Do people not make the effort with appearance anymore

[Scarletthoo2]

The last couple of months, I've noticed in restaurants, bars and social places that majority of women/young adults have replaced heels for trainers and dresses for jeans and dress pretty much causal when out socialising in bars or eating out. Is this the new norm? Why don't people make an effort anymore? Especially the younger generation. AIBU or is this a minority?

I always assume people who think British women are much fatter/ uglier than European women live in a shit bit of the UK but holiday in nice bits of Europe. I grew up in a pretty grim town (not in the UK) and now live in a lovely bit of SW London.

If I was stupid enough to assume my own limited observations could be extrapolated across a whole continent I would have the opposite view as the women I live around now are much thinner and more glamourous than the ones I lived around before I moved to the UK.

It’s really common on here. People will insist that everyone in Italy is glamorous and elegant at all times whereas everyone in the UK is slobby and scruffy. But they’re comparing walking the Via Del Corso with standing by the school gate in Blackburn. It’s not comparing like for like. If you stand by the school gates in a scruffy area in Italy people will look much the same as they do here.

Well I've lived in 14 different places in the UK (some affluent, some deprived). I've also lived abroad in Spain, Switzerland and Portugal and again got to know wealthy and poorer places in these countries.
I STILL think people in the UK generally take less care of their appearance and diet than people in other European countries.

Well I've lived in 14 different places in the UK (some affluent, some deprived). I've also lived abroad in Spain, Switzerland and Portugal and again got to know wealthy and poorer places in these countries. I STILL think people in the UK generally take less care of their appearance and diet than people in other European countries.

Well the comment I was responding to was this:

I totally agree. I spend a lot of time in Europe. The women there dress very elegantly and very few are overweight

Your "poor" mates in Portugal are a statistical anomaly if your experience fits that statement given that over half of Portuguese women are overweight or obese and (like everywhere) this is more likely in people of low income.

I've never worn heels. I prefer to be comfortable.

More casual clothes are better for me. Nothing to stop people dressing up if they want to.

I STILL think people in the UK generally take less care of their appearance and diet than people in other European countries

Oh another UK-bashing thread. How tedious.

There are quite a few of these UK bashing threads about at the moment.

My daughter makes a huge effort to look casual!

YABU. Women aren’t decorative objects. Heels are bad for your body.

Should men and women dress smartly if they wish to? Yes, absolutely. But does smart for women mean makeup and heels? No.

Oh good grief.

What if they happen to enjoy wearing makeup and heels?

There is a difference between doing something because you want to and expecting others to do it

And certainly when the something you want to do is harmful it shouldn't be something you brag about or imply that you are better and smarter and showing more self care

I absolutely love the UK. It's why I'm always homesick when I've lived abroad. It's why I always return here. I could write a long essay about all that's good about the UK.
However, I still this Europeans dress more smartly (in general terms). I don't even see that as a bad thing to say about the UK, being a bit of a scruff myself. So no, I don't think I'm "UK bashing".

I've noticed this too...

I've noticed this too..

I don't know why it winds me up to be honest given that I am not from the UK (although I am a citizen now). I think maybe because it's a weird facet of UK exceptionalism.

I've seen UK has the worst food, UK has the worst children, the ugliest women, the drunkest men. Personal favourite "we eat very wormy fish in the uk". As if the UK gets its fish from different more parasite ridden oceans from everywhere else.

I've remembered another good one - that women in France get paid the same as men (comparing to the sexist UK). Actually their gender pay gap is worse than the UK.

Come visit the north west. They still really dress up here...and I grew up in Newcastle where the art of overdressing is an art form (or underdressing depending on your viewpoint). Last couple of times I've been in London people have been much more casual and having lived in the west country for over fifteen years everyone dresses in outdoor or holiday gear pretty much all year round

So true. I'm from the north-west and when I went to uni I really noticed the difference between how I dressed and how most of my fellow students (mainly from the home counties) did. I'm not saying either is better or worse, but it stayed with me because it was the first time I realised dressing up to go out wasn't universal.

Exactly. I've lived in a few places and travelled and don't understand the hatred and disdain for the UK.

It isn't perfect. Nowhere is though.