankly]Maybe not that one, FayCarew, but I can think of few people of any age who wouldn’t look good in this:

www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1046680001.html[/quote]
I love this too.

Totally agree - I haven't seen a single thing on the high street that I would buy - and I have been in every shop - all full of horrible beige or cream baggy things, badly made, in horrible fabric, every time I go looking I come home liking what I've already got more than anything I've seen - in 2 years I have bought nothing new except for underwear & socks and a couple of pairs of white trainers - though I have scored a couple of nice things in charity shops - result!

@TottersBlankly

Guess we just have different eyes! And I didn’t mean the whole outfit, just the perfectly simple dress. (Though I’d personally prefer a different fabric.)

God I’d look dreadful in that 😂

Just not buying clothes right now. I don't want to look like an Amish milkmaid in nightwear at 66. I didn't like Laura Ashley in the 1970s either , for the record.

I’ve gone off clothes shopping too, am also 50, if that’s relevant

I still like some things at Jigsaw, Wrap London or Anthropology, but am not going to spend £150 on a viscose dress (even if it’s eco-vero or whatever, it’s still cheap chemically processed wood pulp , it’s fine but not a luxury fabric! Not worth £150)

Have not bought clothes for ages, will just wear what I got for a bit

Flares are back this year

@Ddot

Flares are back this year

🙄🤢

@DobbyTheHouseElk

I have had success recently with Fatface. Got a long sleeve soft, thick cotton top. Ok it was £29 but the quality surprised me. It’s so warm. It’s probably frumpsville but I’m comfy in it. It’s got a boatneck which I like.

I have those tops in loads of colours. Last years, wash well. They are classic Bretons

I have never bought fewer clothes. All the shops are selling the same styles of hideousness - terrible fabrics etc. Dresses look like something from the 50s, all long sleeves and floral prints. AT least I've saving money!

I am also 50 and a size 12. I really like Whistles for dresses.

@FayCarew

I can't bring myself to pay £20 for a long sleeve cotton t shirt.

Might this be part of the problem?
I'd pay £20 for a good quality t-shirt that fitted well and, if looked after, would last a long time.

I'd pay £25 or even £30 if it was a really good quality thick knitted cotton t-shirt, like they used to be decades ago. Most t-shirts now a tissue-paper thin, even if you can find one that is real 100% cotton and not some vile plastic-y clingy static-y thing.

If I’d been quicker I could have had at least three years wear out of a big flouncy frock. That’s hardly throw-away.

In my opinion it is. I possess clothing items that I have had for over 4 decades. A dress should last at least 5 to 10 years, depending on how many times a month you wear it, and if you grow out of it (sideways!) it should be a valuable charity-shop donation.

I remember the olden days when places like Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Monsoon, East, Debenhams,even M &S had so much lovely stuff to buy ( when I was young). Sadly I didn't have much money in those days, so it was a real treat to buy something lovely. Now, I have money, and there's nothing!

@FlyingGeeseAgain Have you tried Rapnui?