I will scream if I look at one more smock!...

[PrincessKitty1]

...or empire waist-blouse for sale!

I'm changing to a new job where I will need to dress "business casual" instead of wearing scrubs as I do now. For the last 2 years, my wardrobe outside of work has basically been capris and Tshirts, so I went out today to buy some clothes.

I went to Macys, Dillards, Belk, and JCPenney, and I never saw so many ugly clothes in my life. I'm so disappointed!! I'm hard enough to fit as it is (at 5' 4 1/2" and 122 pounds, petite sizes are often too short but regular sizes are way out of proportion), but I just cannot see myself in baggy smocks OR 70s-print empire-waisted tops.

I didn't buy anything except three pairs of shoes. These clothes might be cute on somebody younger, but I'm 51. I'm also not ready for pink elastic-waist polyester pants with matching pink top yet, age-wise. Any ideas? I'm in a small city without a lot of shopping resources.

 

[HelenePA]

Sorry no ideas here, they've also brought back the ugly 70's maternity clothes.... Yeah shopping is FUN!

 

[PrincessKitty1]

P.S. Don't anybody mention sweater sets. Different thread!

 

[Abbie]

How about something more along the lines of Target, Marshall's, TJMaxx or Kohl's? They all have a pretty good selection of clothing.

 

[Minnie_me]

I KNOW!! I just lost 20 pounds, and I'm so thrilled to be able to wear some cute little tops that show off my new figure. But when I went shopping last weekend, all I could find was these horrid tops that are too loose and too long.

 

[mdrob214]

I feel your pain. Those tops are cute--if you're a teenager and a size 0 (which you must be close)! They look good on my DD but not on me. I actually looked at a dress the other day and said to DH that I liked it ok-- if I was a smaller woman. However, I am afraid I would like like someone's poorly covered couch in that print! And someone would surely ask me when the baby is due

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Clothes have been sort of funky for a couple of years now. I don't get the current trends of high waisted pants, overdone wild fabrics (JcPennys and Kohls are huge offenders of that trend) in ugly colors, tops that look like dresses and maternity clothes....or maybe I'm just seriously unhip, lol! That's why I tend to stick to my jeans and tees, with a cute top every now and then thrown in for good measure.

So back to your dilemma. I'm also a petite person, and I find nice "classic" clothes at New York & Co. and Ann Taylor Loft. They both have websites to order from.

 

[MScott1851]

Me either! I shop a lot and come home with shoes and jeans and pants, but very, very few shirts. I'm going to live in the same four tops again this summer, I guess. Every picture I have from last year, I'm wearing the same thing, because I couldn't find anything new I liked!

These tops don't flatter ANYONE except very, very petite women. Plus-size women look just as heavy, and medium size women actually look heavier than they really are in them.

My problem is, I'm thin enough to wear a small in some of these tops, but I'm tall enough to need a large or extra large, but that just makes me look pregnant. There is no in between. So, I end up shopping in the junior department because most of the tops there are slimmer cut and longer, but the trade-off is cheap material and construction. You can't win.

 

[BabyPiglet]

I actually love these kinds of clothes. I'm tired of all those incredibly tight shirts.

But...I am 16.

You'll have to live with it for a while I guess, I hear 70's is really really big now.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

I'll check out Ann Taylor Loft. They opened a store in the mall in the last couple of years that I haven't been to (I used to shop mostly at Macys, but today's experience has cured THAT! ). I've shopped at ATL in Orlando and liked their clothes (but that was two years ago too--hopefully their clothes haven't all morphed into smocks and 70s prints).

I still have my Style & Co. pants from 2 years ago (when I also had to dress in business casual) but I've given away most of my knit tops from those days because they are not in style anymore (too short).

I haven't heard of New York & Co.--I will check out their website, thanks!

 

[catycatcat4]

ummm online shoping?

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

I second Anne Taylor Loft - love their close for work!

 

[HelenePA]

ummm online shoping?

its hard to try them on before ya buy them that way I have a large top area... and yes some clothes look GREAT on the website then I try them on at home and its like

 

[PrincessKitty1]

How about something more along the lines of Target, Marshall's, TJMaxx or Kohl's? They all have a pretty good selection of clothing.

Oh, I forgot about TJMaxx--I'll check them out. No Kohls or Marshalls here unfortunately, and the Target never has any decent clothes here, maybe because I live in a college town and the college girls always get there first. The clothes always seem very picked over.

Re: online shopping, I buy shoes online because the big shoe places all do free returns. But I have not had good luck buying clothes online, and it irks me to have to pay shipping TWICE (once when the items are shipped to me, and once when I return them).

I guess I should check out Talbots too, but I ordered a swimsuit from them once that was so shoddy, I've never even been tempted to walk into the store.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

its hard to try them on before ya buy them that way I have a large top area... and yes some clothes look GREAT on the website then I try them on at home and its like

Same here--I'm pretty busty and I have to be really careful what I buy--if the material is too thin, sheer, or clingy, it's not for me.

 

[MScott1851]

Well, being 'busty' is DEFINITELY not one of my problems!!! Hahaha!

I will say that I like the some of the fuller shirts that have a sash that ties in the back so that it will FIT. I found ONE last month that had the tie in the 'right' place. I couldn't believe it, but I got it at Sears, of all places!

We were in there looking for a washer/dryer, and the shirt caught my eye because it was green and we were going to a party for St. Patrick's Day. So I tried it on, and I couldn't believe that it fit and was flattering. It's probably one of the '70's prints' you guys are talking about, but I thought for the money it was really cute with jeans. Plus, I happened to have jewelry and shoes to match it already!

(Big shoutout to fellow Diser ChristaDeVil, who is my sidekick in the pic. I edited her 'adult' beverage out of the picture...)

But the 'trapeze' tops just don't look good on me. And even the ones with the tie-back are iffy. If it's too high, I still get the maternity look from the shirt. I usually shop at Macy's, Banana Republic, Dillards, but they don't have anything that appeals to me or flatters me this season.