So where do over 50's (early) shop

[knowallnora]

It seems to be becoming more and more difficult to find appropriate clothes, you know - dont want to look 30 but not 70 either. Used to use Principle (has it closed down?), river island (too young) becoming really hard. Any ideas?

dwardle- join the club- more to the power of MN!

There is a definte gap in the market, but TBH all my friends shop everywhere- White Stuff, Hobbs, Jigsaw, French Connection, Whistles, and some of my posh friends do Max Mara, Margaret Howell and Armani!

I think it's a case of looking around and not expecting to get an outfit in one shop.

However, there is a gap in the market for those of us who want to be saved from CC, Alexon, Kaliko and Wallis- all too synthetic for my liking.

If I had £££s i think most of my stuff would come from Jigsaw.

purplepeopny I like Woman and Home too!
I mix
Boden(less obvious pieces)
White Stuff (slagged off on here but I like their tunics as I can wear as dresses,plus knitwear)
Autograph
French Connection/Great Plains,again good for dresses
Kew,mainly for knitwear
Fat Face,occasionally find a good dress in here,or trousers.
Phase Eight for the odd bit of knitwear
White Company for jersey wear.
Topshop for vests/tees
Warehouse for silk dresses.
I have a trip to brilliant boutique in a market town not too far away a couple of times a year to look at 'quirkier' pieces from Noa Noa,Avoca,Sandwich etc,then either buy if I really love it or hunt out on ebay!

purplepeony you are onto something about not being overweight - it makes a huge difference.

I am just fifty, and live in jeans in this never-ending winter - from paige, and a few pairs of gap skinny chinos, and then in the summer I like knee length straight skirts - love moschino etc. I like good basics too - brora, the more sensible end of toast. uniqlo, ASOS.

I wear more plain unfussy clothes than I did when I was younger. I think it's to do with being more self-confident now.

I am 45 and live in Gap or New Look jeans and New Look tops - New look has some scary stuff for young people but route around and you'll find good casual tops.

Debenhams - some Red Herring for casual and RochajohnRocha for smart stuff.

Faust- yes, I was reluctant to mention the weight thing but it is true i am afraid. You don't have to be skinny, but if you are plump or stout- lovely old fashioned terms- then it is ageing.

I have lived in jeans all winter, and wear with cropped cashmere cardis- Boden sale- or other shortish cardis or longer tunics.

I think one very ageing faux pas is to wear too much material- big, floaty, loose, long, over-patterned- just looks old. It won't disguise the bulges or weight- it just makes people look bigger!

Georgina sounds like our wardrobes are very similar.

I liked Anthroplogie but they are very ££££s.

Banana Republic is also an option- both London. Never bought anything in either but they are catering for our sort of age - at times!

Feel bad that I dissed East on that thread. I do like their fabrics (especially their linen) but it all just looks so wrong at the moment. Also I bought 3 things there and only one of them has ever worked.

I sometimes try asking on here about shops that people think are having a good season - it changes so much year to year. Wallis have been amazing for the last couple of years, though I do get the naked flames thing. It's always worth going back to a shop you haven't been to for ages.

If you are lucky enough to have an independent dress shop (provided it's not called Eileen Modes - or perhaps even if it is) within reach, maybe start investigating it. Depends how ££ it is I suppose, although sales are often good in places like that.

I had a bright thought about J Crew but they don't post to Europe yet.

Agree purplepeony.Unfortunately am in the north so do alot of online shopping!
Avoca do very pretty knitwear;I have pieces from the past few years that always get complimented on.
Have to agree with janeite re Wallis.I loathe shiny synthetic stuff.

What about smart work stuff?

Can't really help you there Dwardle. I only work a day a week and wear a uniform for that!
I would have thought Hobbs or Autograph?

46 here.
I had an image consultation a couple of years ago and, while I still wouldn't say I look totally together and stylish (hate shopping too much for that), it has made shopping easier.
Once you know the 'look' that suits you you can narrow down your search, and, although I still have to troll round loads of shops in the hope of finding something, at least I can tell at a quick glance whether there's anything worth trying on.
My choice of shops is also similar to Georgina's, and I've recently found a couple of things in Kookai and Great Plains.
I think it's a bit pointless to slag off a particular shop as if the item (or is that 'piece?') suits you it doesn't matter where it hails from.
That said, East does tend to have an unfeasibly large amount of elasticated waists - don't do it!

I also think inis is a good website.

I occasionally look at inis, but it all seems a bit fussy. Quite often I know exactly what I want, and waste endless hours looking for it, to no avail

For instance - at the moment, I'm looking for a jacket - black, not formal, soft tailoring, not too thin, not too preppy - so no brass buttons. I don't want huge shoulders, or those weird drapey pockets, and I don't want it to fasten only somewhere below my navel.

Everyplace l look seems to think I need some added embellishment - white piping, frills..... I don't - I want something simple.

Why is that so difficult?

I'm 43, 44 later this year. I'd wear something like this Kew jacket with a pretty linen or crinkled silk scarf in pink or a pattern (loads of that type of thing around this year) over skinny jeans (blue or white), with a shirt and ballet flats, for everyday running around wear.

I'm 53, 5'3" and look and feel younger than I am. I'm reluctant to show too much flesh though, but don't want to look frumpy. I like Jigsaw ( esp. knitwear) Toast, Brora ( but you have to be careful with that because you can look old ladyish) M&s for basics, Fatface sometimes. Boden occasionaly ( silk ruffle dress was a really good buy for party frock) I think you need to be particularly careful to buy up to the minute shoes and never even think about things like Hotter - it may be difficult to find something comfortable but you stand out like a sore thumb in middle aged ladies shoes or boots. Hobbsis nice - but expensive -. I never shop at Phase Eight Next or White Stuff - White stuff says to me " I may be geriatric, but I'm trying". East does have a few nice things - some of their evening wear is great, and their knitwear - esp. boiled wool crdigans that you can wer for work in an informal office, are nice.

higgle - I agree about shoes, and other accessories. If you are unsure about wearing fashion and you don't want to show too much flesh as you get older, a good option is to wear plain, quite fitted clothes and to have very modern accessories.

Bonsoir, your links don't work - is it the first jacket?

I'm not sure that the accessories need to be very modern - just good. Neither cheap fashion victim, nor "it's comfortable and I don't care what it looks like"

There is nothing - NOTHING I like in boden this year. It's alI a bit like the stuff I have to walk through to get to the food part at marks and spencer. The per una things. I am waiting for a pair of white skinny johnnie b jeans to try, but I don't hold out much hope

I agree with Bonsoir- you can keep basics simple- jeans, tops, ballet flats etc- and add some funky jewellery- but not too much. I think one aging type of jewellery is classic gold bracelets, chains, etc etc.

Avoid long and calf length winter coats with court shoes- and court shoes full stop.

I find a good guide is to see what my Mum and her trendy WI friends wear- they are all late 60s, 70s and 80s- and avoid like the plague -and they wear Per Una by the tonne, calf length flowery full skirts with toning tops and cardis, and sensible sandals/shoes.

I admit to having a few nice gold bracelets etc that cost £££s but I feel more up to date in something chunky from Accessorize etc. I have also changed from yellow gold to white cold on the advice of a very good jeweller when choosing a new watch , as she appraised my colouring( though it's stainless steel, not gold.)

Agree with so much in this thread. I'm 48 and now find I buy less but much more expensive. I've bought quite a lot from toast in the last few years and have started to look at hobbs.(I've also started looking at Jaeger, but only in the sale. it's much more fashiony than I used to think.)
I don't really mind if there's only one thing I ever like every five years in a shop. I bought one dress from jigsaw three years ago which I have worn and worn, but think pretty much everything this year is awful.
In general I guess the basics of my taste haven't changed but have got more definite. I've never liked embellished things or frills, and now even more think they're awful. I've always liked strong colours and hated ditsy prints (I certainly won't buying anything in those godawful nude shades this summer, yuk).
I like simple shapes and have never liked to show much flesh -- even when I was 25 my arms were shocking.
I think being bold can really work. I don't believe that line about how 'the clothes wear you' if they're the littlest bit loud or unusual. It's a matter just confidence.
Also I don't colour my hair (I like my grey) but do spend a lot on getting it cut well.

I'll try again:

Kew jacket

Kew shirt

No - there is something wrong with their site and the links.

The names are:

Herringbone Linen Jacket, in sand

Crinkle Check Shirt

Okay have read the messages here but my problem is budget I am nearing 57 and now a size 10 and cant find clothes to fit me that I like or are suitable for my age, although I am told I look at least 10 years younger! I dont have money or like the 'label' clothing and so the shops I use are high street or online but still find that most of these start at a size 12! Dont get me wrong I am not in any way complaining about my size (lost over the last few years) but need some clothes lol!

Stop thinking "age" and start thinking about your shape and colours.

I am almost your age and don't go anywhere near the "classic" clothes such as country casuals and Kaliko- for women of a certain age.
I pick up bits from all over:

White Company for the odd knit
Boden for plain smart casual- knitwear and trousers and the odd summer dress.
White Stuff for tops, at times ( but not flowery)
Jigsaw
Kew
Mint Velvet
Uniqlo- jeans and T shirts

also suggest youlook at
mango
Banana republic
Gap

I agree with purplepeony entirely ( sometimes I think she is me when I read what she says on S & B!) Whistles is good - I have just bought this dress and I'd second Jigsaw - though yes, v. expensive these days. I have a bit of Boden, a little bit of Phase Eight, some Toast, some Brora and a very nice Fatface Lark dress for the summer.
I do buy odd bits from the teen shops, River Island had some really nice tops when I last looked and as a veggie I need non leather bags which are often more stylish in the teen shops.

I suppose I steer well clear of Per Una, most the M&S and Next, which makes me look old because the quality is rubbish, polyester next to my skin looks dreadful.

Thanks for all that information but I have to repeat that I have to shop on a budget and we live in the Highlands of Scotland in a small town and dont have the larger shops to chose from so am limited with my shops to chose from and most of them are for younger generation. My main problem is that now I can get into the size 10 clothes I HAD 10 years ago now I am too old for them lol! I would love to be Goked as I seem to have lost my identity!