A little moan...women of a certain age...

[howtotellmum]

I am a reasonably trim, fashionable late 40s- look a bit younger so I am told- but am so depressed at lack of suitable summer clothes this year.

Everything is either sleeveless and very young, empire line and smocky ( don't want to look PG), or floral like curtains.

I am not old enough for Kalico, or CCs, don't like Hobbs ( all those spots), Phase 8 and Fenn Wright Manson are all to floral and droppy, and mother-of-the-bride, Monsoon looks garish, White Stuff and Fat Face are aging hippy...

Jesire and Whistles are drab this season...I could go on!

used to love Jigsaw and Kew, but Jigsaw is now silly prices, and everything this year is purple, navy or black ( not my colours), and the dresses are either too formal or too floaty.

Have bought one colour block dress from Boden, and one skirt Jigsaw and one skirt from Kew.

Anyone else in the same boat?

Vestes

If you scroll to the bottom of the page there is a tab that says langue and if you press EN it will change to English.

Chic French school run jacket

They are in House of Fraser..

I love Bellerose for super casual day wear. But I don't know where it is stocked in the UK...

Who's in House of Fraser Pag?
I'm loving that school run jacket.

So glad it's not just me! Feel my self-image has plummeted in the past couple of years and only now it's gone do I appreciate what I had in body terms. I wonder whether I worry too much about exposing my newly crepey flesh when I see women even older and crepier than me showing a lot more. Live on the coast so get to see a lot of exposed flesh!

I do love sleeveless dresses but now wear them with cropped cardigans from New Look. Love Zara but find their sizing strange. Do have a lot of Boden but nothing appliqued . Trying to shop less frequently but buy better quality but have to confess my top buy recently was a pair of gorgeous 100% linen trousers from........Sainsburys!

Outlet places like Gunwharf Quays are good for buying things I can't afford full price, like LK Bennett and Hobbs.

Joules.Toast.Boden.
Gap-nice classic bits that you can add some quirk to by accessorizing
The new season stuff at Next is not too shabby either.Ditto M and S.

I am 29 but have friends your age and the above is the consensus.(2 are here now )

cornsilk
comptoire are

It sounds quite sinister without explaining who doesn't it
"they are in House of Fraser... we think they are heading for the coffeee shop"
I suppose in the context of this thread it could be a hoard of middle aged women - like Father Ted with hormones

Thank goodness I am not alone!

I have spent literally DAYS this month scouring shops for some decent clothes and have come away with little- couple of cropped trousers (Boden), couple of skirts, Kew and Jigsaw, and a couple of T shirts.

I don't have much need for smart- though I do have a couple of pairs of smarter trousers for work wear, and have searched high and low for a dress that is smart, but not LK Bennett smart, IYSWIM!!!!

I am lucky that I look relatively young for my age, and am trim, and I know if I went into the clothes that are meant for women of my age, Iwould look much older- but I am def. way past Top Shop!

are you suggesting that women of a certain age are generally fat?
I am a size 10 thank you very much.
And no one is past top shop - they do good tailoring and great basics - you just have to look carefully.
Thank you ...

i agree with pagwatch - buy once buy well.

PW- I am suggesting that a lot of women in the 45-55 age range are a bit overweight!

I never see anything in Top Shop that is remotely suitable and it all looks very poor quality, but am happy to be convinced.

I know - just teasing.
The thing with Top shop is you really have to be persistent and most people haven't got that kind of time. I only find something every now and again but when I do it is always a fantastic price and fab.
Funnily enough I bought a plum coloured summer coat today short sleeves, nipped in waist and flared skirt and a really great colour ( actually that sounds odd - you will have to trust me ) and it was only £60.
Three people asked me where I got it ( yes I was tempted to fib .
But you really do have to wade through a lot of tosh....

i shop in the cheap shops, so new look etc, and i wait til my local designer store has their 75% sales and get my jeans for the price of a top shop pair, but they would normally cost 150 quid or more

i did get some really nice brown wool straight legged flat fronted trousers from top shop in their sale, for £7

has anyone seen Monsoon's window this week??

it is beyond garish !!

I like this shop:
www.poetrycollection.co.uk/index.htm

but I dress quite classically (because of my work and my figure!) so you may find it a bit boring

I try and jazz up with good quality accessories

i like the looks in the CC website
and not the music.

I adore Fat Face - but I guess I am a hippy at heart (although I think it's more cornish beach/surfer style). I do struggle with the sleeveless stuff.

This year the stuff in the shops is so 80's (and looks cheap) - and my motto is if you remember it the first time around, your too old to wear it this time.

If you work in London - I can recommend Banana Republic. Used to love them when I went to the states.

I went into Topshop at the weekend with dd1 (14) and neither of us liked anything. It all seems such poor quality and v expensive for what it is.

I do like Warehouse occasionally, for silk dresses and camisoles.

I don't like Poetry- sorry- too middle aged for me and a bit staid.

Fat Face- no, just too casual mainly.

I have been into Banana Republic a couple of times- some possibles there, but you have to look- it's like a more grown up Top Shop!

Phase Eight can be very staid and mother of the bride,but I did see some nice jersey shrugs,great 'heavy' linen trousers,long linen knit cardigan and chunky necklaces.
However,I find that I actually already have variations of all those so bought nothing!
HowTo,try 'local' independant boutiques for more unusual stuff from Avoca,Sandwich,Noa Noa etc.Also ebay for same!

I like noa noa, Sisley, kew and seasalt

I like noa noa, Sisley, kew and seasalt