women in your 30s or older - clothing question

[pigletgirl]

So it's ok to put down women who don't shop in juniors?
It'd be one thing if the posters who are posting pictures of themselves started the thread and it was about their outfits but it seems to me like it was started by someone else asking a general question about shopping in stores that specifically cater to juniors (middle school was mentioned in the first post).

It's the feeling of being attacked for how they dress.

And I still believe AE, A&F, and Aero are geared for the 13-20 year olds.

I find there are many stores (Gap, Express, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Dillards/Macy's, Old Navy (picky though there!)) who has clothing for those looking to look cute, sophisticated, classy, etc for women in their 20's, 30's, 40's and maybe even beyond.

My personal opinion that a screen tee from any of the "A" stores listed above are not what women in their 30's should be wearing.

*flame suit on*

 

[Liberty Belle]

It's the feeling of being attacked for how they dress.

And I still believe AE, A&F, and Aero are geared for the 13-20 year olds.

I find there are many stores (Gap, Express, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Dillards/Macy's, Old Navy (picky though there!)) who has clothing for those looking to look cute, sophisticated, classy, etc for women in their 20's, 30's, 40's and maybe even beyond.

My personal opinion that a screen tee from any of the "A" stores listed above are not what women in their 30's should be wearing.

*flame suit on*

I'm not sure I understand why. What's the big deal?

And they sell some really cute tops and jeans - not just screen tees and sweats.

 

[ashley0139]

It's the feeling of being attacked for how they dress.

And I still believe AE, A&F, and Aero are geared for the 13-20 year olds.

I find there are many stores (Gap, Express, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Dillards/Macy's, Old Navy (picky though there!)) who has clothing for those looking to look cute, sophisticated, classy, etc for women in their 20's, 30's, 40's and maybe even beyond.

My personal opinion that a screen tee from any of the "A" stores listed above are not what women in their 30's should be wearing.

*flame suit on*

You're aware those stores sell more than screen tees right? I think we may have found the problem...

 

[Gumbo4x4]

You're aware those stores sell more than screen tees right? I think we may have found the problem...

Yes, also skinny jeans, shorty-shorts, cami's, and neon shoes.

But, nothing else, right?

 

[scoutie]

You guys are cracking me up!

I did some shopping tonight to find something new to wear to work (teacher).

I bought this. At American Eagle. It's a cardigan.

I'm such a teeny bopper wanna be. I tried on sweaters at Banana Republic ($$$$$$) and Loft (too roomy and a bad fit). Ah....trying to relive the teen years in my dark blue cardigan. For comparison, here is a blue cardigan at the store I'm SUPPOSED to shop at (Coldwater Creek). This cardigan is horrible and it's $80 to boot.

It would swallow me up if I wore it.

DO YOU SEE WHAT US 40 YEAR OLDS ARE TRYING TO SAY???? We don't want to sacrifice fit, style and cuteness.

Here are some other AE offerings. Man....all of us crazy 40 year old women (and there is a section called "women's at these stores) trying to look like teens. Personally, a lot of the teen girls I know wouldn't be caught dead in some of these clothes.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

You guys are cracking me up! I did some shopping tonight. I bought this. At American Eagle. It's a cardigan. I'm such a teeny bopper wanna be.

Yikes.... Should have bought the one next door at The Loft for $20 more with 1/4in more fabric.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

You guys are cracking me up!

I did some shopping tonight to find something new to wear to work (teacher).

I bought this. At American Eagle. It's a cardigan.

I'm such a teeny bopper wanna be. I tried on sweaters at Banana Republic ($$$$$$) and Loft (too roomy and a bad fit). Ah....trying to relive the teen years in my dark blue cardigan.

Did they ask for your ID before you bought that? Or, did you have to swear it was for your daughter?

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I still like American Eagle. I don't shop at Abercrombie for me. BUT I do for dd who is 14 and I do love her sweaters. So I do steal them and wear them. I think it is more important how you wear it and what you wear it with then where it comes from.

 

[scoutie]

Did they ask for your ID before you bought that? Or, did you have to swear it was for your daughter?

Ha Ha! After this thread, I put on my dark glasses, slunk in, and nervously scoped the place out. Hands shaking, I had my story ready should anybody ask (It's for my niece!!!!!! I swear!!!!!) The sales associates were too busy trying to fend off the influx of cougars shopping there to worry about me and my sad little cardigan.

 

[LSmith]

Ha Ha! After this thread, I put on my dark glasses, slunk in, and nervously scoped the place out. Hands shaking, I had my story ready should anybody ask (It's for my niece!!!!!! I swear!!!!!) The sales associates were too busy trying to fend off the influx of cougars shopping there to worry about me and my sad little cardigan.

OMG Won't you just die if one of your students comes in wearing the same sweater? Don't you care that the mothers in their Coldwater Creek and Talbots attire will be laughing and snickering behind your back? Dress your age lady!

Scandalous!

 

[Desnik]

Or any woman of any age. Who cares if you buy in a teen store, an old lady store or a thrift shop. If you're clothed, if you think you look good and you're happy, it's no one else's business.

Totally agree!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Ha Ha! After this thread, I put on my dark glasses, slunk in, and nervously scoped the place out. Hands shaking, I had my story ready should anybody ask (It's for my niece!!!!!! I swear!!!!!) The sales associates were too busy trying to fend off the influx of cougars shopping there to worry about me and my sad little cardigan.

Oh, I think I've found my calling. Selling "trendy" brands on the black market to over 40's. Meet me around back.......ma'am.

 

[Liberty Belle]

A part of me still wants to wear my Pogues tshirt, red plaid mini skirt, and fishnet stockings, but I refrain.

 

[pigletgirl]

DO YOU SEE WHAT US 40 YEAR OLDS ARE TRYING TO SAY???? We don't want to sacrifice fit, style and cuteness.

You don't have too sacrifice anything! There are plenty of stores that cater to women your age. You might have to look a little harder than those stores but to say you ONLY fit in A&E, etc is a bit suspect.

 

[ashley0139]

You don't have too sacrifice anything! There are plenty of stores that cater to women your age. You might have to look a little harder than those stores but to say you ONLY fit in A&E, etc is a bit suspect.

Absolutely no reason to look harder.

 

[Liberty Belle]

You don't have too sacrifice anything! There are plenty of stores that cater to women your age. You might have to look a little harder than those stores but to say you ONLY fit in A&E, etc is a bit suspect.

What?! Why should they have to? Seriously? We can only shop in stores that "cater" to the 30+ set?! That's just crazy.

 

[pixiewings71]

I just skimmed this thread, but from what I read I surmised that at 43 years of age I'm supposed to be shopping at Chico's and Coldwater Creek with the social security crowd. No thanks, I'll pass.

I'm also not cutting my hair above the shoulders either. LOL.

LOL me neither! My hair is butt length and looks amazing! LOL I'll cut it when it needs it and not a minute before.

From a male perspective:


Cute girl wears cute junior top. Older ladies who aren't in shape to pull it off are jealous and take 16 pages to put her down.

Some women grow older but they're still the catty junior high bratty girls.

Sorry not about to post pictures of myself on a message board. .. not my thing. Also, I don't think you are my age. .
See here's the thing, VS sells women's clothing. The original question was about Aero and American Eagle. Those stores are, in general, for young ladies and teens. Look at Aeros website. Their clothing categories are "Guys" and "Girls". Somehow that's morphed into VS, Lucky, even Calvin Klein vs. Chicos and Coldwater Creek.

You seem to have taken the responses to the original question as something they weren't really meant to be.

As far as jeans go I wear Luckys, True Religion (best jeans ever) Paige, Joe's... things like that.

So I'm supposed to go buy all my clothes from VS and pay $60-100 for a pair of jeans that won't fit me right when I can instead go to Rue and walk out with 2 pair of jeans, 2 pair of shorts and 4 shirts for that same $60?? Ummm no thanks. I'll continue to shop where I do and save money while looking great, for my age and my body style.

I don't think so. The original question was about WHERE to shop. And there seems to be a very distinct problem (among some) with the source of the clothing as much as the clothing itself.

I gave the example earlier of Rue21 which both my 13-year-old daughter and 42-year-old wife love. But, while they both shop there, they don't buy exactly the same things. They both get jeans (DW more than DD), DD also gets skirts where DW doesn't. DW gets some tops there, but DD does not. But what many are saying here is that because they have clothing that DD13 likes, DW42 shouldn't even be shopping for herself in that store. And, I say "bull" to that. And if they can both find the same style of jeans and look good in them from the same store, more power to them on that one too

I love your second paragraph, my 2 DD's and I all love Rue 21, but we all have different styles so we tend to buy different things when we are there. That doesn't mean we don't all see something and like it but we do tend to buy different styles. just because I'm shopping at a "teen" store doesn't mean I dress like a teen, but I do like trendy clothes that make me look good so that's what I wear.

For the most part it's true though. If you are over 25 and AE is the first store you think of when you need new clothes, you should probably rethink your style.

Even the posters that were the first to feel the need to defend shopping at those stores later changed it to only buying certain things there or tried to change it lump adult stores in with the teen stores.

I don't shop at AE or A&F, I do shop at Aero, Forever 21 (although I rarely find anything there for me) and Rue 21 but I don't need to "rethink my style either". I'm very comfortable with who I am and how I dress and I don't fool myself about how I look either. If you passed me on the street you wouldn't even know where I shopped...lol

It's the feeling of being attacked for how they dress.

And I still believe AE, A&F, and Aero are geared for the 13-20 year olds.

I find there are many stores (Gap, Express, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Dillards/Macy's, Old Navy (picky though there!)) who has clothing for those looking to look cute, sophisticated, classy, etc for women in their 20's, 30's, 40's and maybe even beyond.

My personal opinion that a screen tee from any of the "A" stores listed above are not what women in their 30's should be wearing.

*flame suit on*

Out of those stores you listed We have Express, Old Navy and Macy's in our mall, to get any of the others I have to drive farther and again pay more. Not everyone has access to all the same stores to shop at, we don't have Coldwater Creek, we don't have a Kohl's locally, to get there I have to drive half an hour. I'll stick to Rue, thanks.

Ha Ha! After this thread, I put on my dark glasses, slunk in, and nervously scoped the place out. Hands shaking, I had my story ready should anybody ask (It's for my niece!!!!!! I swear!!!!!) The sales associates were too busy trying to fend off the influx of cougars shopping there to worry about me and my sad little cardigan.

A part of me still wants to wear my Pogues tshirt, red plaid mini skirt, and fishnet stockings, but I refrain.

for Halloween I do still wear stuff like this....hahahaha

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

On a serious note, lets talk about people wearing sports jerseys in public. Has anyone ever been at the grocery and seen one of them get the call to play?

Thats normal attire in Pittsburgh . Never give it a second look whether it be for the Steelers, Pirates or Penguins.

 

[scoutie]

You don't have too sacrifice anything! There are plenty of stores that cater to women your age. You might have to look a little harder than those stores but to say you ONLY fit in A&E, etc is a bit suspect

Who is saying that? NOBODY has said that they only shop at the "teen" stores. Most of us have been saying that if there is a $50 tank at stores for "women our age" versus a $12 tank at the "teen" store, we're going with the teen store. I think posters were pretty clear that they shop lots of places. I buy a very small portion of my clothes from the "A" stores mentioned. I mainly shop at Express, Limited, BHWM, Loft, etc. But when I'm looking for certain articles of clothing (like the cardigan), or a pair of jeans that will fit my frame, I'm not ruling out certain stores. The cardigan I posted is a perfect example. I tried Loft, I tried Banana, and you can see what Coldwater Creek offered. Too big, too expensive, too boxy. AE had the perfect style and fit, and in my opinion was perfectly age appropriate. Anthropolgie was mentioned, and while it's a great store, it's too expensive. I'm a teacher and I have three kids. I can't drop $80 on a cardigan.

Really....I think that many posters are not comprehending what they are reading. Nobody is wearing a screen tee. Nobody is wearing an AE logo splashed across their chest. Nobody is wearing (shudder) booty shorts. We are wearing a cute cardigan, tee, tank, pair of jeans that fits well and is priced within our budget. 40, 50, 60, 70....everybody can pull off a tee and jeans, no matter what store it's from.

Selling "trendy" brands on the black market to over 40's. Meet me around back.......ma'am.

Ha ha!

My hair is butt length and looks amazing!

I bet it's gorgeous!

 

[Ceila]

You don't have too sacrifice anything! There are plenty of stores that cater to women your age. You might have to look a little harder than those stores but to say you ONLY fit in A&E, etc is a bit suspect.

Good lord. If someone has found a brand or store that is a good fit for them, why should they have to look harder somewhere else? I don't get the disdain for women who fit into and shop at those stores.

For the most part, the only time anyone on this thread said they only fit in one brand or another was regarding jeans / pants. Almost every woman I know has just one or two brands of jeans that are The Ones. So what if they happen to be from a store that mostly caters to the younger set? It's pretty hard to tell if someone is wearing jeans from A&E versus Macy's. (And if you can tell, you're probably a little too close!)