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us older women

always trying

Veteran

Ok, I know there are some older women on this forum. Where do you shop? Do any of you, like me, feel out of place in some of the mall shops?

Most of the older set in my areas shop a Nordstrums, the rack, Macys, and Marshalls. But for a very large number for nicer occasions it is Chicos and Stein Mart.

Shopping

27 replies

Latest reply was from sylvie55

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Add in Talbots, Talbots Outlet, and J.Jill. But I wear plus sizes, which aren’t in cute boutiques or even in smaller mall stores. At the outlet I can try on clothing, at Talbots and J. Jill I can at least touch the material, hold it up to my face to check color, pattern size, etc. and then order in store and receive free shipping. I can also do free in store returns.

By the way, what are you considering older? Not old, but not young either. I guess I answered because I do shop where you listed.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What's older?

I think maybe I qualify because I have grey hair.

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I shop at all the places. Not the shops designed mainly for teens -- but I do go into Topshop! Also Aritzia, Zara, H & M, etc. etc. I also go into Banana Republic, J. Crew, Club Monaco, Ann Taylor, and so on. As well as the big department stores.

Do I feel out of place in the mall shops? Not quite, but I sometimes feel ignored or invisible. Some of the young sales associates can't see past my hair colour to what I'm wearing and don't seem to think I am their client. But that actually suits me just fine. I generally want to be left alone to think. The smarter SA's recognize they're dealing with a fashion-lover and often compliment me on my outfit once they get over their terror of talking to someone who's older than their mother.

There are times when the frenetic music or atmosphere of places designed for a more youthful clientele start to irritate me. In which case I leave.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Define “older.”

There is definitely a disconnect between most retailers marketing to “over-50” clientele, and my own style and preferences at this phase of my life. I still subscribe to Angie’s “leave no retail stone unturned” philosophy and simply check out whatever stores have something in the window that speaks to me, regardless of what age they seem to be targeting.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I like Janet's word of "disconnect." The stores that seem intended for "over 50s" don't seem to cater to my own preferences. So I shop wherever.

jill58

Veteran

I'm 60 so I guess that's "older." I too shop at TJ Maxx, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack....really all the same places I've always shopped. With the exception of a few years during my 50s, I've remained more or less the same size and in certain ways my style has been somewhat consistent. I like a lower hemline now but I enjoy fashion in some ways even more than when I was younger. I certainly have nicer clothes! I feel fine in places like Banana Republic, J. Crew etc... I wouldn't shop at Forever 21 but probably never would have. I would say I feel pretty much what Suz described, in places like Zara or H &M and I too would rather be left alone to think, so it works out well. I also agree with Janet and Suz that the stores that cater to the over 50 demographic can leave a lot to be desired.

deb

Veteran

I am part of the older set and still hit all of the stores. My favorites are Zara, H&M, Talbots (on line only) Anthropology, just to name a few. I like being ignored in the stores because I can browse in peace.

Anonymous

An "older" Canadian chiming in here I find mall/chain stores catering to the mature career woman are pretty out of touch with what many of us really want to wear and I avoid them. (poly pants, skirts, print jersey tops and faux suede moto jackets - year after year after year ) . I also don't shop at the other end of the scale - F21, and some of our junior chains you won't recognize. I never feel unwelcome anywhere , although now usually ignored in CM, which is disappointing. I think that's due to a change in culture there, more than anything though...

I do shop in local boutiques ,as well as in the usual suspects like BR, Lululemon, Aritizia , Anthro, and Hudson Bay.

Nebraskim

Veteran

63. Because I live in Nebraska, we don't have a lot of the nice brick and mortar stores (like Nordstrom) in my city, although we do have Von Maur, which is similar, and Dillard's. I shop online a lot. I do like Talbot's, JJill, very occasionally Chico's. I like H&M and Forever 21 (yeah, totally not my demographic) because I like to look at trends and figure out how to make them work for me. I am self-employed as a writer/editor so I don't have a huge need for nice work clothing any more. Because my style is sort of Collegiate/Preppy/Outdoors/Sporty I can get away with shopping at places like Eddie Bauer and Target. Edited to add that at size 14, I am sized out of most upscale clothing.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Of course you wouldn't recognise my stores, but the feelings and experiences resonate. I define myself as "older" now, for a few years, maybe since my hair became more recognisably grey. ( now 57). I have the same experience as Suz. I often feel ignored and invisible ( after the young SAs have done their ridiculous "How's your day going?" thing that they've either been told to do or feel they must do) but I actually love that! I don't want them fussing around me while I look, feel fabrics, check fabric content labels and country of manufacture- Bangladesh?Goodbye! I am the one who knows what I own and what would fit with it. However there are also plenty of fashion-forward stores with older SAs nearer to my own age or older. I feel more accepted there but again prefer to be left alone and then I can ask for help if I am actually trying on, and can respect their opinion.

Anonymous

I still like to shop at Bloomingdales or SAKS where I can at times still find a SA who knows her department's clothing line and fit and can make recommendations for me. I miss stores like that. At one time I used to shop exclusively at stores like Lord and Taylors, Bonwit Tellers, etc. for that reason.

I hate trying on tons of clothing to see what works and how I can vary my wear. So my closet is getting sparse as I have been wearing what I have in there and have not replenished much of anything yet. Another boutique in my area is going out of business after 40 years because they cannot compete with online vendors and this was another place I could rely on their fit expertise. Soon I will be wearing a sack because I cannot dress myself.

Helena

Veteran

My very chic MIL is 81 and she shops (frequently!) at the Bay, H&M, Zara, Gap, Indigo (Canada's big bookstore, which sells accessories), Winners, Old Navy, little markets for jewellery when she travels, you name it ... she knows what she likes and brings the stylish-ness with her, and the stores are just forced to keep up, frankly!

Runcarla

Veteran

Boomer here! Well, I don't shop at Osh Kosh, Carter, or Baby Gap, but I generally leave no retail stone unturned! This past weekend I was in Bikini Village! There are some places I don't visit because they don't get my body or aesthetic - but I don't necessarily feel 'aged out' of any particular clothing store.

rose

I am 58 and empathise with all above. I don’t want to look like like a frump and also suffer from the “Invisible Woman” syndrome as above. Living in a small country (NZ ) does mean there are less options to be well dressed at a mid price range. Online shopping is my friend! I seldom contribute here but read religiously and all your wonderful posts have helped me find some wonderful online options !

Style Fan

Veteran

I have a very casual lifestyle and don't need clothes for work. I like to shop at independent boutiques and have a couple of favourites. They carry labels that I like. The SAs help me when needed but are not annoying. I don't have much luck at mall stores. I plan to try Madewell when I am in Florida this winter.

Joy

Veteran

I am 72 and what Suz said. I shop the places you mention, REI and Ann Taylor Loft. I have been the invisible woman, ignored and not checked out at Express until I agreed that I was buying for my daughter! Many places like Talbots carry clothes meant for someone with curves, so I have stopped shopping there. I also shop consignment and thrift stores. Some consignment shops are like boutiques.
If I go to a mall I may look at WHBM and H&M but can't remember when I last bought anything. I do not want to dress like my mother and avoid JC Penny's and Lands End although their clothes don't fit me anyway.

MsMaven

Veteran

I still shop at Nordstrom and BR, although the quality of the latter is going more and more downhill. Occasionally J Crew.

My new love is Boden. I find things there I like to wear, good quality and they fit me pretty well.

Sometimes I shop at Macy's, but it's been a long time since I found anything I like there.

I've never found Talbot's stuff to fit quite right, don't like Chico's, but friends do, occasionally WHBM.

I find less and less in the malls. I don't wear/need too much designer stuff, and I don't have the energy to walk from one end to the other anymore. I used to buy stuff at AT, but their store is always moving around. Where is it this week? What is that about?

I do buy a few things at Neiman Marcus, usually when stuff goes on sale. I admit the last time I was in the store I couldn't figure it out. I do buy online from Last Call--many of my jeans and summer tops come from there.

lisaflex

Veteran

50 - i shop second hand stores (higher end clothing labels only), nordies, rack, anthro, sometimes i shop dillards, macys, steinmart, j jill, chicos...depends on the day and my mood. lol

my go to for dresses is definitely nordies, then anthro, then dillards

casual, gap sometimes, anthro, a small boutique we have here which i adore, lucky,

best shoe dept hands down is rack. love dsw too.

old chic

Almost 70 now, but I have never -- and will never -- like the brands aimed at the older woman. I just find them either frumpy or too "safe." When working professionally, I was a big fan of designer wear. But I have no need to signal "success" anymore. My favorite now is Zara, where I find plenty for the senior fashionista (even in their teen Trafaluc line) if only you know your style and what suits your current physical shape. Yoox is fun, too. Find something different and don't pay full freight.
Almost all my shopping is online these days.

Good shoes and good purses are still a must, though. I like to find them on my travels.

DonnaF

Veteran

Invisible 65 y.o. reporting in. I am a Petite, and most brick'n'mortar stores don't have that much of a selection in that size range in their stores. I shop mostly online at Nordstrom.com where I also order non-Petite clothing such as Topshop.

If I am shopping with DD, we will leave (almost) no retail stone unturned since she is so hard to fit. Thus, on occasion I have been known to buy stuff at F21 and H&M.

I keep meaning to try WHBM to see if their stuff *gets* my body or if I even like their styles. J.Crew tends to be cut too straight for my body and Club Monaco too narrow. I could probably get a good fit with Talbot's, but their styles are a little too classic for my taste.

binkle

Veteran

I'll be 60 in a few weeks. While I shop online more and more, I still enjoy going to the mall. In SoCal we have most chainstores, though I haven't been able to get to our fancier malls (with Bloomingdales, Saks, and higher-end boutiques) in a while.

Most recently I've bought at Gap, Macys, Nordstrom, Free People, Target, Uniqlo stores. I look at Forever 21, Zara, H&M, but their sizing is exclusive (and quality is so-so).

Online I'll look at everything, A lot of dream-shopping on Moda Operandi and designer websites! I've bought at JCrew, Nordstrom, Saks, Net-a-Porter. A few times from the designers/brands own website.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm 48.

What Janet said.

I shop in the US and in Europe very regularly. I am an equal opportunity shopper - leaving no retail stone unturned - and will shop anywhere that suits my style preferences, quality expectations, and creates a good fit. I am very fussy with fit, colour, and fabric so I tend to seek out my faves first - then look at the rest.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I am 52 with grey hair and, as it happens, I ducked out of work at lunch yesterday to check out one of the "toniest" malls in Tel Aviv. (Ended up buying lipstick, which was my intention.) One thing I will say about the culture here -there is no sense of age discrimination. As a matter of fact the older you are the more likely you are to have disposable income, which the sales staff appreciates, or at least that is the sense I got. I felt just as comfortable in H&M as the Dior makeup store.

Anonymous

I'm older and honestly, I go into the major brand stores only to pick up things I've ordered online. I'll look while I'm there but I rarely buy something other than what I came in for. Ironically, at the very time that I have the greatest buying power, I am the least satisfied by what I see.

The greatest disappointment for me is the quality of the fabric and construction in the simple, non luxury, sportswear type clothes that I wear the most.

The second greatest disappointment is the blurring of the individual characters of the brands, with so many stores showing the same details and color palettes.

Kate

Veteran

62 here, and have had the experience Suz mentioned, but like others said, I don’t mind being ignored so I can shop in peace. I will say it doesn‘t happen often, and has never happened in Nordstrom. I don’t worry about it, and follow Angie’s dictum of leaving no retail stone unturned. I do however do most of my shopping online since I don’t really enjoy brick & mortar shopping. The one exception is Uniqlo, which is inside DC’s Union Station, where I often find myself taking either Amtrak or the metro, so I drop in. Uniqlo’s salespeople are great!

Gigi

Veteran

I'm not sure what the age parameters are for the question (I'm 45), but I so identify with this feeling! I struggle especially because I have a very small frame, and it seems like a lot of stores equate small with young, which means most of what I see in my size is crop tops and miniskirts. The odd youthful piece is OK, but I want to look like a grown-up most of the time.

I know that women who want to look grown-up can still find pieces at stores geared toward the young (say, Forever 21, H&M), but I find myself reluctant to even set foot in those stores because I just FEEL uncomfortable in them. I dislike the whole atmosphere and want to get out as soon as possible. I don't even like makeup shopping much, because Sephora and Ulta are often full of teenagers, which just makes me feel old.

I have been on a mission to "spice up" my closet by trying many new-to-me brands of clothing, and my main source for these clothing lines is Nordstrom, because most of the clothing looks like it is for grown-ups. I also frequently shop at J. Crew.

gryffin

Veteran

59 reporting in. I don’t think I’ve set foot in a b&m store in 5 yrs. That’s a matter of time and I was ignored in my 20’s and 30’s no matter how nicely dressed, so I think invisibility is me or perhaps I send out “don’t approach”signals which is quite possible. My philosophy is “leave most retail stores unturned”. I’m a targeted shopper, using online, if historically I have found the brand not to my liking for quality or style, I’m not going to chance it. I will leave the diamond in the haystack to others. I shop Nordstrom’s, Saks, NM, Gap, Everlane, Theory, AllSaints, EF, Coach, VB. I have purchased from Madewell, Pendleton, Frye in the last year and have pieces by RT, RM, Vince but they are rare purchases. I do favor companies w free returns and quick credits on returns. The 2 mo from brooks brothers will not be repeated. I don’t buy fast fashion per se. I keep my clothes a long time, the quality is just not there for me. So I try not to even leave ok at the sites because some pieces are gorgeous but I know that’s a mistake for me.

sylvie55

(website)

59 and I shop Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Eileen Fisher andAthleta, and I thrift assiduously. Most of my jeans are NYDJ because even though I weigh the same as in my 20s and work out regularly, things have shifted. I still get some basics at Banana and J. Crew but have definitely noticed a downturn in quality. I am not drawn to fast fashion and get peeved at retailers who believe 50+ women should dress in gaudy, sparkly getups more suitable for toddlers.