Gorgeous European women and effortless style

[Bobobobbins]

Just returned from Barcelona and my god did I feel like the dowdy Brit abroad despite being generally considered fairly well put-together here in the UK 😂

What is it about European women? Everywhere I went I saw hoards of striking local women of all ages wandering around effortlessly dressed in simple tailored trousers and tank tops. Barely any makeup, just a great tan and some silver jewellery. Hair was never particularly coiffed or styled, but I notice it's always quite nicely coloured with a simple cut and then left to dry into a natural wave.

Am I looking at this through rose tinted holiday glasses? If I saw the same women on the tube in rainy London, would they look less chic? I struggle to think so!

What's their secret?

I think part of it is that they're obviously used to the climate so they don't get all sweaty and frizzy looking.

In general they tend to be slimmer too.

It’s partly that they are different to the style you are used to seeing so look more interesting, and it’s partly that they are slimmer on average. Also you are likely more in central areas where people make more on an effort or are having a day out.

Being slim and tanned. Brits also have rubbish hair on the whole - mousy and fine/wavy. It lends itself to natural style much less than long, shiny thick dark hair.

French here living in London. I think your comparison is not quite up to mark. Once you get out of central areas and rich towns, people are as badly dressed as anywhere. However I agree with the weather being a contributor to this. As for slimness, yes, but again, yes, generally clothes look better on slimmer people anywhere. If you go to rich areas in central London, you would see well dressed slim people too.

The only thing I can say is that the French buy more expensive items, but guard them with their lives rather than buying many cheaper things.

I also believe that the French has done a huge amount of marketing around "the French way of of life" and how we "do it better". A lot of people buy into it because it is said so many times.

I might be in the minority, but I like British style and designers, VW, McQueen, etc

A tan hides a multitude of sins. Also, being used to hot and humid weather.

Signed - a pale person who turns into a sweaty mess in summer.

Unless they are very, very slim they will always be covered up I.E. No spaghetti strap vests and short shorts. Also, as pp's said, a tan and thick dark hair helps.

The Europeans are taller and slimmer than most Brits. I’m sure that helps. To me though - and this is just my opinion - the Brits have naturally better complexions.

I’ve just got back from France, Italy and Switzerland and I have been mulling this over myself. They tend to wear dresses a lot more whilst we seem to seek comfort in M&S T-shirts and unflattering shorts. And sadly weight is definitely part of it, those floaty dresses hang better. Our dietary and lifestyle habits are so completely different, they are outdoors a lot more, it is hard to be motivated when it rains 350 days a year 🥴. We’ve adapted to our soggy weather.

But it's not "effortless", is it? It may look understated but I bet a hell of a lot of effort goes into it.

The Europeans are taller and slimmer than most Brits.

Brits are also Europeans. 🙄And the Spanish aren't known for being tall.

I was on holiday in Italy a few months back, not in a touristy place and people were less "polished" than op would suggest. Never scruffy, but I saw a fair share of leggings and t-shirt outfits!
Also echo @Plexie it may seem effortless but I bet it isn't!

I was thinking exactly the same thing in France. The women are just so bloody gorgeous. It's partly about being slim and tanned but it's not just that. It's a style and a way of carrying themselves. I wish I was a gorgeous, chic French woman!

I think it's partly that they're all tanned, and we're conditioned to think that tanned = attractive.
Also when abroad we generally go to touristy areas, cosmopolitan cities etc, where people generally dress better. And we're looking at it all through the eyes of a happy person on holiday!

I don think that’s true. Some Europeans are taller -eg, Scandinavians and Germans -but many are shorter -eg, Italians and Spanish.

Visiting a capital city - ok, Barca isn’t actually - and the centre of that city, you’re bound to see wealthier people. U.K. also does more fast fashion, which dates and can look very cheap.

Am I looking at this through rose tinted holiday glasses?

Probably. I've never understood the borderline fetishization of French/Continental European women on Mumsnet.

I'm in the med right now, it's because they live here. I want to ask the female hotel staff what shampoo they're using because this water is matting my hair despite a ton of conditioner! Even my teen with very short hair says his hair feels awful!
I've no idea how they wear anything. It's 34c and I just want to be naked under the aircon

Nor me. I don't like Barcelona. I thought it was a rather grubby tourist trap. I'm also a bit sceptical , given Barcelona is such a tourist destination, that these were locals.

To be honest, I can't think of any of the many, many European cities I've been in of particularly noticing any great difference- all have the odd person who looks fabulous and the rest are much of a muchness.

The only particular things I have noticed are (a) almost everyone in the Royal Opera House bars looks stylish and expensively dressed and (b) young women in Copenhagen and Amsterdam looking fabulously stylish wearing dresses when cycling.

Agree with @Plexie . I think an absolute fuckton of effort goes into it, and even more effort goes into looking like they haven't tried.

Also they're more accustomed to dressing for the hot weather - brits don't get as much practice or as much of a chance to acclimate to boiling hot temperatures.

simple tailored trousers

I wouldn't go skating in tailored trousers.
Relevant because I recently went to Barcelona to go skating. Oh, and kayaking.

What struck me was the butt cheeks hanging out thong-style bikinis. At kayaking and as for the nudist beach... Teen DS found himself trying to avert eyes quite a bit.

I can't recall a single aspect about how anyone else dressed. I suppose other skaters/kayakers were partial to surfer styles. What you think of how other cultures dress depends on what you do with your time, I guess. I don't see effortless style in on-display butt cheeks.

I go the the ROH a lot. While some may be expensively dressed, lots aren’t. I go straight from work and am in office wear. People wear jeans.

There is so much more vanity. They REALLY care about it.

I live in Polynesia. Women here dont care a jot about vanities and they are gorgeous! They are curvy, happy, not polished in the least. Natural beauty.

Yes, I was thinking more of Northern Europeans. You’re right about Spanish people being smaller.

I was in Paris last week and felt that the women looked more natural and elegant than I'm used to seeing in my home city. Make up and hair looked natural, no obvious lip fillers or caked-on fake tan or talon nails. They were covered up and didn't seem to need to have maximum amounts of naked flesh on show.

I go quite a lot too. I enjoy looking at what people are wearing. I'd say jeans are very much a minority, although I probably would edit out anyone in jeans

I bet if you hung out in the nice areas of London, or Edinburgh, or wherever you’d find there were lots of nicely dressed attractive people. When I go on holiday especially on a city break, I spend a lot of time in the areas with good shops, bars, restaurants etc. So the locals that are there tend to be out for drinks and maybe the more affluent crowd too. When you’re out exploring a city all day you might end up at dinner wearing your daytime outfit trainers, whereas a local woman might have come from home and be dressed up for the evening.

I do think fast fashion is more of a thing in the UK than many other countries and the clothes generally are crap here so I think there is that difference. And yeah women in their home town have access to all the stuff you don’t have on holiday (I’ve definitely been away and realised I can’t access an iron, or I’ve not been able to take the make up or toiletries I’d usually use due to cabin bag restrictions or whatever). And they have adjusted to the weather etc - they know how to manage their hair in the heat or to dress for it etc.