Cotton Traders - for what age group?

[Trinkopl]

I'm 39 and ended up buying a few tshirts and jumpers from Cotton Traders recently. Just basics in the sale, in colours that I know suit me.

Was commenting to a friend a few years younger than me and she seemed horrified, saying that's clothing for over 50s.

I'm not really into fashion or fancy brands and am quite practical about clothing. CT just seemed like a good choice for wardrobe basics for running errands or working from home.

Are they going to make me look like I'm in my 50s? Have I committed a terrible fashion faux pas?

Late 30s is hard with clothing. I can't really do the PLT and Fashion Nova stuff I was wearing 10 years ago so I just default to simple basic jeans and tshirts.

Cotton traders is instore at a garden centre near me, i have bought a jacket and t shirts before i mean i am quite old and unstylish,so you know the "demographic" op 🤷‍♀️

This description is fab, and pretty much describes my view of fashion. I'm late 50s and I get my summer tops and some occasion dresses from there. Hate shopping, want practical clothes that are easy to look after.

It looks a lot less frumpy to me than Toast, Seasalt or Gudrun Sjoden, is much more affordable and is a Manchester based company.

My octogenarian also. I’m 50 in May, might as well give up now 🙄.

They sell basics that are suitable for any age, it's more a bit nothingly and functional but a good price whether you are 30 or 70

My 70 something FIL shops there.

I’m late fifties and think of it as an oldies brand. Probably even more so now than when it launched and sold good quality rugby shirts that DH liked & wore. At one time, in perhaps our thirties, if either of us wanted basic plain cotton T-shirts, it was somewhere I would consider as the quality was good and their delivery reliable. The last time we went in an outlet store though it was mainly stocked with odd coloured cropped jeans for women and outsize tops for men in poor quality fabric in designs that had never been fashionable.

Basic, functional clothing that may fill a gap in your wardrobe. I, for example, wanted 100% cotton jersey shorts to wear to the gym that were not very short. This is where I found them.
Would I dress myself head to toe 365 days/year? No. As someone else said, one or two items doesn't determine your overall style, and no-one is likely to know that you bought something from (ooh the horror!) a company with an older target demographic.

Would I want to buy my entire wardrobe from there? No. Do they sell totally normal basics that anyone who wanted to do so could easily combine with clothing from other brands to look edgy/glamorous/interesting/classy/exciting/stylish/etc? Yes! And I think reacting in horror whether because you think it's for 'old people' or because you think it's a one-way ticket to fashion euthanasia shows a lack of imagination.

Totally agree.
It is practical clothes which wear and wash well.
I used to buy their t shirts and gilets for doing the horses when I was late 30s onwards.
The ageism here is horrible.

Meh. My neighbour gave me some CT stuff which I happily accepted: jeans (which I cut and made shorts out of), long sleeved tshirts and simple plain vests. Nice layering basics in subtle, muted colours. I'm an electric dresser -the chairdrobe is currently draped in a Zara dress, MS gym stuff, Free People duster, iets frans joggers, David Luke school uniform trousers (use these for work), a Jigsaw blouse, my mum's homeknit and a Damart thermal top. I shop almost exclusively second hand and will wear anything from any brand that fits how I want to look. I don't believe there is such a thing as an 'age' to garments. Certain brands will have a target demographic, but it doesn't mean you have to buy the whole package.

I wouldn’t ever buy anything from cotton traders. thought it was for old ladies who bought out of brochures. Your only 39 your young! a you can still shop at Zara, H&M, M&S , John Lewis

Not "old ladies" 😱

I know imagine an actual old lady 😂 i did love how the poster mentioned John Lewis the ultimate "old lady" shop!

You'll be wearing beige slacks next, OP 😆

I am 59. Deffo not in my Cotton Traders years yet 😁

I thought M&S and John Lewis are also where "old ladies" shop.

You know you have said it adverts will now pop up like beetlejuice 😀

Perhaps I will be tempted by a rugby top 😄

Thats how they get ya 😀

Some of these responses have made me laugh so much 🤣

I guess I'm just not that bothered about fashion or particular brands but I get that other people are more into it.

I saw a thread on here a while ago from someone else about Sketchers trainers (I have a pair of those) and I remember there were similar horrified responses about how those were for old people and so uncool. Again, I had no idea that these went against some unwritten fashion code and had been wearing mine in blissful ignorance 🤣

You can prise my slip-on Skechers off my cold, dead body. In fact you can’t, I want to be buried in them because they are so comfy I need them in the afterlife.

I just looked at the website and all the models look older. Like 40 plus. There's a couple who look 70 odd. The men strangely look slightly younger than the women. This was just the first page. The clothes are horrible looking.

So they must be aimed at that market. 60 plus I reckon. But not because older people don't care about fashion. It's clearly not for the sartorially concerned.

It's fine not to be bothered by clothes, fashion or style and want nothing more from your clothes that they preserve modesty, are weather appropriate and machine washable (the latter seems particularly important to many posters)

What's not fine is the ageist assumption that "older ladies" will want such (dreary, dull) clothes just because they are older.

there's a big difference between a top that looks like this
Soft Touch Longline Sweatshirt - Pink at Cotton Traders
and one that looks like this which is probably the image people have in their head of CT!
Printed Sweatshirt - Grey at Cotton Traders