Please tell me I am not the only person who goes through this aganozing shopping escapde with every new season!!!
Ever since I turned about 24 or so (I am now 27), I LOATHE shopping. Every single store I go to has 2 sections/styles: 1) "I'm a 17 year old slut" or 2) "I'm a 55 year old part time librarian/nun, whose torso/arms have never seen the light of day."
WHY WHY WHY is there not clothing made for people in their 20's (or even 30's)? Seriously there is no happy medium. You either have to be 16 or 60 to have a decent selection of clothing.
I have been to Kohl's, Macy's, JC Penney, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, New York & Co., Target, Express, Anne Taylor, Dress Barn, Burlington, Old Navy ... and probably 3 or 4 others I can't think of right now. And all I have to show for it is 1 pair of jeans!
There is one store I love, called Maurice's, but the closest one is an hour from my home and they can get a bit pricey, especially when it comes to sweaters or work clothing.
Please tell me I'm not the only one with this problem!
you are not the only one! I went searching for some warm winter clothes this past weekend and only bought some underware that was 7 for $28, great that will really keep me warm! haha
@Stace126: LOL. I completely agree with you! I normally shop in Juniors and just pick things that are more conservative/less revealing. I can never find anything in the Misses sections
Me me! I have completely lost my "fit" in the fashion world. I gained alot of weight since having my kids, and seriously have boycotted buying clothes until I lose weight. Except this has been going on for 3 years, so I cave and buy "for now" clothes. I dont even know whats in style anymore.
Im not sure what style I would like now...I used to like dress pants, and sweaters and blouses. Then in college I went on to "comfy clothes", not liking that anymore. UGH
I bought the first shirt I have seriously LOVED in like 4 years, for a wedding a month ago. It is from a store called "Le Chateau" which I am not sure if they have in the US. They have beautiful clothes, but are very expensive for every day clothes. The shirt was $100 but on sale for $50 which I dont even remember the last time I paid that for any piece of clothing.
My girlfriends and I just had a conversation about this the other day. I really feel like clothing companies don't want to make clothing for people our age. Or if they do want to make clothing for people our age, it's crazy expensive. Sorry but I am not spending $30 on a t shirt.
@Stace126: I LOVE Maurice's, even though they are pricey. I will be shopping there for a long time. Have you signed up for their email? I only shop when I know there is a good sale. And if you have their store card, they send you coupons in the mail. (You may already know all of this, but I just wanted to let you know if you didn't). I went there on Sunday and got some new stuff and saved over $70 between sales and a coupon I had.
You are NOT the only one. In the last year or so I've found that shopping has become more of a chore than anything. I've always been a "jeans and t-shirt or hoodie" kind of girl, which my FI loves. Part of me wants to dress nicer, though. However, every time I go shopping, I can't find anything I like. I'm still resorting to my jeans and t-shirts. =( I won't even attempt to shop in misses. I'm a small size and nothing seems to fit me there, but the Juniors section isn't appealing anymore, either. We need something in between the two!
Urggghhh I feel the same (27) and I hate clothese shopping. Neither do I want to look like a prostitue or my Gran, why is there no middle ground. I was looking for a nice dress for my works Xmas do and found a nice dress, problem was it was SOOOOOO short, I am 5'7 so not super model proportions by an means! .... needless to say I don't have many nice going out clothes and for weddings tend to opt for 50's style dresses that actually make me look like a lady and not like I should be standing on a street corner!!!! I feel your pain!!!
Hmmm...what about Bloomingdales/Nordstrom/J Crew? I was just shopping the other day and picked out some really cute outfits and a new MJ handbag at Bloomies that were totally age appropriate (I'm 26). Let me know if you need a coupon code, I get their 20%-30% friends and family discount all the time and they give you reward points to shop there!
@Stace126: What about GAP? They have great sales, decent prices overall, and it's not too young or too old.
I'd give you more suggestions, but I live in Canada so that probably won't help. We have a couple stores - Ricki's and Jacob that cater to the 20s-30s workplace crowd. I get most of the clothes from them.
I admit I have trouble finding some stuff. Jeans for example. I just can't do skinny jeans, and then I feel frumpy in a lot of other styles out there now. I miss the days where bootcut was the most in vogue!
You just have to keep looking I guess. Banana Republic has some nice clothes, but is a bit more expensive. These days I just buy a lot of v-necks - they're very flattering on me and go nicely under a blazer for work.
I sometimes feel that way, but it has to do with what's in fashion at the time. I feel like right now, all the stores have a lot of boxy minidresses, trapeze silhouettes, and generally stuff that manages to look simultaneously frumpy and slutty on me at the same time. Ugh.
I have the most success shopping at Nordstrom, The Limited, Banana Republic, NY and Co., LOFT, and Anthropologie. I stalk the sales until I find good pieces in my price range, but luckily it's been easy to resist shopping this season.
OMG YES. Story of my life.
I have to buy all my clothes online and pray they fit, because my legs are too long for the jeans/pants in store (seriously, 33" inseam is tall?! I need 36"!) and the junior shirts are all either too short in the torso or are shaped liked potato sacks and covered in sequins.
I'm 27, and I love clothes at my age!!
I love Zara, J crew, Jacob (Canadian), and sometimes Winners (Canadian Marshall's). I shop their sales, and find better quality clothes that aren't as flashy as the prostitot clothes out there. I find the big difference is that I know my body so much better, what looks good on me, getting a better understanding of better fabrics, and how clothes should fit.
Gotta say, I love shopping now probably even better than I ever did!
Get out there, and start shopping ; )
lol it's good to know I'm not the only one!
I actually used to shop at GAP all the time, but recently I go in, look around, and walk back out. There's nothing even worth trying on to me. Everything is so plain and bulky and baggy. And I am not paying $42 for a plain shirt.
I think price is the thing that gets me the most. If I'm buying a dress (or even dress pants) and maybe a suit jacket, okay, I get it, it's going to be expensive.
But a long-sleeved t-shirt or a sweater? I won't go above $30 or so. It's just not worth it to me. I used to try stores like Abercrombie or American Eagle, but when I see a price tag of $36 for a tank top the size of my iphone, I laugh and walk out.
Sorry. I'd rather spend my money on food, gas, vacations, our home, and the upcoming wedding.
Yeah, I haven't experienced this. I shop at J.Crew, Banana, Target, Old Navy, Anthropologie. I have fit issues, being 5'1", but I jsut get pants altered and have to be careful with certain cuts- since altering can often lose shape. I have seasonal jeans, cheap stuff, and really nice designer jeans that don't have an age range- Paige, Joe's, etc.
ETA: I think I haven't really experienced this because growing up when we'd go shopping I would rarely get clothes that were "in", my mom would only really buy more classic things that I could wear over time and maybe a few trendy "in" items. So even now, I tend to just buy classic stuff that I can wear for multiple seasons.
I will say that when I was in high school I'd shop at AE and I went in there the other week and felt like I was hit in the face by my age. Although they do have some cute cheap jeans!
Me too! Nothing fits right and I get to pick between slutty teen or grandma clothing. It doesn't help that all of the cute blouses and dresses tend to make me look pregnant or fat when I am neither. It seems the only fashionable clothing for people in their mid to late 20s is ridiculously expensive as well. I refuse to pay $70 for a pair of jeans.
oh and does anybody have the "push up bra" pants experience?
Pants in misses sizes -- they come up to your boobs!!! Like ... W...T...F?!?!?! The only time I've worn pants like that was when I was in marching band!
I mean, I'm only 5' 5", but you'd have to be 6' tall to wear pants like that! My fiance is 5' 10" and they'd probably come up to HIS chest!
Then if you go to juniors, the pants are so low cut you need a bikini wax ...
.
ASOS has some pretty clothes for women in their 20s - can you shop online for it?
what?!?! I think there's tons of great clothes for my age!! JCrew, Banana Republic, Loft, Ann Taylor, Express.... SOO many options. I think your problem might be that you're in Pittsburgh? I go there a lot and many of the malls don't have young people stores that I like. My cousins live there and complain about the options (Sears, Belk, Dress barn, etc).
I feel like other ages have it bad. Like if you're 60 and don't want to look dumpy and matronly, there's hardly any clothes. My grandmas have the hardest time finding dressy shoes too (they can't wear high heels and sandals are too casual for dresses).
I like some brands that Dillard's carries - Antonio Melani, BCBG, Gianni Bini, MSSP, Kensie.
They can be a little pricey - but they're typically well made and look classy, IMO.
@caits615: I feel your pain - I'm 5'1'' on a good day and I also have problems with fit... everything is too long!
@Stace126: I'm surprised you've had a hard time at Ann Taylor. I LOVE their dresses- they always fit like a dream on me. I wish I had more money to spend there!
I have this problem too! The selection of reasonably priced clothing stores is small. I usually shop at the Limited. They are pricey, but if you hit the sales right then it's not bad. Macys can occasionally have good stuff, but you have to search for it. I also like getting tops on-line at Victoria Secret (you can usually find good sales there too).
Oh, H&M can have some good things too! Sometimes it's slutty but other times you can find nice and cute pieces.
American Eagle and Victoria's Secret have great in-your-20s outfits. My issue is styling. I'm so fussy about how the style is supposed to look and how I would wear a bra with it that I end up not buying jack.
I would def try Zara, they can be a little pricey but I love their clothes! You may also want to try H and M. WHile they do have clothes for teens they def have clothes for ppl in their mid 20s to 30s. And their prices are unbeatable.
@MLDoddie: RIGHT??? Explain to me how a "petite" or a "short" pair of jeans brushes the ground, unless I'm wearing a 3" heel- that is not petite or short! The average woman is 5'4". IMO, I should buy regular length in order to wear heels and petite for flats.
": 1) "I'm a 17 year old slut" or 2) "I'm a 55 year old part time librarian/nun, whose torso/arms have never seen the light of day.""
-LOL!!!!
Girl I know EXACTLY what you're going through. I'm 24 and i'm in this horribly uncomfortable stage where I don't want to look young but I also don't want to look too old. I just kind fo want to look like a grown up woman? Y'know what I mean?
Apparently nobody makes close for us.
The best solution for me was online shopping.
Victorias Secret makes some great "wom1en" clothes. I also love Pinupgirlclothing.com, some of the clothes are way out there but they also have some great staples like pencil skirts and cocktail dresses.
I honestly have a new love for SEARS and the BAY as well. If you search long enough I find you get some decent clothes there as well.
I'm 43 and it doesn't get better...it gets worse! Shirts too short, low low looooow rise jeans (one low is enough really), frumpy matronly stuff my mother wouldn't even wear, etc....what happened to just nice dressy/casual clothing?
OMG I AGREE! Clothes just suck for us. I am 27 also and can't find anything this year at all. I just got done saying the Jrs. clothes look too young and small and not attractive and the 'adult' clothes look old and lacking any fun. I dread going shopping these days.
I felt like this when I first started working. I was 22 and had no idea what "business casual" meant, so I dressed like a 40 year old for a couple of months.
I'm a huge fan of Loft, NY & CO, Khols, and the Limited when I can get their sales.
Wow. I wish I had this problem! People regard me as someone with good style, and I can't stop shopping. I don't dress in keeping with my sort of boring styled city necessarily (DC area), but have developed a personal style from many of those places you mention. I'm a sale/clearance shopper, too, so it isn't something that has to do with money spent!
I like Express and Anne Taylor, and the Loft version, Banana Republic, Limited, etc. Express does have some clubbin type dresses, but they have some cute things. Of course, I won't shop there until they send me their coupons. If you can go when it's buy one get one half off or when somethings are on sale and then use a coupon ($30 off $90, etc), it doesn't end up being too bad. I used to like New York and Company, but I haven't the past few years. I swear I think they go through a year or two making cute things and then the next few years it's mostly hideous. Then cycle again.
We have a Banana Republic outlet store around here with is awesome in my opinion. I don't mind Macy's and Dillards. It depends on the store though. The ones where my parents live I really don't like, but a few of the ones around me are a lot better.
LOL! Yup, I'm with you. I have had no idea how to dress myself in the longest time, and it doesn't really get any better. 32 now, and I still stuggle with this since I never seem to find anything tht fits right either. I've had the most luck at TJMaxx that just has a huge variety and Express. I've also had a lot of luck recently with INC at Macys. And by luck, I mean I might find one or two items a season worth buying. The plus side, is that I dont spend much on clothing.
I don't feel this way at all. I think its mostly about vision and accessorizing. Just because it's styled "mature" at the store doesn't mean it will look that way with a pair of jeans and a cool necklace. But yeah, young and sl*tty usually can't be saved haha.
ETA: I will admit I spend way too much $ on clothes so that may be part of the reason why
I will admit that I still totally shop in the juniors department. a) I'm small (NOT petite! I'm 5'1", but have a 33-34" inseam and long arms) with a bigger bust, so smalls and mediums fit great, whereas womens department xsmalls are usually too big. b) the clothes are cheaper and I can typically find stuff that's more my style.
I usually shop at Target (juniors tops and then all of womens, although their pants are too big/fit weird), Forever21 for trendy stuff, American Eagle for jeans, Kohl's, Old Navy (for anything but pants), Banana Republic outlet/sales, and jcrew outlet/sales. Have you checked JC Penney lately? They have some CUTE stuff in their womens department! I dislike that stuff isn't on sale anymore, but oh well.
I totally forgot about this but I actually bought a lot of new clothes right before our honeymoon and got everything from JCPenney and Macy's. I have some amazing summer clothes now... JCP has the best 'little black dresses' and most of their clothes are just beautiful! I need to go back to get winter clothes I suppose but I usually try to wait for end of season sales.
I think my problem is that I don't like spending a lot of money on clothes. . . at the same time, though, I know if you spend more money, you get better quality. Like some other bees said, I can't warrant spending more than $30 on ONE shirt. I'm all about getting a good deal which isn't always in my favor.
I shop at 3 stores: Express, The Loft, and New York and Company. I love thier clothes. When I want something more sassy I go to Express, but most of my clothes are from the Loft. :)
EDIT: I also only shop at these stores when there are sales or I have a good coupon. NEVER buy anything full price!! There is always a sale on its way!
@Stace126: I completely agree! I went shopping two months ago after not buying clothes for a little over a year, and it was discouraging (again!). I couldn't find anything that I thought looked normal. And when I did find something that might work, the size or material wouldn't work.
I'm totally with you. Not only is it hard to find age-appropriate clothing, but so much of the stuff out there is poorly made and of low quality. I'm not going to spend $50 on an acrylic or rayon sweater that will pill and warp after 3 washes. I try to only buy cotton/cashmere/wool blend items because natural fabrics tend to last longer, but they are increasingly hard to find.
i am totally with you! i went shopping for jeans the other day and all there are is skinny jeans or mom jeans. so frustrating! old navy and target are my go-to places to shop now-a-days.
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