is this a Northern thing - Saturday nights out

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

We're staying in Leeds for the weekend, visiting DS who recently moved here. Fabulous city, loads going on.

We went out for a meal last night and I was amazed at what people were (or weren't!) wearing. The women were all amazingly made up and wearing incredibly skimpy outfits. I'm not criticising, but I was amazed that they weren't frozen (no jackets). They all looked incredibly glamorous.

The cities I'm used to are Cambridge, Nottingham, Bristol and London. My dc, now in their 20s, and their friends are in jeans, t-shirts, maybe a pretty top on a Saturday night. These women looked like they were going to a cocktail party but were only going to the pub.

The men also looked a lot smarter than I'm used to - they were in shirts rather than t shirts - but not as dressed up as the women.

I've got a friend who lives in Liverpool who is always talking about her daughters taking 4 hours to get ready for a Saturday night out, but I thought that was just confined to Liverpool. However, the women in Leeds look like they have spent hours getting ready. Lots of them also had a fake tan and their nails done beautifully.

So are northern lasses much more glamorous than us scruffy southerners? And if so, why?

Completely agree with this. So much easier to have clear expectations of what to wear (full on glam which is easy and cheap to buy) than the infinitely subtle class and tribe nuance of the London crowd. Look at the endless threads on Style & Beauty about the correct jumpsuit/trainer combo to wear to a north London pop-up bar.

I used to collect my daughter after her shift as a barmaid and it was amazing to see the women in all weathers teetering along in their skimpy frocks, no coat and arms crossed supporting their boobs! I called in the Bradshawgate Teeter.

Surely it’s just a tribes thing and in every town there are bars where people get really glammed up (Mayfair in London? Greek St in Leeds), and bars where people dress down (Camden, Hoxton, the Calls in Leeds). I live in Leeds and am a casual dresser. I don’t go out much now as am old but used to say I preferred to drink south of Boar Lane and east of Briggate.

Women don't wear coats up north IME because a) taxis are cheap and plentiful and b) why do you need a coat when you will be in a crowded bar / club all night dancing and working the room. Pain in the arse lugging a coat round a club or paying for a cloakroom.

but if you're just going to a bog standard pub rather than a trendy pop-up?

In London you can wear any old combo. But if you're going to a bog standard pub in Liverpool you can obviously wear the same but you'll know the rest of the clientele will be a bit more glam than you.

Indeed. I can tell you from personal experience that a job which involves scrubbing your hands and nails with hibiscrub multiple times every day is likely to leave them less than completely attractive, no matter how much "self care" you indulge in!

Bang on.

This is it, while in London you have either a tube or bus journey and then walk to get home.

True, but I bet your nails are neat and tidy without the need of gels.

That could have been me! I didn't know what "corp" was and dressed like I would around here.

Felt a right twat 😂😂😂

You don't think this perspective is at all stereotyping, not to mention insulting in some regards?

This is so true. I went to a 50th recently, my god the stress, started thinking about what to wear on maybe Wednesday. If the dress code was basically " as little as possible" it would have been so much easier ( silk chinese style top, black bootcut 3/4 trousers and sparkly trainers if anyone cares). DH wore smart jeans and a linen shirt.

Are you joking? Full on glam is “easy and cheap”?

If you added up the cost of getting your nails done, your lashes done, spray tan, maybe a blow dry, and the cost of having a whole other wardrobe of ‘going out’ clothes, shoes and accessories, you’re looking at a LOT more money spent than a Londoner agonising over wearing the right trainers to a pop-up bar (which incidentally they can wear to work and in their day to day life, so a lot lower cost per wear).

And for easy, taking 4 hours to get ready for a Friday night as has been mentioned a few times on the thread does not sound in the least bit easy.

All this guff about southerners being richer is somewhat at odds with the twice-weekly Mumsnet threads from Londoners who are supposedly on their beam ends because their £100k salary won't cover the rent on their tiny studio apartment.

Social norms aren't about the size of your paycheck.

Don’t know where to start with this kind of bigotry…

And for easy, taking 4 hours to get ready for a Friday night as has been mentioned a few times on the thread does not sound in the least bit easy.

What time do these people finish work ? But then I think I know the answer here too: 4:30-5pm, home in 15-20 mins and meet up with the girls 9ish.

Whereas finish work at 6pm in central London go out for a quick one with work colleagues and possibly grab a bite before meeting your mates in a bar for 8:30.

But it has been claimed Southerns are a different breed and more likely to come from money and not need to show off.

Oh yes it is a thing.
I remember going to Liverpool one weekend and like a previous poster I too was blown away by how glam the women especially looked during the day. Wafting around in maxi dresses, hair in rollers, nice sandals on with their toe nails pained and wearing make up. It inspired me to go and buy a maxi dress and jewelled sandals!

Its because us Northerners grew uo.in the frozen north and we are are ard, nails not like the southern softies 🙄
Or maybe the North is a big place and some people do dress up to do out or maybe shock .horror some peoo!e don't just like that there London town?

It’s also true that public transport in the north is worse than lucky southerners have. People in the north have to drive it use taxis. This means women can go coatless and wear heels. I certainly do if I’m driving. Where as when I’m on public transport I dress down.

Read it again. I'm talking specifically about what to wear. Not all the accoutrements. Though in my fairly affluent part of London getting your nails, lashes, blow dry and spray tan done would come in at well under the cost of a Sezane jumpsuit (and last a lot longer).

Getting ready is a social event in itself. Gossiping in the salon, planning the outfit, getting together with the girls to get ready / do make-up.

I mean god forbid women bond with each other and support women-owned businesses. Better to sport the approved level of casual night to day utility and never ever risk the implication that you have put any thought into your appearance as that is Tacky and Grim.

You can't start...it would be pointless. So many posts on here I am 🤯 at. the response is "I can explain it to you, but I can't MAKE you understand"

The idiot claiming nails show your class and occupation!! My EXH an investment banker, had calloused damaged hands from climbing, sailing and a woodworking hobby. That poster would have classified him as working class.

Although to be fair anyone that works is working class...which is why the class system is so outdated.

sorry that was for @Spareus

Oh you are joking, okay.

I don’t object to anyone dressing up to go out, my posts on this thread have been complimentary about this phenomenon. Perhaps you’re getting me mixed up with another poster.

Anyway, I stand by what I said, there’s no way the kind of glamour that is being talked about on this thread is ‘cheap’. It is very costly, especially if this is being done on a weekly/regular basis. Certainly more costly than treating yourself to a trendy pair of trainers.