Well, what SHOULD we be wearing?!

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

Just caught the "What Looks Frumpy Dated" thread and it is so broad, perhaps someone can tell me, coming up 42, what in hell I should be wearing!

@SBAM can I join the secret club too ?
I try some tops on and turn sideways to look and all I see is a pyramid with legs 🤣

Interesting thought, but does that mean everyone is destined to retire in whatever the fashion is of their late 20's/early 30's? For those who were teens during the skinny jeans/floaty top era, will they be too 'try hard' if they wear those when they come back around?

I never gave up baggy jeans, they have been very hard to find some years but I just don't like skinny fit jeans/trousers or 'ankle grazers'/shorter length leg cuts. I have had a few odd moments when I come face to face with a young person who looks like I used to, but now I'm older my baggy jeans etc are much more demure and I think the style can be shudder age appropriate.

I walk down the street and think how absolutely bloody AWFUL the young people look at the moment. Properly ugly fashions at the moment, sloppy, clumpy shapeless urgh. Far worse than other recent years

Actually I was just thinking the opposite today - I love how the girls are walking around in baggy jeans and sweatshirts and sturdy footwear and crop tops and giant shirts. Five or ten years ago it was all very slinky and revealing and high maintenance, but that would look very outdated around here now.

I think the current fashion (mom jeans and crop or boxy top with clumpy shoes) only works on young trim women, older women just look silly in it.
So we have to just wear nice stuff and get on with it. I wear straight jeans, a top (hush or similar) and hotter shoes & am nice n comfy.

Hotter shoes rock

Don't like the boxy fashion on me.

I guess it depends on your view of fashion? I love clothes, putting together outfits, trends etc. I don't want to wear leggings & a crop top with long white ruched socks despite that being very fashionable. Doesn't mean I'm not fashionable though.

Actually I was just thinking the opposite today - I love how the girls are walking around in baggy jeans and sweatshirts and sturdy footwear and crop tops and giant shirts.

Same. It looks great and the nostalgia for when we wore similar.

I never gave up my sweats & hoodies though

Yes OP, if you don’t already know what’s fashionable, you are not allowed to ask for advice but you are allowed to be roundly patronised for doing so. So you can feel lacking in style and confidence 🙄

I’m just going to stick with the stuff on the frumpy thread.

I'm sorry, but I really don't consider the opinion of the general populace on Mumsnet when I'm deciding what to wear in the morning.

If the S&B board is anything to go by the predominant taste seems to be for sacks dresses from Toast and dungarees from places like Lucy&Yak that make you resemble a CBeebies presenter.

I know I'm stylish because I am often told so and I am confident in the way I dress and know what suits me. I won't be stopping wearing my favourite cardigan (a beautiful &OtherStories one) any time soon just because some clueless posters on here decree they are over!

See, I actually have all of these things (apart from a bonnet, and I don't know what the lace thing is  and my velvet cape is actually a long coat with sleeves but fastens at the top like a cape). I love elbow length gloves especially with bracelet length or 3/4 length sleeves coats/jackets. My dresses are mostly A line as some empire lines make me look pregnant with triplets but I do have satin sashes I wear as belts (also with dungarees). Admittedly I wouldn't wear a corset on it's own as a top these days  and I wear petticoats under skirts, but I do genuinely think you are right about fashion being cyclical - a lot of my A line dresses are from the 90s when the 90s were copying the 60s. My DCs are actually wearing a lot of my 90s stuff these days.

I absolutely love reading about and looking at fashion as I find it really interesting. I'm as feminist as fuck but it's an interesting subject on its own. I don't "follow" fashion as such as lots of it doesn't suit me, especially at the moment with the flouncy frilly huge dresses. (If I'm going to wear a frill I like it at neckline of blouses or at the wrists) but I like seeing trends and things gradually coming in and out and back again etc. I love buying clothes for my DC, and I love shopping with them.

I think if people dress to their shape and style, you will always look stylish if not fashionable - but accessories etc can be updated to be more "in trend" and keeping up with fashion. My DCs are currently obsessed with my baguette bags from the 90s as apparently they're "in" (plus they are great to wear in a club as they aren't bulky tucked under arms and they can't get nicked so easily).

I love looking at jumpsuits and flouncy dresses even if I wouldn't wear them myself and Style and Beauty is under my Favourite Topics, under Feminism sex and gender. I love it when women dress for style rather than fashion, but I think someone more articulate will explain what I'm trying to say, a lot better than I can!

I absolutely agree that confidence is key, and it's what we should be encouraging in each other! (You are wrong about the dungarees though and I love to see women wearing them and Not Giving A Fuck).

Not Giving A Fuck should always be in fashion

I'm firmly in the Not Giving A Fuck camp too!
I try to dress to for my shape more or less, get what I need if I need it in sainsbury or M&S, because it is vaguely on trend for women my age (50s) I wear things to death and aim to stick to the project 333 (basically the same 33 items for 3 months at a time -saves me thinking!!)

I also hate the way young people look at the moment, it’s a shame they’re living through such a crap fashion moment. I read that other thread and nearly commented that the things they listed might be “out” but they weren’t half as embarrassing to look back on as the massive hideous frilly floral frocks in this summer. People are going to look back and CRINGE in a year or two.

OP I’m 55 so my opinion is probably irrelevant, but I’m looking at how women in Paris dress at the moment as I’m going there later this summer - good quality jeans and a linen blazer and a nice top and flag shoes. Stick to white, black, grey, neutrals. Think that’s more me tbh!

• flat shoes

The problem is, current fashion of massive dresses makes all but the very young look frumpy

No, they look frumpy too, unless we mean under 10s. They are the only people who should be wearing those things. In my view anything looks good next to those eye sores.

I can’t get over how old-lady and simultaneously 90’s current fashion looks. I wouldn’t pay money for any of it!! I think it’s because I remember flowery dresses when old ladies wore them, and culottes, clumpy shoes and mom jeans from the 90s!

I quite like the baggy high waisted jeans and bralette on my 17 year old niece, but I’m not going to wear it. I’m short and look like a Mr Man in clumpy shoes, so I’m finding my own style. I’m going for classic Audrey Hepburn when out and gradually changing my tunic dresses and leggings/pyjamas for leggings with pockets and hoodies at home. No one knows whether I’ve just got back from a run or up from a nap! Ha!

I’m convinced you could just parachute AH into 2022 and she wouldn’t look dated or out of place. Maybe a smidge vintage, but not much and not always (except for the suits and coats. They do look old lady, and remind me of the queen!). I suspect Kate will be similar, but I’m not wearing those heels for anyone. (I like that AH didn’t wear heels much. Ballet flats for the win!. And yes, size Zero).

I mean, you could turn up at the office or a fancy do in any of these tomorrow, and no one would bat an eyelid. (I know they’re not all her , but I think it’s a fair representation of style. I haven’t seen the dress and boots one before, I like that a lot!)

Baggy botts and boxy tops look awful on anyone who has an hourglass shape as well . Even if you are slim ( which I am not)

Short square boxy, thick knit sweater cardigans or any sort of boxy top looksabsolutely terrible on me so I am sticking to my fitted fine knit sweaters and cardigans thanks . I may look frumpy but I can live with that. I absolutely can't live with what I look like in the tops that are fashionable now

I am late forties. I am enjoying jumpsuits and culottes amd hight waisted loose trousers with ordinary plain t shirts. I was lucky to receive a lot of cashmere cardis at a clothes swap. Black/gum Nike Air force ones on my feet My navy blue M and S parka feels very middle aged but I love it. This feels very outing.

I especially love the people that like to proclaim how the last place you’d look for trend advice is MN S&B anyway. It’s so patronizing and superior. I don’t think the people asking here are looking for cutting edge, just asking, presumably, other mums.

I don’t think the people asking here are looking for cutting edge,

So you agree with me then?

I'm sure the long dresses were nicer in the 90s and more bias cut, 1930s look

Tbh I was mainly pregnant on and off so it was what I had maternity wise etc

I dunno OP but having rewatched The White Queen, I think it should be dresses like this … (am seriously considering getting dresses like this made)