a fashion disaster

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

i REALLY need some help.

My whole wardrobe consists of:

x3 pairs of Jeans
a million different coloured tank tops
x2 "smart" tops
x2 cardigans
a few hoodies
and only 1 dress

I'm 25 and MY MUM wears the same clothes as me - ITS EMBARRASING!

I've lost a lot of weight and now am a size 12/14 (depending on store)

Not alot of money (wedding to plan for)

Legs / arms fine - bit of a belly (sit ups i know!) am 5ft7 so dont really like wearing heels

So . . .

I need a store - with a decent advisor - which isnt going to break my bank balance

Any ideas?

(P.S - im in east midlands)

THANKS!

jenniewb

I'd go with the store advisor idea- I love seeing a store advisor and I consider myself to have decent dress style. I like to hear other peoples ideas and points of view, if I could, I'd visit several and get several ideas going.

Store advisors themseleves come free with the purchase (or in some cases even if you don't purchase). Dependant on what your looking for: dressing for your size/shape, dressing for a certain style (trend) or dressing for a special occasion, you get different ideas.

You don't say how old you are? if I had money to spend on clothes I'd hit a few stores.
Topshop is great for new trends and trying on things with the focus of a stylist who knows whats in/going to be in and also what suits your style.
House of Fraiser, Debenhams, Selfridges, John Lewis and similar have a huge range of style and price ranges, great if your stuck with a budget as you can try on loads of differently priced things, know exactly waht workd and then see if the highstreet/rest of the shop offer something more affordable.

I am sure there are many other stores around which offer the service, if you can, take a look, get some iconic or very well cut items then get the rest form primark- but be aware that with many stores, you do get what you pay for, with primark stuff gets chucked away as it falls apart or loses its shape. This doesn't seem to happen with the pricier things- atleast not the ones I own anyway!

McKneff

and dont take your mum with you. She might take on a new lease of life and buy just what you buy and you'll be back to square one.:rotfl:

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

I'm 25 (i did put it somewhere in origional post)

I usually shop at Next but they have this thing where you can rate the clothes online and all the stuff i have brought have comments from people in their 40s (no offence anyone over 40!)

I did get a couple of jumpers from Jane Norman but they fell to bits so was fuming and now avoid the place at all costs and i refuse point blank to shop in primark (my mum likes it there, but when i went in with her once the sales assistant was talking to her colleague about her sex life whilst serving me so i threw the items on the counter and stormed off lol)

I have a Mac coat from Red Herring which i like but trying to find a sales assistant in debenhams in town is like trying to find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

I think a Department Store is the way to go - I hear Leeds is good for shopping. Do you know if the shopping Centres have assistants or where i can find out? Im near Nottingham but never go there shopping

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

McKneff wrote: »

and dont take your mum with you. She might take on a new lease of life and buy just what you buy and you'll be back to square one.:rotfl:

lol I'm lucky my mums quite short and im tall otherwise id REALLY be screwed

None of my friends are what i would call "trendy" apart from one who is a size 6 and shops in places who think a size 12 is XL!!

FairyShazza

Most large Debenhams stores have a personal shopper available. It costs nothing to see one and I don't think there is a mimum purchase amount either. If you are really thinking of having a style overhaul I would totally recommend it as they will pick out different stuff that you may not have even tried. I would definitely try and save up a bit of money before you go in case you do want to buy anything.

I've been saving a likttle each month and once I get a good amount together I'm going to be doing the same thing.

You can find out more about the Debehams personal shoppers here

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_10001_10001_60614_-1

You'll find most large stores (John Lewis / House of Fraser) should also offer a similar service

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

how much do you think i am going to need to get a decent "summer" wardrobe?

We're getting married in June and are saving for that (£500 each month) which we are managing fine - That doesnt include any over time which my OH is getting - We arent going on honeymoon so this is my treat (his treat is the stag nght in Poland - my hen night is local!)

I dont need any "work" outfits - my office is strictly Jeans unless we have clients in which isnt very often

Thanks so much every one x

VfM4meplse

Have a quick browse at DP, they have a good tall section for us long-legged lovelies and are v inexpensive.

The otherday someone complimented my figure and I guess thats because I often wear heels. I hate tottering in uncomfortable stillettos but some thick heeled boots do the trick, an extra 3 inches can be very slimming.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Have a quick browse at DP, they have a good tall section for us long-legged lovelies and are v inexpensive.

The otherday someone complimented my figure and I guess thats because I often wear heels. I hate tottering in uncomfortable stillettos but some thick heeled boots do the trick, an extra 3 inches can be very slimming.

Unfortunatley all my friends (and OH) are shorter than me and i always think i look ridiculous stood towering over them :rotfl:

FairyShazza

It really depends how much stuff you need. You say you've lost a lot of weight so does this mean that you are needing to replace a lot of items in your wardrobe?

Personally I;d say if you need to replace a lot then maybe go in with a budget of say £250 and see how you get on. You could always get the main pieces (trousers, skirts, dresses etc) from Debenhams and then get things like plain T shirts, vest tops to go with them from cheaper places although remember the cheaper the place the more likely it will be you'll probably have to replace it more quickly.

I think one of the good things about a personal shopper is that they can suggest styles, shapes etc that normally you wouldn't even look twice at when you see it on the rail. Once you know what styles and shapes suit you then you can start looking for stuff elsewhere along the same lines.

If you have a lot of clothes that don't fit you then you could always set yourself a challenge of selling them on Ebay and then using any money you may for buying new stuff. Thats another thing I've been doing

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

I've lost 3 stone and have put holes in belts to keep my trousers up lol its not good! I dont OWN any skirts - I couldnt even tell you the last time i wore one TBH - as for the dress i own - i brought it to attend a wedding and that is the only time ive worn it. The only colours i wear are Black, White, Red and Green. Would be nice to have a rainbow of a wardrobe.

I've sent an email to debenbhams/House of Fraser and John Lewis to get an appointment so thank you FairyShazza