Mumsy

[noddyholder]

What do you consdier mumsy and would never ever wear even if in fashion?I'll start Waterfall cardigans NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!

Someone on here was saying they have to wear fleeces as they are walking their dogs. I have a dog I walk through mud and streams and pick up pooh, but I just wear my normal clothes to do this. I wear dresses, skirts, leggings, jeans and they don't get muddy. I have a pair of knee high waterproof boots and they get muddy. I have never understood why you have to dress differently to go walking!

Being of an age where some retailers at least think I must actually like mumsy things - eg, M and S and Portfolio, which I'm delighted to read is going - I don't! So here's my pennorth.

Agree most important thing of all is not rules but how you put a look together and how you carry yorself.

Having said that, my personal no-no items - most already covered by others - are:

• bras that don't fit properly so produce bolster/ droopy bosom.

• anything from Land's End

• ditto Portfolio and most of Per Una

• Hotter shoes

• denim skirts below knee - they have travelled in last decade or so from OK to Classic Collection

• waterfall cardis (my DH would say 'all cardis')

• fleeces, unless used for some practical purpose for which nothing else will do.

• tops which are too short and tight - specially if they're meant to be long but bisect the bottom and also tops with high necks

• asymmetric hems - not 'fun' or 'funky'

• over-matching anything

• gold earrings, specially discreet little clips

• powdery/ too bright make-up

• on me, pearls but accept that that's not true for all pearls on all women

• anything from Spirito di Artigiano - horrific, and expensive.

Can't really agree about all cross body bags because they are on trend at the moment - but some 'super-sensible' ones are certainly mumsy.

I was reading DS2 'how do dinosaurs say goodnight' yet again tonight and I've decided that 'mumsy' only applies to the kind of clothing worn by the mums in the book. The T-Rex's mum wears a floral apron over her matronly dress.

Those horrible viscose see through printed tops like you get in Wallis, Debenhams and Next.

I love my apron, and wear it every evening for cooking, but it's not floral, or old, or matronly.
It's grey and an apron.

I'm sure I'm not kidding myself about still being young.

I'm afraid cross body leather handbags are all Mumsy.
Cross body bags are perhaps OK if not that thick strap leather type that you'd buy in a department store sale, a la, my mother.

Well an apron can be very practical, but this seems to be her default outfit. It's a very 1950s look. Admittedly, with the right attitude I'm sure someone could make it look very un-mumsy.

One of the other dinosaur mums wears a high, elasticated skirt and blouse combo that I've never seen on anyone under the age of 70.

Radley handbags,. esp the ones with the dogs, double points if there's a matching purse
Rugby shirts

I have a butter soft hand made brown leather bag that I got in Italy. It is across the body and it it very nice thank you very much.

well the other thread def think they're frumpy - the boots that is - but imo Ugg boots also look frumpy but plenty of people wear them.

I do have a pair of fake Uggs btw and feel like I am wearing my slippers when I wear them. But they are so warm and comfy.

My name is thefirstmrsdevere and I own 5 waterfall cardis.

In my defence I have had 2 babies in the last 2 and half years and they are perfect for pg and bfing.

AND I wear mine over a very plain, slimline outfit. Black full length leggings, black biker boots, black lycra mini and black teeshirt.

I dont look mumsy

I am a bit sad that clothes I used to wear in an 'ironic' way i.e. twin sets, kilts

dont look 'ironic' now I am 43, they just make me look like Mrs Marple.

Unfortunately it took me a while to realise what was going on and I have some shocking photographic evidence of why you should update your look at least once a decade

Elasticated skirt and blouse is Mumsy.
It's elasticated, and a blouse.

Also agree with the radley bags.
That's just Mumsy Mums who think they aren't Mumsy because they have some brand name keyring to match the bag and a car to go with it it probably.
I can guess the hairstyle, colour and Jake and Millie anyone?

ach, I was just planning what to wear tomorrow to meet my friend who I haven't seen for years and was thinking I would wear my knee length denim skirt then I came on here. Damn you all :-)

I don't think I am mumsy- am too tall and slim- mumsy types are small and slightly padded. They also wear-

Those shoes from clarks with the chunky flat soles and straps across like this

Bootcut jeans which are slightly too short with ankle boots with block heels.

A fleece or waterproof regatta jacket.

No make-up.

Short layered hair cut which is growing out.

Mumsy isnt an outfit, its an attitude.

So sayeth me

I love that style of shoe!

They look like Natasha Kaplinkyplonk, but fatter and wearing a blouse with a big bow and sensible shoes.
The big bow is fashionable apparently.
The hair, is, well not I'd say.

When I say they, I mean people in magazines I've read recently.
No short dodgy hair, but hiding bums in bad ways seems to be the thing?

In the Doctors, and not just Take A Break (That had a story about Bingo and a hot guy, and I started a thread about it even before I read it! I'll carry on another time)

Actually I am still smarting at the unwarranted attack on my lovely waterfall cardis

Today I was wearing a fitted black above the knee dress, sheer black tights, black knee boots and a donkey grey light weight sleeveless waterfall cardigan. And I looked like the dog's cojones . I need something to gently disguise the fact that my figure is not quite so straight up and down as it was last year without completely swamping me.

See my post Ormirian, I quite agree. Maybe the disenters just cant pull off the look like we can

I wore today knee length skin tight dark indigo pencil skirt with grey opaques and shoeboots and a very fitted plum coloured top.

So according to some this would be mumsy because of said knee length denim skirt.

Well phooeee to you you because it most definitely did not look mumsy. In fact when teamed with my leather biker jacket and peacock feather print scarf - well I looked fab . OK fab is stretching it but I looked pretty good for a SAHM I think.

Its attitude really and how you put things together.

I mean MrsDV does not sound mumsy in her outfits at all - she sounds fab.

But do agree that elasticated skirts may be a step too far

Who's Carol Jackson?
< abandoned waterfalls when I realised every other white-haired lady I saw in Per Una was wearing one >

Mrsfevere you are right about the ironic becoming frumptastic So sad and you have to actually get it wrong a few times to let go!

Haha re Carol Jackson. She is the reason I dont wear my hair in a pony tail and steer clear of anything slightly anoraky. I always felt like I looked like her if I put on anything too casual (when she was in EE originally)

Thank you tracey I think your outfit sounds pretty flippin fab too

I do agree, though, that the way to wear waterfalls is over something relatively short/clingy/bodycon; think my mistake was to leap on them as camouflage when I was a bit overweight last year.

On the subject of retro - what about those heeled loafers Clarks are doing ATM?
Am severely tempted, but maybe delusional - will they just add a whole new layer of frump?
Or, at 47, should I be embracing these styles in a non-ironic way?
< overthinks >