If you’re 48 or thereabouts please tell me where you buy your clothes?

[Littlemiss74]

After another failed shopping trip I’m wondering where do other people in their 40’s shop for clothes & how do you put things together? I feel so stuck. I want to look up to date but not overly trendy. Zara has some nice things but I just don’t feel I could wear alot of them, plus my body shape is not right.
I’m 5’3, size 12, bit of a tummy, not overweight but could definitely look better if I toned up a bit. I need to do some exercise.

On my recent shopping trip so many shops have closed down. We have Primark, Zara, River Island, White Stuff, Fatface, H&M & I couldn’t find anything that looked & fitted me well in any of those. Also I think some of the clothing is alot of money for what it is. I don’t mind paying a bit more for something that looks & feels nice and that will last more than one season.

I just want to look nice but am so tired of wasting hours trawling the shops to come home empty handed.
Please can anyone of a similar age tell me what you do?

Oh yes, Tu at sainsburys.

@mybeautifuloak I’m REALLY careful about shoes! I’ve been lucky so far that they’ve been virtually brand new with little to no signs of wear.

I do buy second hand bras though - squeamishness cured by the price of giant boob bras every time!

M and s, John Lewis - they have some great own and proprietary brands, Cos, Arket, Zara(but their sizing and quality very variable), and other stories, Ganni, Monki, Uniqlo, Weekday. La redoute is worth a look. Sometimes whistles, jigsaw and hush, but hush quality gone down hill imho. I like Wears My Money for a guide. I like a bit of Mango too. I tend to think about what is is I’m trying to buy as a piece rather than sticking to one shop so I’ve got some wild cards in my wardrobe.

I used to like Wyse but quality also deteriorated for the price. Shoes wise Zara are good and the Outnet for a high end bargain

48 here. John Lewis and M&S. This winter I have succumbed to some Lands End as well. Fleece trousers are perfect for working from home in the cold! Stylish they are not though.

John Lewis?

I like Hush, and their own brands Kin & And/Or.

Also M&S.

Roman Originals & Joe Browns are my go-to's

All Saints
Sezane
Maje
Intropia
Odd Molly
Zara
Vilagallo
High by Claire Campbell
Ba&sh
Zadig & Voltaire
Free People

Shoes:
Chie Mihara
Tracey Neuls
Camper
Bobo’s
Audley
Vialis

Forgot to say, 52, size 12, work in publishing.

M&S ,Next and Tu Sainsburys all work for me .

In my early/mid 50's and mainly shop at local boutiques but also
All Saints
Mint Velvet
Calvin Klein
Karen Millen
Occasionally M&S
There are a lot of shops I won't set foot in now because the quality is shit- plastic zips,
thin crap sweaty materials, those tiny white cheapo buttons etc.
Size 10 5ft 5

I buy almost all my clothes from Sezane. I would buy a lot more if I could afford it!
Smart dresses from Ted Baker and Rixo.
Shoes-trainers from Hoff or New Balance. High shoes for night time from Sezane.
This thread is making me want to go back to Marks and Spencer though 😆

I’m 47 and I think probably dress a lot more casually than most posters. I live very rurally in Scotland so wear most Isobaa for merino joggers/ sweatshirts and thermals in winter plus Brora for wooly stuff. White Stuff and Boden for trousers and and a brora blouse/cardigan for smarter wear. Seasalt and poetry for summer stuff. Just ordered a couple of things from M&S so we’ll see how that goes!

@Boggydog, I'm a merino joggers, leggings, tops and hoodies person too, although I do have other clothes. But I don't think I'd wear a whole outfit without at least some merino. Mine are mainly Icebreaker and Smartwool bought cheaply in the sales over the years, not tried Isobaa.

quick question - anyone brought some nice cashmere joggers that aren't too long. I'm 5 foot, and would love some but can't find any petit ranges.........

I'm 5'3 and have various wool/cashmere joggers. I have cashmere ones from H and M, they are quite long but the cuffs make that OK, but I wouldn't wear them out of the house, they are strictly for over the top of PJs on the sofa. If you want some merino joggers that are OK for wearing out, I recommend Icebreaker crush pants, they are quite short and lightweight so good for Spring/Autumn, even summer in England sometimes. They are also not that baggy so look quite stylish, almost like a cross between joggers and leggings and with ankle boots you can hide the cuffs. Dilling also do some nice merino joggers, they are a bit thicker, baggier and warmer than the Icebreaker ones and possibly a bit longer, but fine for me at 5'3. Not found any cashmere petite ones, but prefer the merino jersey Icebreaker or Dilling joggers for wearing out as they look/feel almost like cotton ones.

I quite like pour moi for holiday clothes, and kettlewell for brightly coloured tops/knitwear.

Oh curses to you - I hadn't heard of Sezane but now I want to buy IT ALL!

@Flockameanie yeah sorry 😆 I love almost every item on the website! Plus the quality is fantastic. The Facebook groups are great if you need sizing and styling advice.

netcam - I really rate isobaa. I have quite a lot of icebreaker too. Isobaa have great sales and they do a cropped length joggers which fits me really well as im4 ft 11 (!)

I've got my eye on some of the trousers. But nearly all the 'care' instructions are hand-wash in cold water or dry clean only! Have you found that to be necessary? As that's really putting me off...

I've got a cold delicate wash on my washing machine so I just bung them in the wash and they've been fine.

The clothing brand list that was linked from here...how on earth can people afford those??? a cardigan for £415 and a mask for £42?

My budget just about meets COS sale and that's about it and I'm a professional. I didn't realise there were so many rich/wealthy women on MN.

I wish I were rich! The thing is, @Nimrode, with a little knowledge and patience one can spend the same, to far better effect, in the sales at a ‘luxury’ online store, as one might at the upper end of the High St. And get much better clothes.

And, of course, lots of people with a yearning for ‘the best’ prefer to buy pre-worn at places like Vestiaire if they can’t afford particular brands new.

I have to say, coming straight from the ‘Demographics’ thread, it’s … surprising to read this thread, where posters are basically repeating the same dozen shops to each other, over and over again …

How patronising @MuddlerInLaw .
There are a whole variety of reasons why that is the case. Please read the thread thoroughly & don't come on & put other people choices down.