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?

Until recently I lived in a very normal town in Spain and in general people dress more stylishly. It isn't necessarily more expensive. People, my mil for example, dress out of the sales at H and M and Zara but they pay attention to how they put things together and enjoy it. It's a social thing I think. There's a lot of chat and compliments about it.

"If you went to a Spanish soft play the mothers would still look immaculate at 10am on a wet Wednesday. "

This is true.

I'm Iberian and I find people in Portugal and Spain tend to dress carefully/well, regardless of socio-economic status.

I think a lot of it is the demand/supply aspect; garish clothes with loud patterns, glitter, polyester don't tend to sell well in these countries, so most stores just won't stock them. Catch 22.

I notice this particularly with children's clothes - I really struggle to find stuff I like in the UK, it's all so LOUD!
When I visit Lisbon or Madrid every shop has simple, classic, functional clothes that look lovely and mix and match well.

We also wear a lot of real leather shoes, belts and bags, which I think makes a difference.

And like a PP commented, I don't think anyone buys as many clothes as the British; it's like a national sport!

Having said that, there are a lot of wonderful things about the way British people dress... I like the individuality, the freedom to wear fashion regardless of your size (try finding a size 18 or 20 in Iberia, it's a nightmare!)

I also think there's a quirkiness to British fashion, which I feel I couldn't pull off but love to see in other people.

Dont' agree at all.

We go on hols in austrian alps and the go-to clothes for fellow holidaymakers are lycra or comfy shorts and tshirts.

Also agree that what you see in a posh holiday resort is not indicative of across teh board. eg "French chic" on holiday in some small place well away from paris in the middle somewhere, going round the supermarket the men and women were not different from UK - dumpier and yes in fairly crappy anoraks and things.

I go to places in eastern europe quite a bit for work and would say the fashion sense in different to UK and to my eye not great - it obviosuly works for them though.

I work in city of london and people tend to be thin and well dressed including the men - sharp suits, british tailoring, occasionally a bowler hat even all good stuff

British style is different - we have been leading over the decades in different styles, eg punk mod etc, we dress much more to suit ourseleves and there is a lot more acceptance of difference and less templateyness. I like this.

I also dont' understand what's so awful about comfortable clothes either. I've thought about this a bit - about what we are supposed to wear when we get done up, what is "classy" and so on and the conclusion I come to is that it's all about aping what the wealthy do - the very wealthy. So when they are done up in whatever it might be, they have had it made, or bought something very expensive and had it altered, so it FITS and also is not made of scrathcy or sweaty material. Then you get the copies into the high street and the materials are cheap, they aren't going to fit properly, and everyone looks shit.

I like the eclectic british style myself, I go around london and think how good it is that people all look different and some are out with the most inventive looks imaginable.

I dislike this wholesale slagging off of British people though. I really do. Poeple are people, the people wherever you were aren't simply better than everyone in the UK.

Anyway that's my bit.

"We go on hols in austrian alps and the go-to clothes for fellow holidaymakers are lycra or comfy shorts and tshirts."

They are all German ir Austrian.

A much more utilitarian look.
No makeup on the women and many have short practical hair.
Because they're the sort of people who are about to go cycling up a mountain.

It is not about dressing to please others or looking like a showpiece

This is true - I don't dress for anyone else but I feel a lot better in and about myself when I've made an effort which I do on a daily basis... the only sportswear I own I wear when I am engaging in some form of exercise.

As for the snobbery comments I find it's reversed in real life as I often get looked up & down with a sneery look by other women but I just smile & carry on with my day.

I agree, in general they look more put together. However, there are regional and economic differences too. I was in Marylebone Village the other day and everyone was either in elegant, classic workwear or stylish, cool casual wear- they were probably all European though!!

In the northern city where I live, women can look polished and well-dressed but there's a tendency to be a little overdone IYKWIM. It's contagious too, I find that when I'm in London I'm always overdressed!

Can’t believe s&b turned into a bun fight

The Spanish are stylish when dressed in block colours and their clothes fitting well, much like what you see in a mango catalogue. I think the colouring helps massively, lots of stuff looks better with a natural tan.

There are plenty of stylish people in the UK too but definitely more who wear clothes too small or not suited to their shape. Prints are great too but I think there’s more scope to divide opinion on whether it’s stylish or not.

I now want city trainers!

Fwiw my French dh thinks that Parisien women dress in dull and boring clothes and that British women look much more interesting.

there is a lot more acceptance of difference and less templateyness.

Sorry bi have to laugh at this.
Not when I arrive at the school gates and find everyone dressed from the same 3 or 4 shops.
And when someone arriving with a hat on (not a fancy one, wedding type type of stuff!) is looked at as they were alien.

As a general rule, I went to Barcelona. Lots of different nationalities. The only ones to think that tracksuit bottoms were ok to visit a town like this were british. You could spot them straight away amongst all the other nationalities around.

I also agree about been fitter. My own dcs always comment on it when we come back from hols. How it is suddenly obvious that people here are overall fatter and the average size is much higher.
Eg these are teens who are told are skinny or lanky. But put them in France or Germany and they look average.

I always used to agree with you OP. But I've just come back from France, expecting slim stylish french women and it wasn't the case at all. There was less obesity than the UK yes but there was a lot of print/colour and just not very stylish (imo) clothing. Maybe it was the area but we were only a few hours from Paris.

I blame school uniforms.

For most of their childhoods in this country, people are forced to wear formal-ish, plainish, identikit clothes in dark or neutral colours. They get limited opportunities to explore their own style, and when they do they often seem to be reacting against the look and feel of school uniform.

Hence the horror that many British people feel at the thought of looking 'boring' in neutral or subdued colours, or of wearing anything formal-ish unless you absolutely have to. And the sheer lack of practice in putting outfits together. It's a lot harder to pull off looking stylish in bright colours, patterns, or quirky clothes in general - although a minority do obviously manage it.

Plus there are obviously people in any country who take little interest in fashion/style and dress for comfort instead. Which is also a sound choice although I don't know why they're interested enough to comment on this thread

You don't have to wear a ballgown or a face full of make up to be "immaculate" or stylish.

Incidentally, I'd love to see a Mum in soft play in a ballgown

Anybody can wear what they like but stylistically the British have lost their way. It was announced today we are the third in the obesity league table in Europe. And that probably has a lot to do with what vast numbers wear. Sports Direct will never go bust in this country. It is the go to for a lot of people in the UK for all their clothing needs, not for sports but for the stretchy fabrics and elasticated waistbands.

As someone plus size (and therefore yes obese) I can assure you that sports direct is not the shop of choice... in fact their plus size offerings are pitiful to the point there was a recent thread about where to get plus size exercise clothing becasue it's just not that easy to find.

I think it depends where you are in the UK. You see a very different style (on women in particular) in Bath, my nearest city, than you do in the northern market town where I grew up. I think people dress to their surroundings – in the town centre in which I live it’s quite small, high street full of functional shops, and nobody around during the day apart from mums with babies, retirees and a few freelancers going to the gym. All of these groups tend to dress very casually where I am and there aren’t really any offices as everyone commutes. So when running errands or going for coffee I feel like I’m “wasting” my nicer clothes that I’d wear to work or to go out for the day. I have a feeling most of my maternity leave will be spent in Hush joggers and trainers.

That said, I do not think the widespread misconception that thin leggings are trousers has done anybody any favours in the last 10 years. I would say I always make a little bit more effort than £5 leggings and a £3 vest top.

I'm Italian/German (and live in the Southern German region again, nowadays). I don't see how stretchy clothing would help me endure cold winters, tbh... Unless you're talking about the leggings I wear under my trousers

I'm not claiming to be the most stylish or fashion forward person. But stretchy clothes (leggings, t-shirt dresses, t shirts, thin pullovers etc...) do tend to require careful styling and a well maintained physique. Well, if they're supposed to look stylish/put together. And even then... They're also horrible in hot weather, which is why you might encounter them less in certain parts of Europe. :)

However (and I'm trying to choose my words carefully...) I feel like you're exaggerating things, OP.

Yes, different countries/cultures often have a different sense of style. That's certainly true.

But a lot of it depends on the social background, life style and to a certain extent also income of a person...

No, I didn’t know the nationality of everybody I saw. I could with some degree of certainty pick out the British ones

I'm puzzled by this. I was in a naice part of France in July and decided to play a sneery MN game of Spot the Brit. Everytime I saw pasty skin/sunburn/strappy top revealing tatoos/ill fitting clothes/cheap fabrics etc. I'd curl my lip and think "Brit!" Invariably if I heard them speak they would be French or Spanish or Dutch or German.

Plus there are obviously people in any country who take little interest in fashion/style and dress for comfort instead. Which is also a sound choice

Dressing for comfort isn't necessarily unstylish imo.
Trousers, a button up and a jacket (leather, blazer or a simple pullover) or a winter coat.
Palazzo pants and a blouse. Or just a simple sundress...

Outfits like that are imo very comfortable and not "leggings and a vest top" (as someone mentioned on this thread)...

Where I live literally half of people wear head to toe Joules. Enough said I think. (the rest of us aren't that bad and very few stretchy clothes wearers)

Interesting thread, OP!

I have always liked French and Italian style but haven't paid much attention to Spanish style until recently. I went to Madrid in March, when it was still quite cold and I'd say 90% of Spanish women that I saw there had black padded puffy-type coats and jackets on, with skinny or slim fit jeans, and ankle or calf height boots. Such a simple combination but they all looked great!

I think the Spanish and the French do tend to dress in a very simple way; women from both of those nations do often tend to be on the petite side too. Also I think it helps that generally the French, Spanish and Italians are dark haired with lovely naturally tanned skin. It lends itself well to a minimal make up look, and also just looks more expensive, I feel.

AnnieAnoniMoose I think its too casual to be stylish. The athlesuire wear trend doesn't present as a very stylised look. It looks like you're going to the gym which is fine if you're going to the gym but quite often they're not.

I don't actually like the more European styles of fashion. I don't like tight fitting clothes.

I prefer the more grungy feel we have over here.

Anyone walked down Bond Street and looked in Gucci's window lately? It looks like a fancy dress shop. If that's high end French style, I'll stick with looking like a Brit.

Yes, some of the high end designer shops are a bit fancy dress costumes. But that was not what Iwas posting about when I started the thread. I was talking about that understated, pared down style I saw in Palma.

I am in central London today. Saw these guys earlier - they looked smart enough!

My best friend is Danish and her and her family always look stylish despite any cool or damp weather here.

I think it's to do with dressing in simple shapes, natural fibres, a neutral palette and real leather shoes or boots. Some might consider this look very dull and boring, but I just think it looks tasteful and stylish.

I was recently at Bluewater and it was just awash with polyester, elasticated waists, cheap sports clothes (when it was evident the wearer never exercised) and too snug, spaghetti strap tops showing unpleasant rolls of skin. I think I only saw a handful of people that looked well groomed and in tasteful clothes, and yes I was one of them