Can we talk about clothing brands and target demographics?

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Because I’m thinking about the brands that form the core of my ‘going out to meet other grown ups’ wardrobe, and laughing at the Margaret Howell mail shot I’ve just opened. (Socks and sandals photo.) Beautiful young model, and each garment will be wonderfully well made - but I know no one under fifty who wears MH. That’s fine - but I wish the marketing acknowledged the fact.

When a brand does make an effort to engage with the real buyers of its clothes I’m full of awe and gratitude - Raey at Matches is usually great at this.

Studio Nicholson hovers somewhere in between. Again, everyone I know (in the UK) who wears their clothes is older and richer than me, probably in a creative profession. Not a wispy 20 year old.

I never used to care. But I’m wondering if marketing is the reason 99% of the middle aged and older women on MN exclaim that there are no decent clothes for them. There are - but not every brand tells you so.

palava.co/collections/womens-dresses/products/beatrice-cap-navy-cornfield-dress

Link was broken. I don't have that particular dress but have a couple of the"Beatrice" style with longer sleeves in tencel. They are fully lined and lovely to wear.

I’m all for cats in marketing.

Typical cat! But lovely to have moggies on clothes, I give my paw print of approval!

I stumbled across Aspiga last night, they have some really pretty floaty dresses.

www.aspiga.com/

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm 59 and had never heard of MH or SN. Just had a look at both their websites and would say the look and feel or both is very similar to Cos, but with less colour and three times+ the cost on many items. SN felt more wearable for someone short.

Anyway, I shall have a flick through the whole thread and see what else has been passing me by!

Wonderful skein of memories of scarves, and handbags and sandals - leading to … palaver, yesterday.

There’s a photo of my mother from the late 1950’s in a printed skirt with a wide belt in the same fabric. Last year I saw a skirt - by Casey Casey - with exactly the post-war sweep and texture of the one in her photo. When she came to stay I showed it to her and she too was enraptured. I stalked but did not capture in the sale - I was too slow! (And now, inevitably think it would actually have been worth the full price, because it was so beautiful.)

Until just a few years ago we used to make an annual pilgrimage to Top Shop to buy things for people’s Christmas stockings; pyjamas, earrings, brightly coloured tights … And during the rest of the year I often browsed there not just for myself but for her, too - there was always something simple and unexpected to be found, a quirkily cut t shirt, a rare sighting of pure wool (amidst all the acrylic).

Now, as a nonagenarian she’s finding fault with the dullness of current Toast offerings. I’m going to show her the Palava dresses. They’re quite far from my own style - but I absolutely adore the prints and I think she will too.

Also, @Emotionalstorm , no idea if Palava is your sort of style or not, but if it were mine and I could fit into the sample size 6 - I’d be taking a chance on this gorgeous dress.

Disappeared! This.

Can I join in? My mother made many of my clothes on the late 70s and early 80s. She taught me a lot about fit and adjustments and the value of a good fabric.

I live in the ROI and don't have to pay customs charges from the EU, so I have been taking full advantage of the www.yoox.com site for epically reduced Italian fashion. It's net-a-porter.com's younger sister site. I treat it like TKMaxx and search by fabric type and colour. We don't have Vinted over here but I have acquired 100% silk shirts for less than €40 and 100% wool, lined trousers for less than €60. I can't find stuff like that over here for that price. The site gives good measurements. I suit Italian styling, I need a set-in shoulder and waisted shirts. I'm also 5'5 and pear shaped so I can actually find trousers that fit. Yoox's own brand items are good value for money too.

For those seeking more colourfull basics in organic cotton and recycled wool, I can recommend www.colorfulstandard.com. It's a Danish brand with reasonable eco credentials.

It was me who posted the detoujours site, and yes if you're in the UK you'll need to pay VAT and over a certain amount (I want to say £135? But I'm in the EU so don't take my word for it) you'll pay VAT and import duties (and usually an admin fee to the courier). They're a small independent business so they don't have the whole VAT prepay system set up as it's probably too costly.

Long rider, I've been shopping with Yoox since they existed pretty much, they're not a sister site, they bought out net-a-porter. Often if you find something on the Outnet you can find it cheaper on Yoox although they do seem to be separating out some brands exclusively to TO these days. Yoox used to be much much cheaper. I still have a few other smaller Italian outlet sites with great bargains but their shipping is higher and I assume even higher to ROI.

@NatashaDancing , thanks. How much would the Customs duty be on say an £80 clothes shop?

This official link on tax and duty contradicts what I just said. It looks like if it's under £135 you won't have to pay anything but perhaps I'm reading it too optimistically. It used to be these rules in the EU until recently so perhaps the UK has retained those rules with Brexit.

There should not be any duty for goods under £135, but postage and packaging has to be included when calculating if it's under £135
www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

@Enheduanna if you'd like some Victorian patterns for cycling clothes including bloomers, try www.bikesandbloomers.com It was a project recreating 19th Century cycling clothing for women. One of these days I'll make the cycling bloomers. The site also led me to the fabulous www.dashingtweeds.co.uk modern Tweed designs made in Britain.

Thanks @botemp & @NatashaDancing .

For those who like historical inspired clothes there's also Voriagh but you need to look past their target audience styling of authentic historical wear to see the potential. All really well made in good fabrics (and based in France).

I've found trousers from Antonelli, Solotre and L'autre Chose work well for me. I look for high waisted, wide legged trousers that nip in at the waist and flow over my hips. Shirts by Caliban come in cotton with some stretch or silk.

www.stableofireland.ie do lovely Irish made linen and wool clothing. I have a beautiful Irish linen dress from them, A-line with pockets that can be dressed up or down. I don't think it's in stock at the moment.

I love all these! I might have to buy something. Oh goodness, you lot are going to ruin my bank balance with these great suggestions. 😂

Thanks @TheLongRider , great link. Love the skirt with the drawstrings to make it shorterand the bloomers underneath.

I’m always stumbling upon Colourful Standard, @TheLongRider, and then forgetting about them. I prefer them to Pangaia, who have their logo over everything. But if either brand is aware of the existence of humans who might conceivably be over 35 it’s not apparent from their websites. Community Clothing, on the other hand, has an equivalent range of loungewear, made in the UK, and modelled by a wider variety of people. So I’m much more likely to recommend them.

(And then sneak off and buy from Uniqlo, or Primark, for strictly at home wear. )

Oh don't, I stalked a Community Clothing men's lambswool cardigan that was out of stock for weeks and then realised I could buy 2 from Uniqlo for the same price. You can guess the rest. They turned out to be shit so I got my comeuppance.

I’m not sure I’d ever owned a hoody of my very own until lockdown (plenty of hand-me-downs hanging around) - but I didn’t want everything I owned covered in bleach, so bought one from Uniqlo. It has seen every cleaning product known to mankind, been slept in, exercised in, washed a trillion times - damn thing refuses to die. So I don’t feel justified in buying another, nicer one, because I never wear them outside the house.

Have to laugh … The last time I was complimented on an outfit, loitering near Borough Market, I was wearing … 🫣🫣🫣 Primark joggers. Nice jacket, Cos vest, fine, ancient shoes - but still … I probably go into Primark about once every couple of years - so I forget, between visits, just how inexpensive everything is there. I love Community Clothing’s stuff, but Uniqlo and Primark are hard to resist, whatever one’s thoughts on ethical employment and environmental practices. (I’m not forgetting absence of choice, but that’s a different thread.)