Random observations from shopping centre today

[EmmaH2022]

I have just been to a shopping centre for the first time in about ten years. It was for mum rather than me. I don't really go to shops in person.

For no reason at all, I thought I'd share the morning's observations. I did a lot of observing today, normally I never do it.

1. cashmere - thought this would be the height of luxury but the M&S cashmere jumpers really didn't impress me. Looks like they'd bobble as well. My jumpers are a much cheaper fabric, probably polyester, and look better? I wasn't expecting that.

2. ageless dressing - I appear to have been doing this by accident, except last week I got a leopard print coat online and it seems that younger people don't wear animal print? I vaguely had that in my head when I ordered it. And today I overheard a lady in Zara saying that "only mums wear animal print". I am 46 but not a mum and still jump out of my skin a bit at the idea that I'm not 22 😂

3. slim women with smooth hair look good in pretty much everything. Colours, prints, plains, neutrals. Anything. I guess they just always look nice.

4. the oversized trend is a problem for a lot of short women. I think a lot of us are wearing lightweight coats that we'd like to be about six inches shorter but they aren't many available and that goes back to last year?

I am trying to lose weight but really got to accelerate that. Also, maybe I should get a Meghan Markle type treatment for my hair. I don't want to lose the curl though, just the frizz. But it makes such a difference. My hair doesn't grow as fast as it used to so it might be worth doing, as I won't have so much of a problem with frizzy regrowth.

here end my random observations.

WeBuilt no, I meant, it's ridiculous they need to be shortened. Before the oversize trend, it would be easy enough to buy a jacket that wasn't flapping round your calves. I've noticed that smaller sizes often have the same length from neck to hem as well. So the fashion is just "wear something far too long".

Yeah instagram sorry!
and OP I have curly frizzy hair and my curls are fine with it (I appreciate everyone’s hair is different). You have to straighten it when applying the treatment but then that’s it, it reduces my friz a lot. 😊

Yeah, I'm short and the oversized trend is no use for me. In fact the big tent dress thing doesn't work on quite a lot of people, it does depend a lot on where the 'tiers' of the dress fall (if one starts on the widest part of bust it's particularly unflattering)

I'm loving trousers often bring cropped as I don't have to adjust them and they fall full length on me. But I understand it's annoying for average/tall women who don't want cold ankles!

I think animal print probably is associated with older women now, but I don't care (45 next month)

I've noticed a lot of winter boots in shops are either mid-calf or thigh length, both of which in think are harder to wear than knew height ones.

Thank you
I might try that, with a money back guarantee, it might be worth a go.

I wash just walking past the mirror in the bathroom and thinking it's a shame we can't embrace the frizz . It's a perpetual on S&B. I have wonderful frizzy hair which is thin at the front. You can stare down a frizzy tunnel when looking at me.

My mum actually quite likes frizz.

I remember when people in dept stores used to come at you, wanting to straighten curly hair! They were shocked when I said "I like my curls".

The oversized trend is awful, makes me look much bigger. Just about everything needs to go for alterations to give me back some kind of waistline.

Agree about the oversized trend, it’s ridiculous. Someone on here recommended Lydia Tomlinson’s Instagram for style inspiration the other day, I looked her up and most of what she wears makes her looks like a kid dressing up in her dad’s clothes. I don’t get it.

Not so sure that slim with smooth (frizz less or straight?) look good in everything. I see many with terrible make up or heavy tan. Slim makes dressing easier for sure and good hair is an asset.
I think lockdown changed how people dress. Some really give zero fucks if it looks fattening all about comfort.

Last time I went to a shopping centre I noticed how drab most people were and also heels are back never mind how many people on here who says they aren't.

I'm under 5 foot and have a few oversized dresses from Singapore, but, they're a different shape to the ones you buy here. I also find an oversized jumper works as a good jumper dress on me. But otherwise, the trend is crap for me.

I don't know whether shape has something to do with it too. I am only half a stone heavier than in my twenties but my legs look far stumpier in my 40s because my thighs have spread. I just look softer and more 'mumsy'. Horrid word, as I am a mum.

I really like combat trousers but the ones they wear now are different from the 90s. Much prefer the older style but can't them.

I love the oversized trend. I'm 55 and 5 ft 8 and fairly broad shouldered. Previously I could never buy a shirt to fit me. If the body fitted it was tight around the armpits and shoulders and the sleeves were always too short and often tight. Now with the looser girlfriend fit finally I can buy shirts that fit.
The same with blazers and coats. I feel the cold and the oversized coats and blazers are great for layering. I can get an oversized blazer on over a long sleeved shirt or even a jumper. That was never doable with a fitted one. They always felt too tight around the shoulders and the sleeves were often too narrow to wear long sleeves underneath.
And when it gets really cold an oversized coat will fit over a blazer without feeling like the Michelin Man around the shoulders.
I absolutely love Lydia Tomlinson's style. I think she is just so stylish.
Ultimately I guess different people like different things and a lot of that is down to body shape. I'm just lucky at the moment that the sort of stuff I like and that actually fits is around in the shops.

I've spent years cursing that the only jeans in the shops were skinny or possibly straight for example. I'm loving the fact that you can finally buy wide legs and flares.

I love an oversize blazer too and I'm 5'3 with narrow shoulders. Fitted tailoring very rarely fits me properly, so I'm enjoying not having to worry about it or bother with alterations. I have a couple of XS men's suit jackets with lots of inside pockets which are well made, feel great to wear and also mean I can go out without taking a bag.

I agree with the op about high street cashmere though - I think most of it's shite and I've read some disturbing reports of environmental damage (due to overgrazing) and sneaky mixes with rabbit or rat fur. It used to be a luxury product and there's an argument that maybe it should have stayed that way.

The thing is nowadays most clothing retailers focus their collections based around social media trends, so unless you have a constant finger on the pulse of what’s ‘in’ now then it’s tricky to buy for other styles and morphologies that aren’t on trend. Social media has made fashion ever more tribal than before, individuality is tricky when everyone else seemingly wants to look the same as each other.

Glad to know oversize works for someone!

Right, so....tomorrow's appointment with the hairdresser I know is gone - I'm not well. She is semi retired and was only doing my hair as we know each other from school so I think she was relieved I was cancelling!

All I am looking for is a square layer cut from the top of the crown but most salons, including a couple of branded ones who know the term, just stutter "oh...oh...yeah...we can do that" and then do something else.

I am in North London so if I can get one correct cut for others to follow, that would be something. Any recommendations?

One salon practically told me off for wanting a consultation and it's all so pricey.

Maybe I should cut my own hair again, do a home keratin and see if that helps.

I should maybe add, when I make an effort with my hair, people ask me where
I get my hair cut!

I meant to comment on this before but forgot - I think lots of people misunderstand oversized to be shapeless. That's not it - oversized is meant to be just more flowy and, well, roomy. Doesn't mean there's just a lot of fabric flying about - you are still meant to nip it in. Like an oversized dress, use a belt to create a waist, or a boxy-fit tee should still sit nicely on your shoulders etc. As a non-British person I often do see women in UK wearing clothes that are too small with buttons gaping open, and particularly fitted jersey tops which cling to each lump and bump, especially around the bra. A french tuck on a slightly longer shirt is a better look than a shirt that's short and needs to be pulled down (I see this, and the clingy jersey tops a lot in our shopping centre). I think maybe people focus too much on the numeric sizing rather than what fits? I feel like there's a particular pride amongst my friends in squeezing into a size ten when really you should be sizing up. Dunno, just my observation. But oversized does often mean you need to style the items better. I'm generally a size 16 I feel like it works better for me than fitted shapes, which expose every flabby bit.

As well as height and weight I think skin colour makes a big difference. I'm in the 'milk bottle white with freckles' camp and never tan, and always feel I never look as polished as those with either a tan or a considerably darker than me natural skin tone. They seem to be able to wear any colour and it looks great, whereas I'm much more limited.

How can you nip in sleeves that are five foot long. I can't stand oversized things.

As a 25 year old slim woman with straight hair, nothing looks good on me. I have no tits so anything low cut will actually expose my whole bra,, my arms are too skinny and look ridiculous in any ‘mid-sleeve’ top, and I have a bump around my waist that has never gone away after having ds, despite being lighter than I was before having him. We all have our challenges 😂

Oversized trend: I'm a size 16-18, 5'9" and I feel it makes me look like a whale.

I can see how it would be awkward looking on shorter people too.

Unless you're tall and willowy then it's really unflattering.

hair straightening products are associated with an increase in uterine cancer risk

Absolute statistical NONSENSE. Statistical association between those two things because (a) only women get uterine cancer and (b) its almost universally women who use hair straightening products. It's like saying there's an association between tampon use and uterine cancer.

I'm a lanky git and the oversized trend looks terrible on me too. Makes me look like I'm off to either surgery or a coffin!

I'm a size 6. The oversize thing is killing me. I do like an oversize jumper, to be fair, but it really requires a skinny jean for me to pull that off. And skinnies are starting to feel dated now. I'm still doing them purely as a foil for the big jumpers, but frustrated with the oversize silhouette in general. And it's all so boxy too. Jackets and coats have been particularly difficult for a few seasons now.