What is wrong with looking mumsy?

[bouquetofpencils]

Just that really.

What is mumsy? I associate mumsy with being comfortable. In which case I was mumsy long before I was a mum.

I might add that the Fonteyn method rarely works for me .

Can someone link to a Mumsy bob?

No link please cos it will be a photo of me we don't want anyone else being made to feel frumpy or mumsy!

I don't think I look particularly stylish now actually, so I'm not intending to be point scoring. I do think I look better than I did 12 years ago, but who knows, in 12 years time I'll look back on now and think I looked awful.

My daughter thinks I'm mumsy no matter what I wear, but I don't dress for her. I slightly care about what my co-workers think, and I slightly care about what the other mothers at school think, but mostly I just enjoy buying and thinking about buying clothes for me. I'm very shallow though, and don't expect everyone to be the same as me.

and I still look bad in bootcut jeans no matter if they come back into fashion. I'll have to stick to straight or skinny jeans then.

For me mumsy describes clothes that are flouncy and don't fit with the lifestyle of the person. Pussy bows spring to mind, and like someone who spends all day at the coal face of weaning, but gets an outfit from marks and Spencer's with too many fru fru embellishments to go to a wedding.

Frumpy otoh is when clothes look like they are badly fitting, too long in the body, and the wrong shape for your own body shape.

Those who have large norks who wear tunics and look square for eg, I think of as frumpy. (I have massive norks myself, so I "nork watch", and see what looks good on those similarly aflicted blessed, iykwim)

Dressing to your
body shape, and height
within budget,
in fabrics that suit (dry clean only can be a thing of the past), and no-stretch tailoring can be impractical,
for a lifestyle that you own,
with a little bit of flair,
in colours that enhance your best features (easy on prints and florals)
is stylish,
no matter what you do all day, how much money you have at the moment, or whatever age.

Angelina jolies dress looked a bit frumpy to me because it had a too long sleeve, mesh panels in a wide lampshade look around her face, and a terrible waist - it made her hips look square topped.
I get that she's changed, and her new direction of being a director / ambassador/ someone who has had surgery because of female health issues informs her look now.

I thought her choice was brave though considering how everyone was going on about her new boobs etc and what would she wear to show them off.
I think she dressed gracefully for her new sense of self, even though her dress was a bit of a frumpy camouflage job, she pulled it off - and she definitely wasn't frumpy or mumsy in the tux.

I think her transition after she has her ovaries and ?womb removed will be interesting to watch as we are all heading towards menopause, and I suppose we watch her as a style leader. I wish her all the best btw, and anyone who is going through such a radical operation.

Flounces, bows, silly bits of same coloured lace and ties drive me mad.

Monetary, White Stuff and Next I'm looking at You!

Why take nice reasonablely subtle floral, butterfly or bird fabric and ruin it with loads of stupid details.

Just turn it into a nicely cut, long or short sleeved Tshirt, just like you would if it was stripped. Then nothing looks in the wrong place on my short body.

Also, I can dress it up with a jacket, down with a hoody or be boring and stick on a cardigan without stupid lumps appearing fron gathered sleveese or stupid dangling ties appearing out the botom of my bazer.

Just KISS

Keep it simple, stupid shop designers

Over thinking no one looking down (except those in their manolos)

i think I may be responsible for the boot cut jeans comment. I don't look down on anyone else wearing them - I said that I looked awful in them that's all.

I don't care what anyone else wears, I just like buying clothes for myself. What's my idea of stylish is someone elses idea of mumsy and I can't change that.

everyone else can wear what they want (even the girl on the bus going up the stairs with see through leggings and red lacy knickers on) as far as I'm concerned.

I think there seems to be a conflation of mumsy and unfashionable. A lot of the clothes on here are unfashionable but people whose favoured look is mumsy would not wear them.

I am mumsy. I like a natural motif. In summer I wear floral dresses or floral skirts (often liberty print) with a scooped neck top and a light cardigan. In winter I wear chunky knits in fair isle or Arran in scarves, cardigans, jumpers with jeans and knee high leather boots, or straight, above the knee skirts in plum or dark green instead of the jeans. I wouldn't wear leggings because they look untraditional.

Whatever comes or goes in fashion will change what is available to me to buy. When floaty silk skirts were around ten years ago, I bought a floaty silk skirt in a floral print. If Summer A line skirts are in fashion, I will buy one in a floral print.

Mumsy to me is about wearing natural looking clothes that are inspired by traditional British or Irish styles - liberty and other floral prints, knitwear, cord and tweed. Its opposite isn't fashionable. It's opposite is Cruella deVille - pointy high heels, long nails, spiky looking, artificial fibres.

Mumsy will never be in fashion, but elements of it are harder or easier to get depending on the fashion. I'd find it hard to get moleskin at the moment. A few years ago it was easy. Looking mumsy isn't something people fall into by accident, as being made out on here. It takes as much time, money and effort as being fashionable. I like being a mum and I like looking mumsy.

Wholelottarosie, that exact quote is what makes that film iconic, rather than just a chick flick. I remember that quote( minus the Fatface bit you added) and think it makes a good point.