Help me dress more 'artsy' !

[Legacy]

I've started working in a role which is a lot more creative and artsy than previous jobs I've done and it involves presenting at arts/ literature type events. Everyone I'm working alongside seems much more left-wing creative, hipster, free-flowing, colourful - I'm not sure how to describe it!
I'm in my mid-50s and admittedly have got a bit into a jeans/top/cardigan sort of rut which in my new role is just too dowdy.

I'm fortunate in that I'm a slim size 12 , 5ft 6, and can get away with a lot of styles etc. I can't do heels really though due to some foot issues, so trainers/ flat shoes and boost are best.
Short, fine blonde hair cut in a bob. Not sure I want to colour it anything wacky though!

Help me break free! What should I be looking for? Brands, styles, colours, accessories?
What screams 'creative/artsy' at you?

I'd say work out where your energy is in your body and then emphasise that. Lots of people say scarves. That's no coincidence - throat chakra - self expression. For me right now it's my feet. I wear colourful Asics trainers with everything because I need to do that to do what I do comfortably.

they certainly wouldn’t be drawn in by the expensive brands

Ha! And yet, there’s scarcely an emerging global superstar radical whatever artist left who doesn’t have a Gucci / Balenciaga / Dior collab splashed across every possible medium. ( … )

Thanks!

Yes, I realise that I need to develop my own style, but I guess I just wanted an idea of where I might start looking!

Look up Masai, Sahara, Seasalt, Oska, Privatsachen, Shirin Guild, Eskander, Lost Tribes, East or search for 'lagenlook'. I love the brands mentioned but have to mix them up with high street basics or I look like I'm homeless!

That really isn't true. I've always been very involved/worked in the arts and I don't dress like a happy. That's a massive generalisation.

Like a hippy!

@Legacy it’s possible the word ‘artsy’ has led people down the wrong path … The stereotypical woman in kaftans and mounds of loud colourful accessories isn’t what I recognise from my own creative world, and probably isn’t what you have in mind. T shirts, jeans and cardigans are pretty standard amongst my peers.

Echoing the PP's say

Bugger. Sorry -

Echoing the PP's saying Cos. I have some of their cape/cocoon dresses that make me feel incredible, like a super chic Professor McGonagall. My favourite is the most beautiful raspberry pink silk.

All from Vinted.

Just wear your favourite clothes you feel comfortable very dressed down and add a little flamboyance. That's the basics I can give. Only you know what you like.

I work in a field where I can embrace a more creative side too (and am naturally drawn to it) but I always mix it with basics like black midi skirts or black wash jeans, or generally something plain mixed with more interesting/detailed/printed items. I favour natural materials where possible.

I shop in lots of places and love browsing websites, Instagram and catalogues for inspiration even when I'm not shopping. Have a look at Brora, Seasalt, Gudrun Sjoden, Toast, some brands John Lewis stocks (their own labels?) like Kin and And/Or. I also shop at many places MN loves to hate, like M&S and White Stuff, along with Uniqlo, ASOS etc. Lots of smaller brands too you will discover, especially on Instagram. It's all about knowing what to choose that goes with your style.

I concur. No one I know who works in the arts dresses in the more hippy/ kaftan-type clothes some have linked above. It's much more the Kin/ Cos type thing

Charity shops tend to have unusual things

I think it's really easy to find you've been mentally following a rather tight script for buying clothes, which you internalised a long time ago and haven't questioned. What colours or textures make you just feel a burst of happiness? And are those in your wardrobe? I think when you're trying to find your style again, and you're working with people who will not expect a corporate uniform, you need to try to work out what you've internalised as 'no, too frivolous' or 'no, not work-appropriate' rules.

I don't mean burst out the leopard-print or start dressing like an 80s art teacher who fell into the dressing-up box, just things like thinking about which unusual or bold colours make your really happy - and finding an item of clothing in that colour. Or stopping to take a second look at that advert for a piece of clothing, which made you momentarily think 'wow' before you dismissed it as wrong. It might be you still think it's wrong, but it might be there's something that's drawing you to it, which you could adapt or find in a more suitable form.

Anecdata, but for years I'd inherited my mum's very 'sensible' approach to coats, which was, choose a neutral colour that'll go with everything. So black or brown or blue or beige, or whatever. Dull as dull. Then my PhD supervisor, who was tremendously stylish, said she always wore a show-stopper coat because people remember you. And I love that advice. If you wear a really dramatic coat in a gorgeous colour, ok, occasionally you will need to think whether it clashes with the other things you are wearing, but generally, you will look and feel so much less dull than if you were wearing a regulation, 'safe' colour.

Have some fun with your clothes!!
dottypencilcase has listed the clothes I think are fabulous as well as Cos and Kin.

I saw a young woman today who liked amazing.
She had on culottes, a woollen jumper, oversized boiled wool jacket, large scarf, beautiful boots. ( it was a little chilly here this morning). I was tempted to talk to her to express my admiration but we both had places to be, judging by her walking pace.

Pleas don't get Joe Browns unless it's a tweed waistcoat or jacket. Lots of the clothes are very wacky.

I am sure you look great in what you wear but it sounds as though you want a change.

Have a browse, there are some fabulous clothes out there, second hand and new.

Let us know what you decide on please!

Buy everything from Plumo 😁

I'm sorry but a website linked above showed me an £800+ top. Who in their right mind does art in a top worth more than they've made selling paintings?

Exactly! I said this earlier - I don't know anyone in the arts who floats around in that sort of gear.

What being in the arts/creative world means is more about having the remit to bring your own style to your clothes. Not feel you have to look suited/booted or 'fit in.'

Most of the people I know wear a mix of vintage and regular clothes and nothing outlandish - it's more about finding your personal style, looking a bit 'cool', trainer, jeans, shirts/t-shirts.

There are lots of shops you can go to = but first I'd think about what it means to you, what your style is - I don't own a pair of shoes, for example. I only have trainers and a pair of DMs. I am almost always in black (at least part of me) and wear retro sweatshirts, good quality jeans, vintage coats etc.

She's not a working artist; she's working in an 'artsy' job. I don't think she's flinging paint around!

(God knows I wouldn't buy the £800 top either, but she's not looking for an outfit to paint in.)

Joe Browns, layering, maxi dresses!

Yes - I came here to link the Monty Don thread too!

Not sure if it’s been suggested, but definitely check eBay and Vinted for a few test-run purchases if you don’t have the budget for full-price Margaret Howell or Toast. It’s a great place for lightly used or even BNWT items, and anything that doesn’t suit can be resold on again.

Did you really not understand the OP’s perfectly clear post, or were you just looking for a fight? She has said she will need to dress to be seen in public - and doesn’t want to look dowdy or as if she doesn’t belong in her world.

(Though deliberately dowdy is often wondrously cool!)

Surprisingly, plenty of talented, successful women presenting /representing at conferences and festivals do not dress solely from Tesco. Because that would make a really poor impression amongst their beautifully dressed international peers. (Even I, currently lounging in an indescribably tatty hoodie, try to always have something in my wardrobe for that kind of event. And so do my peers. Everyone knows when to up their sartorial game. It’s part of the fun of the thing!)

Black plus very limited colour palette and an odd patterned item.
Coats are key as are shoes/boots and accessories.
layering works well
make-up/lipstick important

Never wear navy blue or anything striped

Find a personal style.

If in doubt, start off with black, black, and black, topped off with bright lipstick, sharp hair, and statement necklaces/scarves; maybe a chunky boot or loafer too. You also can't go wrong with a very bright silk blouse and good quality wide-leg trousers.

I work in the arts and absolutely vote as well for COS and Kin to start you off. Arket are also good. Take a look at Marrimekko - very expensive but you might find some stuff on eBay or Vinted, and they do good collabs with Uniqlo too. Pleats Please/Issey Miyake is also fiercely expensive, but can give you an idea of colours and draping with plisse material. For all of these, look at the outfits on the websites - not just the individual pieces, but how the whole look is styled and think about if you could wear that. Basically, think Nordic and Japanese aesthetics, though you can go nuts with bright colours or a very bold print. But also bin all the ideas you've had about how women over 30/40/50 should dress - I love how bold my female colleagues are in their clothing.

For inspiration from women in the arts over 50, maybe check out Tilda Swinton's red carpet looks; also the late Zaha Hadid; Frances Morris (director of Tate Modern); Paula Scher (graphic designer); google image search should pull up some decent pictures.

Do you want to look like an inner-city architect, or like a middle-aged Cornwall landscape painter? Because they're two quite distinct looks, and I feel a lot of the advice you're getting is geared to the latter.

For the former: definitely Cos, Kin, Arket, with some Margaret Howell and Toast maybe. Minimalist, striking shapes, well cut, textures.