What are the best wearing and best value clothing items around these days??

blue_monkey_2

Well, it all sounds a bit sad but I've been looking through the shops for the last few weeks and I haven't a clue what I should be wearing. Having lost some weight for the first time in a long time I now don't have to wear baggy oversized stuff to hide all my lumpy bits but now I can't find anything to wear as the fashion seems to be baggy. All my other stuff is too big so I have to get some other bits to wear but I want stuff that is going to last but not break the bank.

I can't afford to spend £100's on clothes so this prompted me to ask, what is the cheapest, best wearing and best quality clothes around at the moment for the money you pay. I don't do the Primark thing, I don't want throwaway fashion for a few quid that you have to dump after a few wears but I don't want to spend £12 on a sweater that is going to go bobbly after a few washes and wear - that is so annoying. These have to last me every day, I am a housewife and I have young kids so they have to be tough wearing. I've bought t-shirts from Pilot and where I cook and wash up they have holes in the front where it rubs on the worksurface and now they have to be binned, what a waste of money. I have tried car boot sales and can't really find anything cheap so I know I have to resort to the shops. I am looking on eBay but so many things to choose from. But, what to wear??

I can't wear shirts that are button down front due to having large (ahem ) assets that get in the way and make the buttons pop open (and yes, I sat through an interview like this without realising and got the job!! :rotfl: ), this means i have to wear baggy shirts and tops and I want to move away from this and look nice for a change. I don't want to feel like I am in maternity clothes again!! I don't want to look like Jordan and have them in your face, just something that gives a nice fit.

Any pointers for someone who is the wrong side of 30 (ha ha, don't want to embarrass the kids) but I still want to look like I have some fashion sense. I don't go into town to shop for myself so online would be better but am going to start from scratch and at least I will have something to look for when I go into town.

Please help..... I am sure I am not the only one with this problem. It would be nice to have a thread people can add to when they find something that is great value and quality so that everyone can enjoy it.

Thanks.

jammiev

you can't beat george at asda for good quality and price. all clothes made here in the uk!

lindseykim13

primark are great and so is next, i wont buy from anywhere else now as the clothes dont last. some peopel dont like primark but i find having 2 kids my clothes dont last long anyway i would rather have a 5quid top ruined than a 15quid one.

FloFlo

Next clearance stores prices start from around £2.

shopndrop

Tesco, Asda or M & S in the sale. A good fitting bra is essential if you are larger on top and can make any top look good.

3dsmills

Hi, well done on the weight loss!

I'd agree, George at Asda are really good value, Next sales and clearance stores are good, TK Maxx is ok if you don't mind a rummage, Hennes (grown up bit in H&M) have some lovely things, all reasonably priced.

I'd avoid Primark if you don't want throw away fashion, it's good value but doesn't last long!

3dsmills

I just thought of somewhere else - Therapy in House of Fraser, I think it's HoF's own brand, I buy loads of their clothes, wouldn't say they're cheap but good value and last forever! For basics try GAP in the sale, for too expensive for what you get if you pay full price but they do reduce stock quite heavily. Hope this helps! Happy shopping!

gunsandbanjos

Personally i like TK Maxx, you get really nice, good quality, often brand names for a fraction of the retail price.
My best bargain was an Earl jacket, reduced from £170:eek: , to £15:j

jazzyjustlaw

I have large assets and cannot wear button up blouses, I buy them without buttons in next and they have some short sleeve tops which have v necks not to low which are good for disguising large assets. I had been buying long sleeve sweaters with a sligh v neck not too low from Top Shop for three years, have about 10 of them but they only so long and cost 12 each. However, I found better quality ones a Primark and they seem to be lasting longer, I bought 3 for 3 quid each. I have a t shirt from them which has so far lasted about 3 years! Anyway we'll see. I go to Next, and Primark and next on my list is M and S which I m afraid (Im 35 ) I find too old for me. I would love to be their clothes buyer I would sort them out lol!!

blue_monkey_2

Thanks everyone, I actually have my own lingerie business so getting the underwear (especially in the larger sizes these days) is not the problem and I have way tooooo much of it in all honesty, it is finding something to go over the underwear I have been having problems with, LOL. I don't what to hide them in polo necks or show them off with deep plunging necklines for the school run - just find a happy medium. I am happy (ish) with the way I look for the first time in a long, long time and just wanted something to make me look nice instead of frumpy.

I went to Braintree Freeport yesterday and could not find anything at all, I went into Next Clearance and found some great bits but could not try them on which ideally I need to do, I ended up trying them on in the shop over my t-shirt (thank god I did, some just were an awful fit) but the whole free-for-all just drove me nuts. I have asked my husband to look after the kids next weekend while I go out for the day and hit TK Maxx and have a look as my wardrobe is a little desparate now. Way back when it first opened I did shop at Primark but the quality was rubbish, I bought vests for the kids which shrunk in the first wash, sweaters which were cheap but lasted just a few wears, skirts which came undone or twisted in the wash, little sequins that came off in the first wash and then I thought I might as well pay double the price for stuff that lasted much,, much longer. Because of the bust issue things kind of rub on my front a lot and then everything bobbles. I did find a sweater in Asda a couple of weeks back but just one and that was £8. It feels lovely and soft and has been OK to wear so far, perfect for autumn but there was not much in the way of other colours. Everything was still quite baggy or was shirts which was what I was trying to get away from. I think I am going to have a look on Debenhams and see if I can find anything left.

We don't have much in the way of big stores here and I don't get time to go into London or Cambridge, we just have BHS (which I never, ever go in - should I) River Island, Outfit and New Look - that is about all. I have looked in Tesco and can't find anything I like, I looked in M&S and way too expensive for me (£15 for a belt, ouch, I was looking for trousers as well for that price!!). This is what prompted me to ask everyone here their thoughts on stuff to buy that was decent quality but for a decent price.

I do love Next and the clothes last forever (they don't go out of shape or stretch and the tops for my kids usually last the full year) but when you get onto the site for the sale everything decent has gone and while I have the directory some of the tops are around £20-£35 which I really cannot afford right now. I think that looks nice and look for the price and then think, oh, maybe not.

Thanks for your thoughts and your veiws though, they are much appreciated.

annie-c

Hello!

Well done on the weight loss! Having lost weight myself I think I know how you're feeling - a whole new world of clothes is out there for you... if only you can find them!!!

To be honest, I think that although we can point you in the right direction with shops, the key to finding clothes that make you look good will be in working out what colours and styles best suit you as an individual. That will depend on your current height, weight, body shape, colouring and personality and lifestyle.....

Now I don't suggest that you go into that much personal detail here, but I do recommend getting some books from the library to help you start thinking about it. I like the Trinny and Susannah books (whatever you think about them as people, the books have great photos and will help you see how the same clothes look completely different on different women. I also love the Colour Me beautiful book on fashion. You could probably get them all at your local library, or chepaly online if you wanted to splash out.

Some brief tips:

For an ample bust I would suggest v neck tops, but ones that are not too plunging. I have some from George at Asda. Even better are ones at Tesco for the same price £8, in a really soft 'wool' or whatever it is for that price!

As for Primark, they have come a long way since they first opened but they do still sell a lot of tat! I would personally go on a weekday or evening if you can, or first thing on a Saturday when they open, as it will be much quieter. We have quite a large store in my town, but I never expect to find more than 6 things to try on, probably 1 or 2 of which will fit well! However those 1 or 2 things will be absolute gems! In particular I have liked, over the years, their casual trousers, linen suit items and a few of their v neck jumpers. I also think they do a great range of cheap jewellery, tights and accesories. At a couple of pounds an item accesories and jewellery are good to experiment with and make your staple wardrobe items more attractive.

Marks and Spencers are another good place for basics. They have an 'outstanding value' range of clothes, including good quality jumpers at £9.50 and jeans under £20.

I also like Debenhams. Something I haven't yet done, but you might wnt to consider is having a Personal Shopper, which you can book for free, who will help pick out clothes to suit you. There is no obligation to buy and so if you went shopping without your wallet then there would be no risk!

My top tip, in general is don't do the bulk of your shopping in the cheap shops - use them for little tops etc to add to your main wardrobe - and buy mainly from good shops, but at sale time. I love designer outlets which tend to be high street rather than designer but sell NEXT, M & S bargains all year round....

Good luck with all this!!!

Annie xxx