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 agree. I have been in almost every European capital major tourist city and this really isn't my impression.

98% of people are ordinary- 1% are outstandingly terrible and 1% are outstandingly great.

What I have noticed is that young Japanese and South Korean women in Europe, no matter where they are, are frequently extremely stylish and mix classic and quirky very well.

I have come to the conclusion, after years of reading these posts, is that it isn't that European women are more stylish or effortless, it is that British women loath themselves. Simply put, there's a huge shortage of confidence, grace and self love over here. I don't know why, but MN is like a repository of discontent, self degradation and discontent.
And hey, I am one of you, to a point, but I do have this awareness that when I feel comfortable in myself, when I accept what nature gave me and enjoy playing with that, I feel good. And when I feel good, when I have dignity and self acceptance, I never compare myself to others.

I think we need to work on why we feel so terribly inferior to these women, so rather than concentrate on how many negatives we possess, perhaps consider why we feel like this in the first place, and take it from there.

There's nothing at all wrong with admiring other cultures and how they go about living, dressing, behaving, etc, but our reality is here, now, and personal. Regularly commiserating about how ugly, styleless and unclassy we are as a culture is like rolling in shit and not bothering to wash it off.

There's something deeper here, more than S&B can address. Just a thought.

'some' french women dont get fat and 'some' plainly do, the biggest knickers I have ever seen were on a stall on a french market, honestly, a family of five could have gone camping in them I think most countries have a style that the population gravitate to and I love people watching in big cities, I still believe that the british have got the most adventrious streak though, London is my favourite place in the world to watch 'fashion'.

The Eastern Asian women I see are always dressed exactly the same as British women - lots of athleisure wear.

I'm not sure how saying 99% of Europeans don't look good will help the self-esteem of posters on this thread.

Honestly I think it’s city living. When I used to work in central London people looked a lot more stylish and put together than in my rather rough suburb. Now I live in Essex and the styles are completely different. It’s interesting.

OP, I was also there last week and my outfits were very chic. Maybe you spotted me?! 😉im from Scotland.

I do know what you mean to an extent. When it comes down to it any type of style requires money a lot of the time - I lived in a poorer neighbourhood of a well known European city and most were dressed like any average Brit.

And I do agree with others - the women are usually slimmer so most typed of outfits look good

'the continent of Europe is so wide, mein Herr
not only up and down but side to side, mein herr'
i couldnt ever cross it if i tried, mein herr,
but i do - what i can - inch by inch - mile by mile - man by man'
Sally Bowles in Cabaret.

This is an interesting thread. It also leaves me feeling faintly depressed. I agree with the comments about low self esteem and stereotyping.

So the broad consensus seems to be middle class French Italian and Spanish women (not 'all Europe') look better than Brits - because they are slim and tanned and wear better quality neutrals with no prints, get their hair cut regularly and simple jewellery. And it is because they spend a lot of time and money on appearance. Yes it is a great look when done well - but its not the only great look.

Being fat (how fat? define please), pale, having tatts, being on a lower income, wearing colours and print or being British all mean you cannot be stylish and just look awful apparently?

And people have already pointed out the darker sider of a rigid beauty culture and highly conventional approach to fashion - a preg woman told to watch her weight by doc for beauty not medical reasons, women 'routinely taking laxatives' (!) or woman with lovely curly hair feeling she has to straighten for events. And everyone wearing 'a uniform'. I don't think that's much to aspire to.

I lived in Madrid in the early 2000s and there were plenty of scruffy / poor people, students, punks and alternative stuff around which looked awesome as well. Some of my 20 something students used to laugh at ' pijos' which are middle / upper class sloane types, all that pink t shirts Lacoste, boat shoes and jumper round neck stuff.

Spain is the country that produced Pedro Almodovar and the Madrid La Movida in the 1980s. I wouldn't call either of those neutral understated or tasteful, but I would call them fabulous joyful and stylish.

I absolutely agree and love your take on this.

I didn't say 99% don't look good. I said they look ordinary- most people don't stand out one way or the other.

I find the fawning fetishisation of all European women and the doing down of UK women equally absurd.

The south Asian women I notice are most definitely not in athleisure. I wouldn't even notice them, or anyone else in athleisure.

I'd rather be adventurous and get it wrong than limit myself to the rigid uniforms which apparently, according to some posters on here, are why French and Italian women are, allegedly, so much more stylish.

British women feel this way because people in other countries make them feel this way. I'm french and live in the uk and whenever I go home I have people telling me how badly people in the uk eat and dress. Usually from fat boring dressers. I have always been passionate about the uk and I love British womens diversity. Not just in their style or in terms of ethnicity diversity, but I mean white British women. You have the mousy look which is quite quaint, but also red haired women, freckles, more Mediterranean style, very pale skin, very radiant blonde women. This variety isnt so visible in france I find. They can dress much more boldly than French women and their paranoia. Even when British "look a state" I find that something to celebrate. It means they dont give a fuck. And just as wanting to look your best is a choice, so is not giving a fuck. I think British women should really appreciate what an open society and mindsets they have that doesnt force women to look cute and demure.
Fuck "quality pieces"!

@Froggyeye Yay!!!! love this - thank you
FQPs.

It should be ok to say that eg many Spanish women look good, don’t overdo the makeup or go overboard on “ work” to their faces, without that representing self hatred though? I am seeing a certain style especially in younger women, of super made up, instagram friendly faces which in the light of day look bizarre to this 55 year old. I genuinely don’t see so much of that in France or Spain. Some English women don’t give a fuck, but others still seem to pitch their look to be social media friendly with unfortunate consequences. Others still look super stylish, and yes possibly less ‘ uniform’ than on the continent, when they hit the sweet spot and dress for their own body shape and personality.

Fuck "quality pieces"!

😂

You seem to have the same romanticism of Asian women that the rest of Mumsnet have for continental European women. Only looking at the stylish ones, not even noticing the majority are not stylish.

Not really. I'm sure there are plenty of non stylish South East Asian women in South East Asia. I was referring to South East Asian women here in Scotland. They do stand out.

I've never seen them. Perhaps you're in Morningside or somewhere similar where people have money to look "put together."

Really? It's something even my husband has remarked on. I don't know if they are students or tourists but I suppose either way they are women with money.

I'm not fetishing all South East Asian women, the way posters are with French and Italian women.

This sort of look. See it frequently. I suppose I notice because it's a style I really like.

I'm with you @TheGander

Even when British "look a state" I find that something to celebrate. It means they dont give a fuck. And just as wanting to look your best is a choice, so is not giving a fuck. I think British women should really appreciate what an open society and mindsets they have that doesnt force women to look cute and demure.
Fuck "quality pieces"!

Amen sister!

Stylish in Barcelona?

Didn’t that city give us the worst fashion faux pas ever to cross our paths on the high street - Desigual.

Honestly, I bet many of us can date back our first migraine to the psychedelic vomit that it was.

@LovingTheseAutumnSnippets
Haha in the "posts you're on" section, I could only see your first line "Barcelona?". And as i clicked on the link i was thinking "I'm going to mention desigual". 😂

I agree @TheLassWiADelicateAir. I live in the Peak District and whenever I go to Chatsworth there are always coachloads of interestingly dressed South-East Asian women. I always notice the women, they look great, the SE Asian men are not so notable.

The Japanese buy a lot of new clothes for travelling. Along with beautiful hair and slim figures it's easy to look good. There are many badly dressed people in Japan.

I'm also confused why Europeans are supposedly "better".