What should I buy now to make me look a bit more modern?

[WoodSageandSeasalt]

I’m in a bit of a rut style-wise and with Spring hopefully approaching and lots of new clothes in the shops I feel like I need a bit of a makeover.

I mainly wear jeans or coated jeggings with sweatshirts or jumpers and trainers or boots. My style is casual, maybe with a slight edge - I really like the Mint Velvet relaxed glamour type look.

I’m 5’2 and curvy, boobs and bum and currently too much tummy. I haven’t got loads to spend so ideas of budget friendly places to try would be great - not asking much!

Oddly enough Vohgue, I wasn’t meaning to be rude about other peoples dressing! I do think MV clothes are a bit safe and inoffensive, but people never look wrong in them. That’s what I notice. Whereas I, in my random bits and pieces from everywhere, often do.

None of the guffawing speed-readers here noticed that I mentioned & Other Stories and Zara as places to look for inspiration online. I hardly ever shop in physical shops now (apart from TK Maxx) but the skirt I bought for £5 in a Zara sale just before lockdown is one of my favourite things - and always attracts compliments.

It’s a little alarming though, that people can react with such vituperative horror to mention of designer brands on a Style & Beauty thread …

I think one way to look ‘more modern’ is to look at the shapes and silhouettes you’re wearing.

That was the point of my first post. Look at places that are continuously embracing the new. Take inspiration from them.

(I’m clearly rubbish at articulating thoughts this morning.)

OP. A very modern look at the moment is slightly wider trousers or jeans cut at the ankle.

Wear this with trainers and bulky ankle boots

With a simple T-shirt or shirt this will instantly look modern.

I should add that M&S have several versions of this look. It’s a difficult look to get used to after so long in skinnies but I think it’s flattering

If I was you, I'd play with layering stuff. Jeans and boots (for the coming weather, anyway!) with a long flowing blouse (H&M are usually a good place for these for not much money) and a cropped bike jacket or denim jacket.

If in doubt, I go to H&M as they seem consistently to have the most interesting designers when you're on a tight budget. & Other Stories and Zara especially in the sales have some good stuff.
Avoid Cos because it is designed for 6 foot rakes not 5 ft 2 peach shapes.

I know you have asked specifically about clothes OP, but I think a big factor in looking "modern" or up-to-date is hair and make-up.

For example (and I say this gently/with love), one of my work colleagues has a bit of an 80s hairdo, is a fan of serious cheekbone blusher and the 90s/early 2000s eyebrow shape. I suspect that this is because she's stuck in a bit of a rut or this is when she was in her 'prime' (or she just loves the look). Either way, it can be a bit aging.

What I'm trying to say is that having a new/timeless haircut and making sure your make-up is fairly up-to-date can help make your entire look fresher.

&Other Stories, Zara, H&M, ASOS Design and also Arket for inspiration. Mango can be good too. However, if it doesn't suit you or you think it looks silly then send it back...

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/05/fast-forever-fashion-trend-new-clothes-sustainable

If you wear glasses, I would add them to BermudaTriangle's list. I've always found that, if my specs look modern, people assume I am too. And, seeing we're in plain speaking mode, I'd forget all that business about finding frames that suit you. New frames always look weird. Always. When I first get them back with the lenses fitted I think I've ruined my life. After a week I'm getting used to them and by week 3 I can't understand why I ever wore anything else.

Although so many of them really annoy me, it may be worth finding someone on instagram whose style you like and see what they are wearing.

Other people may be able to suggest suitable bloggers/influencers/whatever they are called these days .

Although she is a different shape from me, I follow @thesilverkat on insta for very much this reason.

The thing with vinted and ebay is it's ok if you know the make, it's sizing and it's fit but if not you end up with things that you don't like or don't fit and either have to re-sell or give away.
I'm your build OP and a bit shorter and like Uniqlo , Run & Fly dungarees ( make me look taller and slimmer), fat Face flare jeans + they do short lengths online but are often out of stock).
Lots of oversized shirts, chunky boots and trainers, crossbody bag with interchangeable straps from Oliver Bonas, a few bits of gold jewellery. The trend seems to be lots of layered gold missoma style necklaces but I think unless it's a look you have always liked that will go out soon. I watch a youtuber called karenbritchick. She has a series called what everyone is wearing in New York and there are so many people on that who look unique and it gives me lots of ideas about ways to style things and mixing vintage and new items in different ways. I like high waisted jeans and trousers as they hold in any muffin top and are lengthening.

@CountryCousin

And I said inspiration.

You look at the original ideas and how they’re executed.

Then you look out for those new ideas in the shops that suit your budget.

Or get sharp elbowed and search for pre-worn or sale items that are more original or exciting or better quality than your everyday High St purchases.

I’ve been getting dressed for a quite staggering number of years! I honestly do know what I’m talking about. It’s quite hard to look fabulous if you only stick to the safest sources. There are plenty of ways to replicate a more extravagant way of dressing.

OK, Edina 😂

I’d like to ask you all a question about “looking modern” and I may not be able to articulate it all that well… do you ever see people WEARING MODERN PIECES and the chief impression you get is that they are trying to look contemporary. Sometimes I get the vibe “I’ve updated my look!” Rather than “I love what I’m wearing, this is my thing”…if you don’t actually “inhabit” the vibe you’re wearing…..what’s the point? I totally get it’s rubbish feeling out of date. But don’t we to be up to date with ourselves, rather than up to date with fashion? Ok I probably just sound wanky.

OP, John Lewis do a free online personal shopping where they ask you lots of questions re height, weight, build etc then lots on likes/ dislikes personal style. You then get an email with a personal shopping edit every month. I just completed it as a bit of a laugh but have been surprised how many of the suggestions I like, and things I like that I would never have found myself, brands I'd not worn before etc. Just for everyday clothes, nothing 'out there' but it's free and worth a try if you are stuck for ideas.

Agree that you often just need one on trend item like a coat or pair of trousers to update your wardrobe and then pair with classic items. Maybe get some issues of vogue/elle and look through for inspiration as the ideas from the catwalks filter down to the high St.Also have a search for fashion bloggers that have the sort of style you are looking for.

None of the guffawing speed-readers here noticed that I mentioned & Other Stories and Zara as places to look for inspiration online.
I thought you were saying that Zara and Other Stories looked good on the websites but were poor quality. Why would the OP want clothes based on that recommended!

@CountryCousin

I think one way to look ‘more modern’ is to look at the shapes and silhouettes you’re wearing.

That was the point of my first post. Look at places that are continuously embracing the new. Take inspiration from them.

(I’m clearly rubbish at articulating thoughts this morning.)

Don't worry, I know what you meant! 😉

@KalaniM

I’d like to ask you all a question about “looking modern” and I may not be able to articulate it all that well… do you ever see people WEARING MODERN PIECES and the chief impression you get is that they are trying to look contemporary. Sometimes I get the vibe “I’ve updated my look!” Rather than “I love what I’m wearing, this is my thing”…if you don’t actually “inhabit” the vibe you’re wearing…..what’s the point? I totally get it’s rubbish feeling out of date. But don’t we to be up to date with ourselves, rather than up to date with fashion? Ok I probably just sound wanky.

Do you mean, do I ever get it wrong and end up in an outfit that's 'wearing me' instead of the other way round? Yes, loads of times! But that's how I learn. Obviously I try not to be wasteful for the sake of it, but I also like to experiment and, if I'm testing out something new, I don't expect to get it right first time. I don't think mistakes are the end of the world

There is a young woman on Tik tok who makes videos of herself styling the clothes high end designers send her. She has an infectious personality, is tall, stunning, slim,tanned, rich .......She wears a lot of Gucci. She works in fashion, hangs out at New York fashion week etc. The clothes are sadly awful generally and I cannot see most of us normal women, with normal lives walking down a normal street dressed like that. I don't know whether the are modern or not, they just look odd. She also rarely seems to wear a bra. That would not work for a woman with bosoms that Op has said she has. Never mind the budget. She had an amazing evening outfit on the other day....combined cost £24,000.

I'm a normal woman with a normal life, a doctor, with boobs and I wear Gucci both modern and vintage. You just need to know how to style the pieces.

Have a look on the Wolf and Badger website.
Some of the items are pricey, but there's a lot of different style ideas and things that are a bit different.
As pp have said, I'd recommend Arket and Cos for some basics, Sigrids if you like colour!

I always get comments on how nicely I dress and I'm sure I'm more other woman but the vast majority of my clothes are second hand.

I sound a bit like you - I actually think your style sounds nice. What I find useful when I need some guidance is to buy a couple of magazines - like Red etc - and look at what I fancy and then hit Vinted.

I find buying good quality second hand is much better than cheap new. There are some gems in places like Primark but generally the clothes look shabby quite quickly.

I search for brands like Reiss, Whistles, Cos etc and materials like cashmere and silk.

Hi OP,
I'm flat broke and have also been trying to get myself out of a style rut. I got myself a very cheap sewing machine for Christmas and I can honestly say it's the best investment I've ever made. I didn't even know what my own style was anymore, never mind how to update it, so I went on Pinterest and started creating boards pinning down all the looks I liked. This not only consolidated my style, but also updated my look as I was pinning current trends for inspiration. I'm now upcycling loads of my old clothes to update them or make them fit better - adding trimming, adjusting the fit, making low rise or skinny jeans into wide legged/skirts/flares/two tone/high waist etc - and all it takes is the initial investment of a sewing machine. I also have a heap of items that I bought from the charity shop £1 box that I am reworking and honestly, these pieces now reflect my personality, are on trend, fit me better than anything off the rail and aren't bland and dull like a lot of the cheaper end of high street fashion is (which is all I can afford). I had minimal sewing skills initially, but all sorts of tutorials on sewing and upcycling are widely available on the internet. Of course, it all depends how much this would interest you and if you have time, but for me it has really made me feel so much better that I can now afford to dress myself how I want and to not be stuck in drab, cheap, ill-fitting polyester. I l also have the opposite problem to you in that I am a little taller than average, so skirts and trousers were often too short, so now I can adjust everything easily, and that perhaps makes the biggest difference of all, the fit.

Would you narrow this down a little please. I don't get a sense of your age nor where you want to wear or display this new style.
For a change you could do any skirt or even -prepare yourself for revolution! - a dress!
Sheer tights not opaque and cardi or shawl for the breezy times.
You will change the way you walk and sit. Ideal for a "new you" for Spring and the new freedoms of 2022.
There are lots of colourful stuff to give ideas in Joe something catalogue that Grand daughter gets.

Agree with previous posters: silhouette; key items.

I especially agree with the poster who mentioned wide trousers, cut at the ankle. If there's one thing that will drag you into 2022, that's it.

The transition to this will probably lead to changing the other proportions of your clothing. Looser jackets, with pockets lower down, too.

Don't know why everyone piled on countrycousin. OP did ask about a modern look; how is it meaningful to recommend her M&S and Sainsbury's clothes, what, she never heard of these shops before???

I agree the countrycousin. The only way is to look at interesting (and probably expensive) clothes, educate your eye and then find what you want - maybe similar looking, maybe slightly different, elsewhere, for your budget.

Marking. Anyone care to link a budget wide legged trouser and blouse combi? Not Gucci:)

For cheap, I reckon Google Monki and H and M 'ankle-grazer jeans'. (Though, as always, H and M comes with a warning that they are linked to Uighur forced labour).

Hush are doing a version, which is a sign it's gone mainstream. www.hush-uk.com/rey-barrel-jeans-washed-black/004601-2826.html

But ... they are elasticated at the waist!!!!

Then, after doing some googling, I'd probably go to M and S, try on some jeans, buy a pair that suits and has the wider, higher waisted shape, and get the scissors out.

The frayed hem is, I think, quite nice. The Boden (for example) versions of this look are a bit 'neat', and what you're looking for is almost an 80s boxiness, refracted through the lens of 90s grunge and the pandemic relaxed dressing/anti-capitalist (second-hand) clothing vibe.