Does your style fit in where you live?

[Hopefully]

Inspired by (a) the realisation that my natural style doesn't really 'fit' and that I've been subconsciously toning it down over the past couple of years and (b) inspired by a few recent threads on north/south fashion divide and fashion in the country etc.

So, does your style fit in where you live? Do you feel permanently over or under dressed or too staid or too flamboyant? Personally I feel like when I wear what I want I am overdone and overthought - I live in a really casual town in the far south west and while there are plenty of people with an alternative sense of style, there is very little dressing smartly/wearing make up on a day to day basis. However, having toned my style down, I look and feel totally underdone and like a country bumpkin when I go to anywhere even slightly stylish. Humph. Am I alone in this?

I fully appreciate I should wear what I want and not worry about fitting in, and actually I don't particularly worry about it, it's something that's happened subconsciously over the few years since we moved here, and this thread is partly inspired by the fact that I am determined to start dressing for me again and not letting my style be compromised by what's around me.

[Motherwithflaws]

My aim for a/w is to make a bit more effort for the school run, running errands etc. And not care if I look different and to wear make up more often!

[Hopefully]

Interesting that of those people who are aware of not 'fitting in' (whether they are positive or negative about it), there are as many who feel underdressed as overdressed.

I'm not exactly going wild with my style in the light of this thread as I have practically NO summer clothes, but I am putting a bit more thought and enjoyment into my autumn wardrobe and hoping it will be more me.

[BettyCrystal]

Reading this, I've just realised that I've never been in Fat Face, Joules, or White Stuff (is that a shop or website?). Is it a sort of casual, cotton dress vibe?

[Lesley1980]

I'm too casual & wear the wrong shoes. Where I live the women all wear White Stuff, Joules, & boots. A line skirts, tunics & stripy fleeces. I'm wearing jeans, cheap tshirt & Nike trainers. My hair is also a bit crazy & everyone else is groomed.

[MollHackabout]

I live in an ex mining village in the north east coast and it's mainly jeans here... I always wear skirts/dresses, usually with a vintage flair, circle skirts I made myself... dress quite 40s/50s and always done... I stick out like a sore thumb but I love looking like a "lady"

I could've written this! I've had comments and catcalls on the street before now. I love looking a bit different though!

[toffeeboffin]

At weekends I really like the 80's look, aviator shades, short black jackets, bit more rock I guess.

[toffeeboffin]

I definitely dress up more for work than anyone else. People look so scruffy I'm my opinion!

I like pencil skirts, heels, cute tops and dresses. Roll necks and wool skirts in winter, high waisted trousers sometimes too.

[Gwenhwyfar]

I lived abroad for ages and it was great not to have to worry about 'going out clothes' and not having anybody expecting you to wear revealing dresses and heels.

[Motherwithflaws]

Love this thread! I'm in the north west and I do the school run amongst women in too- short boot cut jeans and fleeces. There's not many people who look stylish imo around here.

[cressetmama]

My Pilates teacher reckons I'm quirky in style, but I think I am easily bored. So I buy and wear lots of very plain vanilla basics, but with accessories that I change and inter mingle constantly, some high end, some low, Rarely ends up the same, ever, unless it's pouring when I still have to walk the dog, in which case it's wellies and waterproofs. I fit with the dog walkers.

[Openup41]

biker chick

[Openup41]

I do not under dress or over dress - pretty boring actually!

The style is my home town ranges from tracksuits, skinnies and converse, maxi dresses, playsuits.

If money permitted, I would sport a range of styles; boho, biker chic, romantic, city chic. I am rather predictable in the way I dress and probably not confident enough to carry off a "wow - look at you" look for every day wear.

I have seen some beautiful looks over the summer period.

[Thefitfatty]

I live in Abu Dhabi/Dubai, so my ripped baggy jeans, comic book t-shirts and lack of make up really stand out. But I can't be bothered to put on a full face of make up every day, or wear heels when I'm not at work, or shop designer.

[QueenC1]

Oh hopefully, sorry you're feeling like this as you totally suit your look but I can imagine that where you live it does stand out.

I pretty much fit in where I live. It's an electic city although the school run is very much skinnies/White stuff/Fatface/trainers or shift dresses for work wear or gym stuff. I pretty much live in jeans but if I ever wore something else as a sahm then people would comment on it, not necessarily in a negative way but I don't like to stand out.

I started work nearly a year ago and was excited to smarten up my wardobe but the office is very casual. I swore I wouldn't wear jeans to work but I do sometimes as otherwise I feel overdressed. Sometimes I think sod it though, and like to wear smarter trousers or a dress.

[frikadela01]

I'm loving that look iamearthymama very much what I would wear if I didn't think it would look like I was wearing a marquee

[frikadela01]

Lots of Asians where I live so you see a lot of the asian style clothing or western clothes that are more modest so lots of dresses over leggings and long cardigans. It's a very poor area too so you see very few people lookinf like they've stepped out of a boden/white stuff/fat face type catalogue.
My own natural style would be full on big skirt, corset and cloak Goth. However I tend to wear a lot of leggings and long tops with boots. Or anything comfy.

[iamEarthymama]

I have loved clothes ever since I worked in a boutique, aged 13.
I was really keen on fashion but also developed a good eye for what suited me
In the 1970s and 1980s you would have been horrified if anyone looked almost identical to you, whereas I saw a group of about 30 young women the other evening and they all had black leggings on. 😊
I loved the New Romantic look and when I got to the stage where high street fashion really didn't suit me I decided to go my own way and that influenced me, I think.

So my style is very much like this picture though there is rather more of me than the lovely model.

I love it, it makes me really happy even though here the usual look goes from one extreme, Huge Shapeless Tshirt, tight leggings, trainers to very smart Work in an Office wear. People say to me, Where were you going, all dressed up? I suppose they think I do cosplay!

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

No, and I don't even really know what you mean. Dressing smartly isn't completely out there by any stretch of the imagination

I wear what I like but then again that's mostly jeans and a casual t-shirt so maybe I'm just too ordinary!

[DameDoom]

Colleagues my age have a pretty self-inflicted dress code. Hair is overly styled and they are very much +40 glam - bit like a weather girl or newsreader. My personal style is rather less kempt... I don't do mega-grooming even though I spend a fortune on clothes and skincare. Maybe we should meet in the middle.

[leccybill]

I wear Joules and Fat Face and dress a bit classic so I feel like I stick out a bit in my rough mining town in the north west.

[Hopefully]

Thank you to everyone who has posted who 'doesn't fit'. It has really inspired me to continue with my determination to wear what I love rather than what fits in. Going home today after a week away (of feeling scruffy) and looking forward to rearranging my wardrobe as writing a shopping list!

[Pisssssedofff]

I still dress like I just stepped off the beach, long curly bleach blonde mermaid hair, ugg boots and cuts off shorts. In Birmingham 😂

[disneyprincesswannabe]

Yeah my new-school-year-resolution is to start investing in some dresses and pieces that are more representative of my style. If only I was 3 dresses sizes smaller and I would've whole embraced the tutu trend

[OhGoshDarnIt]

But I do agree that with the younger ones there is a lot of fake tan, scouse brows etc here

[OhGoshDarnIt]

Eolian I also live in a small village in Cumbria. I've lived here all my life. I think, where I am, there are 3 main groups, those that wear leggings, khaki parka jackets, brown boots (Uggs or similar) those that wear combat style pants, plain tops and walking boots, and those that wear trackies and trainers.

I find that if you dress differently you are judged or accused of "liking yourself" I'd probably dress differently if I lived in a big city