Warning: long, non-knitting related ramble/rant

Well, it's happened.

Not that I'd really noticed it was an issue before now, which shows how rarely I actually make use of their area, but...

I am now officially too old to shop in Miss Shop. I know, most of their stuff is crap.

But I used to be able to pick up reasonably priced casual clothes and some workwear from their Tokito brand.

Anyway I went there yesterday and realised it's just all too "trendy" (read short and in weird colours and far too teeny-bopper styles) for me.

Which leaves me with a significant issue.

At 32, it seems I have reached clothing no-mans-land. At least that I can afford.

I am too old for the Miss Shop/Sportsgirl/Portmans range. Styles don't flatter and I get annoyed at the cheap & nasty fabircs and styles so fashion NOW-RIGHT-THIS-INSTANT-GOING-TO-BE-UNWEARABLE-IN-A-WEEK! That I, with limited funds can't justify the relatively cheap costs. Younger clothing section in Target also meets here.

I am too young (and, I hope, personal style conscious) for Katies/Suzanne Grae/Jaquie E etc.
I look there, get disheartened and leave, feeling about a million years old.

I have a relatively fixed income, which means that clothes that I like and are appropriate, I can't always afford. Review brand, for example.

I can buy work clothes in Myer etc from Basque, but seem at a loss for affordable priced age-suitable clothing for casual at-home and casual going out. (I don't do a lot of dressy-going out these days).

While this is a somewhat revelation, reflection leads me to recall that I haven't been happy shopping for a long while. I'm left with this awful feeling, like it just shouldn't be this hard to care somewhat about how I look (It's not even like I am uber-image obsessed). [At this point my friends are no doubt falling about laughing at me, but yes, I do care how I look!]

So, thoughts? Do I give up and dress dowdy and dull? Do I overspend and wear my-life-inappropriate-but-beautiful clothing?

And, yes, there is knitting happening, and Kntting Camp was a blast. And I have photos. Which I will post once I clear the permission from the people in them.