To think it’s really hard to be fashionable when you live rurally…?

I have no interest in fashion fortunately - I live rurally but would have an equal lack of interest if I lived in a city...

I wear robust waterproof hiking boots for much of the year with a wax jacket in winter. I'm far more interested in wearing clothes that make sense for the situation than wearing something that might be considered to be this seasons fashion. And judging by the other people I see around me, I'm not alone in that view - and I suspect the other folk are as unbothered as I am.

I wfh, and if I ever have to go into the office (maybe once a year) I'm somewhat flummoxed by what I'm supposed to wear 😁

Tricky during the week if you need to wear wellies for walking the dog in fields etc but at weekends for mucking around with young kids, a pair of leather Chelsea boots with a chunky sole with either knitted dresses, straight/ cropped jeans or jumpsuits is perfect for this sort of thing.

I agree, it’s impossible! I’m in Ireland, we live in the countryside. The whole place is like a swamp with all the rain we’ve had. We are in farming country too so the roads are destroyed. I live in skinny jeans or leggings. If we do have to go somewhere I never seem to have anything nice to wear. Roll on summer!

I’m impressed too! That takes some beating - the snobbery and lack of self awareness.

I buy my cashmere jumpers at the charity shop as people save them for best and then they get donated. Amazing condition but the labels date them as 30 plus years old, I wear them every day.

It is almost impressive to be able to write a post with this level of snobbery and superiority.

I live semi rurally and work in a small town and I'd say I'm not especially fashionable but all my colleagues think I am. So in that sense it's easier than when I lived in a city with more stylish people in!

@BrillantBriony - we are all 'aging' - it's a fact of life no matter our age. It's also bloody rude to suggest that everyone who is "old" is unfashionable.

I agree that functionality does take precedence over style very often. It's the MUD!!! And the creatures!!

I hear you @Radionowhere - I have an annual weekend away with old friends who are city mice and have a little panic at my country mouse wardrobe 😁. It's nice to have a change from wellies and waterproofs though.

I don't WFH so have work clothes, the rest of the time I'm walking dogs across moor, renovating an old house or cleaning my own house. I have little need for anything other than the most functional of clothes, packing for a week away usually involves a panic clothes shop 😆
FWIW this is my happy place

I live in a city but a fashionable coat is the one thing I have had to eschew. I walk everywhere (a joy if city living) so coat has to be waterproof and warm. Those are my only considerations at purchase. I have no idea where people are wearing these camel wool coats you see on insta.

Maybe its because everyone in the countryside is old or aging

Piss off with your ageist comment!

Ha ha, yes to white trainers.

On the how to look expensive threads the beige trench or camel coat is often suggested.

Erm no. I wear a black waterproof parka most of the year. Like a pp I have a nice wool coat and a nice wool jacket but they rarely get worn because we get a lot of rain. I'm not carrying an umbrella to the pub because I will forget it.

I bought some lovely wide leg jeans the other week. I haven't worn them yet because it has been too wet.

People still wear skinnies here because they tucked into boots.

"They think it's on trend"? I think (semi rural with dogs) there's more a feeling of why buy new or trendy when it'll be covered in mud by next week. You need a lot of "don't mind if it gets muddy" clothes.

I live in the country (well, sort of semi rural) and don’t think I’m very stylish.

I do wear baggier style jeans because I cannot stand the feel of skinny jeans, honestly I hate them so much. But they do tend to get muddy if I’m out walking the dog. I’ve come to terms with it.

I like what I like and don’t really care what others think of me. I can scrub up ok for a night out, but not height of fashion stylish. Just presentable 😂.

Old and ageing? Did you base this post on watching Last of the Summer Wine?

Ha! Yes you’ve described the issue well. I usually look a right state as I’m usually doing something which involves dogs and mud. I have a few pairs of baggy jeans but they never see the light of day as they don’t work with my long country boots that I wear for walking.

My uniform is yoga style leggings and a hoody or sweatshirt. I come unstuck on the very rare occasions I need to go out socially as I just don’t really have other clothes, not from the last 5 years anyway. I’m not out to impress anyone though so I don’t really care 🤷‍♀️

Completely agree! I have a love/hate relationship with countryside living. Everyone looks dull and unfashionable. The only solution is to go to Alo yoga and pretty much buy out their entire season collection, and rock stylish loungewear (waffle flared knitted trousers, and jumpers). We tend to spend the summers in London and I’m instantly just more stylish there. Everyone makes more of an effort to dress up, and look their best whereas in the countryside everyone just wears skinny jeans with a Fair Isle Jumper (which they think is really on trend).
I have some pieces which would be perfect for the countryside; tweed midi skirt paired with doc martens style boots, and jumper, tweed McQueen dress again paired with chunky boots but I would stick out like a sore thumb. In the city no one would bat an eye lid if I rocked up for coffee in a gypsy style Ulla Johnson dress with waistcoat whereas in the countryside it would be featured in the local facebook page.
Maybe its because everyone in the countryside is old or aging, whereas in the city there’s a greater ratio of younger people, and people are more expressive and experimental with their personal style.

It's more lifestyle isn't it? I live pretty rurally but don't have dogs or horses so don't spend huge amounts of time in muddy fields. I wear boots in winter on my own land or if I go for a walk but get changed when I get in just like I did when we lived in town.
Most of the time I wear jeans and trainers because that's what I like wearing and I don't want the boots, leggings and fleeces to creep in to my daily wardrobe.

You don't dress up in the country, you improve the quality of your practical wear. By the time your wellies are £300, your coat is hand-made tweed and your jumpers are cashmere you've peaked! Don't forget a silk scarf that cost at least a hundred pounds 😄
You save all that for best though and wear your usual rubber wellies and acrylic jumpers!

Everything I wear is caked in mud at the moment.

I also WFH and have 3 dogs, my landie is caked, wellies are caked, leggings, jeans, coats all covered in mud.

So I'm exactly the same and the fashion magazines they show the women in chunky knits and tweet or Barbour but I'd totally overheat in a roll neck and I can't stand the slime texture of was jackets and don't find them warm.

So I'm also stuck in just practical clothes and when I do go out it's to my local pub, so no real reason to dress up? Just wear what I have without mud on it.

Yep, only ever dress up if I go into the city. Otherwise, it’s mud splattered dog walking wear.

I too love in bottoms that work with wellies for dog walking and horses but I don't live rurally. You can have a nod to fashion with the right coat, hat, bag for the activity.

Its not a lifestyle that lends itself to fashion unless fashion is currently practical, at least trainers are still in!

I go for style. Try to look like I've thought about it unless it is destined to be soaked through and covered in mud.

There’s a uniform in my town. I noticed it at the checkout in Booths the other day, especially on women of my age. It’s outdoor type leggings, trail runner type shoes, Rab microlite jackets, and woolly hats. I chuckled to myself because there were four of us wearing almost identical clothes.

Mine are usually muddy too.

I agree but I think it's quite nice. We dress for the lives we lead, and I think the fact that I spend a lot of time outdoors means that I dress seasonally and practically. The trend for white trainers, for instance, is quite funny to me because they'd be covered in mud as soon as I left the house! Also, so many coats are impractical for rural living.

Well yes, it is pointless being fashionable in the sticks (I always feel overdressed when I make an effort for e.g. a weekend lunch, and everyone else is invariably wearing flip flops and an old t-shirt), but at least it's inexpensive.