purchasing clothes for mum on the internet

[eastabout]

My mum is in a Home and is no longer able to visit shops. I need to buy her new clothes. My mum likes classic clothes and some of the clothes I have seen in the few shops which cater for older people are quite awful and cheap looking. Can anyone let me know of any internet sites you know of who specialise in online sales of clothes for older people?

Thanks

J

 

[Onlyme]

What sort of size is she? If she is a size 20 or under you can order from M & S on line. Over that then you have to look at places like Fifty Plus, Ambroise Wilson etc. The quality is not good but clothes don't last long in care homes due to the temperatures they have to be washed at.

 

[jenniferpa]

Can I reiterate what Lemony said about laundry and care homes? Whatever you do, do not the spend the money on fabrics like wool or silk: they simply won't survive the process. And this is a problem if you want well made items, since there is a good chance that along with being well made, they will be more delicate fabrics. I did find that M & S was about the best compromise I could find: reasonably well made and reasonably resistant to the laundry.

 

[eastabout]

Thanks, I had forgotten the washing process at homes! which is why I only see the awful artifical fabrics around! I will take another look at JD williams, problem is mum is only 5ft tall so lots of clothes shops dont cater for small people!! She was a size 16 but has lost weight so I have to work out what she is now. Any other internet site recommendations welcome.

J

 

[nita]

My Mum is small and Damart do some corduroy trousers in 25" length. I still have to take them up! But Damart is quite good for classic clothes too and they are reasonably priced.

 

[Terry big]

My mum is in a Home and is no longer able to visit shops. I need to buy her new clothes. My mum likes classic clothes and some of the clothes I have seen in the few shops which cater for older people are quite awful and cheap looking. Can anyone let me know of any internet sites you know of who specialise in online sales of clothes for older people?

Thanks

J

Hi. My wife is in her final stage now and I nearly lost her over Christmas but she as pulled through. Her wardrobe is full of now close that I have bought in for her but she will never wear them, because she is now bed-bound and the only close that she wears are tops and lose fitting short sleeved are the best to get. This makes it a lot easier for the carers and less stressful for the her.

 

[Terry big]

What sort of size is she? If she is a size 20 or under you can order from M & S on line. Over that then you have to look at places like Fifty Plus, Ambroise Wilson etc. The quality is not good but clothes don't last long in care homes due to the temperatures they have to be washed at.

Hi my wife was a sixteen but is now a fourteen because she is deteriorating fast.

 

[vdg]

I also use Damart for my Mum, but mostly I buy from charity shops for her as the laundry process ruins stuff in the home and also , in spite of me naming everything, stuff does go missing. We are lucky that we have several charity shops in our town and they are fussy about what they sell so I can still get her nice clothes yet not spend a fortune. My Mum is 4' 8" short so I have to do a lot of shortening!

 

[Katrine]

I tend to use http://www.landsend.co.uk because the clothes are very good quality and the returns process is very easy if things don't fit. They are not cheap, but they often have sales and I have had some really good bargains when buying stuff out of season. Since old people tend to wear warm clothes all the time, you get the best bargains when they are selling warm clothes off because it is spring/summer. I have also used Orvis and their quality is excellent but I think their clothes are very over-priced so I prefer Landsend. I agree that M&S online is also very good.

 

[Onlyme]

I was just going to say Landsend. I got some really nice bits from there that are nice and warm.

M and S do some petite clothing and you can buy skirts by length now.

Please don't forget to order name tapes as well. Iron on ones just fall off and the staff will start writing on clothing with a marker pen.

 

[Redwitch]

I would also recommend M & S as their classic range also comes in short length (Mum and I are only 5ft) and a lot of their items are suitable for tumble drying

BHS also have a petite section at reasonable prices.

Good Luck

Jan

 

[cragmaid]

I can recommend www.bonmarche.co.uk . Generously sized, reasonably priced and ,best of all, washable clothing.. many of the trousers are elastic waisted and come in various lengths...yeah I know I sound like an advert, but when you find a shop that works..stick with it, is my motto.....Now if someone can come up with a way to get their person to change their clothes without prompting, I'd be eternally grateful!!!!

 

[eastabout]

Thanks for some really good idea's. The charity shops are a good idea and I dont know why I didnt think about that because mum always bought her clothes from charity shops!!!! She had 3 double wardrobes stuffed with designer label clothes which she couldnt resist buying but hardly got around to wearing them all.

J

 

[jenniferpa]

One of the good things about charity shops (apart from their price) is that most of the clothes have already been laundered so you have some idea of shrinkage.

I donated all of my mother's clothes that were still in good condition to charity shops after she died, and anyone who purchased those had a really good deal - they had no idea that these clothes had been laundered vigorously and still looked good.

 

[theoldbat]

Clothes for Mum

Hi there. I'm a reader of this site & thank everyone for their
help & encouragement so couldn't not reply to this thread.
I've found 'Chums ' an online website very very good. Mum has
been in the NH for over a year now going steadily downhill
& now cannot lift her arms to wear sweaters etc., so everything
needs to button up - they have brilliant cardigans & cotton
T-shirt material blouses that button up - all seem to wash
reasonably well too. As well as anything does in a care home!
Hope this helps.

 

[Petrina]

I'd like to echo the recommendation of Bon Marche. I buy their stuff and have done for years. For my own clothes, I don't keep anything in my wardrobe that won't survive a vigorous full 40degree wash followed by tumble drying on full heat, and all the Bon Marche clothes I have bought stand up to that. My only reservation is that I've found their jeans shrink a bit so they're not very thorough with their preshrinking of cotton, but their slacks are great and I've been happy with their tops, although they do often go in for ones with holes/sequins/buttons etc. that may not be so suitable for communal washing, so if you're buying online, look at the picture carefully to make sure any patterns are just machine-embroidered.

I also endorse M&S. I always think you know where you are with them. I don't buy their trousers so much these days because the shape doesn't suit, but I buy other stuff there and I've never had cause to return an M&S item on quality grounds. On the other hand, where I've bought items for Dad and got the size/pattern etc. wrong, they've taken them back with no quibble at all. Over the years, I've seen a lot of M&S stuff in charity shops and I don't think it's because people don't like it, I think it's because they gain/lose weight before it wears out.

 

[Chemmy]

Thanks for some really good idea's. The charity shops are a good idea and I dont know why I didnt think about that because mum always bought her clothes from charity shops!!!! She had 3 double wardrobes stuffed with designer label clothes which she couldnt resist buying but hardly got around to wearing them all.

J

I never thought I'd be rummaging around charity shops for elasticated waisted trousers and skirts for Mum but I succumbed about three months ago. For a start they are very difficult to find in shops on the high street and then, as the others have said, there are the laundry issues. I won't criticise the staff in the CH as it must be a nightmare so rather than grumble about the empty wardrobe or state of the jumpers, I went out and spent £80 and came back with loads of good quality items, which were appropriate for Mum. If you don't see any suitable clothing, ask the staff as they don't always put everything out. I picked up a brand new pair of Bhs trousers (still with label on) for £4.50. Good value for me and a welcome donation to the charity.

The fun part is now I see her in pastel colours, which really suit her, rather than the white/beige she always bought because 'that goes with everything'

 

[Onlyme]

I have found that Mum's NH washes everything on 60 as Mum is doubly incontinent. Try to find the highest washable fabrics you can. M & S used to be washable at 50 before they went green on us so I tend to think a lot of their stuff can still stand more than the recommended 40.

 

[Fastwalker]

clothes for mum

I bought my mum some nice clothes from Edinborough Woolen Mill shop. They also have a website www.EWM.co.uk.
The home dry clothes on too high a temperature which ruins woolen jumpers etc. I now buy acrylic. My mum didnt wear classic collection clothes before she went into the home and I most certainly wouldnt buy them now. She is also quite tall - was 5.8 and now 5.6 due to shrinkage! so many of the skirts in the cheaper shops like Primark are abit short.

I also got a lovely jumper in Matalan for £7 which has lasted as well as an almost identical one from M&S which is around double.

 

[Terry big]

Alzheimer's

Hi my wife was a sixteen but is now a fourteen because she is deteriorating fast.

I can Honestly say that my wife is showing no signs of Deteriorating. In fact my cares say that is down to me feeding here. And the cares that I do have come in three time a day to wash and change here. But its a balancing act with all the medicines that she is on because she gets one water infection after another and I am told that is what will take here in the end.