Sitting in a hotel lounge, spying on a fellow guest...

[LavenderHills]

We're at a hotel in Vienna; it's bitterly cold and snowing outside. She's got slim fitting leather trousers tucked into chic little flat zippy boots. A long, drapey cardigan in the perfect charcoal shade, with a MASSIVE fur collar swathed about the neckline. Quilted leather handbag with a chain, very subtle, not tacky or blingy. Gorgeous hair, barely any makeup.

She's about the same age as me, too (early 30s). I'm sitting here in jeans and a jumper, wishing I looked so effortlessly cool.

Anyone care to share similar moments of stranger style envy with me?

A lady in our local high street in the summer. Jeans rolled up a tiny bit. Gorgeous brogues. Breton top. Swishy hair. She looked effortlessly lovely.

(Being slim and tall helps. Sigh. #hobbit)

Lady of around 70, sitting outside a very trendy cafe in York.
Bright turquoise flashes in her snow white hair

@DonkeyOaty Ah, the swishy hair. How do they DO it??

Ironically, I am quite tall and slim. I just don't seem to have the secret of impeccable, casual style.

You're more than half way there with the tall and the slim.

The swishy hair was just lovely. I have a short pixie which tips over to Pat Butcher if I don't gob on my hand and swizzle my fringe a bit. (Don't actually gob on my hand but you get my drift!)

Summer, also in Vienna. Lots of slim, tanned women who have effortlessly slipped into a dress and sandals. They look smart and polished. I, on the other hand.... I'll spare you the details. Wrap up warm, head to a Christmas market, or 3, enjoy the mulled wine.

I once saw an incredibly stylish woman with swishy hair looking round a famous garden. I was slightly relieved when she turned round and it was Cate Blanchett - star quality in spades. I can accept being outshone by a bona fide Hollywood star.

She had leather trousers on too (+ big outdoorsy boots)

A woman in the cafe at Waterstones in London. She was wearing a crisp white shirt, black trousers and a black jacket. She had the most perfect pink mouth and a black handbag. Everything about her was just crisp and exact. It's the only way I can describe it. She had short hair that waved perfectly.

@Tiedie I am drinking mulled wine in front of a roaring fire, next to a Christmas tree. It's basically the perfect Christmas experience without having to head out into the cold. (We did do the markets today, though!)

Mysterious swishy-haired woman has also left, so now that there's nobody here making me wish I could pull off leather pants, I am going to order a cheese platter

Where you are sounds bliss! Vienna in the snow! Just think she probably wouldn't enjoy your cheeses platter in those leather trousers

Ooh @girlwhowearsglasses, a friend of mine once worked as Cate Blanchett's PA. Apparently, as well as being incredibly stylish, she is also a genuinely lovely human being and a delight to work for.

I wonder how many Hollywood starts have staff who would say that about them?

@lavenderhills our kids were looking at the spiders in the garden and we had a little chat. I pretended not to notice who she was 😺. She’s been nominated at the oscars the week before!

Sounds like the perfect place to be at Christmas. Wish we had a bit of snow but looking unlikey :(
As for the lady in the leather trousers, drink the wine and make her a distant memory.

@Whiterabbitears the cheese platter has arrived and all thoughts of leather pants have fled!

Got chatting to a lovely elderly man in the lift in town, a week had passed since our local 'snow storm' and all is melted away.
He is all prepared for the next flurry he proclaimed as he has got his new boots!! And lifted up his left leg to give me the full glow off his bubble gum pink Dr Marten's!!

Oh that cheese platter looks divine! Enjoy!

In Venice, a woman in black dress, oversized khaki thin cotton parka and black leather brogues on her tanned feet. She looked amazing.

@Awks Maybe there's something inherently stylish about European cities beginning with V?

@BreakfastAtSquiffanys I aspire to have turquoise flashes in my hair at age 70!

Enjoy the cheese platter. People watching whilst on holiday, big glass of wine in hand is my favourite occupation!

I aspire to have turquoise flashes in my hair at age 70!

Me too. I don't dye my hair now (late 40s but not much grey) but if I ever go completely white (Mum still got lots of dark hairs in her 70s) I want to start dying my hair bright primary colours.

I cannot pull off stylish on holiday. I transform into a sweaty mess.

Cheese platter looks amazing.

Not a random person, but I’m hugely envious of Theresa May’s excellent hair which is nearly as good as Christine Lagard.

Don’t envy her her job though …

To counteract the tall slim and classically stylish people, I used to see a young woman of average height and slightly overweight walking alongside a road I'd be stuck in traffic on and she always looked so cool. The best outfit I saw her in was dungarees rolled up at the ankles with red lace up shoes, a leopard print jacket and she was wearing a black bowler hat. I was very jealous of how she managed to put such stuff together and look so cool.

I have a friend, mum of one of dds friends, she is about 40, small and skinny (although to be fair she says she was huge until she was in her late twenties.

She has an amazing hippy style that she just carries off. I used to dress a bot like that when I was in my teens, but couldnt get away with it now.
so coloured/flowery DMs, wacky patterned tights under rainbow shorts, loud check coat etc.
sounds hideous, but on her is looks great.
He hair is pink/purple dreadlocks with sprkles and charms and bits woven in.

Why does it look great on her, when it would look silly on anyone else?

One of her dds has her style too, she really looks best in bright mismatching patterns and colours. Her other dd is veyr conservative!

A friend of mine. She has what I would actually call my dream (read: utterly unachievable for me) figure. Very slim but strong and toned.

She wears the most simple (but also expensive, I imagine) clothes. Ripped jeans and a relaxed tee with a cardi and trainers. They just look so good on her She has long, straight hair which she wears down or pulled back into a messy but elegant bun. Short, neat, natural nails.

Every part of me wants to be insanely jealous of her and really dislike her. But she is genuinely lovely, warm-hearted and an all-round good egg. Which just makes her beauty even more annoying.