If you could dress any way you wanted?

[DatumTarum]

And I mean anyway whatsoever, what would it be?

In winter, I'd drift around in gold trimmed velvet dresses.

I'd have heavy weave/light weave silk in various pastel shades in warmer weather. Dresses to be bias cut or empire line.

For doing practical stuff, I'd have properly tailored linen or wool trousers with pockets and braces, topped with crisp white shirts and lace up leather boots.

However I live in UK 2023 so it's the jeans or leggings uniform. Humpf.

Wear whatever you want to OP, although I can see that heavyweight silk might stretch the budget a little. Where is the joy in having to conform?

You remind me of the 'queen bee' at my old work place. She wore the same 'uniform' every day. Jeans, long boots, tee shirt, v-neck sweater. Her assistant wore jeggings, t-shirt & sweater.

I wore dresses, trousers and jackets, skirts, lots of colours. The snide comments were endless. I stuck it out for four years but God, it was dreary. Now I work in a lovely company in London where no-one bats an eyelid whatever I wear.

Thank you!!!

Actually I work from home and dress more like the assistant 😁

Actually I work from home and dress more like the assistant 😁

Well, treat yourself today. It's going to be very warm so root out a cotton dress from the bottom of your drawer and enjoy the last days of summer. Even if you're on a video call, they will only think you're wearing a different top.

And then stroll round town at lunchtime in your dress and some heels and see if anyone faints or has you arrested. 😊

That was me in the 80s I loved it!!

Not anything like that these days ! 😱

I would like to dress like Maureen Lipman in Educating Rita with cigarette holder despite not ever having smoked 😂

What’s stopping you? The tailored wool trousers and shirt combo sounds great!

Dress the way you want to.

@DatumTarum lack of time, money, imagination, interest, trends?

If you want to do something do it.

@DatumTarum Thanks that’s very kind. I had a very bohemian sort of upbringing, Mother started life performing in a circus as a high wire artist. She was very proud of that fact, she was then a chorus girl. I can clearly remember her collecting me from my first day at school. She turned up wearing an emerald green brocade dress with a Bardot neckline and a large gilt brooch with seed pearls. She was quite frankly a little crazy, she used to recite poetry and dance on the way to school along the street but I do so miss her.

Your clothes sound wonderful - how have you collected them - what brands etc. Would love to see some photos.

I think I dress how I would like to dress but would just love to upgrade the quality. So I would love real silk midi ruched skirts from VB instead of Primark or a gorgeous wrap camel coat from MaxMara instead of Boohoo! My ultimate item would be a Rick Owens hooded leather jacket - a girl can dream.
But then who knows, maybe I’d be really precious about them and not end up wearing them.

I'd do that stylish Italian thing you see on Pinterest - a bit blingy, high heels, sleek and expensive. Lots of classic long wool coats and beautiful jackets and expensive bags. But irl, heels hurt my feet, I'm a bit fat and would feel a bit silly getting all dressed up to nip to the supermarket etc. I'm also perimenopausal and feel too warm to wear coats all the time!

Your clothes sound wonderful - how have you collected them - what brands etc. Would love to see some photos.

Ha! You say that, @JMAngel1, but I am repeatedly torn apart and devoured on MN when I make suggestions for brands or outfits. Far as I can see there are about … a dozen S&B posters, maybe, who actually have any interest at all in any style or design that isn’t sold at Next. (And most are probably much richer than me … Possibly because they shop at Next and thus have plenty of money for fancy cars and holidays. )

I’m still puzzling over this:

For doing practical stuff, I'd have properly tailored linen or wool trousers with pockets and braces, topped with crisp white shirts and lace up leather boots.

Admittedly I have scarcely any need to get dressed at all for most of my working days - unless for a Zoom meeting. But some variation on trousers (or skirt), shirt and boots would be completely normal for any face to face meetings or other occupation related stuff.

I do honestly think you’ve unconsciously limited yourself, @DatumTarum …

I mention irregular choice shoes once, was basically burned at the stake 😁

But lots of people like the uniform, either because they don't want to think much about clothes and this makes it easy, because they actively want to fit into a certain group, or because they like the ups and downs of following fashion, making it their own etc.

Doesn't mean you have to do it, especially as what you're describing is in now way offensive or likely to leave you with hypothermia/heatstroke. Could be expensive though, those velvet dresses won't last long if your life involves kids/public transport/bikes, but that's a budget issue not a fashion one!

And yes, the S&B board here is absolutely bizarre, I gave up on it when every thread seemed to have some posters repeatedly boasted about how they think fashion is silly, and others recommending Seasalt for people asking for on-trend dresses for 30 year olds to wear to weddings.

There's a lot of 50+ suburban fashion advicd here - which is absolutely valid as a style and beauty choice, but really annoying when it drowns out everything else, worse when it demeans it. Irregular Choice isn't at all my style, but it's just as stylish and certainly more fun than all the Toast stuff that gets attention. You do you!

If I had the money, I'd love in Son de Flor dresses, pinnies and irregular choice mid heels. But I don't, so I don't😞

Long top, leggings.

I'm literally obsessed with being comfortable.

Bikini underneath so I could go swimming randomly.

Trainers.

I don't have the funds or the head spave to renew my wardrobe, so if someone could just stock it with what I love, and make me slimmer too, that'd do!

My choice would be 1940s fashion. I like the streamlined dresses and suits of that era, plus the beautiful fitted wool cardigans with pretty buttons. For at home and walking the dog, I would favour the land girl look, cord breeches, dungarees, tweed jacket, Macintosh and leather lace up boots or gum boots.