So what precisely constitutes Frump?

[linmanuel]

Inspired by the thread about cardigans
I am wondering what makes something frumpy

@Jdhshekr

DD’s teacher is dowdy. Only about 40 but it’s all warty skirts in washed out colours, shapeless tops in Fatface/White Stuff style and baggy, bobbly cardigans. Jesus sandals on feet. The entire look is drab and colourless and droopy.

I don’t think it’s size related. A couple of mums on my school run are skinny but perpetually dressed in slightly too short jeans, fleeces and anoraks which is pretty frumpy.

And the hardest example to explain is DP’s sister who is mid 30s but somehow always gives the impression of dressing like someone twice her age. But that’s not quite what I mean as I know many stylish ladies in their 60s and 70s so the statement is a bit ageist. How to describe it? Lots of shift dresses in over big and bright patterns from places like Roman combined with too heavy eye make up, badly dyed hair in a colour and style that doesn’t suit her. Underneath it all she is an attractive woman but somehow gets it so wrong and the effect is frumpy.

I also think it varies from person to person. On me midi length skirts and dresses are frump central no matter how I style them but they suit lots of my friends and look very stylish on them.

Are we married to the same man because my DPs sister is exactly the same!?

She is mid 30s, has a gorgeous figure even after two kids (she eats like an absolute horse and does zero exercise damn her), beautiful skin and lovely thick dark hair, yet she looks like she’s at least 70. Her classic look is a maternity maxi dress (even though her last DD was born two years ago) with hiking boots. Plus a waterfall cardigan usually in a contrasting and clashing colour. I don’t understand why because her DH is usually dressed quite smartly. She never gets a hair cut because she ‘hates’ going to the hairdresser so she often looks like she’s been through a bush backwards. I wish I could give her a shake sometimes and say, you are gorgeous, I would kill to look like you, stop dressing as though you are old before your time!

Strangely though my MIL (SIL’s mother) is nearing 70 and she is so stylish and trendy, I actually try to emulate her even though I’m only mid 30s.

Frumpy is just an insult used by women who are trying too hard.

FatFace getting a bit of a kicking. Never bought any.
Slightly Off topic but I have had a few successes with Matalan.

Slightly Off topic but I have had a few successes with Matalan.

So have I. I am wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt that I bought from there.

Interesting. I bought a dress from Fat Face a while back and had so many compliments about it all of which mentioned how young it made me look.

Go figure...

I gained a bit of weight over lockdown and bought a pair of light wash straight leg jeans in a size up. They were really nice, fit me well and suited me.

I've now lost most of the weight again - about a stone. I put those jeans on this morning and they look terrible. Baggy round the belly, hips, arse and knees. They just sort of hang there looking ill-fitting and sad.

This ^ is frumpy. There's nothing wrong with the jeans but they don't fit, look sad and just do me no favours.

I'll be keeping them for DIY!