what fashion advice would you give Theresa May

[CreepingClematis]

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Please don't let this descend into a gender issue- quite happy to discuss male politicians too.

But if she is to be PM as looks likely she needs some serious intervention. Her outfit today was ghastly- a cheap shot a wearing tartan to unite the UK.
Her blouse is gaping around her tummy showing skin.

Since she's been in politics, her hair has gone grey, she has terrible eye bags, and she looks much older than she is imo.

Yes, of course her work is the most important thing, but over the years her outfits have been a huge distraction - the garish patchwork coat, the evening dress showing her shoulders , and more....

Pp got pretty exorcised about Portillo's fashion choices on This Week, this week! 😀

So OP thinks TM should have cosmetic surgery and dye her hair? Nice.

I really like how Theresa May dresses - because she looks happy with it and generally stylish and like she occasionally has fun with her clothes can't stand her politics

I like how she looks her age and doesn't pretend to be anything else. I like that she wears things like her leopard print kitten heels and a truly hideous patchwork coat she had for ages because she clearly loves them and they make her feel good and she is dressing for herself. Quite often she dresses like a very boring older woman from the Shires - which is exactly what she is so I'm fine with that too. Basically I like how she is the complete opposite of how Sarah Gove dresses

Sorry OP but.... S&B is where I spend 95% of my mumsnet time. I love it and it is the other side of my work and family life. See, at work, I am one of the most senior people in my industry. It is a rarefied world in which there are not many women at that level. I do it while wearing very glamorous clothes because that's me to a tee. While that is absolutely my choice, there is an element of judgment eslecially by women about senior women who don't do glam. And it is outrageous.

The country is in a mess, believe me as an expert when I say the forecast is for recession starting now lasting into next year and a contraction in gdp that will take 15 years to recover. The only person who has any chance of pulling us out of this is the very sensible, pragmatic and qualified Theresa May. She can do it wearing a chimpanzee suit for all I care.

While I am not proud of the state our country is in, I am proud that as a country the fact that May is a woman is irrelevant. In the US there is a very real danger that come November the US people will elect a man who is totally ill qualified for the job and is a complete loon rather than vote for a competent woman. And do you know why Clinton won't win? because in all likelihood she will be unable to carry the women's vote in the way that Obama, Bill and even that loon Bush did. She won't carry the women's vote because she will be picked apart by other women, particularly in misogynistic ways like your post.

Oh and I would have been a lot less enraged if you had posted about what advice we would give Boris, whom I have met on a number of occasions and believe me it is him who could do with style critiquing.

I hate all the threads in S&B where women pick apart other women. It makes me so cross so I stay away from them. I don't normally post serious stuff in S&B but happy to make the exception in this case.

Theresa May reminds me of handsome women in the vein of Alison Steadman and Anne Reid, both actresses. They are of course, both older than her, but look good on it.

I had a look on the web and her trouser suit seems to be from 2013, it's another Vivienne Westwood, who's very fond of a tartan cloth or two. I'm presuming the patchwork coat referred to is the Vivienne Westwood jacket? or are posters referring to something else?

As a woman in a serious public role, I like the fact that she doesn't feel she has to supress her own dress sense, or go for the short and more masculine type of haircut and corporate uniform formula. Of course some choices are going to be more flattering than others, especially when you're constantly being photographed and filmed from all angles, see this year's budget speech coverage, but I think the most important thing for anyone in a role like hers is to feel good and to wear clothes that suit what you're doing.

If I was asked for advice, I would suggest a slightly more flattering hairstyle, but the colour's fine if she's happy with it. Grey's been a bit of a thing recently anyway.

What on earth has her appearance got to do with her ability to do the job?

I am no fan of Theresa May but I find this disgusting. This is why people look down on S&B, you know. If Theresa May or anyone else decided to post and ask for advice, fine, but a thread like this about her? And trying to pretend it's not a gender issue? Cop on to yourselves. This is the mn equivalent of the daily mail sidebar.

I'm with the Op on this . This is a S and B thread for heavens sake !

Ineed

Yes, it's s&b but it's nasty. It wasn't "didn't like that tartan jacket much, thought a plain green would've been better", it was criticising her eye bags, tummy bulge and grey hair. Not even leavened with anything complimentary.

This is a S and B thread for heavens sake!

Exactly - it shouldn't be. It's unpleasant and bordering on misogyny.

However, it's very heartening to see that 90% of posters on the thread also think so.

What she wears is important. Christine Lagarde highlights her French pedigree by wearing Chanel and Hermes accessories. If I were Theresa May and negotiating a Brexit, I'd make certain that my clothes and accessories were British made.

I'd say the same to a male PM negotiating Brexit.

Mrs May has fabulous pins! Just saying.

Isn't it sad that she has reached such a place in a highly demanding professional field and we're talking about aspects of her physical ageing?

That's women for you.

I hope she wears what the fuck she likes, as she should be allowed. Same to Jeremy Corbyn.

And hurrah for any amazing shoes along the way.

I'm not a Tory but I hope she wins the race.

You could ask the same question about the male candidates but you haven't

This^

Agree with Elsie22

Even if you did ask the same question about the male candidates, it would not carry the same weight of a woman is always judged by her appearance.

^ so is a man's appearance. We all are judged by our appearances. Corbin's disheveled appearance does nothing to support his credibility as a serious counter voice to the Tories, it just adds to his general reputation of being haphazard and wet.

You must have lived a very lucky life if your experience is that men and women are equally judged on their appearances vs their actions.

Detestable... Elsie22?. How very dare you!

oops!!

Anyway, I think Tina May is doing fine on the dressing front

X well, Trills, everyone in my profession, male or female, wore surgical scrubs and white jackets so yes, we were equally judged on our appearance.

Were you or colleagues judged for your eyebags, grey hair and tummy bulge, Mominatrix?

Um no, but if anyone showed up for work sloppy and unkempt, then yes, I am certain there was some judging.

Also, I made a point about what a person wore, not about eye bags and tummies. However, the department I worked in was full of extremely fit, sporty types, so I'm certain that a person who did not fit that general mold would have stood out - not in a this person is incompetent way, but just stood out as being different.

Yup, you did, Mominatrix, but the OP judged on all of the above re Theresa May. Which goes to Trills's point about the judging hardly being equal, even if it is in surgery or wherever you work.

And I still think that men are not immune from the appearance judging. All the way back to the Nixon v Kennedy days where Nixon lost the debates because he looked tired and unkempt v a youthful and handsome Kennedy. In fact, I think it is worse today in our social media, image based society.