I'm shopping for new clothes. I want to cry. Where to go?!

[PeakAchoo]

I need some new clothes. I especially need some new trousers/jeans. I want these basics but I'm also in the market for a few statement pieces (bottoms or tops).

I decided to hit up New Look (my favourite shop) online and buy absolutely anything that took my fancy.

That has turned out to be basically nothing because everything is shit. I've found a few pairs of wide leg trousers and that's about it.

Everything is just awful. There are no statement tops or trousers that I can find, everything is so safe and same-y. The jumpers are all box-y, shapeless, and look bobbly already. The T-shirts are all slouchy and trying to be quirky with logos of old bands on them.
Even the models are making me feel depressed - they're beautiful young women but all slumped shoulders and concave midriffs.

Is everywhere equally as awful? Where shall I try to give my wardrobe a bit of a boost, where I could get some good basic stuff and a few statement pieces?

I'm not a fan of Uniqlo. I don't particularly like Yumi or Joe Browns. I'm boycotting M&S. I've never been able to get on with sizing at H&M.

Help me, MN!

It's the wrong time of the year to find anything exciting in shops.

Have you tried Zara

Sorry I haven't come back sooner.

The New Look order was semi-successful. Two very nice pairs of trousers (need taking up!), and a plain but nice and comfortable grey ribbed top.

I also raided some charity shops and found a nice white slash neck top (that goes well with the pea green trousers, perfect!), and a fluffy teal jumper.

I've just ordered a pair of mom jeans and some new vest tops too. I'll update on those as well.

So I'm feeling a bit more enthusiastic but still disappointed overall with badly shaped and boring clothing that's filling the shops these days!

I love those greeen trousers and the grey top. Very flattering on you.

Thank you - they're both really comfortable

H&M jeans in general don't fit me, but their slim Mom ankle jeans, sized up once, are a perfect jean for me and I have them in multiple colours. At £22.99, they might be worth a try for you. The ribbed modal tops are also a great basic layering top for £9.99, again I sized up to an XL as a 14, when normally Id be a medium in H&M.

Zara algorithms are really quite good, and once you find one thing you like, they're really good at recommending more. They normally have the best statement tops about.

I'm branching out to try and find statement trousers, I'm after leopard print and have the Lucy and yak ones to try, or will try the damson madder ones. I also love a jumpsuit, and on my list to try are ones from Emily and fin (lovely material), monki, run & fly and Joanie.

Indie brands:

www.rixolondon.com
great clothing but for small boobs

www.hanah.co.uk
great quality t-shirts and dresses

www.stories.com
great good quality statement pieces

www.reiss.com
great statement pieces great prices for this quality with sales

Have you considered the personal shopper section of your nearest John Lewis?

You don't have to spend a fortune with them. Our local branch does a very wide variety of ranges price wise.
I've always found it to be a lovely experience and it might help you discover some colours/styles/brands that you wouldn't normally consider.

Your green trousers look amazing! You look great - keep those for sure!

Another thread about the dire state of clothes shopping..to add my thoughts:

• unfortunately the majority of retailers have decreased the quality of materials whilst increasing prices.
• loads of online retailers want to minimise returns, so it's much easier to cut clothing that will "sort of" fit lots of shapes and sizes - hence boxy, oversized, wide fit stuff. If you'd like anything that actually properly fits you have to search high and low.
• retailers have no interest in you finding your style or signature look, much less catering for it with good quality items. As soon as that happens, the amount of clothes we buy reduces rapidly. Much better to keep us fed on shit quality, ill fitting, "trendy" items that need to be repurchased every 6 months.

I've come to view the majority of high st clothes retailers as the equivalent of fast food outlets. Junk clothes that are bad for us.

But I love clothes and I love putting outfits together, as do lots of people I know. I've decided that I'm not going to feed the fast fashion machine anymore though!

M&S

Don't laugh but I actually quite rate the Louise Redknapp edit at Peacocks. I've had some really good quality, well-cut items. Last year's crinkle white shirt was my most worn thing.

I recently found Reserved. Better quality than H&M and lower prices than Zara. Every time I go in, I manage to come out with something, mainly knitwear at the moment, I bought a pair of trousers for spring this week too. I also buy a lot from next (online) and John Lewis.

It’s worth having a style and colour consultation, it’s a money saver eventually and a good one will recommend the best shops for different pieces for you.

I personally find January and February a shite time to shop for clothes. It’s all sales stuff that shops haven’t sold for years. Sludge colours that really only look good on a few people. I’ve got money to spend and I am waiting for some better clothes to come out. Marks and Spencer are just starting to show a few decent pieces.

I've recently discovered Sosandar online which I really like. Feels fashionable without being overly trendy if that makes sense, and the bits I've bought are really good quality. Not the cheapest unfortunately but worth the money imo

I have found great clothes in JL but my problem is the way the fashion floor is organised, in brands, so you have to look all over the place to find things. Finding things on the website is simpler.

Has anyone bought from Turtledove London? I keep seeing nice jumpsuits and cardis popping up on my Insta ads but don't know whether they'd be disappointing in real life.

Some nice stuff on that site above,@Soccermum123.

@leccybill I second that I love Peacocks. There's a similar shirt in pink I have my eye on and I've already bought a couple of dresses from there this month.

Also Roman is nice too.

I have had to admit that unfortnuately I've grown out of all the more reasonably priced shops. Next, H&M, River Island, but also Zara and Mango - all I can find are badly made clothes that look like rags already on the hanger. Only places in that price range where I've found something are Na-KD and Esprit. Other Stories has some good stuff, Arket, Baukjen, Hush. Vinted, definitely vinted - I only buy higher end items from there though, then you can really get decent quality for a very reasonably price.

I've had some success with traveling JK and Next and M&S, then going direct to the brands rather than buying through them. You then get to see what you fancy, but get a better selection.

As an almost 60 year old, I have recently had success at Nobody's Child. I like that their clothes are good quality natural fabrics, unusual these days.

I love Depop for this reason (I also love Vinted, but depop is generally better quality.)

I have everything I've ever seen and liked stored in my head, and if I type in the description usually those exact things come up - with other similar options I may not have been aware of.

I know my sizing in different stores, and recognise things that have fitted well in the pasy. And it's cheaper and environmentally friendly!

Try Jayley the outlet online has some great cashmere/silk blend they specialise in nice fabrics. Some very nice knitwear. Packaging is beautiful too wrapped in tissues and bows

I go to affluent areas and visit their charity shops. When I lived more locally to there, places like Wilmslow were good for what looked like brand new designer items, cashmere and so on in more of a variety of styles than the ephemera of the current season.

Not a bad idea @greenbeansnspinach but I've seen help the Devon air ambulance charge more for a Joules handbag than they were asking for it in the sale. So that rule doesn't apply in South Hams!