Wouldn’t it be nice......

I hate the fact I can only get either a night dress in cotton that either goes to the floor or goes to top on my knee. Where is the happy medium mid calf length that is snug in winter and cool in summer?

Seems I’m not the only one wholly dissatisfied with fashion for the over 50s!
ANY BUDDING YOUNG DESIGNERS OUT THERE WILLING TO LISTEN? YOU WOULD BE WORTH A FORTUNE IN NO TIME! ??

I can never understand why they do nighties suitable for winter, in lovely warm materials, with massive gaping necklines!

What is the point?

Silverlady79 - thank you for the Kit and Kaboodal suggestion, have just had a look and the dresses look gorgeous and very reasonably priced ??

I like Bonmarche particularly the quality of the T-shirts although I prefer the plain ones. Also like Seasalt again cotton good for Summer, after that its pot luck in some smaller department stores, small boutiques, market stalls and on line, not at all the way I shopped years ago. Hasten to add I don't buy that much anyway.

Thanks Silverlady just had a look at the Kit and Kaboodal site.

Cotton Traders is my go-to for t-shirts. They come in a wide range of colours, fit well, don't cost a bomb and last for years..!
Bon Marche is where I buy my loose cotton nightdresses from - cheap, cool and comfortable, who could ask for more...!

At 5’1” and size 22 WHY are M&S tops too short for me?! Heaven help taller people!

Although I used to be a bit of a fan of Gudrun Sjødén, there’s no way I could afford her wacky stuff any more. I do still have three items of hers, but they all look pretty awful on me. And why does she design so much in an inverted V shape (useless if you’re top-heavy), and/or with designs that look like they were painted by infant school kids in the 1960s? If, like me, you have lumps and bumps that you want to disguise (and like it or not, busy patterns are great for that, as is clever tailoring), discover the latest incarnation of the once horribly frumpy Dash.

Oh yes lemongrove, germolene pink is the perfect description! Yuk

cornergran I'm looking for the same dress as you! Every time I try one on and it's just above the knee, (I'm 5'5") I come out of the changing room, they say is it ok? I say "No,I prefer below the knee". More often than not they tell me that's what a lot of ladies say! So why don't they listen?

We have a sports shop called Go Outdoors, I think they are a national chain. For £5 annually you get a card which gives a discount at the till. They stock a label called Weird Fish and I have had good and decent length tee shirts from them. Also a really nice straight cotton dress with short sleeves that cover the problem bits at the top of my arms. I did have to go up a size however especially since I was likely to put some weight on while I was on holiday!

Oh Lemon Grove I thought I was being 'picky' - but you took the words out of my mouth. Do they think we can't recognise decent colour sense and proper clothes when we see them. And why do walking sandals have to come in pink!! Tempted to open a shop called 'Nothing Pink'.

BBbevan
You might try the men's M&S tee shirts in the nearest size to that which you normally buy. It won't have shaping but it will be a better quality (slightly thicker) cotton and they come in round and V necks. I've bought a white V tee in medium and it's great. Not as varied as the ladies tees but a more wearable material. I don't like round necks on anything.
M&S have patterns GALORE on every top...or so it seems.
I did buy a loose fitting ladies white V neck, long-sleeved tee plus a plain white shirt with 3/4 sleeves on Monday, both in their sale and they are fine. Bras?...haha. Everything for bigger boobed women looked like JCB lifting gear so it's back to Bravissimo who know women want stylish, supportive and sexy.

I have already told M & S about the unsuitability of some of their clothing ranges for 'older' ladies, including the fact that we don't necessarily want cheap clothes, but smart and well made. I suggested that it could be one reason why their sales are down. I even volunteered to be a model for the fitting/shaping of some of their garments. They haven't grabbed this opportunity as yet!

I like Toast and also Seasalt for plain coloured clothes that are comfortable, nice colours, sensible lengths and sizes and which wash well. Joules clothes wash well but Their designs are getting same-y. They’re my top bet for next years has been competition!

I'm 5ft 9ins and I haven't been able to buy a dress that fits well for years. Not only are they too short overall, as many have said, but also the waist seam comes around my midriff and either digs in when I raise my arms or ends up bunched up under my bust!
I rely on separates; I buy packs of 3 men's T-shirt style vests from Matalan and have put my own choice of motif on some by printing on to transfer paper and ironing it on. They are good, thick cotton and have lasted really well.

Perhaps we just have to embrace the wrinkled décolletage, bingo wings and less than taut abdomen ladies?

I share your frustration. My bug bear is the clingy, stretchy, thin (and cheap) fabric so many t shirts and tops are made of. This has been going on for some time now. They are one step away from the dreaded bri-nylon. They hang dreadfully, show every lump and bump, make me sticky and sweaty and flatter only the stick thin. Even the slimmest girls seem to have back-fat when wearing these clingy cheap-looking abominations!

Oh for a bit of decent tailoring and quality material. I too loathe sequins, slogans, polyester, cutesy animals or any unnecessary embellishment. How I long for a decent 100% cotton, well cut, well made T shirt that doesn't cost a king's ransom.

I bought a pair of patterned trousers this year, was quite pleased they had come back into fashion ( I had about four pairs in the late 80’s) and luckily had 3 plain tops ( had them for a while) which went with them, not t shirts though, as I don’t like them.It really was lucky that I had these tops though, as others have said, apart from tees, there are hardly any plain tops /shirts about.
You would have thought that fact may have registered when the buyers for the stores decided to stock patterned trousers!

Someone could make their fortune catering for our fashion needs. I like some of the lovely fashion ideas on this site but many don’t suit me. I am 5’ 7” and slim so you’d think it would be easy. But no. Big floaty styles emphasise my scragginess and long flowing garments look ridiculous. I can’t wear synthetic fabrics so than cuts out the majority of clothes. I have to buy in sales to keep costs down & have to look in charity shops as I can’t
afford to pay £50 for a summer top or £89 for a dress. I have to be careful not to wear things which are too young or too short. So it’s become a game to find clothes - I sometimes get lucky in Sainsbury’s. M&S can’t even do good tee shirts any more, sigh. The better quality ones are baggy & horrible. I don’t wear linen because I like to look groomed. Moan over.
Helping with the grandkids means I wear jeans most of the time with shirts it tees or denim skirts if it’s warm. Oh for simple cotton skirts or dresses, non floaty! Oh & Boden is too expensive, I looked. That’s the trouble with wanting to buy nice things on a limited budget.

I haven't been able to find any summer skirts or dresses in nice fabric or style so I got my old sewing machine out and revived my dressmaking skills. Summer skirts are dead easy, dresses do take longer to get a nice fit, but I can get exactly what I want. Finding the fabric is not easy, although plenty offered online but you need to get a sample sent.

You can get a personal style edit online at John Lewis
www.johnlewis.com/women/personal-style-edit

Did anyone see the programme on Ch5 last evening re 'What's become of M&S?' (or something like that), presented by Fiona Phillips. Amongst other issues, one seemed to be that they are trying to be all things to all people and not succeeding.

One remark struck me though, that they didn't want to be regarded as 'catering for the over 50s'.

So what's the matter with us? Why wouldn't a national chain with a hitherto good reputation for quality and price, not want to be seen catering for 'the over 50s'?

After all, the ages between 20 and 50 span 30 years. Whereas between 50 and 90 there are forty years and potentially more disposable income.

No wonder the high street retailers are going to the wall!

Janeainsworth - I think we know by now what suits us, the problem is that there is nothing out there. Personally, I want nice shift dresses / pinafores that are not too figure hugging, round neck and knee length with nice deep patch pockets that I can wear a half sleeve tee shirt or a lightweight cardigan with to hide upper arms and the list goes on... asking for the moon? ??

Blinko the M&S show also concentrated on various marketing strategies rather than admitting that, whatever age you are, their clothes are awful.
I did find a white linen mix shirt/tunic in the sale which was lovely and plain (even DH approved) it's two sizes too big, but on a hot day the extra floatiness is a bonus.