To think overtly sexy dressing looks very old fashioned?

[BecomeStronger]

E.g Claudia's style looks far more modern than Tess'. I love the way young women will wear flats or even trainers and be comfortable rather than dressing for men.

And let's not forget young men also dress and groom themselves to attract the female gaze. ''Twas ever this I reckon and there's therefore nothing wrong with it.

@wozzere

I'm not sure wearing heels is appealing to men anymore except maybe the older foot fetish ones.

I've been chatted up three times because of my trainers 🤣

Yes, some discerning men like the good jeans and good trainers look.

Maybe North/South divide? Agree that down south (at least where I am) no one does that. Looks very 80s and a bit cringeworthy.

@Lelophants

Maybe North/South divide? Agree that down south (at least where I am) no one does that. Looks very 80s and a bit cringeworthy.

Essex “girls” - the TV lot - dress up in a REALLY cringeworthy way. They also seem to include lashings of plastic surgery. I presume you know Essex is “darn saff”?

The more posts of yours I read, Jane, the more I realise you just don't like women very much!

I'm always shocked when I see businesswomen in high heels. Wtf is that all about?
Wear them out if you like them but crippling yourself at WORK seems more unprofessional than appropriate.

I can’t comment on real life but this has reminded me of Gillian Anderson’s character in The Fall. All the way through I thought “Wow, she looks gorgeous”, "she makes walking in those heels look easy", but then “but it’s not very practical is it” and "my feet would be killing me"

One of the heads of department at my work dresses like that, and somehow manages to look like she dresses very young for her age, yet very dated at the same time. She's in her late 50s, lovely looking and a great figure, but it's sad that she is so defined by the way she dresses. What is weird is some of her team who are just below her (and probably after her job as she plans to retire in a couple of years) have started to dress like her.

but it's sad that she is so defined by the way she dresses

Maybe she just bloody likes it? Do you say that about people who wear trainers or jeans or whatever is 'acceptable'??

I need to stop reading this thread

@Pollypocket89 I don't mind what she wears at all, entirely her choice, and I'm sure she doesn't give a damn. Successful woman, top of her field. It is just that I have heard people describe her negatively in terms of the clothes she wears, and I think that is awful.

‘Maybe North/South divide? Agree that down south (at least where I am) no one does that. Looks very 80s and a bit cringeworthy.’

The Essex girl originated in the 1980’s due to the love of vile white stilettos.

The editor of Vogue or some other fashion bod commented ‘the higher the heel the lower the class’ at the time. And for ages it was true.

The editor of Vogue or some other fashion bod commented ‘the higher the heel the lower the class’ at the time. And for ages it was true.

Oh well if some fucking Horah at vogue said it, must be true? Presumably Alexandra Shulman said it. Ms Shulman isn’t known for her critique of class and social Mobility

It’s a lazy quip that smacks of middle class smugness and entitlement

Dunno it was in the 80’s when l did a fashion degree. No one wore heels that l knew then. Absolutely no one.

Except the white stiletto wearers.

And actually as l went into to do a masters, fashion is basically anthropology. And clothes can be decoded to understand the wearer’s meaning.

Case in point - Amanda Holden

I think most flat shoes don't suit me so I wear heels.

Fucking hate the myth that women constantly dress for men. Hate more that other women perpetuate this view.

I half no issue with you linking clothes & anthropology,it’s a strong link
I have issues with you trotting out an ill informed quip as if it’s true and resonant

But it was very true in the 1980’s.

White court shoes were everywhere.

@iwasacceptableinthe80s I apologise then, I understand what you're saying now... I'm just really low on tolerance reading this thread!

Some of you would probably hide in horror if you saw me.

Brightly coloured shaved hair, thigh high lace up black boots, lots of tight black velvet dresses or lacy black dresses, either dark make up or very bright make up. Maybe some steam punk goggles and a corset with a shirt, and that's just for mooching around the library

I'm certainly not dressing for the male gaze, or to be sexy, many people think i just look weird. I just like to feel 'extra', I like the style of clothing, I feel good in it, its fun. Plus I wear scrubs at work so don't have to worry about that side of things!

So what if someone wears what you deem to be sexy, or frumpy or whatever? Maybe they just like that style and it makes them feel good. I fucking love strutting around at home in ridiculous high heels in front of the mirror, that I don't wear out because I can't walk in them more than 10 mins.

On the plus side the heels that I do wear out are quite thick heels so I don't totter, I clump

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee

The editor of Vogue or some other fashion bod commented ‘the higher the heel the lower the class’ at the time. And for ages it was true.

Oh well if some fucking Horah at vogue said it, must be true? Presumably Alexandra Shulman said it. Ms Shulman isn’t known for her critique of class and social Mobility

It’s a lazy quip that smacks of middle class smugness and entitlement

Well Vogue is the style bible, I guess. I probably agree. Kitten heels, which are very retro 60s and chic in a French girl way, are lambasted here on Mumsnet - as “frumpy”. Some British women have no idea.

Thick heels and high heels are very different animals indeed.

High heels push the boobs forward and the bum out to create a sexual pose.

Thick clumpy heels says ‘nah I’m not one of the crowd’👍🏻

I wear heels in the office, but the block ones. I like the extra height they bring. I also tend to wear dresses or skirts.

Personally I think people have become more judgemental towards women, especially other women. It is worse than when I was a young adult. The 'cool' women on here who judge anyone who dresses differently to them are the new mean girls of the 90s.

Style bible don’t make me laugh. Vogue is a glossy advertorial primary purpose to sell and promote
It’s a vehicle for fashion merchandising.
It really was a bastion of middle class entitlement and horahs until Edward Enninful arrived and got rid of all the horsey set

Style bible don’t make me laugh. Vogue is a glossy advertorial primary purpose to sell and promote

Agreed, and anybody who cares to look at this month’s U.K. Vogue will see that they have moved on from the alleged ‘the higher the heel, the lower the class’ dictum.

Beyoncé is on the cover wearing a lime green Ivy Park for Adidas catsuit that - brace yourself - shows her cleavage and - brace again! - HIGH HEELED SANDALS!!!!

She wears a load of glam and sexy clothes in the feature and looks great. Perhaps some of the posters here should tweet her to tell her that she is trying too hard and courting the male gaze? Or that she looks ‘grotesque’?

Or are you content to allow multi award winning Beyoncé wear what she likes?