Do you need money to look stylish?

[LesleyPumpshaft]

I think it certainly helps, but then you get people who buy off ebay and pick up bargains and they always look great.

Let's face it, it's easy to look good if you have lots of money to spend on hair, beauty treatments, clothes and the like. However, I also think that if you have a nice figure, or a natural sense of style then you can look good in just about anything.

Some people just seem to look great and have an individual sense of style. I went through a frump crisis a while back, and Ive sorted that out. However, I've started out freelancing and my income isn't great, although things are moving along in the right direction. I still want to look stylish despite being skint right now, but I don't want to look like a fashion victim.

I would love to have lots of disposable income to spend on clothes, hair and makeup, but it's tough titties really!

I know, it's so expensive! I like Freya bras and swimwear. I'll have to check out Bravissimo.

Finding a dress can also be a problem, you can end up looking matronly if you're not careful. For some reason I find that Warehouse seem to be good for dresses, and they tend to be generously cut round the bust.

Now that's useful to me, I always assumed Warehouse would be smaller fitting, don't know why, so thanks for that. We have one in town so shall take a look.

Bravissimo have a sister line in clothing now called Pepperberry (I don't work for them, honestly, nor am I on commission but I should be for the amount of people I've told about them ) and the clothes they sell are, on the whole, lovely, with a few exceptions, you'll see what I mean when you look! I've had a couple of lovely cocktail dresses from them in the past, the clothes come in ordinary sizes but with Curvy, Really Curvy or Super Curvy added on, so it's regular sized clothes with extra sizing round the bust....genius! And extremely simple so why don't all places do it? X

I'm not all that keen on their current collection, although I have got this dress and I love it wear it all the time. It might not be everyone's cup of tea though.

Their shirts and blouses are generously cut round the bust too.

Thanks for the heads-up about Pepperberry.

I think it depends on your personal view of stylish. If you go with the chic and sophisticated view of style you may look incredibly grumpy next to a young fashion blogger etc.

It's all about what suits you and your posture and presence to carry it off. Many women can look supremely good in all Primark while others can look horrible in a dress from Net-A-Porter.

I also agree with grooming. Taking the time to do your hair and shape your nails under a nude colour can make or break an outfit, as can the difference between flats and heels.

Frumpy not grumpy.

My SIL (or she would be if I was actually married) is one of those people who can take very innexpensive clothes and throw them together with lots of cheap and interesting accessories and she looks amazing. She is a size 6-8 and only 31 which probably helps!

I would look like mutton dressed as halibut in what she wears though, and it just wouldn't be me.

Spelling - sorry

I'm thin, and not much in the way of breast or curves, and often clothes simply hang off me, for my shape doesn't lend them a great deal of definition. To be honest, some of the most stylish, awesome looking women always appear to be bigger than me, large norks or not. Perhaps it's different when we see things from the other side of the coin, I don't know. I would love to fill out skinny jeans and a tee like a larger, curvier woman would. It's more about proportions in my opinion, not size.

True though, most clothes are cut for small chested women, which is bizarre really. Don't blame you, blame the manufacturers.

As for money - I wear a mix of higher end and lower, some of the lower being my faves and surprisingly durable. I find many higher end clothes to be a bit boxy in shape, no idea why. Still, I really think spending more on bags/coat/shoes is the trick, for weight changes won't affect them as easily as, say, skirts and jeans.

Ikwym Teacakes. Some of my favourite clothes have come from H&M and have lasted really well.

I also think that all of this 'clothes look better when you're thin' stuff is merely the current ideal. There was a time when fashions were chosen to disguise a lack of assets and to create the illusion that breasts, backsides were actually bigger. I really do believe that current style are created for the less shapely figure, which I don't think has much bearing upon actual 'style'.

I mean, think about it: there are so many different, natural female body types yet only one 'ideal'. I say bollocks to that.

Y. That's why I earn a crust

I think some things are false economy like cheap jeans equally I knew someone who had pots of money who always dressed terribly. I think it's about knowing your style and how to put an outfit together. It's also having an eye for a bargain. I just bought a monsoon skirt - bnwt from a second hand stall. £60 new, marked down to £30 but clearly never worn. The ladies on the stall asked for £2, I gave them 5!

I think being well-proportioned and having clear skin go as far as money and treatments, tbh.

Clear skin definitely a help, more poor DH wears very sharp suits and spends a lot on his workwear, but still has the forehead of a 15 yr old...

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Yes, I think being stylish requires money, although I think not having very much to spend but having the confidence and experience to know just to buy one item where others would buy five is part of style success.

Cheap clothes mainly just look cheap. Ironing will boost them but they'll still give themselves away. If I'm on a tight budget I'd rather buy good clothes secondhand than cheap stuff new.