Buying Clothes for women over 50 is HELL

[Mari333]

I just started a job where I have to 'dress up' every night. I went shopping for clothes (something I hate to do, I hate shopping anyway), and there is NOTHING out there on the racks but Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton knock offs..some of the tops are the size of a hanky, and no woman I know over 50 wants her ass and midriff spilling out over her pants unless shes an ageing hooker.
I was lucky enough to find a specialty shop in town that had WOMENS clothes with some taste.
The largest demographic group in the nation is baby boomer women..yet the clothes on the racks are all about pre teen and teenager angst ..perky, make you want to punch someone in the face kind of clothes..
PS malls suck. When I walk into a mall all I see is the beginning of a landfill.

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Check out Dress Barn

I have had very good luck there.

[MissMillie]

4. I second Dress Barn

I was just recently turned on to them, and I have so far been able to find clothes I like and fit there.

[crispini]

2. Try Jjill.com

I think you'll like it. Nice stuff, although a bit spendy.

[Mari333]

3. thanks I will

I guess I dont get out much, and I was taken aback by the kiddie section that seemed to permeate all the stores I walked into..I took the salespeople aside and told them to tell their buyers how disappointed I was with the kiddie merchandise...=)

[Mistress Quickly]

8. I call them

hoochie mama clothes or cha cha clothes


TG I don't have a daughter who would be swept up in that craze to fit in!

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

5. Shopping for non-skanky clothes at a decent

budget is a hassle, regardless of age... It's even worse when you wear anything above size 16... the quality goes down inversely proportional to the size... the larger the size the crappier the clothes.

I do agree about the "skanky" factor out there... I see many young girls, including prepubescent girls, trying to outdo each other as the next Britney or Paris.

I'm no prude, but I believe you can be sexy and cover your body at the same time.

[Mari333]

12. agreed! whats with the styles

that I see many of the young gals I work with wearing? their pants are so tight if they sneeze they might explode..and the sweaters leave nothing to the imagination..then they top them off with high heeled boots..I swear to god if these kids stood on a street corner they would be mistaken for call girls.
add to that a perky nasal twang and you might as well throw good breeding out the window.
I wear a size 12 but I still wont buy whats out there. Its MTV clothes.

[likesmountains 52]

6. Chico's is also good for mature women. n/t

[Mistress Quickly]

7. Chico's is great eom

[ChickMagic]

10. I totally agree about Chico's

If you buy on sale you can get some pretty good deals. And the clothes are VERY comfortable.

[bleedingheart]

21. my favorite store and the sales can be great!!!

[Schema Thing]

9. I wouldn't know about that

All the women in my life over 50 are prostitutes }(

[Mari333]

16. Im going to tell your mom what you said

=)))

[Schema Thing]

20. Be careful!

She's got a bit of a chip on her shoulder about hoity-toity non-sex workers thinking they're better than her and all that. O8)

God, I'm going straight to hell for this little exchange, aint I?

[ewagner]

11. Try this;

<http://www.securerba.com/pclinks.process?catalog_id=2&ab=2>

They used to be known as The Casual Corner Group and Petite Sophisticate was one of their brands....I bought all my wife's business suits from this group and the styles were classic and prices were excellent.....

[jdots]

13. It is the same for men

age isn't the problem as much as which slave made junk do you buy ? The whole country is a mall with 7-11s linking them together.
Mix & match go half republican church lady and half M.T.V.

[kcwayne]

14. If you are into non-skanky, here are the cat's pajamas

The ultimate in non-skanky attire

[Mari333]

18. ACK! I could become a NUN and chuck it all

[kcwayne]

22. Or at least have a great Halloween costume!

[Mari333]

25. actually I did dress as a preachers wife one year

and won first prize. I carried a bible and told everyone they were going to HELL and wore a blonde giant wig and tons of makeup..I was terribly obnoxious, and wore a polyester suit replete with a giant cross around my neck..by the end of the night people wanted to sock me for preaching to them..it was fun.

[Beaverhausen]

39. LOL!!! Oh my god

that is hilarious!

[latebloomer]

41. ROFL!!

Where did you come up with this stuff? Thanks for the laugh.

[agingdem]

15. May be a bit pricey but...

check out Eileen Fisher and Sigrid Olsen labels...also, consider Chico's and Talbots.

[Tsiyu]

17. But don't you want to show off that belly button ring?

I like Coldwater Creek and some of the mailorder stores. JC Penney's isn't too bad. But I haven't been clothes shopping in a looooong time.

I'm not sure if I'd enjoy it or view it as torture.

[Mari333]

19. Thanks

my bellybutton hasnt seen the sun since my last birthing experience. As far as the world is concerned, I dont have one =))

[liontamer]

23. try TJ Max

or boltons. I think JC Penney and Sears also have a lot of more conservative clothes
on edit:
I forgot Ann Taylor

[bleedingheart]

24. Try being over 30 and find something that doesn't make you look dumb

...I know I am in my mid thirties...I don't want to dress like a teenager... I wanna look like a well dressed grown up.

[Mari333]

27. yep. I spoke with a 30 something yesterday

who had a hard time finding clothes that she wouldnt look stupid in..she was a single mom, on a tight budget. said she hated whats out there on the racks also...

[bleedingheart]

30. I am so "over" the trendy look...I want clothes that last for years

because I hate wasting money. I have found that I end up shopping at Chico's for clothes and while they are more trendy...their stuff can be worn for a while.

Talbots is a good standby...and their stuff rarely goes out of style...but I buy on sale only..

[tigereye]

43. not teen-like, but not boring either!

that is the difficulty. I really like Chico's but it can be a bit pricey. I usually get stuff on sale there unless it's a special occasion.

I just don't understand why there are not more interesting clothes for women over 30, over 40, what have you. There are certainly plenty of us with money to spend.

[Left Is Write]

42. I'm in my late thirties and I hope I don't look dumb.

Most of my wardrobe comes from Express and The Gap.

[RebelOne]

26. Do you have a Kohl's near you?

They have some great fashions and they aren't geared toward the teeny-bopper set.

[Mari333]

28. yes I checked out Kohls

they are better, a bit pricey, but I did find a few things there..
I think I will avoid the malls completely...but even the sweaters at Kohls only come to the waist..that seems to be the style..I have no idea who sets these styles..perhaps the designers, who design clothes for people who binge and purge as a daily habit or something..

[radwriter0555]

29. INVEST in your wardrobe. Spend $200 on a GOOD pair of nicely fitted

real trousers in a nuetral or black color. (Then take good care of them).

Invest then again in a WELL FITTED BLAZER.. Not a loose baggy shapeless thing. Spend another $200.

Go to a GOOD department store. If there is a Macy's nearby, call and make an appointment with a personal shopper, IT'S FREE. She will find precisely what you're looking for, within your budget and will make sure you're well fitted and look FINE.

It's important to spend money on quality items. Cheap clothes are cheap clothes and always look cheap and last for 10 minutes.

Build a wardrobe of basic, classic, simple timeless pieces that accentuate your figure and bring out your assets.

Honestly, a great show to watch is "What Not To Wear".

[Mari333]

31. agreed..I bought about 5 tops

all pricey but on sale..and a pair of good trousers..you are right..you get what you pay for..these are good items, well made, and as I said, I was lucky to find a small shoppe that had them...
I looked at the women in the store and what they themselves were wearing, and that made me want to walk in
Luckily, it was the same day it was 75% off
now I have to work for 3 weeks full time to pay them off but thats how it is nowadays..I might ask my tax man if its deductible, the clothing costs for a job...

[bleedingheart]

33. I am paying to have custom pants made to fit me...

I have more of an hourglass figure and pants that fit me in the hips don't fit my waist. It sucks. The tailor charges around $150 a pair of pants...but it is worth it.

[radwriter0555]

36. Yes, well fitting clothes of good quality are worth every penny, that's

for sure.

And the sales racks are good way to go once you've figured out what works best for your figure.

[Red State Rebel]

32. I Can TESTIFY!!! Here are my hints....

I shop almost exclusively online. I find good stuff on Coldwater Creek.com, QVC, etc. Find brands you like and shop on EBay - I've gotten designer suits for $50.00 that way.

Good luck~

[bleedingheart]

35. I find that some of th e Coldwater Creek stuff doesn't hold up with

multiple washings...but I have purchased mostly summer items from them.

[AlCzervik]

34. Chico's, Anne Taylor and Casual Corner usually have good stuff

i have the same problem finding clothes for my 10 year old daughter, everything looks tiny and somewhat slutty.

[DancingBear]

37. Barrie Pace?

Mrs. DB buys a lot of her business/"dressing up" clothes from there, and the front number of her age starts with "5' as well. They are catalog only, and can be really pricey, but she has had very good luck there.

[Nikia]

38. Sears and JC Penny

Last time I went shopping at those places they seemed to have some older women's clothing. For me being in my mid twenties, those clothes looked too "old" for me. Most items seemed to be aimed at either teenagers or the over 50 crowd. I don't know if these older styles appeal to you or not though.

[Left Is Write]

40. How about Ann Taylor, Talbots or Casual Corner?

Or do you have a local department store that carries Liz Claiborne or Jones New York?