off the beaten track fashion recommendations please stylists!

[sofaRunner]

I've recently retired (there, I've said it!!) & am looking sadly in my wardrobe for something interesting to wear & it is clearly time for a refresh - day to day & also socially. The shops & websites I have used for work clothes are, well, rather repetitive - I am seeing leggings & floral dresses everywhere. I am not in favour of cheap fast clothes & want to buy made in the UK. Wolf & Badger do some interesting stuff but I'd rather buy direct than from a distributor.

The added hurdle is that I am petite & it can be tricky to find clothes that I wear rather than wear me!! Sadly taking them up is rarely an option as they need to be proportionally short (i.e. not just length but also in the torso etc).

can any of you point me in an interesting direction & maybe give some "airtime" to new or small brands!

What sort of things appeal to you @sofaRunner?

Have a look at Rew. Everything is handmade in small batches in their shop in Wales. There’s a Facebook group called Rew Preloved where they often preview new fabrics and do custom orders. Quite a few of their customers are at the ‘shorter end of the spectrum’ and they will make trousers in shorter lengths specially (at no extra cost) so might be useful for you??

https://www.rewclothing.co.uk

Also, if you have the budget for it, Moloh is made in England and the most stunning quality. I have a couple of Moloh jackets and they’re just incredible. I’m desperate for cooler weather so I can wear them all the time! Quite a few Moloh pieces in smaller sizes on Vinted and Ebay at the moment.

https://moloh.com

There’s loads on line! Olana look good. Manufacturing costs are high here so check workers are paid decently! Or find a local dressmaker.

hi, thank you for the suggestion. I've had a look at Olana & unfortunately they don't do petite sizing & bespoke is almost certainly beyond my reach - not just financially but also logistically.

A local dressmaker would be good..... if I were able to design something interesting but I am struggling to find anything for them to copy!

Dressmakers usually alter for your size and shape. So what’s to stop you looking at fashion and thinking about what actually suits you. Leggings are a big no unless you are sporty I think. I like fitted trousers and shirts. Often these can be shortened. Or find petite ranges. Any bespoke clothing will cost a lot of money.

Have you looked at Community Clothing @sofaRunner ? They don’t do petite so I guess it depends on how very petite you are (I’m 5’9 so the wrong person to ask!) but it’s all made in Britain, very good quality and in my experience the sizing is on the smaller side (and indeed the shorter side going by the sleeve lengths I’ve tried).

You could join this thread?:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5379189-beyond-the-high-street?reply=145913010

There’s also this one:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5385257-late-50s-early-60s-what-are-you-wearing-as-smart-casual?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

this is really interesting - thank you. I realise that there is no question that hasn't been asked before but that there are so many threads on here its not always easy to find