How to achieve the middle class / posh girl look and lifestyle?

[stuckonchapterone]

Hello everyone.

I was seen, and read some threads similar to this, however I was wondering whether anyone could give me some advice, it would be much appreciated

I have long been a 'fan' of the posh / middle class fashion look e.g. long hair, joules, white stuff ect. I was wondering what staples you would suggest purchasing in order to achieve this look and lifestyle e.g. I am looking into buying a barbour coat, once I can get to the shops (currently recovering from an illness at the moment, and part of this post is get some advice before I update my wardrobe to make myself feel a bit better) Advice on where to shop / eat and act would be great too

Any tips / advice to help me achieve this look / lifestyle would be greatly appreciated. No negative comments please.

Thanks all!

I thought I had addressed these comments earlier on in the thread...

I am NOT trying to become someone / something I am not currently. I am recovering from illness and simply wanted to add a bit of pezaz back into my life, by attempting to inject aspects of this particular look (one I can only describe as a middle class / posh girl look) into my life.

In terms of job, I ran my own business from home but found it too stressful, so I have decided to put it aside for now, and I am about to take a role in marketing. I don't see why information is necessary, but quite a few people have requested it?

I must admit I did think your OP was a windup at first . Have enjoyed the thread though. Part of the fascination is the very wide range of interpretations in this country of the words posh and middle class. If you meant originally 'upmarket' I wouldn't think White stuff would ever be rated as such though White Comoany probably would . I also personally consider prosecco way over rated and I longer upmarket if it ever was . But that's just a personal view.

I reckon Brora would be right up your street. Have a look at their website.

Their stuff is expensive but you can find it on ebay and they do good sales.

But tizwailor that is just garments & accessories. Op wants to know what foods to eat & where to eat them, what to drink, what activities to engage in & how to "act" in order to appear "posh"

to 'learn' posh - there is one perfect source - Jilly Cooper

Just be yourself! I know lots of posh ladies through my daughters school, none of them wear joules stuff unless they are much older that 29, the younger mums like yourself tend to be in skinny jeans and selection of nice tops (white company/mint velvet), all are thin and healthy looking with expensively coloured hair, and good make up (Space NK a favourite) They do farm shop type places with kids and trendy wine bars when out without. Activities centre around running and personal trainers, skiing at half term. Lots of dinner parties and BBQs in summer.

Mrs Campbell-Black I remember reading some Jilly Cooper once:

someone (was it your hubs Rupert?) telling a woman her vagina made him think of the "Cly-Tory" party (as he was a Tory).

Current look for spring is white jeans with loafers and navy blazer- saw fouridentikit versions of this on the school run on one morning last week!

Practical boots at a fair price can be found here. www.rydaleclothing.co.uk/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=38

OP you keep saying that you don't understand why people are so critical when all you want to do is inject some pizaz into your life after an illness, by wearing this type of clothing. That's fine.
Except that's not what you said. You said you want to do the activities of this kind of posh person, you want to eat where they eat and you want to know how to act to be like those people. You even had a conversation with a previous poster on drinking prosecco to achieve the poshness that you are aspiring to. So it's a bit late to be arguing now that you're just trying to "look" posh. You have attracted criticism because you have basically asked "what/where/how should I wear/eat/do/act in order to seem like something I am not". That's certainly not injecting pizaz into your life with a new look.

Well done OP on wanting to change something you're not happy/comfortable with. We all get stuck in style ruts from time to time.

You've had lots of good style advice for the look you love. Keep a Pinterest page so you can collect images and get a feel for the look you like.

As people have said, less is more with make up, and good skin underlies that aspect.

I can't tell you where to eat, but whatever you eat try and make sure it's as fresh as possible. I try and have a soft boiled egg on a piece of toast with avocado or grilled tomatoes every other day for breakfast. Lunch us usually a fruit salad or grilled chicken with side salad. I don't eat takeaways regularly anymore, but when we eat out I just pick what I want and have wine too.

Where I live it's much better to be seen in independent small business cafes than the coffee chain franchises. You need to know what works in your area.

My wardrobe revolves around navy, turquoise, white, pale greys, raspberries and plums as these suit me better. Learn what colours suit you and use them as a base for future shopping trips. I've outgrow fashion colours but may give them a nod with a bright scarf. Big sunglasses are essential.

Watch Made In Chelsea and google their style tips.
Oh and buy an expensive white shirt and some sort of tweed jacket/blazer.

www.reveal.co.uk/fashion/news/a513831/made-in-chelseas-lucy-watson-reveals-style-tips-and-make-up-essentials.html

www.ultimatelifestylist.com/how-to-get-the-made-in-chelsea-look/

I'm trying to respond to all comments but the feedback has been crazy! Thank you all for the positive suggestions, just going to ignore the snide negative comments, I just want to feel fabulous again

Just thought of something else: posture. I have a feeling you said you did yoga (cba to read back through the thread and check) so your posture might be fine, but if not its definitely something to work on. A lot of the look you want can be achieved by just carrying yourself better.

I'm digressing a bit here, but maybe it'll turn out to be relevant. I mentioned upthread a young woman I mentored; I advised her to read proper newspapers. I was her manager at work and this particular job demanded a lot of business socialising. All of my trainees needed some help along these lines; she sticks in my mind because she felt exceptionally at sea and because she was a very lovely person. Her mother was ghastly: this was well before my Stately Homes days, but even then I could see how she'd limited her daughter's potentials.

She didn't understand [a] why so many of the clients assumed she was sexually available, and [b] how I managed to converse easily on a range of subjects (iirc, her words were 'how do you know so much?') She had never read a newspaper or watched a current affairs programme. Her clothes were high quality but ... erm, provocative. Her manner could be ingratiatingly awestruck.

So, yes, we worked on the clothes and the information horizons. She learned to have a go at new foods without going all 'OMG' about each one. I taught her to disagree assertively (this was essential in the job.) I wasn't prescriptive about the lifestyle stuff, but I did explain the principle and signpost her learning.

FWIW, my old trainees have all done well and have each, individually, been in touch to thank me. So I can't have done a bad job. This one moved to another continent, married, started her own business and looks preppy

I know women like this they are very thin and naturally tanned All smoke and take the odd line of coke Don't really work as its a full time circle of hairdressers holidays facials and lunches You basically need money and a good figure /face to start with

OP I live in the country, where Barbour wax coats are still worn - though other brands (eg Seeland, Harkila) are actually more popular and, I think, often more practical. They're great for tramping across moors but I'd hate to wear any of them on the London Underground. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any Barbours being worn in the nearest city for some time... I tend to associate cities with trenchcoats, or smart woollen coats for winter. The last person I saw wearing a Barbour to work in an urban setting was a 50-year-old male estate agent in a west-country market town. However, I know nothing about current London fashions; other Mumsnetters will no doubt correct me.

Also, jeans/blazers/nice blouses/ cashmere cardigans/sweaters and the whole Brora look would be great for off-duty times, and they'd be suitable for some office jobs, but by no means all. If you have a new job offered, go and walk past the company offices at lunchtime and look at what people coming in and going out are wearing.... Or buy just one nice new outfit in a fairly plain style, then wait until you've been at work for a little while before buying more. Then you'll be able to see what kind of clothes your colleagues/clients are wearing. You don't have to buy the same, of course, but you presumably won't want to stick out like a sore thumb. You can still aim for the groomed 'posh' look, if that is what you would like - but find out first how that might need to be fine-tuned to fit into the work environment where you will (presumably) be spending a lot of your time.

Hope that you are soon feeling completely well again.

Having read more since I last posted im even more confused what you want to look like. You mentioned white stuff/joules in your op but then talk about preppy but then your pictures you posted seem to contradict that further. If you're not on pintetest I'd recommend going on there and pinning looks you like and working out exactly what it is you want. Do this before you go out and spend loads of money. Also if it's the local area you want to fit in with then get people watching. Sit in a cafe and basically just take mental notes of how people dress and behave.

For prosecco, go with what's cheapest. Usually Aldi but waitrose and co-op often have a third off their prices.

maybe the OP is writing a style guide for wannabe posh girls and is "stuck on the first chapter" and in need of ideas?

airedailleurs Hahaha hardly! Have you seen the amount of times I've been ridiculed corrected for my poor english / grammar on this thread, I am defiantly not writing a book!

florascotia Thank you for the advice. I currently have my mothers old Jack Murphy wax jacket which I've worn a few times, but really need a new one, I will take a look into the brands suggested

I've offered a few ideas and I would defend your right to change aspects of yourself that you're not happy with - whatever that may be.

All this 'be yourself' stuff is all very well but not useful when you're asking for help to change!

Do let us know when you start and what you do. Try on a few personalities and styles, heck, rename yourself if you like! It's your life after all.