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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People who criticise how we dress in the UK

154 replies

LadyHenryofRawlinsonEnd · 03/04/2022 19:39

I think it is due to the weather!

Today, quite mild here if you step out of the wind. If you step into it (as you will) and walk for any distance it cuts right through to your bones, intolerable.
So we went out for an hour's walk, padded jackets and wool hats. A bit depressing in April, but nothing new. I came home with something like a splitting ear migraine, it had cut right through my rather fetching little cashmere bonnet like a scythe Grin

I don't run a vehicle at the moment, so it's good fun trying to determine how to clothe oneself when the bright, warming sun might topple out of existence 5 mins after you've rummaged around for an hour in the wardrobe, finally settling on a decent dress and light jacket.
Birkenstock sandals? But what if it rains!?
The care instructions advise you not to get them wet, perhaps they are volatile, like gremlins..

To carry an umbrella or not? Mmmm, decisions. Sometimes I might need to employ a well sized sack for all of those weather associated accoutrements I shall require - brolly, hat, gloves, mac, small tent Grin

During the early springtime of 2013 I noticed more than one individual wearing plastic bags between their socks and shoes. This was the Lake District though.

So maybe this is why we dress as we do, we don't have the most laid back weather, it's so insanely changeable. Any decent combination of clothing can turn out to be wholly inappropriate in a heartbeat.

I wonder if that changeability affects our sense of style, our moods and expectations. People often seem more impatient and agitated on windy days. Aggressive even.
So it usually ends up being some sort of trouser/top/coat - men and women.
It's just safer isn't it?
I am a dress wearer myself, so today's swingy number tried blowing up my back for most of my time outdoors, thank heavens for thick tights!

I love living in a country with seasons, but they rarely behave as we expect them to, do they? I also love clothes, and I have come to the conclusion that we either obsess over our wardrobes to a shocking degree (and who could blame us?) or just give up entirely.

I am NOT being unreasonable!

OP posts:
TomPinch · 03/04/2022 23:29

If you want to see really bad dress sense, try NZ. Everyone looks a total fright.

Original poster
LadyHenryofRawlinsonEnd · 03/04/2022 23:33

well i don't conform to those standards @Youcansaythatagainandagain!

I still think putting British people down because of their physiology and skin tone is a bit odd. I think everyone has a choice of whether to approach elegance or broadbacked conformity.

OP posts:
DdraigGoch · 03/04/2022 23:33

@opheliala

I do think there's something to be said about how much we value looking 'put-together'. The UK is definitely more casual in its approach to fashion than a lot of other countries, since people aren't judged as harshly as they would be elsewhere. It's equally great and not so great - leaving your house in a dressing gown or pyjamas would be unthinkable in a lot of other countries, but while not accepted in the UK, can definitely be observed. I feel like this is one of those major culture shocks that a lot of people experience when they see it for the first time!
That reminds me of when ASDA started mandating masks due to covid. Some people were furious but the usual wags pointed out that "there's still no need to actually get dressed".
DdraigGoch · 03/04/2022 23:46

@Luredbyapomegranate

Oh I think there are v well dressed people in the UK, we have a real individually and style, and I think most fashion conscious French/Italians would acknowledge that - I mean they think it’s wacky, but they recognise it as style.

I think it’s true A BIT that having smart clothes is more standard in France or Italy, but only among certain groups.. and it can be a bit dull. But go outside the smart areas and you see plenty of fashion misfires, and that’s in the cities, never mind outside.

Plus the fact every American I know is gobsmacked by the formality of dress in the UK (but why do you people wear dresses?? Etc) so it’s all relative.

Overall I think we in the UK think the rest of the world thinks about us a great deal more than they actually do… but that’s another thread, of course.

I didn't realise that the UK was particularly formal compared with the US. Smart casual is pretty normal for classical concerts and operas here, except possibly for gala nights.
DdraigGoch · 03/04/2022 23:52

But why is an 'anglo saxon' skin tone and 'pear shape' somehow bad?

Nobody said they are bad did they?

I bet that there's a French person, somewhere, who is saying just that at this very moment. Along with laughing at "le rouge rosbif" who went from pasty white to lobster red in five seconds flat at the beach today.

Original poster
LadyHenryofRawlinsonEnd · 03/04/2022 23:53

@DdraigGoch

But why is an 'anglo saxon' skin tone and 'pear shape' somehow bad?

Nobody said they are bad did they?

I bet that there's a French person, somewhere, who is saying just that at this very moment. Along with laughing at "le rouge rosbif" who went from pasty white to lobster red in five seconds flat at the beach today.

it's pretty much assumed.
OP posts:
SquirrelG · 03/04/2022 23:55

If you want to see really bad dress sense, try NZ. Everyone looks a total fright.

Please explain. I would also like to know just how you have seen "everyone" in NZ?

Honestly, why can't people just be allowed to wear what the like, and what they feel comfortable in. Describing anyone as looking a "total fright" is just downright rude - and says more about you than it does their dress sense.

LaMagdalena · 04/04/2022 00:00

Nobody said they are bad did they?
They are different.
We don't/can't in many cases wear sleeveless tops and slim trousers. Our legs are thicker, our chests are bigger.
We see sun and we take out garish colourful clothes in delight because we have a very small window before the boots come back out because it is raining and the jumpers come out again because there is a chill in the air.
We live with grey skies and we like colour when we see the sunshine.

The Spanish dress according to their skintone and wear muted colours that suit them and lots of white in summer. They can do this because, in many parts of Spain, sun is present for three quarters of the year or more.

I don't know about this... some of my most garish colourful clothes have been Spanish brands like Desigual and Bimba y Lola...

CheshireChat · 04/04/2022 00:12

One of the things that work in our* disadvantage is that everyone seems to look at how Brits dress in the summer aka the 3 sweltering hot days we get so obviously most people don't have loads of clothes for that weather, nor are they the nicest ones. Not to mention most people look mildly miserable.

Not sure how well most Spaniards would compare if we look at then when they dress for a sudden frost for exactly the same reason.

*foreigner living here!

Youcansaythatagainandagain · 04/04/2022 00:19

I don't know about this... some of my most garish colourful clothes have been Spanish brands like Desigual and Bimba y Lola...

I wore a lot of Desigual at one point too or rather did at a certain age but that brand is distinctive in Spain because it is particularly bright. Many Spanish people despise the brand and think it is tacky and nothing but a cheap copy (which in fairness it is).

LovelyYellowLabrador · 04/04/2022 00:20

Totally agree op

CheshireChat · 04/04/2022 00:23

Though the high street is really samey both for clothes and jewellery and I find Brits (wild generalisation obviously) pleasantly quirky so I don't get why.

TomPinch · 04/04/2022 00:23

Please explain. I would also like to know just how you have seen "everyone" in NZ?

It's a small country.

Describing anyone as looking a "total fright" is just downright rude - and says more about you than it does their dress sense

Sometimes the truth hurts.

Skinterior · 04/04/2022 00:26

Instagram has literally killed off country specific looks for the under thirties. Unless you're in Latin America everyone looks the same these days

Skinterior · 04/04/2022 00:31

Above thirty I've no clue, tourists everywhere seem to dress like they're trekking the Himalayas even if they're going nowhere more exotic than the london eye.

I work in an office with a lot of Europeans and the Italian men definitely dress much better than anyone else. But most of the women are the same.

Momijin · 04/04/2022 00:35

I'm part Spanish and I always dress a lot better when I'm in Spain. It lasts a few weeks when I get back in the UK and then I just revert back as i work from home. Pre kids i tended to buy most of my clothes in spain because I used to go more often. Partly because I prefer the style and partly because the cut fitted my figure better.

Youcansaythatagainandagain · 04/04/2022 00:37

While yes the majority is jeans and parkas and sensible boots there is also the minority that stand out.

What I think is wonderful about 'our' clothing is fashion and originality. You don't see Docs, cut up jeans, band tshirts, an animal print blazer and an 'anything goes' attitude. Amsterdam is similar maybe, there is an edge and fashion that should be celebrated.

The countries that laugh at us have something else but they certainly don't have the same vibe.

And perhaps if we had better and longer summers, I'm pretty sure that we would do the same with summer clothes. Unfortunately we live with grey skies and pack our tired summer clothes into boxes to be pulled out year after year whether they fit us properly or not.

SquirrelG · 04/04/2022 03:03

@TomPinch

It's a small country.

Don't be so bloody ridiculous. It's not small enough for you to have seen every person in NZ. Like in most of the world people all dress differently - they don't wear a uniform.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

Oh do get over yourself dear. It's not "the truth" it's YOUR version of the truth. No doubt you wouldn't dress like I do, and I wouldn't dress Ilike you do - but apparently you would be in the right. Talk about having tickets on yourself.

Bunnycat101 · 04/04/2022 03:18

I think it’s overplayed. I lived in Spain and didn’t think it was obviously that stylish where I was. At the time, the in-thing was mullet hair cuts for women and I refused to go to the hairdresser until I arrived back in the UK.

I think weight does make a difference. It is easier to look good if you’re thin and generally women are thinner on the continent. I also think a city thing makes a difference. I dress quite differently when I’m going into work and up my game a bit in London versus doing the gardening at home.

US colleagues seem to have higher grooming standards in a work context re hair and nails.

Grumpasaurusrex · 04/04/2022 03:19

@WalltoWallBtards

Who criticises the way U.K. people dress?? No-one.
I'm an expat and most of my friends and colleagues not British. I can guarantee that people do!
LaMagdalena · 04/04/2022 06:43

@Youcansaythatagainandagain

I don't know about this... some of my most garish colourful clothes have been Spanish brands like Desigual and Bimba y Lola...

I wore a lot of Desigual at one point too or rather did at a certain age but that brand is distinctive in Spain because it is particularly bright. Many Spanish people despise the brand and think it is tacky and nothing but a cheap copy (which in fairness it is).

I'm sure some of them do, not everyone in a particular country is going to love a particular brand, but when I lived in Spain I definitely noticed a lot of women in the street with Desigual bags, coats, whatever... and the shops were everywhere, someone was obviously buying it.

Thinking back to other Spanish shops I liked, eg. Stradivarius, Bimba y Lola, again they are quite popular and not really selling many muted colours.

I don't remember seeing many people swanning around in white or beige, but then it's possible that a) I didn't live in the most fashionable place and b) I just wasn't paying enough attention.

malificent7 · 04/04/2022 06:54

I think it helps that Spanish, french and Italians are generally more attractive than us. I worked in Spain and olive skin, slim physics and fine features are the norm.

Fridafever · 04/04/2022 06:57

Are we really going to rank attractiveness based on ethnicity? Where do you slot Germans, Nigerians and Latvians in your big list of acceptably fine features?

Fridafever · 04/04/2022 07:03

Also you need a policy on people (like me) whose ethnic background is different to their nationality. Like when we’re ranking based on skin colour (olive better than white, you need to come back to us on darker shades) do we consider Australians to be white or should we be looking at aboriginal skin colour.

Gosh what a minefield!

Ilkleymoor · 04/04/2022 07:05

Maybe it's the British attitude to clothes that allowed some of the major fashion changes in the 20th century - the mini, punk?