Dislike my current wardrobe

[Lovinglife45]

95%:of my wardrobe is made up of garments from low end shops, think H&M, Dorothy Perkins, Mango, and TU at Sainsbury's. Today, I went to Westfield and noticed that many of the women were stylish and polished in what looked like quality day dresses. I felt frumpy and outdated. My clothes stem back to 2018, are in good condition but unflattering.

At my age mid 40's, I would like to be able to buy from Reiss, All Saints, Jigsaw, Whistles.

Unsure what advice I am seeking.

Vinted might help get some of those labels into your wardrobe, maybe?

I’m not sure what you’re asking either!

Permission to wear different clothes?

Advice on how to afford - or on how to wear?

Anyway - there’s definitely a middle ground between supermarket clothes and the (if you’ll forgive me) now slightly dated labels you mention!

Have you ever looked at

& Other Stories
Cos
Arket
Massimo Dutti
Uniqlo
Zara

They’re all extremely mainstream, ‘fashionable’, reliable, worn by women of all ages.

I’d add

Community Clothing

which takes a different - highly ethical - approach and is probably more popular with those less interested in being fashionable who just want decent clothes.

I’ve only recently come across

Omnes

and haven’t bought from them, but they seem to have the right environmental aspirations.

If you simply want inspiration on contemporary labels I’d recommend

Goodhood Store
Matches Fashion

Btw, my experience of all of these stores is primarily online - shopping malls and the High St have had their day …

First thing to ask yourself , can you afford to dress like these women you saw ?
Nothing wrong in High St clothes btw.
As a previous poster suggests you can buy higher end on previously owned websites but of course you consciously have to be proactive in looking for item availability in your size.
You could buy a few items and try to build up from there , remember good shoes & accessories can help to transform a look.
Are you prepared to up your grooming ? Good cut & colour every 6 weeks or so and great nails all go towards looking stylish and put together.

I definitely find now I'm older than one good quality piece is worth about 5 cheap items in terms of how nice I feel in it and how long it lasts. So it's not just about budget because you can buy less but better.

I have stuff from years ago that still looks great, especially from COS. But stuff from last year from cheaper shops that looks dated, or styles that have got old.

Vinted is a good option if you know what fits. But the sales are often excellent. I only ever buy COS in the sale. Easy to order lots and send back whichever brand you choose.

Have a good clear out OP. Identify gaps and then go look for good quality options. Or, scan through sales in expensive shops and just choose things you really like.

can you afford to dress like these women you saw ?

But the OP doesn’t actually know how much other women - strangers seen at a distance - spend on clothes. Or whether their spending is a tiny or huge amount relative to their incomes. So I’m not sure how that question would help her. Some women who could afford to wear couture don’t care about clothes and prefer to spend their money on travel or horses or philanthropy.

The only relevant question, surely, is how much does the OP want to spend - and what does she want for her money. Vinted, old-school vintage, charity shop? Or fast fashion? Or saving up for new items from ‘aspirational’ brands.

OP, Brand Alley often have a lot of Whistles and Reiss items for really good prices. I got a white Whistles denim skirt from there for £30, which was originally £60

You can get some decent stuff in Mango if you check the fabric and avoid the polyester etc. Zara is about on a par price wise and worn by a lot of people who also buy more expensive stuff. Even H&M has some decent things if you choose carefully and again, check the fabric. & Other Stories has a sale on right now, which brings the prices down to closer to Zara sort of levels.

Also, for decent quality looking day dresses don’t write off M&S! There’s quite a lot of nice ones this season.

I'm not entirely sure it's about where the clothes come from. I have a Tu top I bought on eBay (as if Tu wasn't cheap enough!) which imo looks smart and effortless, it's a good quality jersey fabric and it's a bit big for me. As someone else who has also been struggling with my mid forties wardrobe I think sizing up in some of the cheaper places gives a less cheap look and is also more fashionable. You just need to make sure you aren't covered in baggy clothing and there's some balance to the outfit. I also have a Topshop blazer from eBay that looks really smart and chic. And I think you can make things look more expensive with tailoring, particularly having trousers and jeans hemmed to the exact length for you. Looser trousers and jeans are more current bit it depends what suits once you get to our age I reckon. If you don't naturally have 'it' then you can look try to hard of trying to follow young fashion.

Personally I think some of the more expensive labels like Jigsaw are overpriced and over complicated (difficult to look after materials) and often not that good quality and that you can achieve similar elsewhere. M&S is a good shout. They have some nice shirt options which I think always look a bit elevated and are very fashionable and flattering for summer of worn open.

Personally I think midi dresses, worn with white trainers, have been done to death and look like a middle aged uniform, especially with denim or leather jackets but there's no doubting it's a universal look which covers a multitude of sins, suits a wide range of figures and is easy to put together.

I think it's not about what shops the clothes come from but whether they're the right fit/size for you. Are they the most flattering cut for you body shape? Once you've worked out what makes you look great you can get it for 10 pounds and look bloody awesome.
I'm heavier now so can't fit into them but I've got an awful lot of nice dresses from shops for teenagers. Up until a couple of years of ago I bought a lot of summer stuff (and trousers too) from there and I only stopped because their larger sizes are usually too small for me (over here a lot up them only go up to a Large).
I dressed it all up with fancy accessories and shoes/sandals, in fact, this is where I like to put my money, because no matter my size I am, I can wear the same shiny handbag. I also have some pretty fancy jackets and cardigans that can make me look better and put together even with jeans.
You should go to a shop with lots of dresses and figure out what suits you better: wraps, A-lines, bodycons (don't dismiss them, they can look fab on anyone with the right shapewear)...? Take pictures and have a look at them when you're having a cuppa. Some will just make you better than others. If you have a good friend ask what they think is that one item you wear that you look fab in.
Some things are worth more money imho, I'm partial to spending on jackets, because they can make whatever you wear look expensive.
The issue with your clothes isn't the low-end brand but the fact they're probably not the most flattering. I have an awful lot of stuff from those brands, from years ago, and it still looks fine (or it will when I'm back to my regular weight! hahah).
Good luck OP!

Could you sell some of your old clothes and then use the money to buy the more expensive brands second hand? Maybe try and copy the look you want with just buying a few pieces.
Try mix and matching what you have and get rid of any really old worn out stuff.

I'm not entirely sure it's about where the clothes come from.

My observation is that seeking out one ideal piece from a limitless supply is fine for people with a good eye and lots of time. But for anyone unsure of their own style (who maybe doesn’t ‘follow’ fashion) it’s much easier to direct one’s attention to a handful of stores that reliably sell good quality, contemporary clothing. Of course, the list will evolve and change over time.

Thank you for your responses.

I can afford to shop in the stores I mentioned, if I buy one item every five/six months. I am at a stage in my life where I would prefer less clothes of greater quality. I have heard one should love every item in their wardrobe whether casual or occasion wear. I agree.

I am a size 10 and within my ideal weight range. I am not as toned as I would like to be but clearly am not invested enough to do more than brisk walking.

Someone mentioned midi dresses and white trainers with denim jacket. It has been done to death and I am bored of the look. I try to dress a little quirky as I do not wish to look like a typical middle aged woman and blend in with the majority of mums on school playground.

A poster mentioned I would not know the cost of items strangers wear. Perhaps not to the pound but I can tell the difference between a £25 New Look/Dorothy Perkins dress and a £100+ dress from a higher end store. The cut, the shape, the style stands out a mile.

Well, if price isn't a problem. Then go for Carolina Herrera for the big pieces. They are well made and last forever.

I'm 52 and have bought two dresses from Jigsaw recently, and one from French Connection. I wait for a sale with both these - Jigsaw regularly has 20% off.

There's also a long running thread on S&B "what are you wearing today?" from which you might get inspiration (I certainly have in the past).

Of course for some items fabric type/quality/cut is more of a giveaway but buying preloved means someone could have picked up that originally100+ dress for less than the New Look one. I also think simple, cheaper pieces can be hard to spot when mixed in with more expensive items. Getting stuff taken up/in so it fits properly also makes a huge difference.

The big issue is surely that you don’t think your current wardrobe is flattering. If you know how you’d like to dress could you make a wish list of things you want to upgrade your wardrobe and start saving - in the meantime keep an eye on Vinted etc to see if they crop up second hand, and save sale notifications?

Or if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, maybe spend some time on Pinterest to narrow it down or just go shopping and try on loads of stuff to help you work out what shapes/styles/colours work for you.