Over 45's, cheaper clothes help please

Dawning

I have recently had another birthday, I'm nearly 50, and I realised I don't have a clue how to dress any more. Especially on a tight budget.

So, ladies over 45, where do you tend to shop for your clothes? Or if you're a lot younger but you have a mum who is around my age and she looks good, where does she shop?

I dont even know where to start to try to build a style that's my own and doesn't make me look like Hilda Ogden on a bad day. Or even worse, the dreaded 'mutton dressed as lamb'......I've fallen into the 'throw on a pair of jeans and a v neck jumper' trap...and I am bored and definitely not making the most of myself.

I'm a size 18, (but trying to lose weight), pear shaped,5'3". When I'm slimmer I usually wear the Petite ranges but most of them seem to stop at a size 16 so they don't fit me now.
I don't know where to start...I'm aware that spring will soon be here and I just want to boost my image a bit. But money is very tight just now.
I have never been to Primark, the nearest is a good 45 minute train ride away, but if they sell clothes my size and 'suitable' for a woman my age, I'd be happy to go and have a look.
Any suggestions are most welcome!

ellay864

I'm 46 and I avoid Primark mainly as I can't be doing with the busy-ness! I regularly use Dorothy Perkins or New Look for casual tops, tunic style tops hide a multitude of sins! DP are also good for skirts too - I have quite a few longer skirts that look great with boots and a jumper top. Monsoon is another favourite of mine. I see you're in Cheshire like me...if you can get to Cheshire Oaks you might bag some bargains there. Sadly their Monsoon outlet has now gone but they have East which is a great shop with a lot of longer dresses and skirts and some great colours. There's also an M&S outlet there - I recently got a Per Una dress for £20 instead of £45. Don't think that life after 45 means twin set and pearls - there's plenty of fun stuff that us ladies of a certain age can wear. Teaming up classic trousers or skirts with nice coloured, patterned or textured tops means you can still be a bit funky without looking inappropriate. I also hate the idea of mutton dressed as lamb but I refuse to dress like my mum!!

horsechestnut

Apart from very trendy clothes, the biggest difference between Mutton and Lamb is usually wearing things too tight, too low or too short.
M&S do a range called Portfolio which also offer a petite range which may be worth a look.
Avoid M&S's Classic range; the style and shape is far too old for the under 80's!
I second going to Cheshire Oaks; now is a good time as they are clearing things at the very end of the sales. (I always take a packed lunch with me as the food outlets are very tempting and expensive!).

chocomonsta

Hi

I have recently been buying online from Yours clothing, their clothes seem true to size and each garment has reviews from ladies who have already bought it.

They seem to do lots of sales and their clothing is at very reasonable prices. I am a size 18 too:(
The only downside is you do have to pay postage for returns, but as yet I have not returned anything.

x

ellay864

horsechestnut wrote: »

I second going to Cheshire Oaks; now is a good time as they are clearing things at the very end of the sales. (I always take a packed lunch with me as the food outlets are very tempting and expensive!).

Think I need to do that...what I save on the clothes I'm sure I spend on pancakes :rotfl:

leoetal19

hi
you need to look at what you have already that suits you, styles, colours lengths etc and use them to build a wardrobe on
good classics are the best to build on
ie a fab little black dress that can be worn everyday with pumps or heels or dressed up with high heels and a pendant for the vening-wrap round or shift styles can be good depending on your shape and prefernce-but wraps are usually good and can be latered over things-lacy top for night, t shirt for days, leggeings, even your trusty jeans!
then a white shirt-can be great with the jeans, or under the black dress whichis trendy these days!
and black pants-with the shirt under the dress etc
a black jacket completes this foursome-you now have a suit, dress and jacket, wear jeans, white shirt, black jacket etc
then a classic style mac-beige is good here, beleted waist goes with everhting, roll sleeves up for the a casual twist, covers so many sins too
and a long 'boyfriend' cardigan is great-i have them in black, red, grey-look greta over most things, hide sins, trendy, warm etc
with your jeans and some t shirts for colour etc just add in some tunics and leggings-great verstaile peices, flat ballet pumps and heels
long flowing skirts can be very unforgiving, espcially if your short so go easy with these
as for where-lots of good places listed above but he vast % of my wardrobe is from charity shops-just go often, look outside your size-i am a 16-18 and have form 14-22 in sizse that i wear-its the fit not the label you want to look for
then theres the 'moda' range at asda-like per una and cheaper, and they also do great wrap dresses and long cardis-ditton tesco, sainsburys etc
good luck x

maman

horsechestnut wrote: »

Avoid M&S's Classic range; the style and shape is far too old for the under 80's!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:I said to my SIL years ago that if she ever caught me wearing those hideous, synthetic, checky elasticated trousers then shoot me!

Dawning, I would say first that you are very, very young to be worrying that your clothes may be too young for you!

I'd recommend taking a good look at people you see in the street, on trains, buses etc and deciding what you think looks good. Magazines and catalogues are a good idea too, you can always adapt styles to suit you. For instance, I like the jumper dresses that were about this winter but wear them with black trousers or jeans because I'm too old for leggings. I think opaque tights with pumps or heels look good. Scarves can make very basic trousers and top look more up to the minute. I'm not a fan of costume jewellery but there is lots around (Primark especially) that can update classic clothes. There is a section in Matalan called Be Beau which has some quite nice things but you need to shop around and try things on! Lovely idea for a thread btw. Thanks.

BitterAndTwisted

horsechestnut wrote: »

Apart from very trendy clothes, the biggest difference between Mutton and Lamb is usually wearing things too tight, too low or too short.

Never was a truer word spoken. Bravo! As an over-50 person myself I would also add too much flesh on show in general. Muffin-tops and bingo-wings are bad enough on the young but on a middle-aged woman they should attract a custodial sentence. I don't even wear short sleeves any more or open-toed shoes but that might be a step too far for someone else.

Plus, regardless of what styles and colours are the current favourites, if they don't suit you just stay the hell away from them.

When you're of an age looking like you've tried too hard is more pathetic than looking like you haven't tried at all.

I don't always live up to it myself but I always try to think "stylish" rather than "sexy" when selecting clothes but old habits do die very hard

Dawning

Thanks to each of you, some good advice there.
I think I need to pull everything out of my wardrobe and go through it all piece by piece. I remember doing this years ago, only putting back stuff that still fits, and that I like. Otherwise I open the wardrobe door and it's stuffed full of things I can't wear for various reasons, so I end up just in the same old jeans and jumper!

belfastgirl23

Good idea to get rid of the stuff you don't wear.

I'd say also M&S are good for smart and stylish stuff. If you're worried about costs their sale is usually very good, well worth getting there on the first day to see if you can bag any bargains. It's usually pretty much 50% off which makes (especially per una) much more affordable.

If you're like me though your trouble is in workign out what suits you! Don't have a solution to this one either but I think the advice above about looking at other people is good.

geri1965_2

I'm 45 and about your shape, OP.

Forget Primark, it's rubbish.

I shop mainly at Debenhams or M&S - I typically wear jeans or trousers with a top, the style I favour at the moment are quite loose with a tie around the back. Have a look at their Casual Collection, Mantaray and John Rocha ranges. I very rarely buy items at full price, wait until they have a Blue Cross day or a sale.

Bon Marche occasionally have things in which are not too grannyish and I even buy clothes at Millets as they go up to a size 20.

Coats wise I would avoid anything belted as I think they empahise the fact that I am short and dumpy.