I used to be able to walk in the mall and go on a huge shopping spree and find a bunch of cute and unique clothes. The past couple of years I haven’t been able to find anything I like. So much beige stuff too. It’s so much clean girl clothing.
The RARE times I actually find cute things it’s always like $500 dollars but I rarely come across anything I feel excited about these days
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Anytime I’ve been to the mall in the last couple years was to take the kids. Id walk around and look. Everything is polyester and cheap looking. Exceptionally bad quality and expensive. No thanks.
I rarely buy clothes now, I’m so picky. It’s also been a years-long process of changing my habits so I’m buying better but buying less, as well as going for pieces that I want to keep around.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the brands I used to love are also just playing it safe at times and sticking the neutrals or safer styles when times are uncertain for retail. I avoid most synthetics so it’s hard to find pieces that are mostly natural fibers sometimes.
My last serendipitous find was in a secondhand store (I know, the definition of hit or miss!)
I’ve been thrifting a lot because even if it’s common brands, I’ll pay $1 for that. I’ll only look at clearance at the mall for some basics and just to go get Hot Dog on a Stick lemonade and maybe go buy myself something beauty/skincare related.
Trying to find good clothing is not at the mall, at all, it’s sifting through online to find smaller makers. I tend to try to follow stylists or fashion bloggers who have my body type.
The clean girl thing isn’t my jam. Firstly neutral beige and browns look terrible on my complexion. I am a maximalist, romantic dresser. I do love having nice shaped basics, but like you said the quality feels so shite for me to buy a fucking T shirt at Macy’s full priced.
I basically only buy vintage and second hand now— none of the clothes at the mall looked like they were designed by a person, they just looked like copy paste boring.
I don’t see anything that looks thoughtfully designed, flattering cuts or unique.
I buy everything used online. EVERYTHING.
I’ve started thrifting, using Poshmark and shopping online. I’m so fed up with the polyester at the mall
Yes!! I thought I was the only one. I’ve never been one to really shop at Kohls but I figured out how to get some deals there so I keep waiting for them to get some cute clothes but it’s like the same stuff they’ve had since like 2009 year after year 😂 Same with JC Penney and most stuff at the mall. Idk, I just sticking to thrifting mostly lol
I have great luck in boutique stores that carry a variety of lesser known brands. I need colour and pattern and things that feel “special”, and I don’t find that at the mall. I also despise shopping online.
I prefer smaller boutiques. More unique finds, unless they sell cheap crap from Shein.
Most mainstream brands are trying to compete with fast fashion on price, so they delete most of the details to save money. I think they’re all designing by algorithm, too…trying to appeal to everyone instead of a specific segment of the market. That’s partly why everything looks the same. I hate it, too. I grew up with a diversity of choices in the ’90s and now almost everything is bland, soulless, and unfun. I don’t like cheaply-made things, either, so it’s double suck.
Fashion, in general, has gone in this direction. I don’t enjoy Vogue or the other American fashion mags anymore. I used to look forward to my subscription every month, but when everything is a minimalist tent dress or some kind of cropped blandness with a blocky necklace…I get nothing from that. I miss detail and intricate, vintagey/crafty touches and different styles and silhouettes.
Oh no. Are we turning into our grandparents? 😂When I go with my grandma to kohls she always hates everything. But if she does pick something it has to be black. She never wears color
I lived abroad for ten years and then came back to the US and thought this was because I had adopted their fashion or something. Nope! All the stores in the US are horrible IMO. Express is terrible. Everyone ranted and raved about Madewell and maybe it’s just not my style but I think it’s way overpriced. I got excited because I found a Zara, definitely no where near as good as EU Zara’s, and they have their rank lol Spanish Zara is the best (didn’t live there though) I still own a lot of my European clothes from high street brands, even some €10 H&M tops that are still in style now and like 6+ years old. You wash express tops like 20 times- done. They look awful.
I try and go to Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, I love Revolve but it’s not exactly affordable for every day. Seriously, I get my tank tops at Walmart and then chuck them next season (bad I know for sustainability but..) And everything just looks the same, same crop top, high jeans… I’ve noticed stores like express literally use the same color and fabric for years and just change the tailoring up a bit. The answer for me is to spend more and buy the luxury brands—but I can’t. Totally following this thread though for same reason. I’ve been thinking about going to some designer resell boutiques, it really is a better investment because you can hold onto the clothes for a while, if you buy investment pieces. I have no issues when it comes to dress brands though – they’re a dime a dozen
I buy a lot of my clothes from smaller brands (directly from the brand), so do tend to find more unique things. The flip side is it can be a little more expensive, but I have some beautiful custom items made and sewn by women-owned brands, so it’s worth it to me!
I’ve found it really challenging the past few years. Since becoming a mom, my boobs never seem to get smaller. I’ve lost 30lbs and the boobs are still no smaller. 😭 I also had a c-section so this shortened length tops/ cropped shirt decade has been a nightmare. I prefer to wear natural fibers as well. I have found cotton products to be harder and harder to come by. I force myself to go to kohls a couple times a year and TJMaxx and get enough items to keep me dressed.
YES!
I think it depends on what you consider cute or unique? My main stores are Simons and Uniqlo. Maybe try buying used pieces off Poshmark or more unique pieces handmade off Etsy? Or some overseas stores as well.
Yes. My clothes are wearing out faster than I am finding new ones.
Yes, it’s dire. Anything I like is either thrifted (spending way too much time scouring Etsy) or from French brands (Sezane, sessun, soeur…) but they aren’t cheap — and even at that higher price point, the quality is hit and miss if you’re not carefully checking composition. It’s horrible. And I’m so sick of scratchy, crappy linen everywhere!
I think thrifting is the way to go these days… just found a thick, 100% cashmere Jil Sander sweater from the 90s in PERFECT condition for less than what half the places are charging for acrylic sweaters. I feel like quality is just dropping and dropping…. and I now regret getting rid of lots of clothes from like a decade/15 years ago because it was probably the last era of affordable quality.
Yea, I feel like unless you’re searching for brands that cater to a specific style- it is hard to find clothes! A lot of brands and companies only sell online now too, which I find can be frustrating because sizes between brands vary and I don’t like guessing what’s gonna fit me and what I have to return !!
These days I get most of my clothes from thrifting!!! I think it’s fun being able to sift through racks of random clothes to find something that speaks to me. Sometimes I find unique things, and sometimes inspiration will hit and I will think of neat ways to alter my clothes. I like to get creative and fun with my wardrobe so it’s an affordable alternative to buying expensive or designer stuff.
Depop is also a good alternative !! It’s a thrifting app 🙂 clothes are pretty affordable on there, you can get good deals but you do have to pay for shipping. I do love being able to find specific clothes in like-new condition that I have owned in the past that have fallen apart with regular use. THATS a perk for sure!!
The cuts of clothes are bad too. Like they won’t drape right or just too boxy. If you’re skinny and young you can pull it off, otherwise you’re just frumpy looking. Things are unlined but prices are higher. They also took petite sized clothings off the floor and mostly require online shopping, so now I’m buying way less
Yes, it’s so bad. My friends and I have been talking about how fashion is in its flop era. The “clean girl, old money” aesthetic is code word for boring and beige. I don’t want to walk out of my house and look like a clone of everyone I see. I seriously hope there is some sort of fashion revival and people remember to bring fun and whimsy back to their style. It’s dire out there.
Shopping for clothes is hell on me. I have weird proportions and am taller. Never can find anything long enough and jeans never hug in the right places. My height makes it hard to thrift.
This may be the year I finally break and wear casual dresses. I dislike dresses but I cannot find pants that fit. I also hate the polyester crap. It’s not good for the lady bits.
I don’t shop in person. But a lot of beans have roller back colour options a lot.
I can’t thrift anymore because of the fragrance they coat on everything. So I’ve been sewing. I use mostly deadstock natural fibers. I get to wear unique items that fit me perfectly.
Can’t say I agree, I find lots of good stuff. I am way more picky now though, so the percentage of items that I like is lower than it used to be
I almost exclusively shop at consignment stores and the occasional thrift shop, with the exception of socks, underwear and workout gear. I live in a small town with some cute boutiques too, but until I’m done paying off my student loans, I don’t have boutique money.
There was a video about production lines and how to make everything super quick (and cheap) from design -> the consumer, that a lot of the individuality gets lost. So all similar, boxy cuts. All similar colours.
I’m currently wearing a men’s hoodie and men’s pajama pants. I’m also currently sewing the sleeve of a shirt I found that was gifted to my brother that he never wore.
I have never really been satisfied with women’s clothing. I agree that it’s utterly disappointing.