Your top gripe with buying clothes at the moment?

[Clotheswoe]

Mine is that often when trousers are described as 'high-waisted', they are not at all high waisted on me. They just aren't hipsters!

Case in point: Hobbs. I bought a lovely suit from there around 10 years ago which is still in great condition, and I just checked it - lambswool and alpaca, nothing else (apart from the lining). It was just from the regular range of suits, not a premium item. If you look on their website now, their regular suits are polyester, some viscose, even with elastane added, etc., and things "with wool" (only a few just wool or linen) are much more expensive, as though wool is a premium fabric. They have plainly not maintained their quality.

@FluffyFanny - fine if you fit their clothing but some of us don't (we of the broad shoulders and large busts). For some reason 'plus size' or 'curve' is made in polyester, modelled by someone who is '5'8 wearing a size 12' (but it is available up to a size 30 and there's no way it will look the same) or is eye-wateringly expensive. Marina Rinaldi for example thinks its OK to charge £120 for a t-shirt - who can even afford that? I hoover, clean the house, do gardening in my t-shirts and certainly wouldn't if they cost £200!

I've just placed an order with a German company (have stores in the EU but online only in the UK) - i was excited to see colour and a good selection of cotton and viscose as opposed to polyester. Not cheap but what I consider to be a good price IF they fit and don't die on the first wash.... I have already prepared myself to send everything back......

I recently went into my local H&M which had been revamped. It was a sea of white and beige! There were some bits that were other colours but the fabrics were vile.

For those saying we're looking in cheap shops for quality fabrics, the point is that the cheaper shops used to do decent fabrics! I posted earlier about nice wool trousers from River Island - that shop hasn't seen a natural fibre for a long time!

the problem is that a higher price point in places like Jigsaw, Mint Velvet andHobbs doesnt necessarily guarantee good fabric either. For that, you now need to step it up another notch into Joseph, Reiss and Winsor (for example) and Reiss arent what they used to be.

I think the problem is that you can no longer just go to your average high street and buy nice clothes. I miss it.

I'm short waisted and long legged and high waisted jeans are the best style for me. At least I thought they were until I read this. Now I'm doubting myself 🤣

My complaint is that the men's are better quality at the same price point. I've bought equivalent items and had hems come undone on women's and the fabric is not cut straight. Often the men's has a better range of different colours on basic items too.

Agree with a lot of what has been mentioned; also

Knickers all being crap quality and weirdly cut
The complete lack of elegant yet durable summer shoes (low-mid heel) that you can wear for work costing under £150. Every summer the shops are full of cheap and nasty looking sandals or chunky stuff. If you want what I've described you have to fork out so much money.

I've never noticed men's clothing having better colours- whenever I shop with my DH it seems the choices are navy, khaki, grey, white and black with the odd burgundy or yellow or red thrown in. Women's clothes are far more colourful.

In women's I tend to go for cool toned shades of blues, lilacs, deep rose pinks, turquoise, jade greens as well as lots of multicoloured floral prints or stripes in either neutral navy and ivory as well as more neutral tones like camel, taupe, navy and grey. Never have a problem finding nice colours.

I agree with this, l think mens’ clothing is no better quality, it all comes out the same factories, plus it’s often dull and boring. They don’t have the variety of choices we have.

Even 10 years ago polyester was commonplace. Not all suits in Hobbs would have been wool then- just because yours was doesn't mean that all were. You can still get a wool suit at Hobbs- yes, they are expensive because wool is a premium fabric and has been for decades now. Suits come in a range of fabrics to suit different needs- summer suits probably won't be wool- they will be lighter fabrics, polyester makes them easy to care for so there will be a market for trousers that don't need dry cleaning like wool does. I still find Hobbs great quality- natural fabric doesn't equal good quality. River island was never in the realms of hobbs, even back in the day.

Mens fabrics tend to be heavier weight- I don't necessarily always want that though.

I have never had a problem with M and S bras. Their measuring "service" is woeful, but the bras themselves are absolutely fine. As a 32D I find there is loads of choice.

No gripes for my own wardrobe, because it's all secondhand and I'm happy with it. But what does annoy me is the kids' clothes.

Why is it so hard to find anything plain? All the t-shirts, pyjamas etc come covered in graphics and slogans and branding. They're often age-inappropriate, too. Most 12-year-olds do not want to wear pyjamas with pictures of cuddly dinosaurs, or unicorns, or Bob the Builder - I'm looking at you, Next and M&S.

DS 14 doesn't like logos, but it was nearly impossible to find him a plain hoodie with no design or brand logo. If they don't want to walk around advertising Nike or Adidas or Under Armour, there should be an alternative.

@StarlightLady I think you were the poster who was concerned about the environmental impact of cotton production? Have you come across GOTS certification? It is supposed to take organic cotton and then process it using the minimum of water which is then cleaned so the environmental impact is minimized. I came across it as Sézane use it in their clothes but I’m not sure who else does.
I just checked and Community Clothing do too.

Rapanai for example has 20 colours in men's t-shirt and only 10 in women's.

I like the purple, rust, chocolate in Rapanai men's for example.

I do, it lasts better and doesn't cling

My gripe is that I can never find a shop for me, well not since the early 2000s when Fatface or White Stuff sold my sort of thing. Where do I buy wispy light blue/grey/green print tops/crisp white Odd Molly sort of blouses without the triangular flarey base? I always feel that The White Company might help but they never do! Also, who sells jeans for a rapidly disappearing arse?

Ballroom pink - which shops are the elegant shoes in please?

Trying to find some new tops and dresses for my next holiday in a hot country and my current gripe is - what's with all the backless designs? Whenever I spot something cute, click on next picture and yes there it is again, no back or some random tiny straps across the back. Why are they limiting their market to women who are happy to go braless only?

I'm not a D cup....

I’m a 36F, but apart from when l’m at work, when the weather gets hot, the bra comes off! I agree about the random straps though. I get more annoyed when some images don’t even show a back view.

This is a huge factor.

I was a student in 1990 and bought jeans from Dorothy Perkins for £20. They were decent quality and it was a significant amount of money to me at the time.

£20 in 1990 was the equivalent of about £47 now. But Dorothy Perkins jeans are STILL about £20. Of course the quality has gone down!

And this has happened everywhere, all across the high street. A basic T shirt from Next costs much the same as it did back then. But it's poorer quality, because of course it is at that price. and so on, and so on.

High street clothes have nosedived in quality instead of the prices keeping up with inflation. All the shops seem to have decided to compete only on price, not on quality. Where is the equivalent of 1990s Next or Dorothy Perkins or Gap or M&S, selling reasonable quality, stylish clothes for around £50 for a pair of jeans? Because I can't find them.

@zaxxon for your DS, look at stuff like Fruit Of The Loom, Gildan etc. The sort of hoodies or tees that often have corporate logos added by print shops. Loads of colours and often surprisingly good quality.

I agree re men's clothing. My husband complains about the lack of choice and colours.