Clothes shopping getting harder

T K Maxx ? quiter a section and you can try them on. Have to admit I usually end up a M&S

I've found some lovely tops from TK Maxx over the years.

Meryl It's not just Trust pilot who give poor reviews of Roman. All the reviews I've looked at are poor.
It's Customer Service that seems to be a problem.

bramble123

I have been buying my clothes from Vinted. Mist of the clothing is new for a fraction of the price.

My daughter buys a lot from Vinted, so I rather assumed the clothes were for a much younger age group. Not so?

I have been buying my clothes from Vinted. Mist of the clothing is new for a fraction of the price.

Aldom
I don’t know if you would buy something on the say so of trust pilot but be aware that it’s not to be trusted.

People on here are recommending Roman so I looked at the reviews for this company. 91% of reviews are poor. This was Trust pilot.
So I'd suggest being careful and reading reviews yourselves before deciding to order online.

For nice tops my go to is Roman. They are online but have an excellent delivery and return service if needed and prices are reasonable.

I'm starting to feel that my only choices for clothes now are either supermarkets or charity shops, as I can't afford to buy from many of the more upmarket companies mentioned on here, but the middle-of-the-road places have gone from our highstreets and I can't find anything suitable these days at the cheap places like Primark or Matalan. Neither the styles, the fit or the fabrics are right for me.

For some reason, my body shape (even though I am slim) seems non-standard, meaning that I have to try on many different brands and sizes to find things that look right on me, so buying online really isn't a good option for me - I would probably need to order, try and return at least twenty items before I found one that was suitable.

In the past, I could always find things that both fitted me and suited me in shops like Debenhams and BHS (although it always involed trying many things on instore). Now that that isn't possible anymore, I really do feel that I have been left completely up the creek!

Come over to France! my local town has seen a sudden blooming of dress shops this year. About a dozen of them, after only 3 or 4 for years. However, most are independent boutiques and the clothes all trend to the elegant, but bohemian. Very much my style, but I know many who this style does not appeal to..

You could always brush up your needlework skills and make your own tops, they do not need to be complex and in these days of computer assisted sewing the old fashioned elctric machines with few gadgets can be picked up for nearly nothing.

Sainsbury's TU range is very good, and affordable.

Online or charity shops. Tops are actually ime the easiest to get in charity shops. I have a lovely blouse that will do for special occasions tho not needed at the time and maybe 6 summer tops all charity shop. Trousers are harder but I fit an M n s size and they do different leg lengths and generally I think M n s are good for trousers choice.

I only use online shops with free returns: so what I do if in doubt re the size Bluebelle I'll buy 2 sizes and return the "wrong" one.
I use M n S or Next if I if I can as the foodie M n S is nearby and so is Next outlet for collection/return.

So collect from M n S or Next, nip into another shop next door with toilets, try stuff on, and return immediately, one stop shopping.

Also, like other above, like White Stuff and Seasalt and so on style wise.

I do not think clothes shopping is getting harder, it’s just that I am more selective and fussy as each year passes.

Babamaman

Totally agree. I can’t remember the last time I went clothes shopping. Nothing fits. I tried an XL (I’m a 16) shirt dress on in Zara in June, couldn’t even get my arms in the sleeves let alone do it up!!!!!
The only things I buy occasionally are long sleeved T-shirts in primark. I have every colour and they are worn all year round!
Very depressing. I have a wardrobe full of suits, smart trs and nowhere to wear them! I used to work in an independent ladies dress shop. Selling Ara, Gerry Weber, etc - no independents anymore ☹️

Got to be honest baba I wouldn't go into zara, don't think they have my size!
16 too by the way but not their 16! Some shops i just know won't fit me.
Some great ideas here though!

My daughter is long bodied and she wears lots of White Stuff tops.
There's Bella di Notte too. Based in Yorkshire, but have a good website. Lovely tops /trousers /knitwear etc.

Good, old-fashioned seamstresses. You find / have something you like, buy the fabric, and have it cloned, or draw the design / different details you want.

I use Joe Browns. Every months they have a new selection and then they have a sale from time to time.

www.joebrowns.co.uk/outlet-clothing/womens/women-sale/16?p=2

I think we're all struggling with the same things. I didnt know about remaining stock being sold on ebay for white stuff, sea salt etc.. so will definitely be looking at that!
Did someone mention knickers?! Another sore point! Just when you get some you like from M&S vast collection they stop doing that one! So annoying! I find most of theirs are just no good.. for me anyway

Dinahmo

Gudrun Sjoden. Catalogue on line. More pricey than most of the ranges mentioned above but reasonable when there's a sale on.

Love the colours, but the garments on me are quite large to put it mildly. The Covent Garden shop is a treat.

I much prefer ordering on line and trying on in the privacy of my own bedroom - got tops/bottoms/shoes etc on hand to try with them. Have recently bought quite a lot from Roman, just have lots I like, I have some nice Seasalt tops too.

Gudrun Sjoden. Catalogue on line. More pricey than most of the ranges mentioned above but reasonable when there's a sale on.

Totally agree. I can’t remember the last time I went clothes shopping. Nothing fits. I tried an XL (I’m a 16) shirt dress on in Zara in June, couldn’t even get my arms in the sleeves let alone do it up!!!!!
The only things I buy occasionally are long sleeved T-shirts in primark. I have every colour and they are worn all year round!
Very depressing. I have a wardrobe full of suits, smart trs and nowhere to wear them! I used to work in an independent ladies dress shop. Selling Ara, Gerry Weber, etc - no independents anymore ☹️

TheMaggiejane1, I like Highstreet outlet, too, along with Youknowwho's. I (luckily) have a patient friend who can run up tops, skirts and dresses with ease. (I can make clothes but find it quite stressful.) She's made me a lovely loose linen top from two old dresses I was going to give away.

I'm only 5 ft and shopping on the high Street is more or less a no no for me. So many people are shopping on line, before long we won't have a High Street. It'll be too late to complain then. We'll only have ourselves to blame.

For everyday stuff I use an online shop called Highstreet Outlet Uk. They sell end of line and overstock items from most of the High Street shops at about half price. I’ve had some great bargains from them and they are lovely to deal with. For ‘going out’ dresses I love Scamp and Dude but only once items have gone into the sale.