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.

That is true

Cotton traders quality has drastically crashed but the prices haven't. Im 64 and mostly buy from shops everyone else on here does.
The only things I'll buy from Cotton Traders now are the v neck teashirts in every colour and there was a cream broderie blouse I really liked but everything else was trash.
Shoes not worth looking at.
Trousers awful.
Dresses reprehensible.
Knitwear cheap and nasty.
A hoodie came up 2 sizes too small. I fit their size 10 usually but this hoodie must have been a 6 it was skin tight with zero stretch.
I used to buy loads from there but wont touch it now.

I fail to see the difference between this basic tshirt and those in Zara or anywhere trendier. At least CT has pure cotton. Would I wear all their stuff? No. Would I wear a plain top like this to go to the gym? Yes. Much as any other place.
https://www.cottontraders.com/women/tops-and-t-shirts/long-sleeve-raglan-top/AA15940DarkSky.html?dwvar_AA15940DarkSky_color=Dark%20Sky&cgid=womens-tops-tshirts#cgid=womens-tops-tshirts&srsltid=AfmBOoqmlaSBugU56lBn0VZA-Qgo3DtYKUyoQh7o50xCEbvebYkQ-rsD&start=2&list=product%20list&p=1

So much ageism on here.

As long as I like it, I don’t care where it comes from. Ridiculous ageism and snobbery on here. I have clothes from many different stores, and I bet many on here who label CT for oldies wouldn’t be able to identify where they came from.

Sometimes you just want a T-shirt.

This. Ageism and snobbery on here is completely out of control. So nasty. I am in my 70s, worked all my life from the age of 14. No online shopping, no car, brought up kind, decent children who are also working hard. Looked after my parents and PIL. I buy comfortable clothes that I can afford.
It is just cotton T shirts.
Not everyone has time to spend shopping, studying fashion, looking down their noses at other people.

I’d never heard of this brand but just went on their website - one of the male models looks so AI-generated but I can’t quite figure it out because the other models all look like real humans… what is going on? 😂

Also their jeans stink of the dye they use. I had to wash the last pair 5 times before I could wear them. Who wants to wash jeans 5 times before wearing? Ive written to them several times about this and just get an AI generated platitude in return.

I've only bought the plain tshirts and sweatshirts, no patterns

I agree that sometimes you want basics, and 30 + years ago they were good at quality cotton basics and available by mail order before the internet. Now they have become another weird purveyor of viscose patterned meh and there are much better options.

I'm in my 70s and all their clothes bar basic cotton t shirts are too old for me.

I buy jeans from there as they are the only ones that fit ( short legs and apple shape)
I get most of my other clothes from uniqlo. Good basics.
But I am 57!

They do feel like a brand for retired people, but I bought my 20 something dd a pair of their men's pjs for Christmas one year as they had ducks all over them. They are excellent quality and wash really well, so I keep an eye out to see if they have any more in the future.

My mum works for them taking orders over the phone and they send the catalogues out to old peoples homes. She spoke to a lady who was 102 the other day! Average age is about 80.
However, they are doing a rebranding to appeal to younger markets and I’m in my 20s and had a flick through and some of it’s fine.

You must dress very young, then. There are plenty of styles suitable for all ages.

I'm 50 and will definitely be looking at them again when I come to buy a couple of cotton dresses for my holidays. I really like a couple of the boho style ones I've seen on the website.

Alex Jones of the 1 Show has put her name to their Edit collection so it can't be that bad.
I had a couple of nice summer cotton dresses from them last year and a cable knit this winter. Not my first port of call but it is on my high street so will go in there.
Do I have to go into Uniqlo with a bag over my head as I don't think for a minute I am their demographic but I do buy and wear their clothes.

Just had a look online. Can’t see why it’s regarded as only for the elderly. Much of it is what you’d find in any of the well known shops

I'm 45 and shop mostly in uniqlo, Mint Velvet, Sezane, Abercrombie, for jeans, Baukjen, M&S, if that's any help. I wouldn't think to look at Cotton Traders

One or two of you seem very angry that anyone would spend time discerning a difference between one brand and another, or actually express a preference.

Might I remind you that this is the Style and Beauty board? It seems an odd place to come to excoriate posters for being interested in … style.

What does age matter, as long as you like something and it fits thats all that matters.

I’m 36 and had been buying from there for years. I like their basics, they do some nice jewel tones at reasonable prices and the stuff washes and tumble dries perfectly. I love some of their styles of cords too, although for every three pairs of trousers I order usually 2 will go back. I’m not particularly fashion conscious though- I know what colours and shapes suit me and build my wardrobe around that. Some of their coats look nice but I’ve not tried them. The shoes are defo not for me though

Buy what YOU like. Wear it with confidence, Who cares where you buy, or what you pay for it. I'm ruled by shops that stock my size, not my age!! Thank goodness I have a lovely friend who refreshes my wardrobe so I rarely have to shop for clothes!

It's definitely not somewhere I'd look as most of it is plain basics which I'd buy in store - places like J Lewis or Marks.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet but I'm sure that years ago they were associated with English rugby and used to do men's England rugby shirts- and they still have rugby style T shirts for women on their website. I'm old enough to know when they first launched and the pull then was all cotton.
They have gradually relaunched over many years and do appeal to an older market.

It was a company that had certain lifestyle connotations and at the time (going back 30 or more years) they were one of the few companies doing 100% cotton in a 'polyester jungle.'

Here we are- launched in 1987

How it all started
From a humble hunch born from a shared love of rugby to a thriving retailer with a wide range of collections; we’ve always been full of surprises.

Fran and Steve first met on a rugby field in 1970, with Fran admitting: “We didn’t get along very well at first, but eventually we hit it off, and we’ve been teammates ever since.”

Luckily, their skill matched their enthusiasm for the sport, and by 1971, they were playing together for the England national team. After enjoying many successful tours and test series, they eventually hung up their boots and turned their attention to the world of clothing. With their larger-than-life personalities and stature, they understood just how difficult it could be to find comfortable, quality clothes for themselves and those around them.

In 1987, they started Cotton Traders with a simple idea: casual clothing that looks and feels good. A bit of clever marketing, like a surprise newspaper ad, really helped to get the ball rolling and before long Cotton Traders were a household name - synonymous with comfort and rugby shirts.

I'd put them in the same category as Woollovers although they (W) are a tad more fashionable.

Their demography is definitely lower market and older customers but that doesn't make them bad.

"Not everyone has time to spend shopping, studying fashion..."

No, but it's a bit unreasonable to not expect that people choosing to post on a board specifically titled "style and beauty" DO have an interest in fashion, and are allowed to talk about it?

From reading this thread it seems like even the most die-hard cotton traders fans happily admit that they've never considered it to be trendy or fashionable, and those aren't things they prioritise, which is (obviously) completely fine. I doubt even the owners/top management at CT would describe their clothes as stylish or fashionable, or that their target audience is 20s and 30s - they aren't aiming for that, it's not their USP.

Getting angry at people for speaking what is pretty much just an obvious truth is as weird as kicking off because someone has said the sky is blue. If you're in your 70s then presumably you wear different clothes now than you did in your 20s, or that your grandchildren wear? Why on earth is it offensive to say that?