Fashion for the Older Woman

Just up the road from where I live there are two clothes shops.  One is for the younger woman, the other is more suitable for the older woman.  By older I mean, probably, anyone over 40 but for women over 60 in particular.  I recently visited the second shop I mention to try and buy a dress.  Not a fancy, party, beach type dress, just an everyday dress that I could wear this summer.

Before I went I shaved my legs and under my arms, something I tend not to do as often as I should.  Anyway, there I was clean shaven and wearing a skirt and top, something else I tend not to wear very often, usually I’m in trousers.  I walked in and the assistant asked if she could help me.  I told her I was looking for a day dress.  She immediately said that they don’t stock day dresses.  There I was, willing to pay about £75 for a decent dress and feeling terribly disappointed.  “Sorry” she said and walked into her office/stock room.

I was so certain I would get a dress easily.  Aren’t they all the fashion this year?

So, what did I do?  I visited Bonmarche.  Now this shop is considered cheap.  I looked up the French interpretation of Marche (sorry, can’t put the accent on the e with the computer) and it means cheap or market.  But who cares, I actually got a dress.  In fact I got two dresses and a little cardi thing…
 
And it fits!!!  The cardi with the above dress was from Sainsbury’s.

This is the other dress and cardi, both from Bonmarche

It has got shiny bits on it but the aren’t too noticeable.  And wearing the cardi hides the fact that it is a strappy dress, which I don’t like.

Altogether I spent just over my £75 for two dresses and two cardis.

Why is it so hard to find normal dresses?  Most of them look as though they are party dresses, or sun dresses.  I don’t want to walk around looking like a tart that’s past its sell by date.  I want to look neat and tidy and feminine.  I used to make all my own clothes but these days I want to be able to buy ready made.  I do find that dresses tend to be too short (above the knee) or too long (right down to the ankles).  They are also too frilly, I want to look feminine not tarty.  Most dresses don’t have nice little sleeves, a must in my opinion as I get older.  They are too low, I really do not like to see t**s on display, especially older womens'.  I could understand not finding anything if I was grossly overweight, but I’m a standard size 14 (UK) and sometimes a 12.  I also still have a waist.

I HATE SHOPPING!!!

The Month Of May

I had a lot going on during May.  I went to Weymouth for a few days, then home for a few days, then to visit my brother and sister in law who live in Suffolk.
The short break in Weymouth was lovely because of the beautiful weather we were having at the end of April beginning of May.  I did a lot of walking and even got a bit of a sun tan, and I don’t tan easily so really I just ended up with a very red face!  The hotel we stayed in was ok, though the room we had wasn’t exactly nice.  It was clean and the bed was comfortable, the en suite bathroom only had one of those tiny hand basins in it but, as I said, it was clean.  The food was fine, proper dinners (meat and two veg) with a very nice starter and dessert, and full English breakfast if you wanted it as well as the usual cereals and fruit juice.  The bar lounge was very pleasant too and there was entertainment every night.
I really enjoyed my stay in Suffolk as well.  As usual we were made very welcome and enjoyed my SILs always excellent cooking.  We had two outings, one to Lavenham, which is a very interesting old town with a lot of Tudor buildings, and a full day in Bury St Edmonds, a really fabulous place with lots of proper shops, not your usual high street chains (these were tucked away in a new shopping precinct).
At home I’ve been doing my usual sewing and trying to learn to hand knit.  This knitting lark is a bit of a struggle for me!  I’ve knitted a couple of dolls things and a tiny teddy bear.  Today I’m having a go at crochet.
In the garden we now have the polytunnel up and running.  So far I’ve planted tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, broad beans, peas, beetroot and carrots.  Only a few of each, enough for the two of us.  There is still enough room left for some successional sowing, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to extent out harvesting season by doing it this way.  Outside my strawberries are doing well, if the weather would pick up a bit we could have strawberries soon.  After such a lovely April it’s disappointing that the weather has turned cool, dull, rainy and very windy.
I’ve been doing my usual amount of baking.  This week it was almond and apricot cake.  It should have been almond and orange cake but I forgot to put the butter into the mixture and it turned out so rubbery it was inedible, the birds and fox got this, it disappeared quickly so they must have enjoyed it!