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'm not tall by British standards, but whenever I travel to Italy or Spain - which is fairly often - I find myself to be average or above

I feel about average when I'm in Italy (visiting family etc). But I'm definitely on the shorter side... And I feel tiny in Germany (and Scandinavia...).

On average British women - and men - are taller and larger than their Spanish counterparts. So what
Exactly! I'm also not sure why anyone would think that being small was an advantage...

I sometimes feel like it might be a bit of a disadvantage in the workplace / when I want people to take me seriously. Not that much anymore but definitely when I was younger...

. I simply do not belive that the average Italian or Spanish woman is as tall as the average British woman.

I was surprised as well... It just seems so unlikely!

On my recent holiday I looked so stylish that I was frequently mistaken for a Spanish woman . I wore cotton and linen shift style dresses. All came from Tesco and Lidl. My good friend favours cold shoulder tops and off the shoulder tops in the hot weather. We look very different.

Interesting question. My 16yo DD reckons it's because we all grow up wearing Ill-fitting, poor quality, ugly school uniform, so don't have much opportunity to learn our own style.

In a similar vein, after recent trips to France and Spain, there is a similar truth to the quality of food. Meat, fruit and veg is all sooo much tastier. Anything processed or ready made is like home cooking, with no E numbers.

I think you also need to take into account that Brits in Palma were likely to be on holiday. The Spanish guy you sat next to was probably at work. If you saw the Spanish guy on holiday he'd probably be less smart because he'd have had to jam T-shirts, jeans, a couple of jumpers, underwear and toiletries into a suitcase rather than taking them out of his wardrobe.

I know when I go on holiday I take things I know I can just get out of the suitcase - which isn't always my most stylish unfortunately. Plus, if I'm somewhere hot, I don't have the option of air conditioned offices or fans at work to cool off so I dress for walking around in intense heat most of the day. Again, not the same look I can go for in the UK where I know which shops are likely to be cooler or I can go back home or into the office to freshen up. My look on holiday is very different from at home in the UK. For example at home I'd wear fitted trousers or jeans. Abroad I'd go for longer shorts and less fitted trousers - I can't stand that 'closed in' feeling that fitted things give me in the heat.

I was in London last week and I couldn't tell tourists from workers. Which means either the London workforce looked as 'chic' as the French or Spanish or whoever, or the French or Spanish looked as laid back as the Brits. I must admit though, I have never got this idea of Parisian chic. Whenever I travelled to Paris on business everyone seemed to be wearing jeans! Maybe I got them on an off day...

Exactly! I'm also not sure why anyone would think that being small was an advantage.

If being small makes you look so chic, why are models required to be 1m70 at the very least?

I was surprised as well... It just seems so unlikely!

I just don't think it's true. What were these 'statistics' based on? Self-reporting? Certainly in Southern Italy, men and women are definitely shorther than their Northern European counterparts on average. It's very noticable.

I agree with Delph, photos of our mums/ grandmothers from 50's /60's in the summer dresses look lovely.
The best dressed women I see in warm weather, here and overseas, of all ages, all shapes and sizes wear simple straight shift dresses, sleeveless or short sleeved.
Nothing to do with money, I have never had much money but can dressmake and alter clothes to fit them to my shape. Nothing to do with age or practicality either, a simple but stylish dress or trousers and top are ok for me when Im doing grandparenting duties.
I dress for myself every day, it makes me feel good about myself.

I think by the end of this long reliably dry and hot summer a lot more British women were looking stylish as we got use to putting on a nice dress and Sandles. Normally it is warm and raining so what do you wear on your feet becomes a problem. I’ve certainly worn more linen dresses this summer than ever before.

Why do British people love to pull other Brit's down? I've travelled overseas for work a lot and no other nationality does it to this extent. It's ridiculous talking about a whole nation in such a sneery way.

As for the Japanese the young dress very well but it's the older Japanese that take the risks. I've seen really well dressed people in their 70's plus in Kyoto who look amazing and not afraid to take a risk with fashion.

So what - I can’t copy the whole paragraph as on my phone. For me the difference between being taller and larger has to do with the style of the clothes. Eg skinny jeans on larger women like me look like parsnip legs. Polo necks look matronly rather than chic and simple.

Of course it has to do with clothing selection and wearing what suits us. Very often we don’t do that and the same outfit looks completely different on our body shapes.

I have been in York today. None of the Japanese tourists looked any smarter than anyone else. We all wore clothes for cool, cloudy weather and comfortable shoes for walking in.

I disagree. I live in a town which has a lot of young foreign visitors every summer. A lot. Regardless of where in the EU they come from they wear exactly the same clothes for the last decade.... until they start shopping here. British teenagers are always on trend and innovative.

M & S are surprisingly ahead of trends and buying a new work wardrobe this year has demonstrated that the new winter lines for joules etc are very similar to the items I bought earlier in the sales.

Men let the side down mostly but many women are adventuruous and fashionable regardless of their age.

@Jackietheduck

But tall people are perceived as thinner. (Tall objects as well, btw!!)

I'm short and pretty petite.
One of my DH's sisters is tall and fairly slim (not skinny, slim). She must be about 15 (?) cm taller than me. She certainly doesn't look 15 cm broader...

(There are also some interesting studies about assumptions/perceptions based on the height of a person...)

Why do British people love to pull other Brit's down? I've travelled overseas for work a lot and no other nationality does it to this extent. It's ridiculous talking about a whole nation in such a sneery way.

Exactly!

Mind you, have you been to the USA.

Why dont British teens have acne anymore? ? I was wondering this the other day.
Anyway. In general Brits have lost their way a bit in terms of style, and comfort is King, it's true. The high st shops seem to be a jumble sale of polyester and garish patterns. It's not conducive to being well dressed!
I don't think it's always been the case. I have many pictures of my English Nan in fabulous nipped in waist suits, hats, excellent dresses etc. She always said you should spend a weeks wages on a coat, a pair of shoes or a handbag, and look after them. The idea of non leather accessories was I'm talking about a ft working, Northern woman here, not someone with lots of money.

She worked in the rag trade though and knew how to find a bargain.

Her lessons on style stay with me- I dress a bit quirky but would never buy plastic/cardboard shoes or a polyester dress.

On a recent trip to France it appears I was mistaken for a chic French woman. Every shop and cafe I went into, I was spoken to in French. I had assumed this was because I was, you know, in France but after reading this thread I realise now how casually stylish and elegant I must have appeared ...

You do know how ridiculous some of you sound, don't you?

I think you only have to notice how many threads there are on here asking where, on the British high street, it is possible to buy good quality basics made of natural fibres. There is a demand for it. Lots of us do want to dress well. But hunting down quality clothes on the British high street with an average budget is near-impossible.

You can see beautifully dressed Brits, especially in place like Bath as mentioned above. The city itself makes you feel aspirational because of its history and the loveliness of the buildings there. The people live up to the place. In my town that grew incredibly quickly in the 60s and 70s and has hastily-built buildings with no sense of style, the people dress accordingly! What’s to get dressed-up for? I can’t justify spending major money on clothes to wear to meet a friend for a coffee sitting outside a Costa which faces Primark and the pound shop!

On a recent trip to France it appears I was mistaken for a chic French woman. Every shop and cafe I went into, I was spoken to in French. I had assumed this was because I was, you know, in France but after reading this thread I realise now how casually stylish and elegant I must have appeared ...

You do know how ridiculous some of you sound, don't you?

😂

There is a fair bit of that on this thread, to be fair.

Imo the Europeans dress more to a formula which is perceived to be stylish. Brits are more individual.
In all countries you will also get those who can't afford to spend much on clothing. I suspect when you're in Mallorca or wherever you just don't see those people whereas you will when at home.

Speak for yourself OP. Feel comfortable and confident

I think it also depends on where you live in the U.K. In London I'd just wear jeans and a nice top for a night out, or go straight from work and apply a bit more makeup. But when I was in Liverpool some years ago I was taken aback by the extent to which women dressed up for going out at the weekend - professionally applied makeup and blow dried hair, sparkly outfits - one woman even had diamantés on her eyelashes!

So I think there's definitely a north/south divide as I've seen this level of glam in many northern cities.

@Sarcelle, I am Spanish and I get what you say. I've been living in GB for many years and every time I go home (and come back) I feel and try to make an effort.
I have some personal rules tho that some of my friends laugh at, but that is just me. I never wear trainers if I have not practicing sport, same with any sport clothing really.
I try to not wear more than 3 colors. I only own 3 handbags, one being quite expensive but I absolutely live. And am happy not to buy anymore, it goes with everything.
And I am not as stylish ad other spanish people, but I love how they dress.
Nothing wrong with that!!
I can find some Instagram accounts for you to have a look if you want.

Sorry for the typos, my fingers are not good on phone screens.

I’d love to follow their Istagram accounts please. Can you please PM them to me if you aren’t updating the thread? Thank you.