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?

What on earth makes you think I’m not capable of reading a thread thoroughly?

I’m as entitled as any other poster to express an opinion. You’re under no obligation to agree with what I say, obviously.

Have to laugh at the fact this is the Style and Beauty board - but I’m being scolded for suggesting there are Style choices outside the very narrow range of brands most people here have mentioned.

I wasn't going to post as I'm nearer to 70 than 50, but I just wanted to say that I have Margaret Howell tastes and, most of the time, a Uniqlo budget, and I bloody loved that thread. Sure I'll have to track down more affordable versions, be it second hand, altering some of my old clothes, saving up for sales or possibly having a go making my own. But I found it inspirational. I think the main difference between me and a lot of posters on here isn't my budget, it's that I have more time to go hunting.

Wherever the f**k I want!!!
Sometimes I'll shop in the 'cool' vintage shop saying hi to dd's friends as I browse, other days I'm in M&S eyeing up their knitwear.

SO tired of this crap. Misogynist myth designed to put women of a certain age (any age!!) in their place.

M&S
Esprit online
Monsoon online (plainer stuff only)
Phase 8 online (again, their plainer stuff)
Boden (in the sale, rarer these days)
Charity shops
Hobbs sales

My local High Street is a shadow of its former self.

No shit.
And, hard to grasp, I know, but maybe the people who have suggested this "narrow range of brands" have done so because, you know, they like them. Because it would be mighty bizarre if an OP asked for brands people liked, and everybody answered with ones they wouldn't be seen dead in.
You haven't suggested any. Where do you shop, oh cool and hip one?

I'm similar shape / size to you, and my 'style' (if you can call it that) either verges on the gothic or mimics Mr Tumble on a big night out - so mostly head to toe in black or a riot of polka dots and bright colours (although for work I tend to opt for plain neutral sweatshirts/tshirts/ and leggings or jersey dresses). If this sounds in any way like something you might like, I shop at:

H&M, Hush (only in the sale as I don't think their quality is worth the money) and John Lewis for basics. Weirdly Amazon for Sweaty Betty style leggings on a budget.

For non-work clothes: Anthropologie, Miss PomPom, Other Stories (although their largest size is usually very snug on me), Lucy & Yak, Free People, All Saints and eBay (mainly second hand expensive stuff that I baulk at paying full price for e.g. Ghost), with the occasional bit of Zara (HATE their tiny sizing and that their dresses don't seem to cater for the more generous of nork) , M&S or Sainsbury's Tu. TK Maxx can obvs always throw up some winners if you don't mind a hunt through.

I rarely, rarely go to actual shops, I find it utterly soul destroying and changing rooms are a drag.

Try Unfolded or Stitchfix. Vinted is also great.

Seasalt, The White Company, Monsoon, John Lewis.

Mint Velvet, All Saints, Esprit and for more casual stuff, St Berts. Occasionally Oasis and Warehouse and very occasionally ASOS, there's such a wide variety it's easy to find something you like.

I've learned the lesson that one nice item vs 3 cheap ones is more than worth it, as I'll wear it to death and feel better about myself in it.

Sezane, Monsoon, kooples, scotch & soda, H&M, Primark for basic cotton tees, Uniqlo-so anywhere I see something I like really

The funny thing about what you said is about the Sales. That's exactly what i do! but i am shopping up from H&M, River Island upwards to Cos sales, Jigsaw sales to get a better quality item at a price i would normally buy a full priced item at H&M. I don't normally shop at 'high end,high street' and that is the difference.

I also get the occasional item from Seasalt.

I love The Fold, if I could afford it all my work wear would be from them!

I tend to shop at: Sezanne, Zara, Me&Em, All Saints, Anthroplogie &Other Stories.. Also like scandi brands such as Ganni and Essential Antwerp. I’d rather save up these days as I can’t get away with cheaper, ill fitting clothes like I could when I was younger!

Zara is hit and miss so very risky online and better to go have a proper root around. I do have some lovely wide leg trousers from there though.

I like:
Sézane
Soeur
Libertine Libertine
Everlane
JCrew
APC

Tees mainly from Toast
Jeans and sweatshirts from M&S

Mostly eBay/Depop/Vinted for TOAST / COS / Ganni. Rarely buy new but quite like Arket and bits in Anthropologie.

Have never bought from M&S, for some ridiculous reason I can't bring myself too as it reminds me of my mum shopping in there - she still does!

Zara is hit and miss so very risky online and better to go have a proper root around.

I find the opposite! The ‘riot at a bring and buy sale’ environment of the physical shops makes it impossible to discover the one or two pieces that are really worth having. And the ‘exclusive’ things might not be stocked by one’s local branch. I find it much easier to keep abreast of new arrivals / Atelier / Co-labs - whatever they’re calling the latest selection this week - by regular half hour appointments with the website.

I agree about the local stores. Ours is terrible. The only one worth going to is the main London one at a quiet time. I just find it’s very hard to see what the clothes look like on the website - the models are often in strange poses where you can’t actually see the clothes..and now their returns policy is so bad I’m risking it less.

I did have a good online haul recently though to be fair.

I know what you mean about Zara stores MuddlerInLaw. My local dress agency sometimes has some really good stuff from there - she had some jersey palazzo trousers the other week that I assumed were Me and Em. So I know it exists, and yet sometimes I walk into their store and straight out again. But I find their website even worse - at least in the shop I can see the colours and pick things up and feel the fabric. I never thought I'd say this but maybe I need someone to 'curate' the best stuff for me!

And..... I've just realised that wasn't my post, I'd just said something similar about Zara on another thread. (Creeps away)