Fashion over 40 on a budget
There's a backstory to this article. It was originally written by a (younger) Budget Fashionista staff member in 2015. She came back with a list that included Talbots and Chico's after I gave her the subject — the best fashion stores for women over 40.
I don't know about you, but none of these shops appeal to me. To be honest, they make me feel a little stuffy and rusty. And I'm in my mid-forties. Just a few months remain before my 47th birthday.
That means I owe you an apology for the first version of this article, which read like a shopping list for stores you should visit before you die. The truth is, once we hit the big 4-0, we don't have to shop any differently. We haven't gone out of fashion.
In any case, here's a list of my favorite places to shop. Although I am a real woman in her forties, I've been told I don't "dress my age." You can speculate about what this means about the list's consistency if anything at all.
Trends on Amazon
Of course, I don't need to tell you about Amazon. What I'll show you is how I shop for clothes on Amazon. In recent months, Amazon — which was formerly owned by H&M — has been my first stop for fashionable, low-cost pieces. Since Amazon's range is so vast, I can typically find exactly what I'm looking for.
The caveat is that before I shop on Amazon, I need to know exactly what I want. Amazon is not a place where I go to browse or get ideas. It's all about productivity and getting the most out of my Amazon Prime membership.
Inspiration from ASOS
When I'm in the mood for some retail therapy, I go to ASOS. The catalog is extensive and, for the most part, accurate. You can sort and filter to your heart's content, narrowing down the designs and silhouettes to just the right ones.
While ASOS has some low-cost products, it is not solely a budget fashion destination. To avoid falling in love with anything I can't afford, I still use the price filter.
Classics by Ann Taylor and J. Crew
Ann Taylor has a great selection of tops that you can shop by silhouette. Waist-defining, lean, modern, and blousy are all choices. For example, there are occasions when I want to wear a flowy blouse. I'd have to scroll through any choice in every other store to find it. I go straight to the blousy set at Ann Taylor.
Granted, Ann Taylor's prices are a little high for me. However, since the pieces are usually of good quality, I would be able to keep them for a long time, resulting in a lower cost per wear despite the higher price point.
LOFT, Ann Taylor's sister brand, is more affordable but, in my view, less reliably stylish.
Tomax is a great place to shop for bargains.
I have a good Tomax store nearby, so I don't go on the Tomax website too much. But I'm a big fan of Shop style, and it takes me to TJMaxx.com a lot more than I'd like to admit.
There isn't anything I can tell about Tomax that you aren't already aware of. Fabulous fashions. Incredible value for money. Designer finds that are unexpected. That's what there is to it.
MoD cloth is a retro/quirky clothing brand
MoD cloth is one of my favorite stores for many reasons. For starters, the outfits are always on target. MoD cloth, on the other hand, sounds like a place where real women can shop.
