What's the uniform in your area?

[AliSheedy]

...I noticed it today on my way to the doc's surgery (ill with flu, so shrouded in winter coat and blinking into the sunshine like a mole).

Birkenstocks, leggings and a tunic top. Sort of floaty, brightly coloured, suspiciously Monsoon-looking tunic tops. Maybe a few Per Una monstrosities, even. And yes, bums were generally well covered. Long black leggings. Almost all had white or beige Birkies on.

Practically every 30-40 something woman I passed in the street had this uniform on. At least half a dozen.

I swear it didn't exist last year (?). I think leggings have replaced linen trousers / culottes as summery mum wear.

On the mummy circuit: shorts/jeans, t shirts and flipflops in summer. Jeans, fleeces and sneakers in winter. In different degrees of shabbiness.

In my uni department most (not all) female academics have made an effort to look groomed, but all in a different way and different type of dowdy.

It is depressing - I like to see nicely dressed people and would like to dress well myself without feeling completely OTT. I need to get back to Sydney, I think...

hemp, dreads and tie-die or hijab / niqab or incredible African print dresses <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41082000/jpg/_41082958_07_kerekou_afp.jpg&imgrefurl=news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4493126.stm&usg=__xmR7PtHw8VpQLQMn6GbLgypdzDE=&h=300&w=220&sz=20&hl=en&start=67&sig2=4nGL9A0ZqkTpcpYiflGtpg&zoom=1&tbnid=iKmrpaVJszw0eM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=103&ei=3VihTe_QNszZ4wa2mrSqAw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dafrican%2Bdress%2Bsunday%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D597%26tbm%3Disch0%2C1402&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=496&vpy=250&dur=0&hovh=240&hovw=176&tx=110&ty=237&oei=xFihTbbmJIOk8QPxlcCoAw&page=4&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:67&biw=1280&bih=597" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">like this

I am somewhat incongruous (and dull) in my skinnies and breton T's

Couldn't say her in Brighton anything goes. Lots of hideous Boden and tunic leggings but also a fair bit of skinnies with lovely t shirts and tops expensive flat sandals and big glasses. Hair natural not many highlights more natural glossy one colour not heavily mademup either. A LOT of vintage in terms of dresses and jewellery. The French manicured exec wife look is absolutely seen as naff thank the lord as I could never be bothered with all that effort!

Where do you live chrisonabike, if you don't mind me asking?

Inner city Brizzle

Oh, right (had to Google 'Brizzle' )

South Italy.....(the land that style forgot)
It's warm, and there is some Very Bad Trousering going on down there on the seafront...the men (men!) are all in opal fruit pastel trousers......the women are in tight white ones with high heeled gold sandals.
I've drawn the blinds. There are some things that should not be in public view before the watershed.

The uniform here is very much as you'd expect in an affluent SW London suburb, but was really amused the other day when i went about a mile from here (SW14) to SW13 (Barnes) and the sightings of Boden tops and tunics which I thought were high here (lots of other spotty bags in the post office when I take my returns along), increased noticeably! Takes a Boden customer to know one of course.

no real uniform here

very mixed bag

from skinny jeans .legging etc to saris and Hijabs