to think that most people do not know how to dress well for warm weather

[KiteKit]

It is a beautiful sunny warm day here and I am working (boo!) but took my lunch at a place where I was able to indulge in a spot of people watching and it struck me as I was sitting there that the vast majority of the people walking past me looked awful. I know that is a harsh thing to say, but on the whole they were wearing badly fitting, unflattering summer clothes with acres of red sunburned flesh on show.

I saw every combination of vest top and shorts on both men and women etc. I started looking for anyone who looked good to my taste and in the space of 40 mins only about 2 walked by out of the many who passed my table and they both looked Italian as it happens!

It does sound very judgemental and I certainly do not hold myself up as a champion of summer dressing whatsoever, it is because I struggle to find nice, heat appropriate clothes for a very pale skinned 45 year old that I am especially tuned it it I think.

I really wish we could go back to olden days when clothes were elegant - I love the style of the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's - after that elegance sort of went out the window imo!

For what it is worth a vest top with spaghetti straps, bra straps showing underneath, fleshy upper body (it was also surprising how many overweight people there were) spilling out of it, cargo shorts and ecco style walking sandals may feel comfortable but my god they look bad on 99.9% of those I saw today!

It is a struggle isn't it? Or is it just me? I want to find beautiful summer clothes that make me feel great and I don't seem to be able (I am wearing a cream cotton shirt with cream embroidery, dark skinny jeans with the bottoms turned up - my nod to the warm weather today and snake skin flat sandals -hardly setting the fashion world on fire!)

YABU. Can't believe so many people give a shit. Never encountered it in real life.

I haven't either expat. Only on MN...

I would love to wear linen, seems the ideal fabric for a hot day... but it looks terrible on me, sit down once and I'm full of wrinkles and look like I've just rolled out of bed in it. The person who invents wrinkle-free proper linen will make a fortune.

How to get a beach body: take your body to the beach. How to get a bikini body: put a bikini on your body. How to dress well for warm weather: put on clothes you feel comfortable in. Job done.

I like loose cotton and linen 3/4 length trousers in summer in Britain. They feel comfortable on me, a size 16. I probably look like a crumpled sail to some, but I give not a single gram of fuck.

I get trousers and shorts which are a blend of linen and cotton. I live in shorts most of the time from March - September as I go to the beach every day and it's most practical. If somebody doesn't like what I wear then that is their problem! I prefer what I wear to the 40 something woman who does the school run in an extremely short sports skirt which barely covers her bottom. She has the figure for it but even so....

I avoid the beach entirely. Nothing to so with clothes though-just other people in general, and sand. Hate sand.

*do

Bitchy bitchy bitchy
Go post in Style and Bitching Beauty

I love the sand, but then I do have to like it - we walk home from school along the beach in summer.

I just wish the sand would stay on the beach. I hate it when you come out of the sea and it all sticks to your feet.

I'm guessing you don't venture down to the beach much then?

I've just come in from the pelting effing rain, so I'm wearing a deeply untrendy anorak

I don't think Style & Beauty is bitchy. Very helpful and supportive board I find!

Jeans on a hot day? Are you kidding.

I need my vitamin D, when the sun comes out so do my shoulders, bra straps, bingo wings and all.

I like to see some quirky individuality, rather than everyone just following the same boring trend, especially when that trend isn't great for their age or body shape (and I'm a 50+ size 16)

Skinny jeans have to the worst item of clothing ever, as so few people look good in them (including me). And they have to be the worst choice of clothing for a really hot summer day.

This year it's summer dresses (four floral, one plain) for me, with little cardigans. Cool, easy to wear and a wee bit retro (like me). ANd a pair of cropped bistro trousers from Boden, now in their second year and still going strong, with a short sleeved blouse.

That's if we ever get a summer!

Oh, goody, another thread full of Mumsnetters slagging off other people's appearance Half a million members, each one a style guru!

That aside, it's cold & grey here. I finally got around to waxing my legs this week but they've been muffled up in leggings all the same! (Yes, I know, leggings )

Sun out / over 16 degrees = taps aff

Oh dear I was being "lighthearted"
about S&B

SmallMustard I avoid it at all costs. Apart from maybe in November in my wellies. Or looking at the beach from the safety of the cliffs/a boat.

Best wear a sack unless you are a stick so as not to offend naturally

daisy

Funny you should say that - I just bought 3 of those tops in Gap today - and a nice pair of soft casual trousers. Feeling happy with those.

Oh well, if it's already covered (I couldn't find an ongoing general thread but there you go) and it would be considered bitchy, I'll not bother.

I find it depressing to read that some posters hate summer clothes because they are self conscious about the way they look. There are summer clothes to suit every shape and size. The problem is knowing where to find them. There are too many assumptions made about summer clothes on here - that they are all too revealing, too tight, too short or whatever. No they aren't.

It would me more helpful if we could see positive suggestions of where to buy nice summer clothes. I agree that the choice in the shops isn't great, so we need those in the know to point us in the right direction.

I don't wear tight, revealing or short clothes at any time of year, and I manage to find stuff. Some of my summer dresses are over 20 years old and they don't look dated or out of place. They don't get much wear due to our unreliable weather, which is why they have lasted so well.

I hate dressing for summer.

I used to be fit and muscular - I'm not now.

I can't wear vest/strappy T's (flabby, fat arms)
I can't wear shorts (scarred legs)
I can't wear dresses (fat thighs that rub)
I can't wear 'pretty' or heeled shoes (metal fused ankle)

What I wear is loose cotton tunics/kaftan tops, wide legged trousers or 3/4 lengths. Wide fitting wedge shoes - and I'm fucking hot.

(and now they are falling apart and badly faded because I bought my wardrobe about 6 years ago. Can I find some new tops? Can I buggery. Shoes are a nightmare so I live in my old birkies or daps. Trousers are OK, but I'm still bloody hot)

I like wearing long Indian style cotton tops with 3/4 sleeves plus dark trousers. Cool and pretty. I am very large and they cover a multitude of sins.