stores | Ramblings From A Mum

Hello everyone.

I have had a reasonably good response to my shopping expedition post and for that ladies I thank you (courtesy’s graciously). This has prompted me to rant about the following:-

Sadly I would like to be as clever on the computer as http://www.irishkatie.wordpress.com 🙂 but alas I am not, therefore I can’t put up a vote block unfortunately to get opinions, so in my usual rant and rave style I shall blog.

For the mature women out there who are of ‘normal’ sizing (which in Australian standards is anything from a 10 to a 14) we need help!

Is there any manufacturer out there who would lay their reputation on the line to produce clothing for women in our age bracket say 45 upwards that:-

1stly isn’t outrageously expensive.

2ndly doesn’t make us look like we have purchased from Rays tent City &

3rdly is modern and stylish

Though there is a list a mile long of designers/manufacturers when we venture into the copious amount of clothing stores at shopping centres, there is what we say ‘slim pickings’. We stroll through the racks and shelves heading towards a colour that catches our eye only to look at the price tag and sigh in disbelief.

Our top designers Carla Zampatti, Alex Perry and the like design the haute couture line – would they be game enough to design for us? We unfortunately aren’t the Miranda Kerrs or Gretchen Gazelle (oh that we were) of this world and cannot don any article of clothing and make it or us look fantastic.

We are normal and we have ISSUES.

Arms – being untoned. Legs – being slightly veiny . Tummys – slightly or more than slightly protruding. Hips – larger than we would like and thighs – see hips.

The answer may be simple – Arms, Legs – cover up with pants or long skirts (this suggestion is feasible).

Tummy, hips and thighs – wear floating material that doesn’t cling to your body parts (also feasible).

HOWEVER May I enlighten you – Us ladies of more mature standing (crap ok – old) would like to still look stylish without having to pay an exorbitant amount to do so. So many items out there for the ‘youngens’ that with a little thought could also be carried off by us. I’m not talking the so short your bottom is visible, or so low-cut your navel can be seen, or side cut away jobs where on the young the waist is defined, on us our muffin tops hang out like half empty balloons.

All we ask for is for someone to be on our side, nothing more, nothing less. Fashion that is reasonably priced, with patterns/prints that don’t require the wearing of sunglasses to to wear and that caters for our ‘ idiosyncrasies’ .

I for one want to look stylish, I buy clothes that suit my body type, when I can find them that is, and not what the fashion trend dictates, however it seems to be getting harder and harder to find such suitable attire.

So unless in the thickness of an Australian summer we are forced to wear long skirts, or pants, or long sleeves, gaudy patterns or outfits resembling a marquee we are left with not much else to choose from, unless of course we pay ‘Top $” for it. Just give me a nice pair of wide waist band (to cover muffin-tops) linen pants with a wide leg and a nice summer shirt which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg **sorry I chuckled when I wrote that* – am I asking too much?

Too much to ask? Am I being unreasonable? I shall leave it to my readers.

Oh hell I have reached that point in my life where well and truly (and probably a tad late in recognising the fact) or more so wanting to admit the fact, that it’s more than a nightmare to clothes shop for myself.

Today I walked round the shops with Mr S, Mr.S patiently waited outside some of the stores and also joined in the quest to find a work shirt for me. I (the majority of the time) trust his judgement when it comes to clothes, and I was simply on the trail for a light cotton/viscose short sleeve shirt to wear with a black skirt.

Do you think honestly you clothing designers and manufacturers thereof that it would be so difficult to make said shirt?

It appears so (tuts) in disgrace. Women of my vintage (sorry maturity) do not want to look like mutton dressed as lamb, nor do we want to look like we are 3 breaths away from a Nursing Home. I don’t want to bare my full arm much anymore, so I don’t want your sleeveless numbers. I don’t want a shirt that has so much elastine/spandex in it that you have to constantly pull it down to fit over your boobs, or yank on the sleeves to stop it riding up. I don’t want a shirt that has a deep round neck that doesn’t sit right. I don’t want a shirt that you can see all my torso through.I don’t want a shirt with puffy sleeves that makes me look like a potato sack.

How hard is it??? Very it seems, All I ask for was a shirt with a collar in a light summer material with short sleeves that weren’t that tight that they’d show up any corrugation, and you didn’t have to look at my navel, without taking it off.

Then it was the mission to find a pair of nice black slightly wide leg linen pants for work, no fancy details, plain in front and back and sitting nicely on the tush area. Easy you say? WRONG. Again OMG we had buttons, we had buttons on back pockets on the bum, we had draw string waists, we also had elasticised waists at the back and draw string at front and the piece de resistance was cargo type pockets above the knees!

Women of my (maturity) unite! Men can stroll into a clothes store, look at the pants on display – 2 choices casual or dressy and choose. Shirts also same thing – casual or dressy – all they have to worry about is the colour and pattern. Well, let me tell you we have also to contend with that.

Don’t get me started on the ‘young brand shops’ with there doof – doof booming in your ear – maybe that’s a way of scaring the oldies out as soon as they set foot in their doors. Of course the sales items where you possibly may be lucky to find something you want , but only if you are a size 6 or 8 (2 or 4 American sizes) or sizes for our lovely full – figured women.

Needless to say I walked away pant less and shirtless.

**Swear words swear words**