Poor quality clothing

I am in the same boat I really dont know what to wear now. I'm rather tired of black jeans and a jumper or top. I cant find any shops for me now. I have several Seasalt dresses but they are all the same. I know you can find things on line but I enjoy going to shops and finding something new. Style-wise I am hopeless.

I have the same issue with clothes - too many things made from inferior fabric that hardly lasts a season. It is all so hit and miss for quality. I like Hotter shoes though and they do half sizes. They are online but they do have a store in one of the garden centres in this area so might have one near you too. I like Sketchers Go Walks too which also come in some half sizes. For me they are the most comfortable shoes ever, but definitely just for casual wear.

Buying online is a nightmare believe me! Items look lovely but when they arrive are awful and nothing like the photos

Perhaps trying different shops would give you more choice and better quality.

Boden
The White Company
Hobbs
LK Bennett
Mint Velvet

John Lewis has many different retailers as have House of Frazer.

Madwoman11
How many clothes did you buy pre Brexit that were made in Europe?

I don’t see your problem.

Shoes still come in half sizes, good quality clothes are still available and in great styles. Maybe you have to look further than M&S.
We have had a habit in this country of cheap - clothes, food, shoes - compared to many other countries, but we still buy more than, for instance, many other European countries.
Yes prices have gone up - don’t forget there’s a global economic crisis and two years plus of the pandemic hasn’t helped, wages have in many cases been kept artificially low (Leicester sweat shops being one example and near starvation wages in third world countries another) energy costs -and therefore production costs-have risen exponentially …the list goes on.
M&S are regularly in for a kicking but the fashion pages have recently identified some excellent buys.
I think we have to be prepared to pay more and go a bit further than the chain stores, and no, I don’t blame this one on Brexit - although there will no doubt be some who do .

Madwoman11

Buying online is a nightmare believe me! Items look lovely but when they arrive are awful and nothing like the photos

PS I successfully buy White Stuff, Seasalt, Joules, Pure, Hotter, and others online and even M&S and it is absolutely fine, but I would not touch the Chinese companies like Shein with a barge pole.

My partner and I spent a whole day in Leeds a couple of weeks ago looking for a nice top for a wedding do. There was nothing of any decent quality or material. We looked everywhere from Harvey Nicks, Hobbs to H&M. It was all shoddy workmanship, cheap material and very overpriced. There was very little under £80.
So very despondent we scoured charity shops and finally found a lovely shirt in a local vintage shop in our small town. Lovely design, well made, nicely finished for £20.

Sainsburys TU are great

MerylStreep

Madwoman11
How many clothes did you buy pre Brexit that were made in Europe?

I bought a lot of German clothes, and Italian.

Frankly I think the answer is the best quality you can afford. Quality like everything else doesn’t come cheap. Buy classics and wear them for ever🙂

lots of clothes are made in Turkey

Madwoman Next have some age friendly items in store this year and they also do half sizes in their shoe range my go to store when looking for shoes.

It’s all very well to quote all these shops but we don’t have any of them in our good sized town in fact I can only think of two in the nearby city and they are expensive shops
I do have to buy online but much prefer trying things on looking in a mirror etc and sending back is expensive
We used to have Italian styles at a market when it came to town but not any more

The problem I find is that knowing your size is not enough when buying clothes. You need to know your shape as well. I have narrow shoulders, a long waist, hips almost at waist level and long legs.

You cannot tell by from looking at something on line whether it will fit you or not and I find the hassle of sending stuff back a hassle. I do buy from one or two online retailers whose sizing I know is accurate and whose clothes fit - I buy almost all my trousers, jears etc from Lands End for that reason, and sweaters are usuall safe to buy online, but otherwise. I needto try things on before I buy.

Personally, I wouldn't be seen dead in age-approrpiate clothes. DGD, DDiL and I can often be seen in similar outfits.

As for tums and arms. DD severely damaged an arm in a road accident, half her lower right arm is covered by a huge scar. She makes no special attempt to hide it and wears short-sleeved and sleeveless tops, very few people look and f they do, so what. I feel the same about arms and tums. Our shape changes with age, get used to it, then ignore it. Nothing makes something more obvious than trying to hide it.

I don’t want classic WWM2 I want something a bit more stylish a bit more quirky than classic

Hi I’ve have been looking at Unfolded…online but different and has lovely classic pieces…includes pictures of varying sized models and actual measurements of the clothes plus material

Foxygloves

Madwoman11

Buying online is a nightmare believe me! Items look lovely but when they arrive are awful and nothing like the photos

PS I successfully buy White Stuff, Seasalt, Joules, Pure, Hotter, and others online and even M&S and it is absolutely fine, but I would not touch the Chinese companies like Shein with a barge pole.

Yes, I would endorse White Stuff and Seasalt. Also, Fat Face may be worth looking at too.

Yep, similar here. I used to be a Land's End fanatic. Wouldn't entertain their poor quality nowadays but I do believe the company I originally dealt with was bought over.

Madwoman11

Buying online is a nightmare believe me! Items look lovely but when they arrive are awful and nothing like the photos

Their photographers are indeed geniuses!

If you want Arty rather than classic, look at Toast or Sahara - both generous on sizing and mature shaping.
I am afraid you need to be paying more these days, which is hard for those of us who bought masses of clothes in the 80's and 90's for good prices.
Charity shops and Sales are the best way to maybe get quality on a shoestring budget.
I have found a new source of clothing. It is called Narnia and is at the back of the wardrobe. Recently,I wore a long silk coat I paid £25 for in the 80's.

I'm 59 and buy most of my clothes from Next Online ,they have a clearance section too. Bought some lovely dresses and jumpsuits for a cruise. Love their jeans and jumpers as well, if you buy a years unlimited delivery and returns . You can order what you want to try at home , it's so easy to send stuff back . The same delivery company pick it up

I buy from Tu JaneJudge, M&S and Joebrown. I shop online only and rarely have a problem. Having said that I buy little as I’ve plenty of clothes still with wear in them.

I've bought Fat Face, White Stuff and Seasalt online through M&S. M&S is more than just itself online now...check further.