British style, or lack of it

[Sarcelle]

I haven’t been abroad for a while (annoyed with the whole palaver of flying and just been holidaying in UK.)

Recently went to Mallorca and spent a day in Palma. What struck me is that compared to a lot of Europeans, with exceptions, we dressed so badly compared to them. And we are less fit. Since I got back I have been really noticing, it’s like we don’t care, yet in the main we have a lot of the same shops as them.

This is an observation for both men and women and when I say British I mean every age and demographic that makes up modern Britain. We seem to wear a lot of easy clothes - sportswear, stretchy stuff. In Palma they were wearing great shirts, dresses, fitted trousers, great accessories. I was sitting next to a Spanish guy at lunch, plain blue shirt, well cut trousers, clutching a book - he just seemed to exude style in an effortless way.

I know there are exceptions but it just strikes me that the average British person just does not dress that stylishly. I include myself in that btw. Sometimes I do dress well, but never with the same casual elan, and it always gets a comment along the lines of - ooh, you look smart, where are you going, even if what I am wearing is very simple. Like I S this be doing something extraordinary to warrent dressing a bit more smartly.

We buy a lot of clothes in UK but perhaps that is the problem. We buy a lot of cheap clothes and don’t accessorise well. I don’t think money or lack of it is the reason. Lack of will and perhaps a bit of self-respect?

I am sure I am going to get flamed for this post but what do you think?

I think how people dress is entirely up to them. I dress for myself and as I live on a working farm I dress in appropriate clothing. However if on the odd occasion we go out I dress rather eclectically and I like to think my style is very bohemian. Each to their own I say.

I agree with you. I was in the same place and thought how well (and simply) people dressed.

I think a lot of people in the UK by large amounts of cheap stuff that doesn’t hang or wash very well. Wardrobes are constantly updated with fast fashion rather than quality items. I hear women complaining about the price of good clothes because they could get the same at Primark or a fraction of the cost. Except- it isn’t the same stuff, the quality variation is huge. Of course a lot of people can’t afford to spend big on clothes, but many could spend more per item if they bought less.

There must also be something to be said about the decline in proper service in shops. Everything looks better if it fits properly and I seem to recall a time when a shop assistant would help you get the right fit. These days you have to queue for the fitting room (unless shopping on a weekday) and there is no one to assist with sizing.

I agree OP. But I think it’s mostly to do with the weather. People dress for comfort in Britain, and cool rainy weather.

Well I look fantastic!

My DH works a lot in Europe and he recently bought some more “European” business casual attire as he felt he didn’t look quite right.

So now he wears-
Dark slim jeans or chinos
Leather brougues
Crisps slim fit shirts- ted baker
Blazers from Gant, M and S Italian collection, Paul Smith.

Leather man bag/unstructured briefcase from Mulberry.

But to look like that is costly and I think the British high street is definitely about fast cheap fashion.

I came to say I think it's largely about the weather. I noticed when we had all the hot weather that around me a lot of women in particular seemed to be dressing a bit more stylishly and I certainly strayed from my one summer dress to try different things. Most of the time I'm dressed to account for potential rain which isn't always the most stylish way of dressing.

@Mumofazoo. Of course people should wear what they want but it was an observation on the differences in how we dress compared to other Europeans. Of course you dress appropriately for your circumstances but that was not what I was getting at.

My DH works a lot in Europe and he recently bought some more “European” business casual attire as he felt he didn’t look quite right.

Dh just started up his own business and consequently changed his daily wardrobe from suit to business casual. He bought an entire new wardrobe where everything matches, all combos work before that his casual wardrobe was a mess.

The weather does make a difference, but do other northern Europeans (Denmark, Sweden, Germany etc) also dress stylishly or a bit sloppily? When I think of Danish people I think of sharply dressed people, simple clothing etc but perhaps they are the edited highlights and the reality is different.

I agree. I went into Manchester the other day and thought how sloppy everyone looked compared to Spain where we were a couple of weeks ago.

Makes me want to raise my game. I have lots to wear but nothing to wear iyswim. I want a clear out, have less clothes, shop smarter.

Are there any European (not UK) bloggers or instagram accounts that pull off this effortless style? Probably won’t understand the text but the photos might be informative.

You're right. I went to Barcelona some years back and there was a marked difference, possibly more natural fibres and tailored clothing.

I completely agree with you. Abroad I see people wearing lots of simple but well-fitting clothes, certainly in the cities.
When that's mentioned here, though, there are lots of claims of how dull much European fashion is, whereas in my local town at least there's little sign of anything really stylish or sharp, just lots of sloppy clothes.

Well you all inspired me this morning!

Grey skinny jeans
Tan suede heeled boots
Tan belt
Black and white stripe top with fluted sleeve detail
Tan trench coat
Black nikes

I feel positively continental!

I think there’s two reasons. Brits don’t get much experience of “proper” summer and buy clothes specifically for holidays. En masse, Brits aren’t going to nail style for temps that are sporadic in the U.K., versus all of the time for the Spanish.

I also think obesity plays a part. I think in the U.K. a lot of people either stop caring because they are big, or decide not to bother until they lose weight (which for most never happens). There are definitely fat Southern Europeans but they seem to accept their weight and dress for it.

Having said that, Germans certainly aren’t stylish (unless wealthy) and neither really are the Benelux countries.

I agree - I spent Christmas in Innsbruck a couple of years ago and it was very noticeable. Winter coats, warm clothes but way more stylish. Went to a concert and I was quite embarrasssed as just had jeans with me ( nice boots/ coat etc but still jeans). Following week, went to saddlers wells for ballet and other than a few people, I’d said it was a lot less stylish.

I agree.
Was in a French city recently and I realised how scruffy I looked; jeans, trainers, hoody for sightseeing.
My French contemporaries wore well cut trousers, city trainers, a smart jacket and a scarf.
Im taking this as a lesson.

That sounds great Atalune, but do you have two pairs of feet?

You're streets ahead of the average NZer, let me tell you.

Comfort is the driving force behind most people's wardrobes here. Stretch. Elasticaction. And yes, obesity has a role to play in that.

I will go out on a limb and say that my city does have its fair share of good dressers, but for the most part, people are a vision in (loose, baggy) sportswear.

I was in South Molton Street a few years ago. This was at the time that Georgia Jagger was the face of Rimmel with strapline Its the London Look. I was walking behind three well dressed “continental” woman and they saw a Rimmel poster with GJ and the strapline. They looked at it, laughed and said with a sneer, Its the London Look. I had to agree.

Also, I agree with the OP, but often find the weather scuppers my plans to be stylish. I have some new light brown suede ankle boots, really nice, but if there's a puddle on the pavement - nope! I actually drove home for a different pair of shoes the other day when I'd planned to wear them to the theatre but it unexpectedly poured with rain. Once I'd dropped my car off I was going to need to take a train and a tube, then walk through London. They'd have got wrecked.

Cropped trousers and sockless loafers might look great on French bloggers, but I hate cold ankles. I have some nice knitwear, but even with hand washing and trying to treat it really well, the weather means I'm going to wear a jumper more frequently, therefore they get tired looking sooner.

I know what you mean. You used to see British women at ferry ports and you could always spot them as they invariably wore awful short leggings, with badly shaved legs sticking out, and always had a carrier bag of fags with them..

Equally you can spot the lesser posh Brit man anywhere in the world by his stripy shirt with collar turned up, knee length shorts, and sockless feet stuck into deck shoes. And his red face.

Horrible classist snobby thread. Of course you're going to see well dressed people in the central tourist areas of nice places like Palma. You're not looking at the poor Spanish women getting on a bus at 5am from a cheap suburb heading off to work.

Not a snobbish thread at all. Please don’t derail the thread which is discussing the differences in the approach to style.