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?

Daughter of The Shires? Makes me think of large horses.

Can the foreigners here confirm if there is a word for ‘over-dressed’ in their language? Mrs Gaskell was using it to insult nouveau riche Mancunian ladies nearly 2 centuries ago! There’s also that scene in ‘Cranford’ where a new dress had to be stored away for two years in case you should be mistaken for the sort of woman who cared about being in fashion.

Yes Aspen

No, I think old money do make more of an effort than you imply. And I did say 'not entirely true; not untrue.

It's the same as this idea that the upper classes are unfailingly polite, well-mannered, welcoming and adept in social situations - often, they're simply not ('doors to manual' being a case in point).

There are photos of the Mitfords, for example, looking dowdy in double-breasted tweed 'at home', but looking much more elegant when out and about.

Anyway, I'm derailing the thread!

Can the foreigners here confirm if there is a word for ‘over-dressed’ in their language

Ehm, sort of? There are certainly ways to describe that, yes. "Übertrieben elegant"(overly elegant) or maybe just "übertieben" (=excessive) would probably be what I'd use in German? Troppo elegante actually also works in Italian.

Or someone might say that a person seems a bit superficial if it seems like they're too concerned with their appearance.

But it's not a term I hear often. I think people (of a certain age) might actually be more likely to use the English term.
I have definitely used the term "underdressed" (when I wasn't speaking English).

Speaking of being provincial / Home Counties - I’m being stalked on Mumsnet by GDST schools. Mine was one, although it was the GPDST in those days. The checked summer dress with breast pockets and elasticated purse belt has left unable to dress for summer for over 30 years.

I still have my boater as a souvenir of my schooldays and don’t think a less flattering hat has yet been invented

I don't use an exact translation for "overdressed", we can say "exaggerated" or "naff"or "bad taste". But it's difficult to think of a literal translation. We can also say about someone wealthy that is classlessness or tasteless.

This has been a really interesting thread, but going back to the OP's original comments, yes I do think that a lot of Europeans seem to dress in an effortless, elegant style, even when they are wearing jeans and t-shirts. I notice a lot have good bags and shoes, and simple quality jewellery. I am definitely trying to adopt that style, trying to cut down on the amount of clothes I have, and just buying better (I can't remember the last time I had a Primark hit).

I went to a party recently and I said to my friends oh I feel a bit overdressed. But actually I felt lovely on the evening putting a little more effort into my threads.

I think brits abroad can look horrendous. And Americans!!

MinesaPinot I think effortless is about putting the effort into finding flattering, well-fitting clothes. Once you have them, it's not much effort to put them on, and so it looks effortless (but it's not) The same goes for taking care of yourself e.g. a good haircut, hair in nice condition isn't obvious effort, whereas some styling might look as if lots of effort is put in.

@MM18 i was at a GPSDT School too. A Minerva girl.
The summer dresses weren't too bad, checkered with pockets! But we had to have either tights or tall socks (stylish).

Minerva girls are long gone - they dropped her from the logo because nobody knew who she was!

My friend was at the Red Maids School. Now that was a ravishing school uniform. I bet those girls know how to dress .

Sorry for the derailment, OP.

I don't know about that @MM18, it looks a bit too Handmaid's Tale!

The Red Maids uniform is a million miles from ravishing.

I love the diversity of dress in the UK street, but despair at the British inability to get it right on holiday. The default settings
seem to be practical and comfortable but ugly, or over glamorous casino hooker. I'm sure it's because the weather in the UK is so variable, and we do wet weather gear brilliantly, but dressing for brilliant sunshine seems tricky. Someone on another S&B thread suggested that it was about fabrics: good linen takes dye well and stands up to intense light in a way that cheap cotton doesn't.

This is really interesting as a non-Brit (I was born and spent my early years in what was then Czechoslovakia until my parents escaped when I was 8 In 1982), who has spent most of my life in Britain. For the record my Eastern European ancestry has given me cheekbones to die for but not much else.

I tend to spend most of my time in navy blue stretchy type trousers and a white polo shirt. In winter I add a fleece or hoody to that sartorial nightmare. The reason for my daily outfit is my job - I'm a physio. It doesn't really lend itself to my actual style which can be described as expensive and classy (in my opinion lol).

I was being ironic about the Red Maids!