Comments on: Mary Portas, queen of shops, looking for opinionated women

By: june muskett

june muskett — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:33:36 +0000

Great idea of marys, really enjoy the programe, but i cant understand why people say no clohtes suitable for the older women and also there is an assumption that all older women are bigger than when younger with lumps and bumps.I am 64 size 6/8, barely 5 ft. with a waist, and i dont,mind showing my arms,theres nothing wrong with them! I honestly dont have a problem buying clothes, as ranges designed for teens and 20s fit me, so i buy them,yes there is the odd thing not suitable, but most are fine. Top shop jeans, petite are perfect, and their petite range clothes is good too, i bought a dress there last week, i personally hate midi skirts, they are ageing, if skirt is short, i wear leggings and or opaque tights in winter. Also buy lots oasis, warehouse,some mango, miss selfridge and , zara. marks and spencer limited collection is good much edgeier and trendier than the other ranges.Recently bought a dress from a range at one of my local independent boutiques called dainty, this seems to be a good range for the petite woman. So look more ladies i really think you will find things,i never feel intimidated by so called “young” shops, why should you.just go in and browse..

By: Josephine Worrell

Josephine Worrell — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:18:43 +0000

Hooray for Mary.
I am fed up of looking like a sack tied up in the middle. I am 68, young at heart with yourful personality and I do not want to look old !!! I know I am fat – size 20, but why should not fat girls be trendy ??

By: su sullivan

su sullivan — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:01:16 +0000

shopping has never ever been fun but it’s so much worse now especially if I do not want to look like a whore! No girl should have to put up with that but there are no shops that cater for my age- middle age! The high street is all about young, small and ditsy and as for Marks and Spencer – that comfortable slide into my mother- no thanks, I do go in and try to find something but there is always something wrong or missing as if the buyer has just missed the mark, a frill too far a bloody unecessary bow or patterns on the material that look like curtains. Recent items have me thinking it’s me grannys bloody bed jacket from the 50′s for god sake. In so many, many ways we are just bloody invisible and it makes my blood boil to see that younger women have been duped again.

By: Irene Wright

Irene Wright — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:00:43 +0000

Oh bliss, I thought I was on my own moaning my way around the High Street chains.
I am 63 years old just over 5ft tall [small?]with 34dd boobs and I struggle to buy stylish, on trend clothing.
Marks and Spencer do have a range of inside leg measurements which does help but the quality is not what it was. They have become boring.
As for Debenhams, I agree with the previous comments that it is like a jumble sale, quite awful. They do stock petite ranges to be fair but designers and manufacturers assume that petite is only for young slim girls. Some us are still petite in height but maybe not quite as petite in other areas!
How come Italian and French ladies can be stylish without looking mutton?
In the UK I despair when I look around seeing woman squeezed into the latest fashion which is totally unsuitable for them. Over 50′s need help quickly!

By: lorraine preston

lorraine preston — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:13:30 +0000

Good on Mary, I have just returned from a very despairing ordeal commonly known as ‘clothes-shopping’ and all I bought from hours spent looking for something, indeed anything that would make me want to buy it because I like it not because I have to, were some socks! To make things worst I have just had a boob job (after breastfeeding 5 children I thought I deserved it) so even the old reliables from my wardrobe were given away, and all I have now are some very pretty new bras. I dont feel Im ready for my grandmothers hand me downs just yet! Im 43yrs old, 5ft 7in, slighty overweight for my frame at 10stone (but thats work in progress) so I shouldnt really have a problem finding anything but I do.
Please let me know when you find somewhere xxxxx

By: helen moore

helen moore — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:17:21 +0000

Speaking from a shop assistants perspective, everyday i see women 40, 50, 60 plus, who feel they have lost their direction, and voice that the designers do not cater for them. I work in an independent boutique , which sells a diverse range of labels, suitable for these women, but the biggest hurdle my collegues and i find is that these ladies have often very low self esteem, and a very poor body image! They have reached an age where they should feel they have accomplished, this could be bringing up a family, having, or still in a successful career, or possibly a survivor in one of the many challenges life throws at as! but instead of being individual and strong, they fall into a very safe trap with no true identity anymore. Sometimes we are very quick to blame the media, but i think its got to come from within, and not to become a stereotypical 40,50,60 year old!! Some of the most stylish and inspirational women i have met have been 60plus, who are not afraid to push the boundaries, in fact this is the perfect age to exploit your wild side! who cares if you have lumps and bumps or fat knees or chunky arms, just explore different looks and bring out your creative side, and yes have a look in top shop too!!!
p.s. I am not 18, but a 53 year old, with the same issues as you all….except i just choose to ignore them and have some fun allong the way!!!

By: Karen Dickson

Karen Dickson — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:04:04 +0000

I am 48 and have found recently that decent clothes are really hard to find. I want classic sometimes but not frumpy and not flouncy frilly like some ghastly 80s throwback. Aaargh!!!
I fondly remember working hard in the 80s and absolutely LOVING the next directory – classy work clothes and casual weekend clothes and great lingerie ALL great stuff and all in one place!
A Mary Portas backed kind of next directory would be fantastic!

By: Christine Johnson

Christine Johnson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:33:05 +0000

I am 65, slim, boyish figure, size 8. I love clothes and keeping my wardrove up to date. I am prepared to pay extra for a fashionhable well made garment, but where do you look. Yes, Debenhams looks like a jumbe sale with hardly any staff. Clothes for the older women are generally drape round your ankles which makes you look old granny. Most shops only want to sell you garments whether they suit you or not and their staff are not trained to advise you. Most of the departments stores have a fashion adviser, but often I have made an appointment and come away with nothing. Why is the older women not expected to feel good the way she looks and dress feeling sexy and confident. I could go on.

By: Debbie Slough

Debbie Slough — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:31:53 +0000

Why is it assumed all women over 50 are larger than they were in their teens and twenties? I am a petite, 5ft size 8. Petite ranges in department stores look like something your granny would wear to a wedding. I do sometimes have garments altered but begrudge paying for smaller sizes and then again to have even more fabric taken away!! I recently went to France where I found some wonderful high street ranges that actually fitted and weren’t boring. Why can’t we do this in th UK?

Tried to get a pic but lost all my comment when I clicked on Gravatar and have had to type it all again – not ideal. If you want to see what I look like, look me up on Facebook.

By: Ruby Plum

Ruby Plum — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:53:53 +0000

I’m really happy to be 50. I love fashion and dressing up. Is it just me or do women seem to be dressing younger and younger? I think that old idea about women becoming invisible as they get older is being turned on its head by Baby Boomers.

I got so fed up with the boring greige stuff aimed at my age group or the too-frou frou, revealing high fashion stuff my daughters buy that I set up my own label, designing and buying gorgeous clothes and accessories that I would want to (and do) wear. There’s some lovely stuff out there, it’s just so hard to find amongst all the poor quality dross. I am often shocked on the high street and even at fashion trade shows by the huge volume of unwearable, unflattering, crap quality clothes for women. Good for Mary Portas if she can start a revolution in Fashion for Fabulous Forties – she could be the Jamie Oliver of fashion!