<p>oh…I’m not a fan of shopping at all but i love a good bargain.
I show up at TJMax quite a bit cause there’s one right around the corner. It’s hit or miss…but it takes just a few minutes and is right next to my favorite store in the world…Trader Joes.<br>
Once in a while, I check out AT loft and Nordstroms Rack.
My clothes budget is very low…I used to buy some high priced stuff in my former life but no more.</p>
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<p>I looked at Bonworth’s online, because I’ve never heard of it.</p>
<p>No, Chico’s is nothing like that. Even us not-yet-elderly mothers can find stuff there. Sheesh.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that dress code has changed drastically in a past 20+ years, so everything goes that is under company dress code. I cannot wear shorts, but I worked for huge international retail (at headquarters) where shorts were oficially allowed and a lot of people were actually wearing them in professional department.</p>
<p>LOL…I looked up bonworths too and saw the nine dollar pants…now these were just awful…stretchy-top monstrosities…well suited for those with no waist. </p>
<p>I do think Chicos is getting a bad rap here. Go all out with their beaded numbers, leopard prints and jewelry and you’ll have the “old lady” look for sure…but they do have some normal stuff too. Same with Talbots. Its’ not all stuffy suit jackets and sensible dresses. </p>
<p>Personally I think shopping at H&M is a bit much for older women but that’s just me. </p>
<p>Oh, and I love jeans, paired with black tops, and flats…don’t know what I do without that tried and true choice.</p>
<p>I am wearing awesome pants right now that I have bought at Kohl’s for my D. for $5 (yes, five dollars) and she rejected them/ I tried them on. and love them since then. Hey, it was brand new for a change.</p>
<p>H&M is sort of the opposite of Chico’s, but the point is the same - you can often find appropriate things if you look. The last time I was at an H&M I bought a grey cardigan sweater. The time before that I bought a solid black jacket.</p>
<p>[Chico’s</a> - Ruffled Sueded Andrianna Coat](<a href=“http://www.chicos.com/store/browse/product.jsp?maxRec=118&pageId=2&productId=100083546&viewAll=&prd=Ruffled+Sueded+Andrianna+Coat&su]Chico’s”>http://www.chicos.com/store/browse/product.jsp?maxRec=118&pageId=2&productId=100083546&viewAll=&prd=Ruffled+Sueded+Andrianna+Coat&su)
here’s an example of a cute jacket (IMO) from Chicos.
Wow…I need to stop browsing and posting and get back to work!</p>
<p>I hate shopping and get a lot of nice things through Cabi. I don’t go to their “parties” but order direct. They are very good quality, although a little pricey.<br>
Please ladies just promise me you won’t go to forever 21. My sibling is tiny and in her late 40s and still shops there. Just because the clothes fit you doesn’t mean you should wear them!</p>
<p>Forever 21…I’ve spent a lot of time in that store waitng for D to finish in the dressing room, and I don’t think I’ve seen a thing that would be appropriate for me to wear.</p>
<p>Here’s my warning (via my D): No matter how cute you think it is, don’t buy those t-shirts with cute sayings on them from Aeropostale.</p>
<p>Yes, Toneranger, please get back to work! That jacket is something I would be tempted to buy. I like the whole outfit except I would substitute long straight leg jeans. In fact, because it’s on sale I had to resist sticking it my shopping cart!</p>
<p>Forever 21 is like the others, if I pick through while waiting for DD I always find a few things. This year it was some simple plaid shirts, fitted with snaps–adorable. Come to think of it, I’m surprised a teen would want these.</p>
<p>Returning to the idea of being horrified that an 80-yr-old wears your clothes…I’ve got bad news for all you Banana Republic fans. My 86 yr old mother is 5’ 5", weighs about 112 lbs, has a tiny waist, does yoga and walks a couple of miles every day, and she prefers Banana Republic jeans.</p>
<p>Frankly, I’d be ecstatic if I looked as good in clothes as my mother does. 
(She always looks well and appropriately dressed, without being either a frump or mutton dressed as lamb.)</p>
<p>Speedo’s. </p>
<p>Warm when its cool.
Cool when its warm.
Easy to wash and dry.
Color fast.
Any color.
Mix and match. </p>
<p>I need my eyes washed.</p>
<p>Consolation, as I said earlier my 28 year old niece LOVES Chico’s and always looks extremely cute at holiday gatherings etc. - probably the most put together of all of us!</p>
<p>I get sick of black, gray and tan in the office so I love color. I do have a black suit etc. but I make sure that I wear my wild colored glasses at a minimum. I do like Boden for picking up a piece or two and some of their skirts are long enough for a tall person like me. I like soft stuff so I need to stay OUT of the stores right now, the colors, the cashmere and all the “soft” stuff is hard to resist after the summer. I went to a meeting today and when I walked in everyone was laughing at me. They had been placing bets whether I would put pants on (I never wear them) since my vow not to wear nylons anymore…it was cold today. Hah, I found a long skirt to wear that I had not hemmed up. I’ve been hemming everything this summer. Now I’m wondering if that was a good move or not.</p>
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<p>The last two pair of jeans I bought were from Banana Republic. No problem seeing an 80 year old in them. BUT, if she paired the jeans with a baby-doll top from Forever 21, or a smiley face graphic T from Aeropostale, THAT’S when we’d be thinking mutton/lamb. (Or maybe not - you’d be thinking mutton/lamb if it was me, but 80 years olds can get by with a lot.)</p>
<p>Kitschy clothes can be found in any store. Some stores have more “wearable kitsch” than others. Same goes for good-looking clothes. I actually bought stuff for myself at both Chico’s and Forever 21 (a tank top is a tank top!). That red jacket from Chico’s is adorable (but well above my price point), I would wear something like that, with either jeans or a pencil skirt. I own quite a few pencil skirts, and in the warmer months I wear them without hose, but when it gets cold, I do not want to freeze my tush waiting for the bus, so tights and long boots are my lifesavers.</p>
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<p>I don’t really know any women like this - it’s mostly a guy thing - but there are some poor souls who think that if it’s sold at a “nice” store, it must be stylish/appropriate. I was mocking some pants my H was interested in - the cut was WAY dated - and his response was , “well, they’re selling them…”</p>
<p>I borrowed a pair of DDs Seven jeans when I ran out while traveling and fell in love. Anyone else like Sevens? </p>
<p>Recently I tried a pair of Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. Despite all claims, I didn’t think they were as flattering as most. </p>
<p>What are your favorite stylish jeans?</p>
<p>I am not a fan of tights, for us or for young girls. Unless you are so well proportioned, it’s just too much information. You may think the top you are wearing is covering your butt, but most of the time I am still seeing it (bending over, wind blow) and often it’s just painful. Even if your butt is covered, what about your legs…We invented clothes to cover up our imperfections, not to show them off.</p>