New Season's Clothes

[PistachioTiramisu]

I have just returned from a shopping trip to buy some new clothes for autumn - I have never seen such awful shapes, colours and designs in most of the shops! For example, cropped culottes? Who on earth would look good in half-mast trousers with leg sticking out from them?? Barrel leg trousers are another horror. Everything is sludge-coloured, apart from the odd bright red jumper - most of the knitwear items are made from the horrible recycled polyester. Even M&S cashmere is all gungy colours this year, apart from a washed out pale pink.

When is this fashion for cropped knitwear going to end? Do people really want to expose their lower back when they bend down or worse still, have a gap between hem of jumper and trousers/skirt??

I came home with nothing!

It’s not darker colours - well, it is slightly. Spring and summer have gone from brown, khaki, beige, fawn, black to the same for autumn and winter. I was in Zara last week and there is very little colour. I am not talking bright pinks etc. I am talking burgundy, teal etc. jewel colours. Anything to give a bit of contrast.

@Gettingbysomehow Culottes are any length except full length! They are not trousers and never were. Plenty of long wide trousers about. We had grey wool knee length culottes for hockey in the 60s. Midi length is normal and you wear them with long boots. It’s an easy look to put together.

I like camel and red. I also think the brown hues this winter are warm and less sharp than blacks. I have found plenty to buy from Arket, Cos, M&S and Zara is always worth a look as well as Mango. I’d have a go at on line shopping!

Yes I'm in two minds about it. On one hand it's nice to see the return of brown as an alternative to black. On the other hand browns and khakis make me look like death warmed up and do absolutely nothing for me (Winter colour palette). I would love to see some jewel toned options in the shops but they're very few and far between at the moment.

Hard disagree.

Really love both the colour palettes and the shape and styles that are in fashion this year. I could spend thousands on clothes if I could afford it.

Browns, burgundies, dusky pinks, interesting blues and greens. There are so many nice, quality things around this year.

It seems to have suddenly gone from nice clothes in lovely colours to dull clothes and dull colours all of a sudden.
I feel early September is too early to ditch my summer clothes!
When it gets colder I have to dress for practicality. I need to be warm. Short trousers don’t do it for me, I need to wear socks with my full length trousers. Short tops are a no no too. I need a longer length for warmth. The same for coats, nothing sleeveless here.
I don’t mind chocolate brown and bought a chocolate brown jumper from M&S in the spring
sale, I’ll be getting that out soon.

I also like wine and burgundy colours. I’m not into the other sludge colours though. I prefer white, cream or vibrant greens.

I bought some straight brown cords from M&S recently when I had a Sparks 20% off offer. I don't suit black at all now I'm old and am glad to see brown as an alternative to the usual navy and burgundy I wear. I also spotted some nice green cords in Fatface but they are a lot more expensive than the M& S ones so I haven't rushed to buy them. I am 5'10 so am limited to only those available in long

I’ve been tentatively looking and haven’t found anything I particularly like. I’m wondering if the designer outlets might be better in that last years collections may hold something better?

I can't wear barrel legs at all, they just make me look like a clown, I haven't got the right shape because I'm fairly tall, large frame and a bit bandy legged which emphasises the barrelness, straight leg which aren't too tight suit me best. I shall be digging out my navy Levi 501s and ribcage jeans again.

As a soft autumn, this colour palate is perfect for me - I could have spent hundreds in Zara when I went in - loving all the gorgeous soft draping but still with structure.

I’m after a chocolate brown suede long line trench coat and would love some chocolate brown or burgundy velvet cropped trousers.
The key to a cropped trouser is to wear it with a chunky sole but slimline ankle boot which disappears above the hem of the trouser so no skin is seen.

@TizerorFizz Culottes are any length except full length! ...Midi length is normal and you wear them with long boots.
I'd make this my winter smart look in a heartbeat if I could find the long boots (woolly tights under the culottes for warmth...). Trouble is that although I have well-muscled calves, knee-high boots always seem to gape on me. Then there's the difficulty of finding something without a heel that doesn't look like wellies. Long leather boots are so expensive that they'd have to be exactly right.

Please can we have links? Sounds gorgeous.

@Deschampsia Wear tights and ankle boots then. The long boots are better though and loads are straight this winter. Just pull on. I have the same issue and prefer straight styles.

I feel like this every autumn! I want jewel coloured clothes in natural fibres, every year in most shops we get offered flimsy cheap autumn wear in beigey sludgy colours.
It’s so depressing!

@Binfire I suggest you get out a bit more. Look at different shops. Boden has its usual range of jewel colours. The issue is that fashion changes and colours change. Quite a few muted coral colours and M&S has a massive selection.

God that article was so depressing. None of those colours suit me at all! I'm not planning to buy anything this autumn if that's what's available. Oh well, I have enough clothes anyway 😁

I agree. Brown and green are hard to wear. Green makes a lot of people look ill.

How funny - we’re all different! - I’m feeling the complete opposite! I’m loving the style at the moment - simpler shapes, elegant colours, interesting textures (wool, silk, suede). I’m so glad to see the back of long frilly floral dresses and fitted jackets. Good riddance to silly high heels and a welcome hello to low block/kitten heels or flat slingbacks. Yes please to looser fit coats and blazers that can comfortably be worn over knitwear. I love the more structured shirts/tops that aren’t all droopy like the ones we’ve had for so long. And bold simple jewellery is so much more stylish than fussy girly stuff (in my opinion!).
I find that culottes look great with flats/trainers while you can get away with bare legs. Once it gets colder I wear them over long boots. Cropped knitwear is great over the current high-waisted styles (but I can see how it might be annoying otherwise).

But there’s lots shades of green, from lime green to Forrest green. I can’t wear a brighter green, but can wear a sludge green.

I almost exclusively shop online now. Great for browsing. I did venture into the St James Quarter in Edinburgh last week as was lunching at the W Hotel and it was fun to pop into a few shops first, and actually see and feel the pieces on display. I forgot how fun actual shops used to be, lol. I do like a bit of burgundy when it gets cooler, and I am trying out chocolate brown more and more - seems to suit me more than black as I get older. I like a bit of khaki too. Bought a lovely griege skirt from Zara the other day as someone on here was talking about it. It looks great with knee high slouchy boots and a fitted long-sleeved top.

Yeah that's true

Im still not entirely sure what colour 'sludge green' actually is!🤔

I love any muted green like forest or sage. Also a big fan of chocolate brown, I love those autumn colours in knitwear, corduroy, etc.
Now I'm just waiting for thick tights weather so I can my chunky boots out again!