Quality dresses for older women.

[sunshineonmonday]

Hi, can anyone recommend somewhere I can buy dresses for an older woman please? Just everyday wear, good quality, natural fabric, simple but not old fashioned, maybe plain colours, maybe not, but nothing ditsy floral, flouncey or revealing. I'm well into middle age, have a nice figure, I need new clothes for Spring/Summer.

I like Sahara. Cefinn are no more.

I buy almost all of my dresses from Vinted - I look for Cos, Arket, Zara, Uniqlo, Oliver Bonas, Anthropologie, Aligne, H&M.

Sadly whilst I love Me + Em my finances don’t stretch that far.

I’m in my late 50s.

Has anyone mentioned Sezanne? I don't like Sezanne and the way they style clothes but if you can get past the "I'm so French and sexy but I've never learned how to fasten buttons" look there's dresses there which could be worn by someone well into middle age.

I am with a previous suggestion - Me and Em, also Reiss. I also like some things at Mint Velvet, Autograph, Jaeger, Whistles and Sezanne.

Just had to check the definition of “older women” 😂 Wish people wouldn’t stereotype on age!! Wear what suits your shape and colour palette OP, not a predefined age range!!

I love Eskander. Very pricey though. Some good things turn up on eBay and Vinted.

Have a look on the Sahara website. Great for linen.

Also Grizas. Arket

And Free People (a bit more boho than the others but also good for natural fabrics.

I am 59 and buy clothes from all these places.

We need a definition of what an older woman is and what various age groups are expected to wear. For some reason, I'm seeing a teenager in a printed Seasalt tunic over leggings and an 85-year old dressed as Daisy Duke.

@8books , I agree.

@PhaedraWas , "I'm so French and sexy but I've never learned how to fasten buttons" is spot on!
I want to see clothes on women in normal poses not in contorted, slumped or legs wide apart ones.

A lot of the links are for what I'd call 'tents'. eg Toast, Cos, Eskander.

I'd look ridiculous in them at any age- size 8, 5 4".

I wear some dresses that often accentuate my waist or at least have some shape to them .

Conversely, at just under 5’3, and an optimistic size 10, I absolutely hate ‘waisted’ dresses (even though I have a perfectly good and visible waist). There’s just something about them I find aesthetically unpleasing. I would never buy 99% of the frocks suggested on S&B.

I agree. At 84 my mother still wore leather trousers!

https://www.marksandspencer.com/pure-cotton-pleated-midi-waisted-tea-dress/p/clp60778517?intid=mobile_app_pdp_share

I have just bought this. It looks lovely on and is for all ages in my opinion!

I read "Pure Cotton Pleated Midi Waisted Tea Dress" as a dress with a very low waist.
It should be "Pure Cotton Pleated Waisted Midi Tea Dress".

I don’t know if anyone has mentioned Aspiga? Or One Season Australia? My go to brands for hot weather and holidays. I also like M&S, jigsaw, whistles. Massimo duti, white company. Jeans from Levi’s or French Connection. Sometimes Mint Velvet has the odd gem. Hobbs (sometimes for tops - with caution as can be frumpy). Sometimes brands like Fransa, Saint Tropez, Soya concept, part two, Great Plains or B Young are good. Shoes Russell and Bromley (gutted that Next have taken the over) and Geox. Bras and swimsuits from Fantasie and knickers from Chantelle.
I’m 70 and size 12.
Wouldn't wear Seasalt, toast, fat face, or white stuff. Not my style, but other women look good in these brands. We are all different. I think it’s about knowing your preferences and body shape and dressing accordingly. I buy a mix of new and vinted. I also sell things if I don’t love them.

You're right!

It's ok but not special and many women can't wear black. I gave up black in my mid 30s after having my colours done.
Whistles have one very similar in navy, royal blue and black but it's described as shirred' as the bodice is.

I'm always interested to know locations of posters because many people can't access those brands except online which can be a nightmare sending for several sizes and returns.

If you're in London it's a doddle, but for anyone out of London they simply don't have access to those shops.

I can appreciate it's tricky but they tend largely to be available near to big Cities: Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, York, Leeds, Newcastle, Dublin, etc.

Mother visited London from deepest Kent until she was about 83/4 - hour and forty on the train and a nice lunch.

But @NorthIsBestforBeaches, this is an online forum. If I make a suggestion it’s for an item available online - I can’t be expected to know what is in stock at someone’s local branch of M&S or wherever.

(So for me, an OP insisting she will only shop from her own High St is a prompt to close the thread.)

It was for the posters who are listing a lot of shops that are only available in a few places, especially London.

Not what's available in M&S.

But the point of shopping online is that you are not restricted to High St shops.

I’ve probably listed or linked hundreds of shops over the time I’ve been on MN. When I do so I anticipate the OP, using her own taste, judgement, the full details on any website and a tape measure, will order things online. It would be incredibly rare for me to suggest they should drive or take a train to a distant city.

I'm in my sixties and the last few things I bought (all from Vinted) were from Poetry, Toast, Zara, Jigsaw and Whistles.

@NorthIsBestforBeaches
That’s great for your friends if they are the same size as they were 20 years ago - but you must realise that this is not true for many people. And even if wearing the same dress size it is very common for one’s shape to completely change.

Unless you live somewhere very remote, you shouldn't need to travel to a distant city. There's probably a nice town not too far that will have a ladies' boutique.

I grew up near a small market town, and there was one such shop, but the next town had two. We went there for occasion wear, but they had less formal clothes.

I could go to London pretty easily but I'd probably try a 'nice' town that's about 14 miles away, or another one that's about 19 miles away.

Mail order:
Dresses | Ladieswear | House of Bruar

I would have absolutely no interest in being limited to one nice ‘ladies’ boutique’.

I normally avoid Seasalt as I’m not keen on patterns or round necks - but I really like the teal coloured dress.