Out of fashion or sensible?

I've been massively underwhelmed with M&S and Next for quite a while, so can't see that I'll make a beeline for stock that's a year out of date.

Having said that, I sympathise with them. It's a horrific time for retailers.

I was talking to a neighbour this morning (socially distanced) and she was enthusing about my "lovely clothes" - mostly M&S and all at least 4 years old! I think I just hang on to anything that suits me and wear it till it falls apart. Of course if the shops tried to sell their summer clothes now it would mean that we could actually buy summer clothes when we need them instead of having to start planning before Easter.

i see no reason to buy more clothes when i already have some to wear.
perhaps this interruption in play will make some people stop and think before they continue wasting money and attention.

I have a wardrobe full of clothes of varying ages.
I have decided not to buy anymore until these wear out.
I hardly go out apart from now when we can't.
At over 80 I may never go out again? so why pay for new clothes.
I am happy with what I have.

Oh Annsixty I was just about to post exactly what you have just said !

The tee shirt I am wearing is a Maine one from Debenhams.
I have photos wearing it when we went to meet first grandson in Australia when he was two months old.
He is 18 later this year.

A little hole has developed in the back, but I figure no one will notice it during lockdown.

I have other clothes of a similar vintage. I feel something I bought five years ago is still quite new.

????

I probably buy more swimsuits than anything else, not at the moment obviously.

?

Oh dear. I’m afraid I could shop every day but generally not M&S except for jimjams and lingerie. I’m still shopping but there is less around and usually in sizes XS or XL. All the medium seemed to have vanished.

Buying clothes is not a priority for me, I have loads here and since I’m not going anywhere I see no point in wasting money buying more,

I'm very heartened by these posts. I do hope there is a fall
in consumerism. I hope we can learn from this crisis and live more sustainably. Longing for a greener outcome. Sorry if that sounds pious...

Will we even notice - M&S ‘fashion’ has been dire for years, Next clothes (apart from smart workware) is expensive and bad-quality, and Debenhams is unlikely to survive anyway.

Fashion is not something that concerns me. Never much did really. For most of my life I've lived in jeans and t shirts from the 60s onwards. Still do. Never goes out of style.

Disgruntled I agree with you entirely! I'm on a low income so only very occasionally buy new clothes, perhaps for a special occasion or if I see something I really like in the sales. Most of my clothing is many years old and I often add embellishments to old items to cover up the odd hole that may appear. I splashed bleach on a top many years ago and embroidered a flower over it. As I put weight on it was consigned to the back of the wardrobe, but having lost some of the weight I wore it again last year and it received a few compliments. It must be about 20 years old!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I've found a pair of M&S linen trousers which seem to be one pair which haven't shrunk during lockdown. They must be 15 years old and have by-passed the trend for tight legged trousers and come back into fashion again.

I agree up to a point, Disgruntled, unfortunately that also means many more job losses in retail and manufacturing.

Am I the only person who thinks "fashion" is a word that never should have been invented. Every year, sometimes more than annually, we have 'experts' who predict fashion trends and colours but it's just to get us to pay them to keep doing it. Really, all it does is get us to spend more money than we need on stuff we don't need. Like many posters here, I wear some clothes out. Most of my clothes are more classic styles that don't date too badly but i do buy occasional 'fashion' items for something special. 'Fashion' also has some people wearing things that just don't suit them, am thinking leggings, skinny jeans. My daughter (37), petite, loves fashion and has a bulging wardrobe but being furloughed is actually using the time to clear out items she hardly wears. But she still won't part with M&S pyjamas age 11-12 that she can still wear.

The words 'fashion' and 'M&S' don't really go together, I think. I always used to think that their clothes were for "old" people and even though I'm quite old now, I still feel the same! For anything a bit cheap and cheery I prefer Zara. But it's a good idea to store clothes that hadn't even hit the shops and bring them out next year. It's not as if anyone's seen them yet.

me too Aggie and Annsixty

just got my summer clothes out of the ottoman, and put my winter jumpers in there..

I think M&S will miss us oldies...

and Bridie54,, I have frequently asked at various retailers shops..
who decides what we shall wear,,, the buyers, or the manufacturers.. ie.. Chinese, Korean etc.??? can`t get much without a HOOD,, ie. dressing gowns and casual jackets.
and the quality of the material!!

the winter jumpers are so thin, no point, might just as well carry on wearing summer clothes

The stores will have their autumn ranges all ready to go. There won't be enough time to sell all the summer stock hence the holding back. Even on line suppliers will have masses of stock as people just haven't been buying clothing. It's children who will need clothing as tge grow so quickly and of course footwear. For myself I won't be buying anything new as I won't be anywhere to need it.

I see there is much comment about M&S. Well at least you have one not far from you.

I live near a West country sea-side town where, in their wisdom, M&S closed down their well used store in favour of one a little further south. The 'footfall' in this store was greater than that of their large City store some 20+ miles north. So, all the older population of the town suddenly had nowhere to shop for clothes and food and to meet up with their friends.
Travelling to the City store is difficult for the majority and out of the question for the rest.
Ditto the one to the south.
Have not figured out why this was allowed to happen in a town where a third of the population is over 65yrs. Crazy.
Hope they are regretting the decision.

disgruntled I agree as well. I'm hoping that this crisis will see a change in excessive consumerism.

Separates can be used in many wild and wonderful ways to make them look fresh and up to date. I am a for people having their own style anyway rather than one a shop designates. Oh well we'll done the mentioned shops for recycling this year's clothes next year. What the hell do people expect them to do with them anyway?

Was that the Scotch Wool Shop in the King’s Road, JillyBird? If so, I probably sold you that black polo neck.

I only go clothes shopping when I actually need something, I will replace some t-shirts & tops also some new cropped trousers/knee length shorts when I see something I like.

I still like M&S but not Next (too expensive), I'm also fond of Cotton Traders & George at ASDA