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?

They really aren't. Not the type you're referring to. From a Scouser.

It just seems kind of ironic that your ‘comfort zone’ involves painful high heels, being cold because coatless, and what sounds like significant financial outlay on nails and false eyelashes (assuming you can do your own tan) before you even get out the door for your night out.

Agree.

Any poster who uses that sort of language has absolutely no class.

My DD lives in Leeds and goes out a lot but does not dress as you have described and neither do her friends.

I grew up in Newcastle, this is very normal, it was typical to go down the Big Market and see girls wearing skimpy outfits, stilettos and matching plastic handbag in the 80s, probably some serious designer bag these days. Wearing a jacket was a big no-no, nobody wants to have to queue to get their coat back at the end of the night, so you may as well freeze between pub and club.

This is quite interesting but there is middle ground.

DD has lived in London since Uni and is now mid twenties. She would die rather than go out in jumper and jeans. Ditto cocktail dress and heels.

She and her friends spend hours getting ready, but it’s all very understated cool vibes (I could never manage it!) often tailored trousers or long skirts and boxy tops. Full face of makeup and sleek hair. The item DD spends most care choosing is her coat, as that’s what people will see as she’s swanning in and out of places. Hasn’t worn a high heel since secondary school prom!

The Row probably epitomises the look.

I think it’s great that women have more choices now than they did when I was younger. We never would have gone out without heels in the eighties. My poor feet still suffer! 😂

Also, well certainly in the 1990s the North was home to the big rave clubs like Hacienda and Cream. I can't imagine high heels and loads of hair and makeup went on in there.

It's a definite thing. Comes from, I think, Friday being payday and glamming up for the end of the week TFIF night of freedom and day off on Saturday. Always used to be astonished by the girls, no tights, no coats, skimpy tops and skirts out in weather that soft southerners like me felt called for warm coat and wellies.

Oooh, those nasty common northerners - they've got no taste or sophistication at all, have they? Not like those clever Londoners with their effortlessly casual chic

Absolutely that's the tone of many posters. Having spent half my life in the north and half in the south I can confirm that, from what I've seen, some people get dressed up and some people are more casual. There's just not as much judgement about it in the north.

Yeah, it's our only excuse to get dolled up really. Can't afford to drink in the fanciest of cocktail bars but will dress like we do. Don't need a jacket either, we're used to the cold.
^ that's 20 year old me talking.
Now, if I was to go out, I prefer thirsty Thursday. That's a lot more casual, jeans and a nice top. And a jacket 😊 Saturday nights we gather in our dressing gowns and share a couple of bottles of wine. Maybe order a kebab in.
Wouldn't have it any other way.

I’m from Leeds originally. I never wore a coat on a night out…until I moved to London.

I really don't think this is what OP meant. I'm a Londoner and have been for 22 years. When I go back Up North, well when I was younger, I always felt quite intimidated and plain compared to the stunningly, glamorous and beautiful girls up there. These days I am menopausal and dumpy so DGAF but I certainly didn't feel like a "cool Londoner" more like completely unable to compete with them.

While there may well be a difference between regions I think as much as anything it’s about where you go (and often education/class) and there are places throughout the country filled with super glamorous and a thriving scene with a much less dressy vibe. I live in Leeds and have been going out ever since the 90s and have never dressed up or been short of places to go. Cities like Leeds are big enough to offer quite a broad range of venues to accommodate lots of different groups. Some of the best restaurants and bars are very low key. It’s generally a friendly city so when your night extends and you end up in toilets somewhere with a woman with all the glam it’s never a barrier to conversation so not sure the divide means much in reality.

Erm I've lived in Leeds for years and have never once seen anyone out in their pyjamas! I think this happens down south too.
Also while somewomen glam up here, plenty don't.

Because the culture and comfort is in the ritual of getting ready. Having your friends around, enjoying a drink and having a laugh while you ease into a night and put yourself together.

I'm not sure you would understand if you just clip in to your Lucy and Yak dungarees and hit the town.

One of the reasons I love London, where super casual is fine. There seems to be pressure in certain places for women to fake tan, curl their hair, wear minimal clothes etc. it’s ridiculous.

I've just done a Google image search of 'night out in London' and found plenty of glamorous women - but I suppose OP will claim they're all visitors from Leeds 😄

I frequently see them in Leeds station. I thought it must be similar in most cities. I've seen it in London and Manchester too. York has been the worst, but that has a reputation for stag and hen weekend destination.

I'd say that it's not the 'thing' with everyone. The younger generation of older teens/early 20s dress more as you describe @EmmaGrundyForPM

P.S. love the username and agree (though I hope she just gets the charging station café if that ever comes about).

Christ not this discussion AGAIN!

I got as far as ‘dressed as tarts’ and thought of fuck off.

Im from the North East and now live south.

We used to go out in Hull middle of winter in barely anything.

And do you know what…they were some of my best memories. Some cracking nights out.

Can you judge me from that? Does it tell you anything about my social, economic, educational, sexual status? No it tells you that I liked dressing up and going out with my mates.

I think you're being a bit naive if you think people in the south are allowed to "just be" tbh.

It's true that southerners tend to be more tolerant of a casual approach to dress but this is also replete with class/status markers, just of a more subtle nature.
Yes you can get away with t shirts and biker jackets/jeans on a night out for example (which might look odd in Liverpool) but not just any t shirt and biker jacket/jeans.

In a way I think the northern approach to dressing up is more honest and straightforward and easier to understand: glam = good, scruffy = scally.
In the south there's a whole hidden language of acceptable brands (or, more likely, non-brand brands which are meant to send a subtle signal about how little you care about brands) which you would have to have grown up with to understand.

Upper middle class people in wealthy southern cities would for example consider getting dressed up in a load of designer labels to go out with your mates to the pub a bit naff, which would absolutely not be considered the case in a northern city. But if they were asked to explain why, there wouldn't be a clear reason. It's just one of those things you have to be in the know to know.

I'm in the NW and don't think I've ever worn a coat on a night out. Lots of the bars don't have cloakrooms and I don't want to carry my coat and dance
My one concession if it snowed/was icy was taking a pair of fold up shoes in my bag

Yes I’ve always been stunned by this in northern cities like Leeds and Liverpool. Manchester - not so much.

Theres also another lovely scene where all ages go out to the same places, not just the young. I was out in Manchester and the entire age range was out on a Saturday. In London the older folks stay in (more likely not to have family to babysit?) or eat in local restaurants.

I'm not sure about the ultra glam bit but when I was running around the pubs in the early 90's in the North East, no one wore a coat ( even when there was snow on the ground😀). Crazy!

I used to live in Leeds but I'm from another northern city. To me Friday night was jeans and a hoodie-either a pub quiz, gig or indie club/band (generally casual dress). But Saturday was always get really dressed up, hair done, no coat ever-whatever the weather (my mum dispaired!). And always queue up at the chippe at the end of the night. Miss those days!

I think it's definitely older 25+ from what I've seen. Older teens/early 20s dress more casually and make up is more natural, as OP says.