What materials do I need to be looking for & where should I shop?

[scoobydeedoo]

Thread with multiple different asks, because I'm a bit clueless when it comes to fashion 🙃

I'm coming up to 4 stone lost and would really like to sort my wardrobe out, I want to look a bit more elegant and polished instead of scruffy and hapdash.

The one thing I really want to focus on is buying clothes from good quality materials, that fit well and suit me, but I don't know what materials are considered good and bad.

I don't have a huge budget so would like to take advantage of Vinted if I can, but I don't mind saving up some funds and buying less clothes but better quality. I'd really like to have a capsule wardrobe, right now my wardrobe is crammed with stuff that either doesn't fit/doesn't fit well/doesn't suit me.

Also, I tried on this lovely brown blazer in Next (picture uploaded, hopefully it won't take too long to be approved) I really love the style but it's 100% polyester which from what research I have done isn't a good thing. I've also no idea what I would wear it with, I wasn't sure if it went with the jeans and I definitely didn't think it went with the stark white shirt, but I don't know what it would go with!

Please help a clueless woman looking to make herself feel a little bit better 😊

Well, you don’t look clueless in that photo. Perfectly normally elegant, in fact.

Anyhow - an excellent primer on fabric can be found on the Community Clothing site, so start with that.

https://communityclothing.co.uk/pages/the-materials-we-use

I’d have recommended CC anyway, for hard wearing basics in impeccable fabrics - but you look as if you might want rather more fashion direction-y brands.

<Thinks>

Realisation Par for pure silk, body conscious dresses and the odd separate. Wonderful holiday wear but also great at any time of year layered under huge jumpers and coats.

YMC Completely opposite type of look, but almost all natural fabrics. Cool, voluminous, really well cut, androgynous clothes.

& Daughter You’ll be very fortunate if you find any of this knitwear pre-owned.

In addition, you could make a regular habit of scouring

Cos, Massimo Dutti, & Other Stories, regardless of whether you intend to buy or not, they have their fingers on the pulse of contemporary dressing, and a reasonable amount of garments made from non-synthetic fabrics.

(If none of these appeal there are countless others!)

You look great! I’m not sure how tall you are from the photo but I think maybe a more fitted shape on the leg or a tighter top would be better to balance out the loose jacket

But ‘more fitted’ is the opposite of fashionable right now …

@Perfidia thank you, you've made my day! My everyday style is usually wide leg trousers with a top tucked in (I love a french tuck) If you've ever heard of the fashion influencer Taryn Truly, that's the kind of style of clothes I liked but I can't pull off everything she can (I don't wear heels and will never be without a sleeve that is at minimum to the elbow!)

@IndieRocknRoll I was thinking a plain black top tucked into looser fit jeans might look ok? I used to be a devoted fan to skinny jeans but looking back, they didn't really look great on me. I really like wide leg jeans, but I'm fairly tall (5ft8) and I like my jeans to fit high on my waist to keep everything tucked in so I find it a challenge to get jeans that are the perfect fit.
I also struggle with mum jeans in terms of footwear, I live in trainers but have very big feet and no defined ankle to speak of so mum jeans with trainers looks silly on me, whereas trainers seem to look ok with wide leg jeans.

Have a read of this thread OP - lots of great ideas and tips there. - www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_classics/3797652-thanks-to-s-b-i-m-finally-winning-in-the-pursuit-of-elegance

Thank you @Howmanyroses I love a good long thread to get stuck into 😊

Well yeah but the OP wants to look elegant & polished. Not many of us can pull that off with many of the oversized boxy outfits that are ‘fashionable’.
I’m not saying dig out the skinny jeans but at the moment that particular outfit needs a bit of structure. A flared trouser or a more fitted top. These are not unfashionable

OP, your ideas sound spot on x

I think natural fabrics are often best. Pure cotton, silk, linen, wool, tweed, cashmere, bamboo, cotton or silk velvet are way better than synthetic. They hang better and the colours are more subtle. Natural fibres last longer and wear better. Linen can be a pain to iron but it is so cooling in summer. And nothing is warmer or cosier than cashmere sweaters in winter.