To think people dressed more attractively in the past?

[LaurieFairyCake]

Hats, gloves, tailored outfits - tights, low heels

Now I'm not saying we don't dress more practically with our leggings and our 3/4 linen trousers and baggy t shirts and tops

But only that they don't look as 'smart' as before

I think a lot of teens look a complete shit heap these days. They don't seem to have any style.

40's. 30's . 20's

Even 50's

I think our view of how hair was styled in the past is coloured by the fact the pictures of say 1940's hair tends to be from fashion magazines,films,wedding photos etc rather than what it was like whilst rushing off for your shift at the munitions factory ie real life!

God I agree....i think so many people nowadays just look crap..I expect i fall into the comfy, boring category and often mis matched but I know how to smarten myself up when needed - so many don't.

Lots of teens in my sixth form - no uniform look fabulous ( not jealous or anything!)

In anything but the recent past someone like myself would have had one set of clothes, that smelled and were difficult if not impossible to wash. They would have been a haven for lice and you would not have been able to kill them by heat or washing. Same clothes winter and summer. No stretch fabrics to use for things like socks...or knickers..shoes that your feet had to confirm to or "wear in" , with heavy soles, like wood, if I was that lucky..

And clothes that stopped you walking , breathing, running, exercising, being able to gestate a child safely..victim wear..in other words
Only a very few people have had " nice" clothes in the past

Hair? Well if you want it to be solid with lacquer...

Sorry, should have specified, I wish people still wore smart hats rather than caps/ bobble hats. Would love to wear a trilby for example but always feel a bit daft.

Good points kintsugi the history of clothing and fashion is fascinating, any book recommendations?

I don't think people would look twice at a trilby, there's lots ads of them about. Wear one if you want!

Of course fashions change and most of us adapt. I do think thought that people used to be more interested in getting a good fit - there used to be lots of women around who would turn clothes up, take them in and let them out and so on. I seem to see a lot of people wearing concertina trousers and other things which are a bit too long/short/ baggy.

I'm getting on a bit and I still think it's odd to have underwear straps on show.

Yes, everything is off the rack (understandably), and so it's all just generic stuff, which doesn't necessarily fit the individual.

Women's clothing coming in different sizes, but rarely in different lengths...

Tea - I'm 41, and I do too.

I agree OP!

Oh god. I bought dd a halterneck maxi yesterday

And of course she insisted on wearing it with a normal bra instead of the strapless

As 'the green straps' are pretty

Things have never been better IMO. Affordable, choice, comfy, freedom. Dress smart if u like though.

The thing that stands out to me about modern clothes is the cheapness. The fabric looks really cheap. But it comes down to people wanting what's in fashion and throwing things away and buying new ones. In the past people had less clothes but they were better quality

Fashion is very disposable and you can tell

YANBU OP

And neither 8s Bit re suits/overcoats/trilbies - yum.

bikeandrun sorry I missed you had posted similar but before mine. I have read some fascinating books on the construction of clothesclothes and fabrics through various eras, but rather less academically I have found that well researched authors like Bernard Cornwell explains, for instance, the clothing and reasons for it by integrating it into an interesting narrative, giving you a rather grusomely interesting insight into how clothing we only see in museums and drawings would have worked in action ..for instance..toe rags...

I agree. Many people look unnecessarily scruffy now

In our house we dress probably what would be described as 'smart casual' 99% of the time. Everyone still wears hats and tights, surely in the UK it's cold most the year?

Dh is your typical 'city boy' look someone mentioned above. His super casual look would be chinos and shirt instead of suit.

I think it's a good thing that people now wear whatever they like and whatever's comfortable for them. Especially as the more uncomfortable things seem to be mostly for women (heels, corsets etc).

Yanbu, people dressed more classy and chic back then.

My grandma was a dressmaker in the 1930's onward until she became too infirm to do it. On all her photos she looks amazing, really glam and well turned out. She made all her clothes to fit perfectly and accessorised just so. My mum and grandad had all home made own spec clothes too. When she died we found loads of little rolls of fabric in her spare room. She always kept offcuts for repairs, matching etc. There were also pattern pieces cut from newspaper, zips, buttons etc. It was an amazing journey through time and my mum was able to reminisce about some of the outfits she remembered.