What is a hip stylish 40 year old woman wearing on a night out these days?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Help me, I haven’t been ‘out-out’ for so very long I am completely out of the loop.

I’m going to birthday party in a trendy London east-end bar and I haven’t the first clue what to wear.

Style tips anyone?

Unless you're going to a 5star restaurant or bar most Londoners dress down. Do lots of midi dresses with biker jackets and trainers or ankle boots.

Skinny jeans are out, tight fitting dresses are out and heels are out. It's more street and casual - most glammed up looks seem like they are worn by out of towners. IMHO. Lifelong Londoner.

Coated jeans are so over aren't they?

Skinny jeans are out, tight fitting dresses are out and heels are out. It's more street and casual - most glammed up looks seem like they are worn by out of towners.

This is 100% true.

I live in Shoreditch/Bethnal Green so the heartland of hip east London (although Hackney Wick is where the real hipsters are these days). No heels, no skinny jeans, nothing tight fitting. Unless you want to look very suburban/bridge and tunnel. Less is more in east London. Dress down, then dress down some more.

Coated jeans are so over aren't they?
I only heard of them 10 minutes go upthtead

Lol. They came and they went..... actually they might be back in again in East London by now. East London and West London are two completely different vibes...( I’m sorry for introducing the word vibe there). I love a boiler suit personally and I’m 49 and a size 16. Every time I put it on my husband says “ off to fix the car? ” .... oh how we laugh.. I wear it with chunky trainers and sheer socks but I’ve just dug out some brogue boots and might try those next time. I’ve just “thrifted “ a very long pleated skirt in midnight blue which I might wear next weekend with a “thrifted”long navy skinny knit and maybe my “thrifted”silver ankle boots or “thrifted”silver Vivienne Westwood shoes. ( ie from charity shops). If you can manage a fully “thrifted” look you’ll be spot on in East London. ( mention it a lot, it will be great”.

So according to this thread the London look is one of these two options? I always imagined trendy Londoners would want to look individual, the outfits are nice but if I was in a bar and loads of women were in dresses, trainers and biker jackets I would feel very generic.

I'm quite fancying a leather jacket...

I'm not big on midi dresses but I've got a couple of silk trousers, kind of palazzo style that are super comfy and look gorgeous. That plus the obligatory trainers and a white tee shirt (possibly camisole/vest in the summer) would be my choice

A broad smile..

Black tuxedo jacket, glittery vest (Wallis do them), black tight jeans rolled up slightly at ankle with cool trainer (eg Veja) or not rolled up with funky ankle boots (leopard print). Big earrings.

I like Tuxedo jackets. I’ve got one I’ve had for about 25 years. I wouldn’t say there’s a “London look”, it’s far to diverse. One of the main pleasures of London is being able to wear anything and no one bats an eye lid. Fashions have always existed and there have always been trends. London is also teeming with people not from London who are wondering what to wear to look like they belong. Like lots of people they feel better wearing similar things.

I’ve just remembered a long kimono robe from Weekday I have. I’ve worn that over a black dress to the Royal Opera House and over jeans to drinks. I would probably wear that because I feel great in it.

@BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo
I live in central/east and I would say the first of your pics looks a bit high street. The second a bit closer but a bit safe.

I think here it’s about making your own style. I think younger women do follow trends a bit more, e.g paper bag trousers, definitely trainers, cropped wide legs and jumpsuits.

I’m starting to wearing flares or boot cut again and going for a 70’s feel.

I’m nearly 50 (!!!) but bought this dress Recently and love it ...

www.laredoute.co.uk/ppdp/prod-350159305.aspx?dim1=1&dim2=4&mkwid=svtYQvLCF_dm|pcrid|378135727842|pkw||pmt||slid||pgrid|75905177943|ptaid|pla-742303402022|productid|35015930500010004221819&omniturecode=Google-Shopping-PPC%2AShopping%20Women%20%3E%20Clothing%7EWomen%20%3E%20Clothing%20%3E%20Dresses%20%3E%20Short%20%26%20Mini%20Dresses%20%3E%20£77-£104.99&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy97v48f15AIVmK3tCh3aLw_sEAQYBSABEgJkd_D_BwE

Am I the only one why gets annoyed at the idea that London is the only place in the country that is fashionable and the rest of us “out of towners” should follow Londoners approach.

I can’t abide the idea that if a woman was to turn up in jeans and heals that “Londoners” would be judging them in this way.

As a beside last night I wore a lose fitted dress, coloured tights and slouchy boots.

But not in London so obviously it was very off trend.

OhDear2200

I’m originally from the Midlands and lived in a couple of cities before I moved down here 20 years ago. I used to feel like that but what you realise is that London doesn’t care what you wear. Wear what you want... wear a mini dress and thigh boots if you want. Some people from London are undoubtedly dismissive of anyone from anywhere else but that’s a tiny minority of people. Some woman in Walthamstow or Lambeth or Ealing is not sitting there slagging off your outfit.

From visiting London and having a friend from there people in 40s seem less ‘on trend’ than say in big northern cities. London’s more about wearing what you like.

I wouldn't wear dress and heels - it's too dressed up for a trendy east end bar. Pretty much trainers with anything will be fine though. Hope you have a nice time.

Am I the only one why gets annoyed at the idea that London is the only place in the country that is fashionable and the rest of us “out of towners” should follow Londoners approach. We take deliberately take more dressy clothes with us when we go out in cities other than London, but for London it's always dressing down.

Not sure if I'm any help as I'm in my twenties, up north and pregnant. But I did go out last night and I wore a midi floral dress (very 70's looking I think) wore it with boots as it was raining up north but would wear with trainers too.
I also love midi skirts, silk pleated or animal printed teamed with t-shirt, leather or denim jacket and trainers.
Personally I think anything goes at the moment and feeling comfortable is the most important thing. In my group of friends there's definite trend of dressing down dressed up stuff. So leather mini skirt with trainers and over size t shirt, silk/lace cami/top with loose fitting jeans and trainers.

I think that’s the point, nobody in London is judging you. So if you want to wear skinnies and heels and like that as an outfit that’s fine.

I love going to London and looking at what everyone is wearing and trying to get some inspiration. I live in a home counties town. I went out on Friday, most women were in skinnies and cami tops and heels or dresses and heeled boots. Which look lovely but you wouldn’t see that in an East London bar. There would be more trainers, less skinny jeans!

I went to London last Saturday in the daytime and wore a long sparky Bash skirt, white t-shirt and trainers. Wouldn’t wear that in this town though as it would look more out of place.

@Janus thank you! I like that!

@ MairzyDoats welcome! I am only 5ft4 so it’s longer on me but still above the knee. It’s comfy too! I now think I need a biker jacket to go over it ... anyone?!

Oh I’m going through Pepe website now and they have some lovely print dresses and jumpsuits.
If I were very tall I’d love to wear this jumpsuit
www.pepejeans.com/en_gb/malli-long-jumpsuit-PL230284.html?dwvar_PL230284_color=682&cgid=48#start=15