People no longer have pride In how they drsss.

[Welliesandtweed]

I've increasingly noticed that people are getting scruffier and scruffier in how they dress.

Some of the secretaries where I work come in, In trainers, band t shirts, coloured hair, loose fitting, cheap tops. I wouldn't do the garden in some of the outfits I see. They aren't typically patient facing but on occasion are. I think it really lacks professionalism to turn up scruffy to work.

Same for people out for an evening meal in jogging bottoms.

On Saturday we had sports day at school and every woman was in a nice dress and men in chinos / short chinos and shirts. Children all in proper PE uniform. It was so refreshing to see.

It'd so cringe seeing the firmly middle class judging others downwards just because they pay for private school and now think they belong with the upper crust section of society.

Seriously, its embarrassing. Its so New Money.

Maybe, but then, this is AIBU - isn't this exactly the space to let people know about your annoyance? Also, the OP does sound like a snob!

@Welliesandtweed I agree, dresing porperly shows respect for oneself and others.
As for the "I'm comfortable and that's what's important" gang. How commfortable do you need ot be? Nice dresses and chinos are'nt made out of horse hairs

I also agree. I love going out in a proper dress and high heels. It makes me feel so glamorous! For work, I work full time in an office and wear tailored trousers or skirts with a smart top and smart shoes (not high heels). I wear jeans casually, joggers for working out and don't own a pair of leggings. I'm always careful to dress appropriately for the occasion, as I don't want to appear over or underdressed, so do put a lot of thought into what I'm wearing.

As to comfort, as long as clothes fit properly and are the correct size, why should they be so uncomfortable? I really don't get why the idea of wearing anything not elasticated is so uncomfortable to people.

There seems to be a shift towards utility over beauty, not just in clothes but many aspects of life, and I think it is to the detriment of everybody.

It was obviously a "light blue touch paper and run" thread. Quite good fun last night. I can't believe it's still running.

Lucky you finding everything comfortable.

Some people have very sensitive skin, or bloat easily, or other issues which means that "normal" or "nice" clothing (as defined by you and others in this thread) is uncomfortable.

Even just down to body shape. Even when I was a size 10 I never had a "thigh gap" and found dresses uncomfortable for chafing. And I run hot, naturally, so tights through summer are a definite no no.

And then there's just personal preference. If I like a pair of leggings and you like a dress, what does it matter?

There's a gulf of difference between casual and scruffy, but on top of that, it used to be possible to buy decent quality, tailored clothing for a reasonable price. Nowadays, to keep prices down, things tend to be manmade fibres which lend themselves far better to looser fit/drapey clothing. So being able to afford decent, tailored clothing (which tends to look smarter overall) is limited to far fewer workers.

Not being able to understand that other people have different feelings to you, is strange, unimaginative and arrogant.

my dd also likes being glam - for her she feels good inside if she looks good outside. I can understand that. As she can understand for me that I feel good inside if I feel comfy.

everyone is different.

With regards to comfort, I didn't mean I find every item of clothing ever made comfortable. I meant that as long as people choose clothes that fit well and are appropriate to their skin type/body shape, there is no reason they should be so uncomfortable.

I also didn't mean to imply that leggings aren't nice or are inappropriate. I've owned them in the past, but just choose not to now.

I completely respect that people think differently, but just wished to express my own opinion. I'm sorry if that came across as arrogant

Well aren’t you lucky that all clothes are comfortable for you.

I do enjoy getting dressed up but over the last few years certain things are now uncomfortable in a way they never used to be. I’m usually well turned out but I’m choosing far more comfortable attire these days.

I have a serious hip injury which means wearing heels regularly is out of the question. Unless I’m prepared to not be able to walk or drive for days.

I’ve never been able to find a pair of tailored trousers that fit my body shape. To fit my waist they are always tight on my legs. And the aforementioned injury means anything pressing on my hip/leg for long periods of time means my leg goes numb. Not fun while sitting in a meeting.
I also have big boobs which makes choosing smart tops and dresses for work tricky sometimes.

Peri-menopause means my stomach is bloated so elasticated palazzo pants are my current go-to as everything else is uncomfortable.

But I guess if you’re unable to see things from other peoples perspective then you won’t understand.

It is typical Mumsnet. A race to the bottom, and competitive, ‘I am the scruffiest on the thread’😏

With respect, none of you know me or my body type and I feel you're all making a lot of assumptions about me based on what I say about comfort. For the record, I'm a size 14, with a definite tummy and big boobs, so tend to wear loose fitting dresses and tops, as I find them most comfortable for me. I do feel that as long as people choose clothes that suit their body shape/skin type they should still find them comfortable and that's the only point I was making.

What you seem to be missing is that sensible employers accept that appropriate clothes include clothes that people are comfortable in, and that help them to perform well in their jobs.

I think the issue is you think you can define what "dressing well" is. Fashions changed and yours is slightly old fashioned. You keep mentioning people with pink hair but lots of people think that looks great. Also I don't really understand the hate for band tshirts.

I think people are only scruffy if they're not clean but you seem to think people are scruffy if their views on what "dressing well" is don't align with your own.

You can't imagine that high heels might be uncomfortable?

Even when I used to just wear them for work or occasionally on nights out I got foot and leg problems, which I thought was down to the biomechanics of my feet, knees and hips. Nowadays I live in comfy sandals and trainers, and if I do wear heels they are platform/wedges, and I have no foot pain or tight calves/Achilles issues any more.

People can only comment on what you wrote. It came across as very judgmental.

Anyhoo… back to work in my elasticated work attire which means I can sit through meetings in comfort.

I feel people are jumping on my comment about comfort and not bothering to read anything else. My comment about comfort only applied to clothes. At no point have I said I find high heels comfortable! As a matter of fact I find wearing them for long periods when I have to stand or walk really uncomfortable, but I love them and how glamorous they make me feel, so I'll wear them anyway!

But are people actually scruffy or do they just prefer casual clothes, I don't necessarily think they are the same thing....

I've worn a dress (with flip flops) at sports day, but sometimes I've worn vest and shorts, depends on the weather/how I feel that day. Neither makes me superior.

You also said you couldn't t see why people would need elasticated anything because surely if they just chose the right size they'd be comfortable in anything.

You might have worded it badly, but given that's all people have to go on, you came across arrogant, judgemental and narrow minded.

Going against the grain here, but I think it’s nice that people made an effort for a sports day.
However, I don’t really care how people dress for work, as long as they’re clean and tidy. And judging coloured hair and cheap tops (how can I tell they’re cheap???) is just silly and snobby.

I am really short, if I go to a wedding or occassion where dressing up is expected, I wear heels. Midway through the evening probably half the women have given in and are in bare feet and flip-flops but my heels (despite the discomfort) stay on till the bitter end! If I'm lucky it might mean I get an eye level conversation with someone who is only a bit taller than me ! 😃

This thought that being comfy is ‘a race to the bottom’ is the problem. I would say it’s a race to the top. No one is trying to be scruffy, but many are delighted that after decades of conforming to the societal expectations of women, it’s changing now to being accepting of comfort. And that is marvellous.

Has it changed that much though?
I can't remember exactly what I was paying for clothes in the 90s but I don't remember them being cheap. I think people expect to have more clothes now, replace them more often, and pay (when inflation is factored in) an awful lot less for them. It would hardly be surprising if those cheaper clothes looked worse and weren't as comfortable. My clothes are comfortable and perfectly smart: I bought them from real shops in real streets and tried them on before I bought them.

Thank you. That's exactly it for me, as I'm also really short, so determined to stay in high heels till the bitter end, no matter how uncomfortable I find them!

With regards to my comment about comfort upthread, I didn't mean elastic should never be worn by anyone, as obviously there are times it's very appropriate, just that I feel people are saying that clothes can only be comfortable if they're elasticated, while there are non-elasticated clothes that can still be comfortable for many people, as long as they fit well. I do respect that some people struggle to find clothes that fit well, due to their body type or health issues, so need to always wear elasticated clothes and apologize for any offence caused.