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What does mumsy look like?

499 replies

appletarts · 26/04/2013 20:16

What do you think of when you think mumsy? I'm interested in opinions and pics if anyone finds something quintessentially mumsy. It's my fear, looking all mummy.

OP posts:
Plathism · 29/04/2013 15:09

Fuckit isn't the kind of 'not making an effort' that you're talking about, where it becomes a sign of mental illness, things like not cleaning yourself, wearing dirty/tattered clothes etc? Not going out in a fleece and mum boots. Woozles post came across as angry that women are judged for wearing comfortable, practical clothes, not defensive or unhappy with the way she looks. My two happiest, most carefree friends are the ones who permanently look like they're going on a hike and never wear make up. They don't give a toss about fashion or what other women think their clothes say about them, and they have never lacked male attention.

Fuckitthatlldo · 29/04/2013 15:16

Well yes Plathism that would be the most extreme example. But again, it's a question of degree. For many women, simply not making an effort to style their hair or do their make-up or wear nice clothes can be a symptom of declining mental health. Particularly when they have previously enjoyed doing those things.

FrugalFashionista · 29/04/2013 15:22

Does 'mumsy' actually mean that you have gathered enough life experience, self esteem and social status to become rather independent of the sociocultural norms that try to define your value solely throgh your consumer behaviors, status symbols, or various desirability attributes that are defined by men and other women, not you?

If yes - hell yes! Count me in! Grin

Geckoandthemonkey · 29/04/2013 15:31

Mumsy is having a hairstyle that doesn't suit you.
It's mutton dressed as lamb
It's tweed, Bon Marche/EWM type clothing
Too much make up or none at all
Court shoes & M&S
Ill fitting clothes
Kate Middleton is a bit mumsy but only as she has to took conservative
A lot of British women are mumsy imo
Sorry, but it's true.

What in your opinion is non-mumsy?

nappybaglady · 29/04/2013 15:31

Love this thread. Am off work feeling poorly and you've brought me out of mumsnet retirement. Am wearing my new favourite fleece as old one was starting to have a few too many holes. Also wearing my new 'yoga pants'. I don't do yoga. They have 'special butt-control technology' which arguably says that I care about what they look like but actually I bought them because they fit. Almost all my other clothes are from white stuff. Even my work clothes. I save lives for a living. No-one seems to mind what I wear. Have my shoulder length layered hair up in a ponytail. Will shortly be putting on my approach shoes (fugly trainers) when I go out to get kids. No make-up today. Usually eyeliner and mascara (wipe-on wipe off, not Essex eyelashes)

my breathing isn't working well today but this thread has made me feel great about myself. If you see me I'm the one who is smiling - comfy feet, nice & warm, tissues in my pocket. I'm mumsy & I'm proud of it. I bet there are more mumsies on here than not. So weep away you smart or glamorous types. We'll just assume that your feet hurt or one of your false eyelashes is rubbing.

Peace and love and comfy shoes

Fuckitthatlldo · 29/04/2013 15:32

No Frugal, it doesn't mean that Wink

Although I'm now imagining a entire tribe of subversive mumsy radicals.

Storming parliament in their mom jeans and fleeces.

I like. Grin

OneLittleLady · 29/04/2013 15:35

peace love and comfy shoes I love it Grin

Honestly, I don't know why anyone cares if someone looks 'mumsy' I look like a bag lady most of the time but I like it. My sister despairs of me but it's what I like so I wear it. All the women in our school playground are dressed to the nines every single day and it looks uncomfortable to me, more so than wearing a fleece and yoga pants.

magso · 29/04/2013 15:38

Hmm decribes me to a T!
So what do you do when you have thin fine mousy hair that falls out if you so much as look at hair dye, wide feet or bunions that can't cope with heels, and care for a impulsive messy escape-artist child (so need to be able to run /change quickly into wash and wear clothes/ sit on the floor/ rescue from trees/clear up etc)?

fromparistoberlin · 29/04/2013 15:41

I dont think people on this thread care that other women might look mumsy

I just think they care that THEY dont look "mumsy"

lets not go into the psychological whys and wherefores as it could turn dark and nasty

and yet.....

I can see why the fleece wearers are affronted, as it can read like "fuck me , I DONT want to look like HER"

Uhu

you cant be shallow and flippant on MN, not even in S&B!!!

Plathism · 29/04/2013 15:46

That's why MN is so great IMO fromparis, you just can't get away with spouting cliches and propagating harmful stereotypes because someone will try and call you on it! Its def made me think before I spout anyway (most of the time...)

woozlebear · 29/04/2013 15:53

Your post come accross as very defensive. Yes, it probably does come accross as defensive. It was intended to defend my attitude to dressing from the judginess and pity I was reading. But I assume you mean defensive in a perjorative sensm which I can't really refute sensibly.

But you don't present as being very happy with the way you are when you feel the need to come and shout at strangers online for expressing a view

Disagreeing with judging women based on a perceived lack of effort to conform to a social norm which you subscribe to, and being angered by that attitude, especially when presented by grown women to other women in a sneery, pitying and mocking manner, is entirely different to shouting because one is unhappy with oneself. Plathism has already made this point very nicely Thanks And anyway, it's not just a view, is it? It's a rather pernicious, and often cruelly expressed view.

You're the one who thinks that not style your hair, wearing make up or wearing 'nice clothes' is a sign of mental illness. I'd focus on psychoanalysing yourself rather than mem, if that's your bag.

If you don't care and are perfectly happy with the way you look, then why are you even in this section reading this thread

Simply? Because it was in Discussions of the Day for a while, and I clicked on it and got sucked in. (I'll ignore the subtext of that question implying that only the 'right' sort of people should be in here.)
Also, because of the internal dialogue which has brought me to where I am now, I find discussions of perceptions of female appearance very interesting. As indeed this one has proved to be. And also because it really really bothers me to see the peace of mind that I feel lucky to have being potentially eroded or diminished in others by some of the attitudes aired on this thread (although it only inspires me to stamp about crossly in my least flattering clothes).

woozlebear · 29/04/2013 15:57

Oh and Lapsed I'm still Grin Grin at your post. You know what'd like? Being carried by Nubian slives WHILE wearing comfy shoes, but there's probably a law about that...

woozlebear · 29/04/2013 15:58

I dont think people on this thread care that other women might look mumsy

That's really not the impression I got from the 'I see people like this and want to weep' posts Hmm

FrugalFashionista · 29/04/2013 15:59

Bra burning is so last century.
Flaunt your fleeces ladies Grin

whiteandyellowiris · 29/04/2013 16:00

to me mumsy looks like, jeans, bit on the baggy side, bootcut, mum boots, mums hair do, mousey but grey coming through, cut into a sensible bob, scraggily eyebrows and genrally messy

Fluffy1234 · 29/04/2013 16:03

Bob haircut
Tesco type jeans
Fleece or gillet
'chelsea' type boots.

Francagoestohollywood · 29/04/2013 16:08

As I said, I look mumsy most all the time. When we lived in England I lived in a beige parka from H&M 10 months out of 12, because I was cold and I also wore a wooly hat until well into May.
I don't feel particularly holier than thou for this.
If I could choose between looking mumsy in my h&M parka and looking glamorous like Alexa Chung, I'd choose the second Grin

YoniTime · 29/04/2013 16:20

We never got an answer to this, but I now gather that non-mumsy means wearing uncomfortable and impractical clothing, perhaps dressing trendy/like a teen, and most importantly styling your hair a lot.
Sounds a bit unappealing.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 29/04/2013 16:26

If I could choose between looking mumsy in my h&M parka and looking glamorous like Alexa Chung, I'd choose the second

Looking at my mum tum, I don't think I have a chance to look like Alexa Chung. Grin

Honestly ladies, look at yourself in the mirror. Do you have a body that looks Kate Moss, Miranda Kerr or Elle Macpherson? (They are all mums btw). Do you have a bit of a mum bum or a mum tum. Then sorry you are mumsy. Unless you look as good as these mums, then stop putting down other women just because we look like mums.

BTW, I'm quite proud I like comfy and practical clothes. I'm also proud I don't look as good as Alexa Chung Grin.

OneLittleLady · 29/04/2013 16:30

I'm a little insulted that looking 'mumsy' is being looked on as a pre cursor to mental illness. Just because you don't wear make up, it doesn't mean you're depressed.

Francagoestohollywood · 29/04/2013 16:32

Actually, no, I don't have a mum tom or a mum bum.
I just feel the cold.

AmberNectarine · 29/04/2013 16:32

I don't consider myself particularly mumsy, yet I am dressed stylishly, warmly and am comfortably shod. I don't think these things are mutually exclusive!

AmberNectarine · 29/04/2013 16:36

In fact, I'd go as far as to say its never been easier to do fashion in comfort! I'm wearing a graphic sweatshirt (essentially the equivalent of a fleece), boyfriend jeans (essentially slightly baggy jeans) and New Balance trainers (well, just trainers).

woozlebear · 29/04/2013 16:36

Onelittlelady You are not alone!

AphraBehn · 29/04/2013 16:45

Shit, today I tick almost of whiteandyellowiris's list Shock.

Still I have been descaling the bathrooms, not going to waste a decent outfit on that.