Shopping for clothes over the last couple of years is an utter chore

[soupfiend]

Barely anything in stock
An item that is 'new in' in Matalan apparently, has a 14, a 20 and a 22 on the racks - thats it. Also having come home, it doesnt come in a size 8 even though the thing is massive (tried on the 14)
Items all mixed up, on the wrong hangers, often impossible to find the price label as its tucked right down inside the item
Reams and reams and reams of fucking cargo trousers - yes I want to add bulk to one of the most bulky parts of my body, yes please.
Ditto paperbag and now 'parachute' trousers. Flattering on NO ONE
Reams and reams and reams of polyester, even worse when its bragging about recycled polyester
Waists so high they come up to your chin
Legs so long bearing in mind the average height of the UK woman is about 5'4 I believe
Most of it is utter dross
And the prices!

Pissed off

Buy online. I never buy in store

Matalan is perhaps not the best place to shop if you don't like polyester.

Well I was talking about most shops really, not Matalan specifically. To be fair they have a lot of linen and cotton things, the top I wanted is in cotton. I only buy natural fibres.

But the trousers in linen I wanted, just a whole rack of size 14s? A whole rack!!!!

I like shopping in M&S because I can check online if my nearest shop has my size in stock. If it has I go and buy it, if not I order online.

I used to love clothes shopping. It's rubbish now. I buy most stuff on vinted now. I absolutely love it

They're the worst! They'e never got anything in stock and if it says the store hasnt I can almost guarantee it hasnt

Yes I completely agree. I think with the cheaper shops they aren’t going to prioritise staff to keep things in order so it’s all going to be a bit of a jumble. But you’d think they could keep a good range of sizes in stock. Often you find a whole rail of the same (not your) size.

At least Matalan tends to closely align its online items with what’s in store. I swear Zara has wildly different stuff depending on the location of the branch. Agree with the pp that the M&S stock checker (as others) is hit and miss and even then you have to go round hunting for it (not like the staff are there to help/know the stock).

It’s like they really do just want you to shop online but that comes with a whole host of pitfalls and sometimes you just want to go out shopping and come home with some decent clobber to wear, straightaway, like in the old days. Also if that were true why are online products so badly displayed with models bending over and peeking round corners. Give me two seconds with an item in person to determine its suitability over 4-5 days receiving/returning.

I think the problem is we want all this choice but that’s not easy to offer whilst also keeping prices low. I can see why Vinted is so popular.

I love parachute pants. I think they're flattering on skinny and big legs.
Have you tried Uniqlo lately? They've loads of good stuff. But they have small, medium, large etc in sizing only, or the jeans go by waist and length.
Matalan I find their fabrics really poor quality. I bought some vests from there and they turned into shapeless tents after about 2 washes.

I’ve just spent an hour on Vinted. Thousands of pieces of cheap rubbish.

I’ve just spent an hour on Vinted. Thousands of pieces of cheap rubbish.

And what's worse: if you receive an item that's dirty, damaged or not as described, then YOU have to pay for the return postage!

And that's after already paying for the postage to receive it !

@soupfiend not my experience at all. Most of my wardrobe is from M&S. I'm an average size and majority of things I want are in stock and if I go to a shop to pick it up it's always been there. You must be very unlucky.

Ive been burned by ebay so many times that Ive never even tried vinted to be honest

Things where I think I know what the fabric will be like or the cut or the leg length (why no descriptions of leg length on ebay or anywhere else???), then arrive and of course I cant send them back and they're not right

Online shopping from retailers, yes, but then the hassle of sending it back, often they're not free returns anymore.

Love the description above also of models bending over and peeking round corners, exactly that!!!

Interestingly the one top I managed to get in Matalan today, really nice little linen blouse/top/shirt, not sure what category it comes under is NOT on their website? How bizarre. It would be lovely if it came in other colours

I bought a pair of 100% linen trousers from Tesco the other day. Not see through unlike the h&m ones I returned last month. They also had a matching waistcoat (not sure I'd wear it so resisted the urge to buy it). But shopping is such a chore, and finding anything that is cotton or fitted is a nightmare. Even jeans don't seem to be 100% cotton or even 95% cotton anymore.

Haven't set foot in places like New Look, River Island etc for ages. I used to get my hoodies in Superdry but I've now discovered the England Rugby hoodies are much nicer and if in the sale much cheaper.

You have to filter. Most of my clothes are from vinted, natural materials, good quality, for a fraction of the cost of new. Picked up some levis from inpost just today.

I'm 5'4 and hate shopping..too tall for petite, too short for everything else. High waist makes it look like I've put on my dad's trousers.

I've not been clothes shopping for years!

Every now and then I pick up the odd vest top from Sainsburys as they are cheaper than I can make them, and very occasionally a new pair of jeans from next or M&S but everything else gets made by me in my size in a way that fits me perfectly. (I can and have made jeans but don't particularly enjoy making them and neither does my machine so I don't)

And because I buy good quality fabrics in natural fibres the stuff I make wears and washes well.

I can't imagine ever willingly going back to wearing mass produced badly fitting polyester shite.

In my 20s I loved clothes shopping. Would often meet up with a friend in the AM then I'd get the bus into the West End (alone) to look round the shops and often buy. This was pre internet. I'd just started to earn better money and I had disposable income. I'm in my 50s now and I rarely clothes shop. In fact the idea of trudging round the West End trying on clothes horrifies me. I work part time now and from home on a much lower salary and I simply don't need a constantly changing wardrobe. This has coincided with a change in my attitude to fast fashion and over-consumption. There are a several places I will look in a few times a year (Uniqlo, COS, ARKET spring to mind). I've also taken up sewing which I've done on and off during my life and do make my own clothes which I enjoy doing. My weakness is still shoes. However I tend to buy used shoes from EBay as I much prefer high end shoes but not at new prices. I think I might shop more if I had more money and a high profile job. I still love fashion, clothes, textiles and design but I've lost the urge to consume like I once did. For me I think it's age, circumstances and money but if I was still shopping I think I'd mostly be doing it online - a mix of new and vintage.

Oh look at that little hyperlink for M&S that automatically created itself. I bet Next are cross that their name is too much of a common word to do the same!

@pastabest Yes I like to make clothes too. It's certainly not cheaper but I like how you can get the fit you want in the fabric you like - provided you have the patience! Also the advances made in the choice in online fabric shopping and indie patterns has been a revelation in recent years.

@soupfiend i feel your pain. Where I think resale sites are good is if you have a strong idea of the brands/sizing and you search only for those and try not to get distracted!

I buy almost everything on vinted now
You need to use all the filters for material/ brands/ colours first.

I walked in and out of H&M and River Island yesterday, nothing tempting. Went in charity shop, found a nice Boden top, and a Next blouse, both cotton and hardly worn. Happy bunny.

So far this year I’ve only bought socks and undies as I decided at the beginning of the year I wouldn’t buy any new clothes. I thought I would have caved in and bought something by spring but I haven’t, not even been tempted. I have too many clothes but it concerns what I’ll buy when I actually need some new ones!

@soupfiend with M&S you need to order online to store. Free delivery that way IIRC. You can then try on in store and return in store if not right.

I have recently found Peacocks, they have quite a few clothes in linen and cotton. You do have to pick through carefully. Sometimes there’s nothing, but at other times real gems. I’ve just bought a loose shirt in beautiful soft 100% cotton, £16 with current discount.