I bought a white coat in the sales to look like Olivia Pope, but I actually resemble a middle aged taekwando instructor

Crying at these. Mine is that I once went into the toilets in a supermarket and realised that I had dressed to match them.

My suit was exactly the same colour as the sides of the cubicles and my top was the same colour as the doors.

"but I don't understand why you didn't know they would look shit?"

So many other posts which are funny but as an example NovemberR - my son just always says " you look lovely Mum " at which point I think - OK I am covered and respectably dressed to go out in public - I wish he would tell me like it is @NovemberR

Oh these do make me laugh - I remember once going out & I thought I looked quite smart - black capri trousers - ballet pumps and over the top a woollen coat with a belt ( tied at the waist) & a large handbag - I thought I looked rather Audrey Hepburn - when I see the photographs - well - I just look like I am from the Salvation Army & all I have forgotten is my hat

Solidly built toddler who'd been dressed by their father

Haha perfect description!

I'm embarrassed to admit to this, because actually most of your fashion faux pas sound edgy, expensive and cool - and mine is far from that. I blame the strain of this year and the lack of places to shop, but just before Christmas I bought some red woolly leggings with white spots (like falling snow) on them. In Lidl. (Essential shops only open). I vaguely thought I had a red sweater at home. They would be cosy, comfy, Christmassy cheery.

And I would look like the advert model eating Lindor chocolate in a Swiss log cabin.

My sweater finished at the waist! And the leggings were so thin (and stretched) you could see my massive pants through them. I looked like a solidly built toddler who'd been dressed by their father. A father who'd forgotten their bottom half and just shoved a pair of tights on them.
My adult DD pissed herself and kept saying but I don't understand why you didn't know they would look shit?

She doesn't understand that in my head I'm genuinely surprised by my mirror...

Oh this makes me hoot. I watched the remake of the Thomas Crowne Affairr with a friend of mine ( both in our 6th decade ) and we were very envious of Rene Russo's white coat - but we both decided we would not be able to not get the lovely lipstick she was wearing all over it. I don't think that's ageist - I would not have been able to keep that coat pristine at 18 or 24

have read the full thread now and gave to say as someone approaching middle age (cough), this thread is fantastic. I am 64 going on 40 and life us too bloody short to worry about ageism.

There used to be a lovely lady attend the clinic where I worked, she was a bit ‘Margo Leadbetter’ but she was very nice. She was a head teacher, always beautifully dressed and made up. She came in one very wet day wearing a white PVC raincoat.....the new receptionist said ‘I don’t fancy your job today! It must freezing standing outside in this rain’ she thought she was a lollipop lady.......

Thanks for making me laugh ! I wore white coats - as a junior doc in the dark ages - I am never going there again. Same with school uniform colour!

laughed so loud at this nearly woke LO

@LaMarschallin i cant stop laughing. I'm crying. Dh is going to shout at me soon.

@Shannith..

It could be the start of a whole new career for me, to be fair! I was fairly accurately describing myself as Janet (although I knocked a couple of vanity years off). I'm willing to pose wearing the latest fashion next to gorgeous young things to accurately illustrate This! This is what it actually looks like on an ordinary human being....don't be sucked in by your fantasies!

This thread has cheered this middle aged woman right up! Ray Mears! World’s oldest Brownie! Fishmonger! Brilliant stuff!

Loving this thread! Fishmongers hat and looking like Po have really made me giggle!

I once bought a beret thinking I'd look chic and rive gauche, but I looked like the world's oldest Brownie.
I looked like Sir Thomas More in mine.

A few years back I bought a white zip up hoody. Perfect for summer and it had two large pockets on each side that I could fit my phone and keys in. Except, every time I wore it my family would ask me if I was off fishing or had become a survivalist. Had to get rid of it as I couldn’t take being called Ray Mears anymore. 😂

Last summer I bought a white short sleeved cardigan with a wide lace trim on the bottom as I thought it would look nice and summery. It looks like I'm wearing a net curtain.

I once excitedly took DH shopping to check out a coat I'd seen and really wanted.

He took one look and said I looked like a magician standing in a ditch.

It’s about buying clothes you think will look great / cool, and discovering they look the opposite. My lab coat moment was when I was about 17, the lady whose kid thought her coat made her look like a telly tubby is probably under 30.

Now perhaps it’s been broken down for you you can jog on.

This thread is the best! Keep them coming.