what are your most challenging or difficult items to find?

When you have sorted out your style, wants, essentials, etc. for your lifestyle, what items do you find difficult to find, and why?

For me, as I am sure it will be on several lists, are jeans. Once you know what you are looking for, flares, crops, skinnies or whatever, finding the right fit and comfort level is a chore.

Next comes footwear-again fit and comfort level are challenging. My biggest problem with my skinny feet and narrow heels are finding slip ons that stay on my feet. It is not impossible, as I have 3 pairs of pumps, 2 flats and just found a pair of slip on sneakers that stay on, but I have to try sooo many before finding them.

Other difficulties are tops that are too long and the limited selections in petites, necklines too big as I have big shoulders and have to get larger sizes, arms too skinny in some knits, active wear with pockets (now here is a real problem -and zipper pockets in pants are really hard to find), sleeves too long on cardigans, and difficult clasps on some jewelry, especially vintage necklaces.

10 years ago

Anonymous

Full length pants.
White tops that are not too sheer.

rachylou

Veteran

Proper trousers, hands down.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Comfortable footwear that looks fabulous.

Sara L.

Dresses that fit right and black sandals. I think I buy at least one or two pairs of black sandals every summer and somehow they never quite work.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

Pants and jeans that are long enough. Tops that are long enough. Dresses that are long enough. (Sense a theme?) Bottoms that fit both my waist and my hips. Dresses that fit both my top and bottom halves. Tops that aren't too small in the upper arms.

catseye

Shoes.

I think maybe less than one percent shoes out there maybe comfortable enough. I own no pumps due to the sliiping heel issues as well.

Shirts for my great template

JAileen

Pants that fit.

Pants that are long enough.

Shoes that are both comfortable & stylish, with adequate arch support.

LaPed

Pants. Any kind of pants. I've mostly given up on off-the-rack. Prefer to buy secondhand or at a deep discount and take to the tailor.

olga

Active Member

Basics for me - good tees, solid sweaters, pants. I feel many stores are packed with "fashion" but not clothing one can wear on repeat or as basics. Or may be i just am more drawn to fashionable pieces than basics and end up having no patience to choose better basics.

Same for me as for rachlou. Trousers. Beautifully cut, INTERESTING current looking fine/cool wool trousers. No rayon/poly blend office dress pants - I want great trousers. For winter. WHERE ARE THEY? I will pay almost anything - but did draw the line at $400 ones from Vince the other day. $250 would be great. This is the bane of my existence - living in a city of only 700,000.

anchie

White tops, especially white sweaters. Looking for years for the right one. They are always wrong shade of white or too transparent. Mostly both

texstyle

The perfect cotton or blend off white v-neck tee that does not require a cami but has great drape (no heavy Lands End or pima cotton tees have good drape). If my CE camo tee came in off white it would have been perfect but their version of an off white tee is some weird fabric that is basically see through.

Brooklyn

Similar to Laura: dresses, skirts, tops and shorts that are long enough. Pants and jeans that fit me at the waist/hip AND the thigh. Items in colours I like other than black, white and grey.

Lyn D.

Leather jackets that aren't on-line only.

Janet

Dresses. Casual day dresses in comfortable fabrications, interesting cuts, and long enough for my preferences.

Trousers and pants that are long enough and fit properly in hip/thigh are hard too, but I mostly sidestep this by living in jeans.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Trousers.

retailgirl

Comfortable shoes that aren't "comfort" shoes in my size, 11N. And money is (almost) no object! Although Ferragamo is now out of my price range and Stuart Weitzman is getting there. Has anyone tried Shoes of Prey?

unfrumped

What lisap said.

Windchime

Trousers that are long enough AND are fashionable. I looked for over a year before finding black silky cuffed track pants in a tall length.

April

What Angie said.

My feet are not merely fussy, they're hideously fussy in multiple ways. The challenge of finding footwear that looks good and is comfortable is never-ending, and has at times reduced me to tears.

Like others, I cannot find trousers that fit. I've resorted to jeans almost exclusively.
Dresses that are not too big on top and long enough to come to my knees, especially with sleeves. Now I need to add 2 piece dresses to the hunt.
Pewter pumps with heels lower than 2 inches.
A sheer silky shirt ( the sheer black is not as harsh as regular weight) under $150. Good quality Polyester is ok for this.

Bottoms, either dress pants or jeans. I have a bit of a bottom that I like to disguise:)

I was having great luck with Banana Republic Martin cut, which has been discontinued.

I have a couple pairs of dress trousers from Loft (Canada, much more limited selection) in the Julie cut.

Jeans are hit and miss. I actually have a couple 'Lee' that fit awesome in a trouser cut and look modern. A pair or two in boyfriend style from Old Navy. Skinnies from Kohls when I visit the U.S. ...I guess I prove Angie's adage to leave no retail stone unturned. But bottoms are always a challenge for me.

I'm also busty so often, to fit my chest, tops are big in the sides. Out of necessity I learned to take in the sides of woven tops / blouses.

anne

Like so many other said, comfortable attractive footwear and trousers. Like Janet, I usually just wear jeans instead - haven't bought trousers for maybe 6 or 7 years.
My long waist means lots of tops are too short. I'd love to wear a peplum, but can't and I've been looking for a fitted work jacket for a year or so.