Getting dolled up. North-South divide?

[Getabloominmoveon]

Hot on the (high) heels of the 'airport outfit' thread, I'm wondering if there is a real North/South divide when it comes to the average level of doneupness expected to leave the house. I'm from Liverpool, where a Sunday night at the local pub demands full regalia, but now live in the South where I rarely see Aintree Ladies Day levels of preparation in local bars and pubs. When we go back to Liverpool, my husband (posh, foreign) is amazed at the swishy hair, heels and eyebrows surrounding him. But maybe I just go to the wrong places in the South?

What happened to this thread? Am I going mad? There were loads of posts between 22.19 yesterday and 19909ninty's, including an hilarious anecdote from me about my mum and her mates all flying together in shell suits! Is it just my phone going weird?

I just couldn't be bothered reading after the second page I posted without RTFT :)

Maybe you posted on the airport thread Shotgun?

< slaps self >
Yes that's it Sherlock Squoosh!

I live in the Midlands and was only discussing this with a friend who lives in the South a couple of weeks ago.

He's from the Midlands too and wanted to know why there were no glamorous women down South.

"Get into your 50's, get a motorhome, visit the Lake District, or Northumberland and enjoy a night out is raucous company with no make up, hair barely brushed, wearing mud splattered jeans and a hoodie."

I would looove to do this (non-50s, hair brushed, understated Londoner).

We were visiting family up North - I was the only person in the local pub in jeans and trainers. I had to nip into the loos to put a bit of make up on. Completely misjudged it.

I live in Manchester. My daughter is in her early 20's, and both her and her friends are pretty natural - no HD eyebrows, false eyelashes, fake tan, hair extensions, false nails etc etc. They all look gorgeous when they go on a night out. I think it's pretty mixed, some girls do prefer the ultra glam look, others are lower maintenance

What constitutes 'glammed up' in Liverpool, ie what do you do to get ready? Genuinely interested.

I am finding this odd, as I try to keep a minimal wardrobe and manage to satisfy all of my going out clothing needs with jeans or seasonally appropriate trousers+top/long sleeved A-line navy silk dress/long silvery dress for very occasional black tie events. That sort of glamour certainly isn't part of a standard Saturday night round here.

I don't go out often but when I do go out sunbeam I get a tan, my hair done and my make up done by an MUA incl lashes and sometimes a shellac if I haven't had one,I always buy a new outfit including shoes.

Wow , that's amazing! How often do you go out? Is that for drinks and club, or restaurant?
I've never done all of those things for any night out ever, not even weddings. How much does it cost generally for all of that? Must be hundreds?

I probably go out once every 4 months (I'm a bore) my mates are out every single Saturday! It's for any night out really.

Tan = £15
Make up = £30
Hair = £20-25
It's just the norm in Liverpool now. I must stress I do not have a Scouse brow, I've never even plucked my brows or had them groomed in any way shape or form

The first time I visited Liverpool I noticed that all the women seemed 'dressed up'.
Long floaty dresses, hair either long and swishy or pinned up. Make up on. Lovely jewelled sandals and this was just in the daytime!

Aldo I find when I stay in London a lot of people seem to dress for comfort rather than style.

What is it about Liverpool that makes it the norm there?! Weird. Even if you like the tanned, fancy haired, glam nails, full make-up look, regularly shelling out tons of money to achieve it must be hard if you're not wealthy.

As for the Lake District comment - I already live there , am not yet in my 50s and don't have a motor home, but most of my evening pub trips are on the way back from a muddy walk on the fells with the dog. I seem to have successfully avoided the parts of the North where full slap and heels for the pub are de rigueur, thank goodness.

"I seem to have successfully avoided the parts of the North where full slap and heels for the pub are de rigueur, thank goodness."

You don't see this where I live, in semi rural South Yorkshire. The only time I have seen people glammed up fully with the fake tan and false everything is when our local pub does a trip to the races.

Rural Oxfordshire here and dressing up means taking off the wellies and Barbour
The young ones seem to go for a 'Preppie' look... Jack Wills and similar day to day and only slightly more makeup for evenings. We are not remotely 'posh' but I know that when my girls went off to University they were astounded by the glam and the sheer effort that their northern friends put in for a night out. They just had never experienced the culture of going all out on a night out! (especially DD2 who went to Nottingham University and had many friends from Derby)

DD1 has slid into vaguely hippy chic... lots of linen and surfing wear..perfectly appropriate for Cornwall. DD2 has developed a designer habit (luckily with salary to match) but keeps it to accessories and nice shoes, understated makeup.

I'm just grateful I live somewhere that thinks high heels are daft if you are trudging up country lanes to a night out :D

We've tipped over into sneering and stealth boasting, I see. It's almost reminiscent of the Aintree thread!

I agree Nettle. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make an effort to look nice. Although the fake everything is not my cup of tea. I would make look like a man in drag if I went for that look

I've never been to a pub and most the girls in Liverpool that do get dolled up don't go to pubs either.

Another world. But it makes for a fascinating read. Thank you.

I find this fascinating. I live in outer London and recently moved to an area about a mile down the road. Where I previously lived you would never see anyone dressed up on a night out, where I live now it's six inch heels and bodycon minidresses in the local bars. Probably not unrelated that a lot of people where I live now don't consider themselves from London (despite the fact we are only in Zone 4!) - it's a different mentality.

I was talking to some women in a Midlands town recently who were all in financial difficulties (was reason I was talking to them, work related). They'd been talking about make up and swapping tips - one had massive make-up bag full of Benefit, Chanel, MAC etc. I'm comparatively well off and think I'm being a bit flash if I buy anything other than Rimmel!

Definitely a divide. As a Londoer used to going almost anywhere in jeans I've often noticed posts on here from people who aren't in London querying how much to 'dress up' for going to the theatre, opera, trendy restaurants etc, usually assuming they should dress up in a way that would be OTT.

(I do like good quality, non scruffy jeans and good tops, boots/shoes (flat) and accessories, though - but all understated).