Do you think we could come up with an adjective that's less offensive than old ladyish

[AnneDroid]

(Is adjective the right word?)

And this isn't a TAAT before anyone gets in a tizz.

I'm just fed up of clothes, shoes, cosmetics, hairstyles being described in a derogatory way as "old ladyish"

Mature style

Maureen style.

Totally agree OP

Don't think descriptors tied to age are needed at all, what about just 'frumpy'?

Maureen style

😀

That is Maureenist!

Frumpy.

I was visiting my grandad in his care home this morning. Ones of the ladies in there was clad in Hush and wearing birkenstocks- she was well in her 90s. People just like what they like regardless old age.

Why not just "unstylish". Some people are more concerned with comfort and function in clothes than style, that's fine, it's a choice, for all kinds of reasons. Health, economy, lack of interest. It seems less derogatory than frumpy which has nasty undertones of "couldn't be stylish even if she tried".

Also some things suit a certain style context, like Birkenstocks, and some things are designed for function first like trainers/sportswear.

Touch of the Damart?

Bidsville?

Crusty?

Tuts and whattle?

I can't think of anything that doesn't sound pejorative

I think ‘dated’ is probably apt. But to be honest ‘mumsy’ is equally rude abd yet also usefully descriptive. We all know what we’re trying to describe if we use it.

Agree op, it seems like old ladyish is being used all the time to describe things in a negative way.

How about a lighthearted use of 'unfortunate' ?

too polite? too genteel? too conservative? Whatever word is used, it's going to refer to what you don't like, not what you do, so it'll be derogatory however you phrase it.

It always makes me laugh when people describe clothes (White Stuff, Fat Face) as mumsyish. As though a mother shouldn't look like a mother. When DC were small I loved White Stuff's soft cotton, patterned tops that hid a bit of milk gloop but were a good step up from baggy tees and worn joggers. I didn't mind looking mumsyish when my main role in life was being motherly.

How about "constipated"?

Stuffy.
Boring.
Dated
Comfort at the expense of style.
Fussy
Frumpy
Drab

Loads of great words which express it without resorting to old lady ish, I agree. And my spell check prefers them too!

What about daggy?

ˈdaɡi/
adjectiveAUSTRALIAN/NZinformal
adjective: daggy; comparative adjective: daggier; superlative adjective: daggiest
1 (especially of clothes) scruffy."‘pre-worn’ clothing might be a bit daggy"

◦ not stylish; unfashionable."a daggy disco track"

Daggy is horrible... it comes from the ragged dirty wool under a sheeps tail...

Dowdy

I like dowdy.

"comfy".

(This reminds me of Good Morning Vietnam:

The Mississippi River broke through a protective dike today. What is a protective dike? Is that a large woman standing near the river going [in Butch voice] "Don't go near there!" [in Girly voice] "But Betty-" [in Butch voice] "Don't go near there! Get away from the river! Stay away from there." I know, we can't use the word "dyke." You can't even say "lesbian", it's "women in comfortable shoes." Thank you very much.)

Love dowdy

Kate Middleton

Where’s is Floisme? She’ll have a good idea of a word

Don't people use "teenage" in the same way (e.g. "is this dress too teenage")? I don't think of either as derogatory, just that the wearer doesn't want to assume the typical dress or style of a demographic they're not currently in. I don't think that "old ladyish" necessarily means unstylish at all, just a style that would look odd on a much younger woman. My mother is extremely stylish, but many of her clothes would look odd on me. Similarly, a teenager would look odd in most of my clothes. I don't really like the mantra, often seen on here, that it's always wrong to take age into account in the way that you dress. I wouldn't want to dress like I did when I was a teenager now, and when I'm 70 I doubt I'll want to dress like I did when I was this age.

Dowdy or frumpy