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    • #397710
      Anonymous

      UK girls.For those of you who buy your ladies clothes instore in our High Street’s and Shopping centres what has been your experience of the quality of clothes and the range on offer in recent years? My wife and I are 56 and 60  have mostly shopped at M&S or Bon Marche.M& S used to be great at one time but we feel it’s gone somewhat downhill in recent times.Some of the skkrts,tops,knitwear are realy nice but a lot of the dresses look like something worn by Hinge And Bracket.Others are just plain tasteless.One of tge saving graces is that they still have a very good range of tights/ pantyhose.Much better than the House Of Fraser or Debenhams,their range has reduced dramitically in over the years.

      Our most favourable expeerience as been at Bon Marche.Very good choice of skirts,tops,blouses for us mature ladies and not at all frumpy.We are not to keen on the dresses.

      I want to be inclusive of the younger ladies in the 20’s,30’s,40’s age range on here.Where do you shop for your femme clothes instore and what are your thoughts on

      Want to add that we haven’t done a lot of shopping in ladies stores during the pandemic so not sure of current state of play.Although,I am sad to learn that the Bon Marche chain is closing down.

    • #397740
      Siobhan
      Lady

      Not been in a brick store to buy clothes for myself yet, and I only came out recently.

      My wife likes Mistral which is a local clothing company to here, and has a few stores.

      Her favourite clothing stores are Mistral, Levi and Ecco.

      I have recently bought online though from New Look, Dorothy Perkins, M&S, and Debenhams which all have a High Street presence.

      I am afraid that none of the household have been in a store, except a pharmacy, since February.

       

    • #397757

      Hello Roberta,                      I to like to shop in bricks & mortar shops as you call them. I agree with you that M&S has gone down hill, & I only shop there occasonally. I use Matalan a lot more now, also Primark & Asda, maybe not as good quality as M&S [well as they used to be] but they are a lot cheaper & still quite good quality. I do buy some of my dresses from Amazon [online] & they are very nice, usually have to get one size larger than your own size. I to am 60+  but I find the styles in these shops are very nice, the skirts/tops/etc are fine for me, so give them a try, I am sure you will like them . The stores are all geared up for social distancing/etc, so be brave & go out & buy some clothes.   love,  Helenmarie

    • #397764
      Anonymous

      Hi Roberta

      You can usually find me hanging off a sale rail somewhere in town, be it Tesco’s or Asda…..but we do have some small independent boutique type shops in town. Although they can be more expensive, you do seem to get more exclusive stuff….and they have sale rails too, yay!!…..I do see what you mean about hinge and bracket styles at M&S….

      love it or hate it, Primark sell very pretty things.

      I might add a lot of my shopping is on hold due to the pandemic….

      Huggs, grace x

    • #397774

      Hi Roberta

      I much prefer to buy in store than online.

      I feel you get a much better idea of quality by being able to feel and examine an item up close. The feel of the fabric, the thickness, of their is any ‘give’  the stitching, length, even sometimes smell!!!I am now totally comfortable doing this.

      If I have the time I love just to trawl through stores, and will visit many different stores. Great bargains and sometimes the quality is OK from inexpensive places like Primark or Asda. Will also visit more expensive places ( especially when sales are on)?where the quality is usually better but you pay for it, good for classic pieces which just make you feel ‘special’ when you wear it.

      And all places in between, from younger people’s stores, New Look, Hollister, Superdry, Jack Wills, through stores aged more at people in 30s 40s, Zara, Next, Oasis, to those perhaps looking for a more mature look, M&S, Debenhams, John Lewis etc.

      Love em all, and love to trawl🤣

      ❤️B

      ps my latest purchase was from Sainsburys🤣25% all clothing at the moment. Saw dungarees, in my size, but the legs were turned up on the display. I have long legs, and the feeling on joy in me just grew and grew as I uncurled the legs on the size 8, they just kept getting longer and longer, grabbed them and couldn’t wait to get home. Have to extend the shoulder straps fully but they fit❤️So cute with a tee shirt. Or even look like jeans if I put a sweater over them. And perhaps an addition to my androgynous wardrobe. Can a man in the UK wear fashionable dungarees out socialising?  not as a tradesman, painting/decorating! I used to worry about looking ‘gay’, but Im over that mental barrier, Im not, but don’t really care if strangers think I am if I wear dungarees.

      Good quality, just over £20, love them.

      ❤️B

    • #397795
      Siobhan
      Lady

      M&S isn’t what it used to be, OK I might have jeggings and jeans from there but that is it.

      Apart from a few tops from their Indigo collection from a few years back.  I remember seeing it in store when I was shopping with my wife before, and picked up a few on ebay recently.  She asked how I knew about them, and said that maybe I liked them and had been looking at them when I was clothes shopping with her before. 😉

      My wife used to buy quite a bit from there, especially per una, but it’s all a bit off these days.

      I am 50 and she is errr, maybe just over a decade older than me

       

       

    • #397847
      Anonymous

      JD William’s, Debenhams, John Lewis, primark, yes even Tesco, (although I have a feeling someone is stalking me round Tesco………. Is that you Grace?) M&S, Matalan, TK Max, Next, New Look, many many more,in store and on line too.

    • #397920
      Bee Dee
      Lady

      Hi, well so far I’ve bought most of my lingerie from M&S, mostly in store but also online. I also go on ebay to buy (only new with tags, M&S) lingerie. I love their fabrics and design but I’ve bought a few from Next and Matalan. It’s about look and feel vs comfort and how I think everything will hold together for me. The more sexy the better but those other considerations are important to me. Never had any issues with quality from any shop or seller. As for other clothes, I’ve bought a couple of lovely soft tops, one light grey with a seam down the middle and the other is a wide necked mustard with chrome buttons down the right side from M&Co and a grey knee length denim skirt which I love wearing. I have a black faulx leather knee length skirt from Next which is stretchy and I love that too. I generally prefer shopping in store for woman’s wear, its so embarrassing having to take things back if they don’t fit. I’d rather make sure in the first place that I have a good fit and that I like the materials, (I’m a red head so I have sensitive skin) I can’t wear wool products for example. I’ve never had a bad shopping experience yet and generally find the women who have served have been fantastic in all these stores. I have shopped at charity shops and found some lovely things for such low prices. In My pofile pic I’m wearing my new (to me) cream & black floral print swing dress I got last week. I’ve  saved lots of money so far. I have 3 dresses for ladies nights out (hopefully) at some point, all black that I adore but don’t get a chance to wear much, I need to be able to change quickly. Quality? Well, is probably as good in Matalan as M&CO, which is pretty good so far but I think they are pretty cheap compared to say M&S or Monsoon. I’m going to expand my female attire slowly but I really, really need some shoes!

      Take care, Bee.

    • #397984

      Hi Roberta,

      Like most of the ladies I will always be looking for a bargain at any of the supermarkets, but will stick with M and S for lingerie and tights. I would agree that the choice in clothes has become more disappointing in the past couple of years.

      I love Next, but also have a few dresses from White Stuff and Seasalt, just like the colours and styles they offer.

      Jessica x

    • #397990
      Angela Booth
      Hostess

      I am post 60. I feel the same about M&S. It seems to have lost its way with fashions but I still pop in there and have a look as they do sell some nice items. Sale time or the sale rail can throw up some good bargains.

      I actually worked in Bonne Marche for a short while. They had a good customer base which were ladies 60 upwards and catered for the larger sizes. For me the bulk of the clothes had no appeal but they did have some gems among the stock which were well made and,for me, fashionable. I did see the writing on the wall and left.

      In general I do most of my shopping in store.  I have bought from all the major stores as they have a good selection. Primark does have some really good clothes at amazing prices. I will have a wander in some of the smaller clothes stores and found some good items. Apricot and M&Co are places I have bought a few things over the years. Sainsburys is one to watch. The sale rail is phenomenal. I go there for food shopping and the times I have seen 50% off on some lovely clothes.

      The shop I go to for bras are Matalan or Primark. M&S for hoisery and panties.

      I still do buy the occasional item online which is usually things I cannot find in my local shops. You have to know your exact size and not buy without the seller putting a size chart with the goods. With that in mind I have found that there are shops that sell what I call ‘True’ sizes and those that are different. It pays to know your measurements and take a measure with you to size things up. I am a 14 in dresses but will double check before purchasing so I do not have the faff of returns.

      Nowadays charity shops are not as good value as they once were but I will say that I have got some incredible bargains with shoes and boots.

      In general we are spoiled for choice and value. I do love clothes shopping and have one condition when making a purchase – It must be worn. I have a busy wardrobe but among all of the clothes are things that I have had for quite some while. This summer I was wearing dresses that I have had for more than five years. The labels are from George at Asda, Bon Marche and T.U. at Sainsburys. Very well made dresses at a good price.

      Truth is I just love shopping!

       

       

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