So I went party dress shopping today…

[pictish]

What a disappointment. The shops are terrible, an all time low. Nasty-assed cheap fabrics and everywhere resembles a jumble sale. Oliver Bonas gets a particular mention for stocking H&M quality clothing at Oliver Bonas prices. I actually laughed out loud in there…wtf are they on?

This year’s theme? Jane McDonald and Pat Butcher.

Is it just me or is nothing worth parting with cash for?

I've barely even bothered to look online or in stores this year. It's all so disappointing now. Expensive for shitty fabrics and badly cut styles. H&M are particularly dire now. I didn't shop a lot with them before, but even walking past the store you can tell the quality is so poor now. Nothing is even steamed, so it's a wrinkly mess of thin synthetic fabrics just hanging on the racks. It looks a mess.

I do wonder what will happen to fashion in the next few years as we are losing a lot of brands and designers each year.

Will we "make do and mend" more? Will we spend more money on fewer better quality items?

Everything just seems so much more expensive these days, so quality and natural fabrics are becoming so expensive I'm really reining in my spending and buying more of these things second hand

I got this from Quiz, it's even nicer than the photo in real life. No idea if it's on trend but reminds me of a dress I had in the 90's.

Sparkly I feel just the same. The shops looked a mess across the board. No one bothers steaming. Everything is thin, shiny and wrinkled. It was actually quite depressing.

I like quality fabrics that hang well. I don’t have many clothes. I can’t afford lots and I’m fussy as fuck. I tend to invest in quality and wear the same thing over and over.

Was just watching GB News (don't hate me, it's my husband's choice!) but they're doing a piece in their next segment about how Primark and Poundland are opening up a bunch of new shops are are low cost retailers the way of the future (I hope not!) and equivalent to higher quality ones.

Poundland has opened a new store near me with a huge clothing department. It's popular

I'm going to a last minute wedding next weekend. And thought I'd get a Black Friday bargain.
Nope, nothing nice.
Totally feel your pain.

I’m looking on Vinted, eBay and Vestiaire this year. If I’m going to spend the best part of £100-200 on a dress, I may as well buy something pre-loved that’s better quality and that I’ll want to wear again.

I think there’s usually loads of dross at this time of year. It’s worse this year with the squeeze on manufacturing. Trying to keep prices low whilst quality isn’t possible.

Many of the garments don’t seem intended to last beyond the party season.

A lot of the better stuff is online and selling fast.

I think Mint Velvet and Monsoon have some reasonable stuff.

That’s the problem, I don’t want reasonable or ‘will do’ - I want hearts in my eyes when I see it. Know what I mean?

Try Joy for party dresses. Lots of velvet if you like that. Not sure where else to suggest that you haven't already tried.

Yes go second hand.

I got a vintage Moschino silk gown for £80 in Harrogate vintage shop

I agree there are a lot of cheap fabrics out there. I really wanted to get a nice velvet dress but faced the additional difficulty that I feel like as a nearly 50 year old petite woman there are very few clothes by high street brands for me. All the dresses that are meant to be “on trend” are either very skimpy or extremely long and voluminous - and neither is good for me. Or there are dresses aimed at my age group that are generally quite frumpy… I give up.

On the back of another recent party dress thread I had a look at Superdry. They've a few nice enough dresses.

I ordered a load of party dresses which turned out to be made of cheap, unflattering fabrics. In the end, I sent it all back and bought myself a new silk shirt instead - it will be lovely to wear over Christmas, albeit a bit less festive, and I’ll get loads of wear out of it afterwards.

But a bit sad I don’t have a new frock!

The fastest way to peruse any charity shops for a quality piece when you are short of time is to not even look at the clothes.

Just walk straight to the dress rail and trail your hand along the edge of all the dresses as you walk past.

You’ll know by the feel of the fabrics if there’s something worth actually stopping for & then look.

Saves loads of time as, instead of a colour/pattern/shape even catching your eye from afar only to disappoint up close, you only stop & look at things you already know meet the ‘quality fabric’ test.

OP, I absolutely agree. I’ve been looking for a couple of party-ish Christmas tops. I’ve scoured every website I can think of and can’t find a thing. They’re all full of dreary, horrible shapes or over the top bling. Nothing just stylish and subtle. I give up and will get last years stuff out.

@WonderingWanda I love this dress - what's the quality if the velvet like?

I second looking in charity shops I bought DD a Jigsaw silk dress for £10

She tried it on and looks really good on , just a bit revealing in the v neck area

She tried it on and looks really good on , just a bit revealing in the v neck area
Will she wear it?

I'm really excited about my Christmas party outfit, but I have quite specific taste and know what I recognise myself in (not dresses, usually).

I agree OP. Just acres and acres of tat in the shops at the moment.

If I see another milkmaid style dress I'll scream.

I want tailoring, a set in shoulder, a waist, happy with leg splits, v-neck, quality buttons and zips, long sleeves.

Happy to pay up to £300 for something nice that's not bum-skimming or transparent polyester.

Vinted and eBay. I filter out prices higher than £15. Have bought some great stuff. Others have been less successful but I just resell them.

Completely agree re fabrics and quality of finish. I will not pay £80 for a shabby, unlined piece of polyester.

The thing that I hate us the cheap shiny velour type 'velvet' everywhere even in brands like LK Bennet and Hobbs. Where is the quality cotton velvet etc of yesteryear? It's astonishing that the 'good shops' expect us to pay their prices for stuff that is no better quality than the H and Ms etc
Also looked in Monsoon. They had many party dresses with designs that wouldn't have looked out of place at Halloween or on the pantomime stage ....

I think it's better than it looks in the photo, not transparent but it is still a £30 dress so not really high quality.

Have you tried flannels online or in store I find they are quite good. House of Fraser online is decent aswell