What makes a person frumpy?

[Ladyfoxglove]

I'm feeling decidedly frumpy at the moment. Whilst trying on some old clothes the other day, I caught sight of myself from the back in a full length mirror and I look just like my mother did twenty years ago horrors!

The trouble is, although I'm looking at all the nice new clothes around about now I can't decide what to get. I get my hair cut and highlighted regularly (shoulder length, straight) and I'm 5' 7" and reasonably slim, instead of the effect I'm after (sophisticated, slightly edgy but natural), I'm more average 46 year old frumpy, boring woman from the Midlands. I can't pinpoint where I'm going wrong.

I look similar to Kate Winslet but I'd rather look like kristen taekman (sorry for Real Housewives reference but that's the look I like).

Any suggestions?

You just proved my point, Bun - I disagree with everyone else

I know having your colours done is part of S&B credo. Secretly (well, not any more!) I think it's just a way of providing people with an easy colour palette, all the rest is mumbo-jumbo. I reckon anyone can wear any colour successfully; it's a matter of knowing how to put things together. But if that doesn't come within somebody's skill set, there's nothing wrong with getting an 'expert' to give you a colour chart and some guidelines.

I think having your colours done is a bit anti fashion and anti style.

A bit....frumpy even!

Brave!

All the Winters will come & freeze you to death now, then the Summers will burn your heretical (but stylish) body with their scorching shades.

There's a woman who goes to our church who's a colour consultant and "does your colours"- she does wear clothes that compliment her skin tones beautifully, and looks a complete frump because the styles are about 10 years old and shapeless.

Having your colours done

Had mine done about 20 years back and she was confused said I was in between 2 seasons but put me as light spring.

Anyhoo- what it did do was get me out of wearing black next to my face because it looked too harsh and now makes me look older and tired.

I think I was living in black post teens and 20s, and didn't realise that for some people it's ageing past a certain age.

The person I mentioned upthread had her colours 'done'. She still wore the most awful things.

Something like this dress, worn with shoes like this.

Can someone explain to me what the predilection for wearing beige was for people aged 60+ in the 80's, 90's and early 00's?
I used to see loads of people in bland, but now they seem to be more stylish.

lovely lady at the church wears that style of dress, not very flattering.

Frumpy to me is a girl I know. She used to wear makeup, dresses etc, never mega glamorous but she'd go shopping, buy new things, make an effort.
A year ago she met a new bloke who's quite a lot older than her, moved to a small village, got engaged etc and it's like she's morphed into an old woman. She's only 34 but could pass for late forties. Last few times I've seen her it was no makeup, pale, spotty skin, unwashed hair yanked into a mid height pony, boot cut black trackie bums, giant baggy tshirts with slogans on them. Hiking boots at all times. Doesn't help that she's put on about 3 stone but that's not the only factor. Last time I saw her she had on a tshirt with a wolf's face on it...

I don't get the beige ...but suspect they think it's 'safe' and goes with everything. It's a lifeless colour though IMO and as if they want to be invisible.
The shoes- well several of my friends in their 50s are starting to have problems with their feet and the shoes are getting less and less fashionable. I'm having problems myself with a bunion ( hereditary) and an arthritic big toe which is making it hard to find shoes that fit. But I will slit my wrists before I wear something that looks like shoe box with a strap.

I do NOT think anyone can wear any colour successfully. I look like a corpse in black, and as for mustard yellow...I look positively vomit like in that.

Whereas I look radiant in the colours that suit me

I totally agree with Orange people cannot wear any colour successfully. Some possibly but not very many. There is no way in the world beige would suit me unless it is a very light neutral beige in the right fabric (silk, cashmere that shimmers a bit rather than being flat) and is part of layering with other colours. Brown is a no no area as is orange unless it is the right tone, yellow can work but has to be a certain yellow..yada yada you get the picture.

My husband has this weird penchant for brown but looks absolutely hideous in it, he morphs into one big brownish beige blob but put him in navy, purple, red, blue of any colour but cornflower blue especially and he looks like a completely different person.The wrong Colour can most definately be aging and frumpy.

I agree Orange. I can't wear orange, lime green or yellow. They just make me look ill.

See Bun I can wear lime very successfully...most greens suit apart from olive and foresty greens, can't wear mustard yellow or a bright yellow but I bought a mid-yellow blouse in the summer expecting all of my friends and family to tell me it looked hideous and somehow the tone was just right and it worked - got lots of compliments. It is all very confusing

Apparently I can wear black but as I age I tend to steer away from it a bit as I think it is a bit harsh.

I have personally never had my colours done and don't want to as I think I have a good enough eye to see when something looks hideous, but I think it is a fantastic idea to give people a good steer as to what suits them. As someone else said if you are wearing the right colour (as well as the right style and fit for your bodyshape) people often don't even notice the outfit as much.

I saw the most amazing looking lady today who must have been in her late 60's/early 70's. A great hair cut and more importantly a great colour job that was letting the grey in gracefully, simple white slim leg jeans, some crocodile type beigey, grey, pinky ballet flats, a white vest with a silky taupe oversized T over the top and a pink and taupe scarf round her neck, a bit of well applied make up and some simple gold jewellry. Nothing fitted, uncomfortable or OTT, just stylish, modern, groomed and elegant - she looked amazing and not an ounce of frump about her person.

How bizarre that I typed in slim leg jeans and it automatically did a link to a pair of indigo jeans in John Lewis...will it do that again? How odd!

And it did - please ignore I was not intentionally linking!

Garlic She's not the only one!

Slim leg jeans

< just testing >

[Weird I don't see any link in your post on my screen. I typed 'slow cooker' in another thread and found today that my post had a link to slow cookers on A mazon. maybe my 'slow cooker' only linked for me?]

That lady's outfit sounds lovely Amanda
I think that sort of look on older ladies or anyone got that matter is great!!
Simple but stylish!
Off to recreate look from my own wardrobe.....

I don't normally look at fashion blogs, but I've been perusing a few this morning, and I have to say that I think weight can play quite a big part in frumpyness. It's a really horrible thing to say, but I don't think I can deny it after looking at so many different blogs and thinking about people I know. It might also be done to the sorts of looks I naturally gravitate towards.

The most stylish people I know are both older women. One is my mother, in her sixties, who never looks "done up" but always looks stylish. She despairs of me sometimes, ahaha. She's never been bigger than a size 8, but she is quite short.

The other was a woman I used to work with who was just short of retirement. She was TINY. Like, pixie sized! And also very VERY slim. God, every time I saw her she just looked so amazing. She didn't seem to have a massive haul of clothing, but the things she did have were simply gorgeous. Amazing colours. Fantastic cut. Beautiful fabrics. In fact, I went out and bought exactly the same trousers as her once as they looked so good on her! She always looked so effortless, it was incredible. She didn't dye her hair, but had a really blunt bob that just suited her really well.

out today and what is difficult is the cut of things, I am a size 10 on top but my bottom half an waist are no longer as slim so jackets are too tight on the waist so I bought a 12 which is too wide across shoulders so I think that is part of the problem

If you are getting links on random words - check your browser extensions - you may have accidentally installed something (and if you click on it, and go to Amazon, and then buy something, the people who own the plugin will get a % of what you spent)

(Apparently MNHQ are looking into the link thing as many have reported it).

alemci - I agree with that. However, much as it pains me I have a fantastic woman that alters, it is annoying to pay extra on top of an already expensive item, but if most of it works and nothing else is doing it I will go to her to change something to make sure the fit is perfect.

Nothing worse than an under arm bag on an otherwise perfect dress or as you say shoulders too big but you need the bigger size jacket to fit your tummy/hips.

Trills - browser extensions? How on earth do I check those?

Good to know MNHQ are looking at the links math - I thought I was going a bit mad

MNHQ think it's on their side then you don't need to do anything - don't worry.