How can I wean my mother off the Damart catalogue

[KassandraOfSparta]

OK, she is 80. She also does not "do" online shopping and cannot use the internet so is limited in choice to mail order or what shops exist in her town which sell clothes (small M&S, TK Maxx, Tesco, Morrisons, New Look, Matalan). She is not short of cash.

Visited today and she was wearing the most godawful old lady mint green, acyrlic, zippy up cardigan. I said "Oh that's new mum, haven't seen that before" and she announces it's from the Damart catalogue. If you've ever wondered who buys the "comfortable slacks" and similar items advertised in the national trust magazine, that's my mum.

I don't expect her to be high fashion. Sibling and I often buy clothes for her for birthdays and Christmas, sibling recently bought her a striped breton cotton top which she appears to like. She obviously wants to be comfortable and I do get that. But there is comfortable... and there is the Damart catalogue.

I bumped into a friend of hers recently - similar age - wearing Adidas trainers, black trousers, lambswool jumper. Nothing high fashion or out there. My mum has very odd ideas about clothes and appearance (people over 40 shouldn't wear jeans, women over 30 shouldn't have long hair, if you were meant to have holes in your earlobes you'd be born with them, pop socks are a perfectly acceptable item of clothing) and weaning her off this abomination of a catalogue is going to be tough. Any ideas?

Yes, i second Cotton Traders. Some of their things are great.

Be lucky you've still got your mum.
To have my mum back I would buy her one in each colour to wear each day.
It really isn't that bad.
I'm almost 40 and can't give a fuck anymore so come 80 I'll probably class damart as dressy

Maybe she doesn't want a load of catalogues coming her way. My DM hates the amount of paper that she puts into recycling

It could be so much worse. It could be the chums catalogue.

I do some ironing for a lady who is 89 and most of her clothes are from Damart. They are good quality and nice soft fabrics. Some of them are lovely colours and I’d wear them myself; I’m still (just) in my 40s.

I can’t express how little I care about style.

She gives a fuck, she chose her cardi because she liked it.

She sounds like my lovely mum, who was partial to a but of Damart. I used to twitch a bit at the acrylic twinsets but she wore what made her happy.

My Mum was like this, she died recently and her wardrobe was full of brand new band box looking but cheap items in awful colours like you describe- just leave her to it . I blame them growing up in the 50's- everything had to match and only 3 hairstyles seem to have been allowed, and were strictly rationed according to your age.
You won't change her mind , so go with the flow- I found it hard when my Mum gave up bras though, it just doesn't look good.

She just doesn’t give a fuck about what OP thinks she should wear and quite right too

Why on earth would you do that. She’s 80 let her be.

Get her some other catalogues. My elderly neighbour is exquisitely dressed (puts me to shame) and I know she doesn’t shop online so it’s either from mail order catalogues or stores in our town , hardly any left.

I think it’s great she’s getting her clothes though and she’s happy and comfy that’s the main thing. My mum doesn’t shop online or use mail order either so her clothes all come from local charity shops or stores close-by.

The cardi in the vinted link you posted genuinely looks quite nice to me and I'm in my late 40s...

Your op is so sneering. Leave her alone.

This one? Also absolutely fine www.damart.co.uk/toasty-thermal-zip-cardigan-72361.html?color_filterable=42031

My mums the same. No internet. Landline only.

I think I need to get myself a damart catalogue now that looks fine to me.

Similar but no. And mintier in colour. It may not have been a recent purchase - but it was the first time I'd seen her wearing it.

I’m having a browse now , this dress looks fine to me. https://www.damart.co.uk/climatyl-zebra-printed-dress-85772.html?color_filterable=63036

i am in my 50s never shopped there.

Well having looked at most of the cardigans on the website now, they’re all fine. She’s 80 and in her own home, not 20 and walking at Paris Fashion Week.

Leave her alone. If she likes Damart and can afford it then no problem! Their stuff does last and it is also soft so comfortable. My mum wouldn’t buy anything because she thought she couldn’t afford it - which wasn’t the case at all. If she enjoys shopping on Damart then good for her!

Leave her alone and don't be so judgmental. I hope you are not this unpleasant to her face

So? Do your kids police what you wear?

I’m a 67 year old wheelchair user. Clothes need to be warm and easy to put on and take off. Occasionally that means a Damart pair of trousers or a cardigan. If my adult children start telling me what I should be wearing they’d get short shrift. Keep your advice to yourself, presumably she bought it because she liked it, not for you to veto.

You should be counting your blessings. You still have your mum, and she's still interested in choosing her own clothes. You're winning.

Freemans have not issued a catalogue for years. It’s all online.
I speak as a Freemans agent since 1982, so I know about these things ( still get my 10% commission).