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?

First time I went to Paris (a few years ago) I was really disappointed. I expected to see very stylish people but they looked pretty much like people in London, Rome, Madrid etc. The men dressed in a slightly more flamboyant way but that was it. I really don't notice the huge difference described here. I can spot a Brit because of the way they look, it's different but it's not any worse. In Australia, my bil, (who's Irish) and I used to play spot the Biddie (Irish woman) we were usually right.

I do think there is an element of glam-shaming in the UK, where some people will mock you for 'making an effort.' I met up with some girlfriends for lunch yesterday and wore a long sleeved shift dress with Mary Jane shoes with a small heel. A friend had brought her sister along, and this sister made several snide digs about me being dressed up to the nines etc. I actually think she did it because she felt defensive about looking pretty scruffy herself

Well I spent years trying to look good and classy. Now I just want to be comfortable.

I want to look good and classy and feel comfortable. There is a dearth of such clothes in the UK IMO.

I was also disappointed in Paris. What's this thing that Parisian women have about wearing a black bra under a white top? I don't think it's a good look.

PenelopeShitStop I know what you mean, I remember bumping into another mum when dcs were young and she asked me why I was "all dressed up", I was wearing a skirt with opaques, flat boots and a jumper . I am a sahm, so my style is mostly casual and often based around t-shirt and jeans. However, there's a world of difference in wearing well-fitting, flattering t-shirt and jeans than not, also what you wear it.

I think there's also a north/south divide in the U.K. From what I've seen women in the north seem to dress up a lot more.

There is definitely a thing in the UK if you make an effort. You get a disapproving look, even if what you are wearing is just marginally smart. Not all areas or circumstances but in quite a lot of places people do not like you to look too smart. It is odd. There is a lot of jealousy in this country but that’s perhaps for another thread......

@SamanthaBrique

Glasgow was one of the first British places I visited (after moving to London). There was imo a very clear difference, yes...

The black bra under a white top is recommended for some skin colours. I like it.

I think when we look around capital cities and assess what people are wearing and conclude they are not dressed as well as we expected them to be, we are often looking at tourists and visitors to the city. I’m not referring only to the obvious Brits abroad wearing football shirts look. It is worth walking around the areas of the city less frequented by tourists eg offices, financial area etc.

On holiday you wear holiday clothing; mix and match, comfy, layers etc. Even if I wear a tailored garment my footwear will be comfy not smart. In New York it was 35 degrees so out came the tevas 😂😂

Have only read op but let me guess, rest of thread is snooty handwringing about fat chavs in jeggings and lots of fawning over ‘crisp white shirts’ and ‘tan belts’ and ‘classic trench coats’

Just wear what you want and let other people do the same

I'm delighted reading this thread to have been mistaken for Spanish or Italian in Nice.

These threads are a bit stupid. Anything looks good if you're tall ish and thinish and youngish and attractive ish. These are the people who hang around in groups and you tend to notice them and their nationality. Lots of women of all nationalities will be slipping unnoticed under your radar. Badly dressed or well dressed.

@MadameButterface

That's pretty much the shape of it, yes.

I shouldn't laugh but lol at spot the biddy. I'm too old and too Irish to laugh at that but my friend's mil who lives in Spain makes her go to m&s and guineys and mcelhinneys to buy wedge loafers and elasticated pleated skirts. She can't get enough Biddy wear in Spain. There's a business opportunity. On the costa blanca, BiddyWear.

personally i think the scandis get it spot on a lot of the time - they dress practically for cold wet weather but don’t necessarily look dowdy or swamped. they’re a lot more confident bare faced but there’s certainly grooming and more importance placed on healthy diets/fitness. they tend to have a lot more disposable income to spend on classic well made pieces though!

Firstly, I disagree that Scandinavians dress well. I think they mostly look very utilitarian - which is fine, but I wouldn't call it stylish.

Secondly, they really don't have loads of disposable income. Wages are high yes, but so are prices and of course taxes. I would say your average Brit has more disposable income than your average Scandinavian.

“That's pretty much the shape of it, yes.”

@IcedPurple as long as they’re enjoying themselves eh, i suppose they have to get their jollies somehow, dressing like a beige boring middle aged bastard with no imagination

Get a bit fed up of always hearing about how awful us British are.

This ^

I think London does street style & experimentation very well & don’t particularly find other European cities more stylish. Yes they do tend to be more groomed & I agree that there is a thing about being too dressed up. Some of that in London at least is practicality though, walking, tube, weather etc. I used to work in fashion buying & we did some research trips in Liverpool, Newcastle in order to tailor products to specific markets. The group of us felt so under dressed on nights out, sometimes it’s nice to dress up! I was so disappointed in NY fashion, find Italians tend to stick to black & sunglasses no matter what the weather. Like the Dutch style & the French do have a certain je ne sais quoi but tend to find its more the older generations. Now as for men’s British style.....

dressing like a beige boring middle aged bastard with no imagination

I wish
I look awful in that "standard"/popular pale beige.

It's apparently a neutral but tends to make me look really sick (=yellow/green...)

Which is weird because I think (?) I look fine in white and most browns...

Beige makes me disappear. No thanks.

dressing like a beige boring middle aged bastard with no imagination

That is fine for you but the whole point of this thread is how to dress less British. It could be worth opening a new thread to see how people embrace British clothes and get ideas there though.

Obviously if you don't need any ideas and are perfectly content in your own style there is no need for any thread.

The people I saw in Palma were not dressed in beige. They just looked sharped, groomed, in high definition. I felt like a mess and I thought I had made an effort! In the UK we look doughy, a bit unkempt, wear clothes that don’t suit our shape with an over reliance of leisure/sportswear. The idea that you have to wear beige to look stylish is an idea that has been introduced in a sneery way in the later stages of the thread.

This was not a thread about wearing beige or fat chavs. Or telling people what they should wear. Anybody can wear what they want, just as people can think what they want of another person’s style.

Genuinely interested in what the people who were being a bit spiteful about those who choose to wear beige choose to wear themselves. What shops do you buy from, what shapes do you favour?

Living in a tourist trap, I am distinctly underwhelmed by the one-size fits all puffa jacket, sunnies and loafer brigade that is the average Italian/Spanish woman abroad. They all look 'nice' but exact, carbon copies of each other. They don't dare to even slightly deviate at all ... and I say this as a uniform dresser myself.
I stick to a formula cos it works for me but do try to individualise with outerwear.
The Japanese women who frequent my city are beyond immaculate - they do pared-back dressing to the nth degree, but all of it is vvv high end so totally inaffordable. Am also aware that these types aren't your average Japanese woman.

the one-size fits all puffa jacket, sunnies and loafer brigade that is the average Italian/Spanish woman abroad.

In my city, groups of Italian and Spanish (both genders) are easily recognisable too They don't wear loafers but do wear puffa jackets nice trainers, dark jeans and basically subtle clothes. Whereas we wear oversized clothes, jaunty looking scarfs and bad footwear. I am one of them too. There is such a huge difference but I think its mainly down to ill fitting clothes which has a lot to do with our shapes.