Help for a fashion clueless thirty-something

[Novice]

Hey, come to my place, & I'll give you a run for that "crappiest clothes collection" - thats why I only wear 5 % of what I own! LOL!
Ditto the weight....

[travelbug]

I really like Banana Republic and shop almost exclusively there now. But I buy my jeans and pants at Express. Their Editor pants are fantastic and they have lasted me for years. Almost all my dresses and tops are BR.

I used to shop Ann Taylor loft, but they lost me this year when they had denim capris in store. It seemed that they were pushing clothing for 50-up over the last year. I did get a flyer with a coupon recently and some of their early fall stuff is really cute, so I might take a look again.

[oltifreakinbaby]

Excuse me? You can be over 30 and where a knee length or above the knee skirt. You just have to look tasteful, and not sleazy.
ETA: Are you saying your mom is in her 30's...cause that would explain a great deal.

My mother is in her mid fifties, though. She knows she has some cellulite on her legs, so she chooses not to showcase them. At home, she'll wear shorts and stuff but when she goes out, she dresses to her shape.


And Novice, she knows that but she's very stubborn about things. She has a sowing machine that she does minor tailoring on, but she has someone she really likes that she went to school with who gives her a discount.

[Novice]

There is a BIG difference between 30+ and 50+.... like, 20 years....
Some 50 yr olds get away with it, others don't. Its all about personal style.

I really like Banana Republic and shop almost exclusively there now. But I buy my jeans and pants at Express. Their Editor pants are fantastic and they have lasted me for years. Almost all my dresses and tops are BR.

I used to shop Ann Taylor loft, but they lost me this year when they had denim capris in store. It seemed that they were pushing clothing for 50-up over the last year. I did get a flyer with a coupon recently and some of their early fall stuff is really cute, so I might take a look again.

I agree on Banana Republic - My friend & I always find something there when I'm visiting the US.
I don't get the demin capri comment tho, I don't understand if you do or don't like them? I have to admit that I bought a pair last year (from a different store) and have lived in them this summer. They are semi-slim fitted & come down to mid calf...

[witchcurlgirl]

I am the woman with the biggest, crappiest clothes collection in town. I've spent more money on crap clothes than I care to remember. My weight also fluctuates and half of it doesn't fit at the moment. I probably only wear the same 5-10 items over and over. I think I will try to find some versatile, quality-made basics that I can mix and match. Seems like the best way to go.

Thank you all again for your helpful suggestions!

spending money on clothes you don't wear is common. lots of women are guilty of it.

when you have the time, lock yourself in your room, and try on everything. be ruthless. if it doesn't look good on you toss it. keep a few things in the size that doesn't fit and store them away in case you need them. then take stock of what you have, and shop to fill in what you need.

[A*O]

I need to have a MAJOR clearout of clothes/shoes. I totally believe we only wear a tiny proportion of what we actually have. So I will be ruthless and apply my 3 Year Rule. Anything I haven't worn in the last 3 years is OUT. Most of it is stuff I can give to a charity shop and there's a few nicer pieces I can probably sell to a local "pre-loved" clothes shop. It takes a steely will to throw out stuff you still like, but never wear, but afterwards it's very cathartic. It also leaves space for more...

[Abbey Normal]

I need to have a MAJOR clearout of clothes/shoes. I totally believe we only wear a tiny proportion of what we actually have. So I will be ruthless and apply my 3 Year Rule. Anything I haven't worn in the last 3 years is OUT. Most of it is stuff I can give to a charity shop and there's a few nicer pieces I can probably sell to a local "pre-loved" clothes shop. It takes a steely will to throw out stuff you still like, but never wear, but afterwards it's very cathartic. It also leaves space for more...

I heard the coolest trick for cleaning out your closets. First, hang everthing in backwards. When you take something out to wear it, hang it back correctly. After 6 months, 1 yr., etc. go into the closet and clear out the stuff that is still hanging backwards since you haven't worn it!

[Buffy Burnett]

Buffalo Exchange (chain store where you can buy/sell/trade clothes but not everywhere, yet, in US).

[fgg]

I need to have a MAJOR clearout of clothes/shoes. I totally believe we only wear a tiny proportion of what we actually have.

i'm in the middle of this right now. my closet is huge (and filled to the gills...) and i have it split between work wear and going out/weekend wear. there is no reason i need 50 work tops. when i started digging through everything, i found a ton of stuff with tags still on!

i really want to take some of my stuff to a consignment shop to recoup some of my money. does anyone have experience doing that? the rest will go to goodwill.

[witchcurlgirl]

i really want to take some of my stuff to a consignment shop to recoup some of my money. does anyone have experience doing that? the rest will go to goodwill.

I do. I sell some of my old clothes to a Consignment shop. The store decides on the price, I get a 50/50 split with them, and they mail me a check. It requires no effort on my part except the schlep to the store with the clothes. At the end of the season whatever they haven't sold, they give to a homeless shelter.

Lots of women do this. Jackie Onassis used to unload her stuff to a great shop in NY called Encore.

The stuff that I don't consign I give to my 2 younger cousins. They love it, and look forward to when I do my closets.

[travelbug]

There is a BIG difference between 30+ and 50+.... like, 20 years....
Some 50 yr olds get away with it, others don't. Its all about personal style.


I agree on Banana Republic - My friend & I always find something there when I'm visiting the US.
I don't get the demin capri comment tho, I don't understand if you do or don't like them? I have to admit that I bought a pair last year (from a different store) and have lived in them this summer. They are semi-slim fitted & come down to mid calf...

Denim capris - definitely a NO for me. Not sure how it is where you live but where I live the only women I see wearing them are women that I would not want to emulate fashion-wise. They're associated with hicks and dumpy moms here. And older women. I think they were common to wear a few years back, but I think they're considered out of style now. When I saw some in Ann Taylor Loft it made me think that they had changed demographics and were no longer targeting stylish 30-40 somethings and were going after the 55+ crowd. My MIL would wear denim capris.

But I think the right person with the right body can make them look cute...in a retro way with cute shoes. They're normally worn non-fitted with white athletic shoes and ankle socks by unstylish women here.

Actually, I gave up capris altogether a couple of years ago...decided they were not that flattering, denim or not. Besides I'm a huge What Not to Wear fan and I've never seen them recommended to anyone. I wear walking shorts instead...right above the knee. I have a khaki pair, a black pair, a white pair and a plaid pair. They are very versatile. If shorts are not appropriate I wear a cotton or dark denim skirt.

[Novice]

Denim capris - definitely a NO for me. Not sure how it is where you live but where I live the only women I see wearing them are women that I would not want to emulate fashion-wise. They're associated with hicks and dumpy moms here. And older women. I think they were common to wear a few years back, but I think they're considered out of style now. When I saw some in Ann Taylor Loft it made me think that they had changed demographics and were no longer targeting stylish 30-40 somethings and were going after the 55+ crowd. My MIL would wear denim capris.

But I think the right person with the right body can make them look cute...in a retro way with cute shoes. They're normally worn non-fitted with white athletic shoes and ankle socks by unstylish women here.

Actually, I gave up capris altogether a couple of years ago...decided they were not that flattering, denim or not. Besides I'm a huge What Not to Wear fan and I've never seen them recommended to anyone. I wear walking shorts instead...right above the knee. I have a khaki pair, a black pair, a white pair and a plaid pair. They are very versatile. If shorts are not appropriate I wear a cotton or dark denim skirt.

Ah! *light light dawns!*

I think that we're talking about two different types here. Mine are my nod to "skinny jeans" - I can't wear skinny jeans, but I have neat feet & ankles (when my lymphoma isn't playing up!), and reasonable legs...
Basically I saw this photo...


and fell in love with her jeans. I wear the with flats, with wedge heeled espedrilles that tie around my ankles, all sorts of ways - however I NEVER wear them rolled up so they are more this look (but come to my lower calf)...

They are also dark denim and a fitted-but-not-too-tight cut; which is perfect for my figure type.

Yeah, I love "what not to wear" and bought WNTW The rules & WNTW for every occassion years ago.... they're great.

I've suggested that my double-mastectomy friend read them as she tries new things with her new shape.

[tictac]

Damn, I'm wearing denim capris right now. And I actually made an effort today, lol.

Oh well, at least I'm wearing them with sandals and not athletic shoes!

[fgg]

i love that look, especially the shoes!

[Novice]

Damn, I'm wearing denim capris right now. And I actually made an effort today, lol.

Oh well, at least I'm wearing them with sandals and not athletic shoes!

So am I! With barefeet (its 10pm here & they're up on the sofa) and dark, dark purple OPI nail polish! I'm SUCH a rebel! LOL

FGG - yeah, I'm not up to those sorts of heels at the moment, but I loved that look! The shoes save it from been really, really casual....