'Prissy style' of the South east - WHYYYY????

[windygallows]

I live in a smaller town in the home counties after many years in a large urban centre in the North. Lovely place but the style is so different and I'm still struggling to make heads or tails of it.

Up north people wore a lot of black and the look was a bit more slick... down here women my age (40s) and even younger dress in what I can only describe as a kind of prissy, prim style with:

• lots of cardis
  
• lots of bright colours including loads of floral dresses and skirts
  
• Very rarely do you see lots of black or all dark colours
  
• bootcut mum jeans with heeled boots a la 1995
  
• lots more 'ortho' sandals and shoes
  

When I see women in brightly coloured mary janes wearing spotted Boden skirts and sporting floral Cath Kidston bags I honestly think it's an outfit more suited to a 10 year old girl.

Help me understand the style down here. Where does it come from? Is this quintessential english style? Or are the home counties stuck in a style warp? I don't think I'm some style guru and certainly don't want to be teetering around in a sparkly dress in heels....but it feels v different here!

[LaurieFairyCake]

It's warmer down here

When I lived up north I wore more black so it hid the rain stains, down here it's much lighter fabrics because of the heat

Loads of other reasons too

[windygallows]

I get that - the weather is WAY better down here. But that doesn't mean floral wrap dresses all year round, does it?

[ShatnersBassoon]

Is it a climate thing? More sun, lighter fabrics, brighter outlook. Do fewer women work there? They might not need to look so smart so tend towards more casual, less businesslike clothes.

You don't have to join in. Stick with what you like to wear. Nobody will notice if you're not the same as the majority.

[ShadowsInTheDarkness]

Im a goth in the SouthEast .... Doing my bit to try and offset the boden and florals

[windygallows]

Thanks Shatners. I FEEL like a goth down here by comparison. I just worry that I'm going to have to join the dark side and start wearing brightly spotted raincoats and cornflower blue jumpers!

[LaurieFairyCake]

I'm in the Home Counties and it's a bit more outdoorsy too - you seem to be describing a Northern city feel?

So if I'm wearing a skirt/top/dress I can change from birkies to wellies without bothering to change the outfit if it's just casual. We (or most people I know) have dogs and possibly horses.

I'd look a bit weird in a black outfit with wellies I think

[LaurieFairyCake]

Buy the spotty raincoat - you'll fit right in

[windygallows]

I think there are less women working around here but that doesn't explain the style....

[polyhymnia]

Very interesting - as a Londoner, had always thought in my very prejudiced way it was northerners who were stuck in a timewarp. I'm thinking of things like getting very dressed up for a meal ou or theatre.

But thinking about it now, it might be more a city/ suburbs difference. The style you describe is a very leafy suburb/ home county one. Don't think you'd find it so much in Shoreditch. Or in Brighton among the trendy metro set.

And the people I know from the north who are (to me) a bit retro come from small towns or suburbs, not cities like Manchester which I think is pretty vibrant.

All that said, I don't think dressing in lots of black is an in infallible indicator of stylishness!

[LaurieFairyCake]

Yeah we talked about northern cities dressing up more for nights out

I work in London so go out in work gear after work (not dressed up, casual dressing)

[windygallows]

Poly - very true, black does not equal stylish.

It probably IS a suburban sort of look, but dear god there are a LOT of mid-calf floral skirts which really don't do anyone any favours. It seems to be quite an old fashioned look. Should I say that I'm in Oxfordshire? And relatively close the Cotswolds? That probably explains everything doesn't it?

[EndodSummerLooming]

I'm a southerner, married to a northener. We're just less bloody miserable. glares at MIL metaphorically

[BikeRunSki]

I live in West Yorkshire and hardly ever wear black!! I never wear florals tbh, but Boden/White Stuff/Joules/Fatface play a significant role in my wardrobe. Does that mean I am lost in space as well as time?

[NovemberInDailyFailLand]

I live in the SE and look like a bag lady.

[DoneRacing]

Depends where you are in Oxfordshire.
Some parts are very fashionable and you won't see many skirts as you've described!

North Oxfordshire tends to be more fashionable as have the new Soho Farmhouse and various other more urban influenced pubs and restaurants etc like Daylesford, the Bull in Charlbury, the Wild Rabbit, the Plough at Kingham. I'm only there at weekends but it's very fashionable clothes wise, lots of Isabel Marant, Chloe, SL etc and lots of black!

You're also describing an urban/suburban divide, which will be the same anywhere.

[windygallows]

Haha BIKE. Nah, I just think there's a bit of a weird, frumpy uniform down here.

I think my pet hate is when women dress in what I think are quite kiddy-like clothes, like a jacket like this. I don't think it's 'whimsical' or 'cute' I just think it's odd.

Or the bag. Naff. But just my personal opinion.

[MangoMoon]

I'm in West Oxfordshire, am 41 & wear rolled up distressed bf jeans mostly at the mo.
Most people I know of my age are similar tbh - not a floral calf length skirt in sight!

It's the ubiquitous skinny jeans in boots with various scarfey things mum uniform in winter that makes me irritable tbh -it's all very samey, year in year out!

[Butterpuff]

I live in the TOWIE bit of the SE. Be pleased.

[Kikibanana86]

I live in SE on the coast and all women over 35 dress that way around here. I think it's a middle class/suburban thing rather than s north south thing. I'm from the midlands originally and I remember feeling the same. Oh I used to live in a city and down here in rural so I totally get it!

I refuse to give in. I still wear Asos tops hop and boohoo and I'm 30! I hate the Boden look.

[windygallows]

Sounds like there IS style here. Maybe I need to change my social circle then!

[BikeRunSki]

I am currently at Gloucester services, and I reckon a good 50% of the Boden summer catalogue is on show here, not including the White Stuff/Sea Salt stuff on sale in the shop.

[windygallows]

There are a lot of skirts like that that are worn with Camper boots. Like it's the 90s.

Time to tune into St Etienne!

[DoneRacing]

Definitely! Lots of style.

Wear what you like too. There can be lots of idiocy about what to wear in more rural areas if you've moved there from elsewhere. I was brought up very rurally, so think all of that is nonsense.

I wear lots of IM, Blk dnm, j brand, Acne Studios, MiH, Stella M, See by Chloe, Maxmara etc at weekends and I wear lots of black! You can't move for 'trendy' (awful word sorry) people around us and I like it!

[MaybeDoctor]

All black is so bloody boring. And predictable.

Live life in colour ! I threw the last black item out of my wardrobe back in 2010.

[JinkxMonsoon]

I live in the SE and aren't familiar with the looks you're describing. Sounds quite hippyish?

I live in the TOWIE bit of the SE. Be pleased.

Me too That probably explains it.