Have no idea where to shop or what my style no is.

Ok, I will be turning 37 this year and have no idea what to wear. Won't be having any more kids and have lost some weight so I am ready to start rebuilding my wardrobe.

I just have no idea what my style is anymore. I used to shop at Autograph, but now I am a bit too small except for maybe the odd top. So I am at a loss. I went to Suzanne Grae where the pricing seems reasonable and the assistants helpful. Found what I thought was a nice outfit, dark bootleg jeans, stretch long sleeve top and a padded vest with faux fur collar. Have had some compliments on it, but then I see much older women wearing the same thing just not with the fur collar :wall:

I like chunky knits, textured textiles, but as I am not slim I find anything chunky makes me look rounder than what I am. I am also partial to the hippy, flowy kind of clothes just not all the time.

So any idea where I should be shopping and what styles I should be looking at. Is Suzanne Grae ok, or is it really a store for older ladies? I am just so out of the loop with fashion these days.

I get basics from Susanne Grae but like you I see lots of older women wearing their clothes and it turns me off but the prices are sooooo reasonable.

I say buy whatever you like and what you feel looks good on you. You'll quickly develop a 'style' that way.

i so hera ya i have such difficulty, but what i do try to do is only buy what i LOVE nothing else that way i dont have things not being worn. I dont care what age group wears them i just pick what i like. I very rarely buy clothes for myself but when i do i make sure its what i like.

I love Colorado clothing.

If you like clothes and it suits you i would still wear it.

I have been reading some style books recently!
I would say your a boho/gypsy style. That gives you a basic what to look for when shopping and you then hone it to your own particular style by putting it together how you prefere.
Have a google about those styles and see if you can get some ideas and advise and if you cant find enough to help guide your style then maybe buy a book or 2. Have a look on amazon at what they got. There are lots about. Or go to the book shop, they should have a copy of Trinny & Susanahs latest book about 'whats your style' (about $30 -40). It has about 10 different looks and what to buy to have the right wardrobe to put your appropriate style together.
And I would say er on the side of being a bit more eccentric in how you put things together to get an effective look rather than something a bit boring. Even if you dont want to stand out heaps, keeping that in mind should help you look that bit more stylish.

I think that you should buy what suits your body type not worried about with its from this store or that one. Trinny and Sussanh say there are 12 types. The Body Shape Bible is the book they wrote. It goes beyond the 3 - apple, pear and hourglass shapes.

Although in saying that, I saw someone wearing the same item as clothing I owned and well, lets just say I wasnt too happy with their age or how they acted.

Im a Plus sized girl and I buy from everywhere! Autograph for somethings, although agree that they tend to have some more older fashions. They used the have the Danni range but stopped when their other company CITY chic got going. They can be expensive for some things and places like Big W, Kmart etc have basic items which are better value for money. Then other places like MySize, BeME etc, plus USA brands like Torrid.

Plain colours are good because at the end of the day NO-ONE will know where they are from, but with prints and such, they will know.

You could do to a whole range of places Rockmans, Katies / Autograph / City Chic ,Suzanne Grae ,Target ,Big W ,KMart and mix and match.


I will PM you the link to the article about the body types, im sure I have it bookmarked somewhere

Ooh, thanks for the advice ladies. Yep, I probably am more boho. Would so love a Trinny and Susannah make over, have picked up some tips from them in the past just need to start applying them.

I think I need to bite the bullet and just go in to try things on. Have no idea what stores clothes fit me. I could be avoiding places that have great clothes as I assume the clothes wont fit. The joys of being in the upper end of everyday and the bottom end of plus size or not at all now depending on the brand.

Target have some really lovely stuff in a range of sizes, reasonable prices, and you don't have to dress like a nana! But don't limit yourself to one place. Maybe hit Target or SG for some basics, like slimline tops or wrap cardigans, and get your feature pieces from other places, like maybe some silk wrap skirts from Ishka or Tree of Life or even markets.
My style is "Op Shop Opulent" so maybe you don't want to take my advice though :lol:

ETA: I borrowed some Trinny and Susannah from the library, found it really really handy.

I'm 43 & wouldn't shop from Suzanne Grae or Jacqui E as the styles are very much for the older :rolleyes:
I love the stuff in Glassons (sizing is realistic, like a size 12 is a size 12, if you know what i mean) & prices are really good :D
SnugB ... me too, i'm an OP shop junkie ;)
Feeb ... my DP is a Colorado clothes lover for 'his' guy stuff ;)

I was in the same spot about 18 months ago and was toying with hiring a consultant to tell me what to wear!

Now I'm pretty happy with what I wear and I've had a lot of compliments from my friends.

So my advice is this:

1. Do look at the Trinny & Susannah advice and dress for your body shape. Doesn't really matter where you buy your clothes from but they must fit and they must flatter first and foremost.

2. Try on, try on and try on. I used to buy anything that fitted basically but the more you try on the more you understand what suits you and what doesn't. The top/dress/pants that you thought looked OK in the changing room last week will get outdone by the top/dress/pants that look FANTASTIC if you're patient and try loads of stuff on. If you're shopping for jeans, say, try on a few different styles. I bought some skinny leg flares the other week which two years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of trying on but I've learnt, over time, that you shouldn't just stick to the things that you used to buy because they're in your comfort zone.

3. Try things on that you wouldn't normally consider. That adds variety to your wardrobe so you don't buy 5 of what is essentially the same top/dress/pants.

4. ONLY buy things that are comfortable. If something frustrates you in the shop because it's too fiddly to do up, rides up a bit, feels a bit tight etc. DON'T BUY IT even if it looks great because you'll never, ever wear something that feels uncomfortable or isn't practical.

5. Work out what you need and go from there. There's no point buying loads of tops because they're nice if what you really need is a good pair of pants or a jumper. The way to do this is to see what causes you the most grief when you're trying to get dressed in the morning. If you have loads of dresses but really want to wear pants but it's cold and you have no jumpers, there's your answer.

Hope that helps and have fun! It's daunting at first but you'll get there.

;) I second Fiona on her advice rule # 5 (will NEVER get more than one wear out of it i promise) :rolleyes:

Forgot to mention shops, but this is where I buy most of my stuff, in no particular order:

Witchery, Country Road, Cue, FCUK, (I barely ever buy the full-price stuff from any of those stores and instead wait for it to get to DFO because let's face it, it's all WAY over-priced especially when you see the sale price) plus Target because I think they're good value and sometimes Kmart too because they have the odd really good thing very cheap so if you just want a fashionable top for this season you'll get it for a fraction of the price that you'd pay elsewhere.

Astrid, I thought about this post all day the other day when you posted, as I am in exactly the same predicament.
I hopped onto the Trinney & Sussanah site trying to find an answer. Some great info on there.

Fiona wow some great advice there....should print it out and put it in my bag.

oh thanks for the advice Fioan, (have to spread the love)

Oh, dear, many of those shops are just not down here. I might need to check out some of the small shops down here. Not sure how I will try on a lot with kids, but will see what I can do.

Have to admit that I do still feel funny wearing clothes that someone in their 50's and 60's are wearing. Whilst I don't think we should be forced to wear in a particular age group, I would just like a guide as to what someone my age would be wearing.

Thinking I might still be an hourglass, but I am a bit chunkier in the middle than before. Hmm might need to take a photo and see what you ladies think.

I wear a lot of chunky knits but because of my bigger post baby body I try to even it out so not to look so... um.... pillow like. When I wear my thigh length knits I wear tighter jeans or leggings, than I put something bright at the top like a scarf or hair band or huge beaded necklace... something to break up the bigger middle section and draw the eyes away from the backside! I wear boots too or funky mary janes. I have been known to wear stripey tights too.

I've got a very basic wardrobe atm, because for work I wear scrubs so when I am home I try for comfort over anything else.

I have 2 pairs of jeans that I love. One are Gap ordered from the US and the other are Rivers and are my basic ones but uber comfy. I also have black pants and navy pants. I'm not too keen on skirts, but thats me and if I'm not comfortable than I don't have as much confidence. I do own skirts and dresses, but they are ones that I have searched for that I feel okay in.

I have around 6 knits.... 5 long sleeve tops and 10 short sleeved tops. I don't have heaps of clothes, but what I do keep I feel confident in and comfy. My knits are ones that I've got at markets or in shops when I have time to search for the perfect one. I try them on with my daggiest clothes on, in order to make sure they don't make me feel more daggy LOL!

Astrid, my mum is in a similar place to you at the moment (she is 49. however she isnt the typ to wear the 'older' style clothes, IYKWIM)
i know she shops at Millers (you have to get the right store, because apparently each millers has a different range!) also, Target has a lot of nice stuff!

i have always said to mum 'dont ever think you're too old to browse in certain shops...' ok, something like JayJays probably wont be of any help.. and supre. but shops like Cotton On.. i LOVE Cotton On. they have a great range of 'basics' and always have sales '2 for $xx' Just Jeans? Portmans? Glassons... it never hurst to just have a look, and see what they have.

i hate clothing sizes with a passion... i was actually thinking of making a post about it yesterday! i rarely look at the size tag, i just look at the item, and think if i would need bigger or smaller. i do the same for DD.

Awesome advice ladies! I just have one little suggestion - see if you can take a GOOD friend who has some fashion sense and good taste with you, and get an honest opinion when you're trying stuff on. I find that generally the sales ladies try to tell you what they think you want to hear, in order to make a sale. (not all of them - I've come across one or two who will tell the truth and make really good suggestions. But generally - they'll tell you it looks lovely, if they think you want to hear that! :) )
And I don't know about your DH, but mine isn't so good at objective opinions on clothes, either. More like "yes it's lovely, it's on sale, please buy it so we can go home!" You need a mother, a sister, or a best friend who is good at picking out clothing, will tell you the truth about how it looks on you, and can maybe get you to try some new/different things by throwing all kinds of stuff in the changeroom while you're in there.
All the best!