You’re going to the Ivy Brasserie…. What do you wear?

[Poppyblush]

You’re going to the Ivy Brasserie with friends for lunch. What do you wear? I need inspiration to buy a new outfit! I’m tall and a size 14.

When we went to the one at Tower Bridge people were definitely dressed more smart casual than casual - women in dresses, men in shirts. Cocktail bar was beautiful, and the food was actually nice. Was pre theatre so early evening.
Hope you have fun, I think I wore a dress and boots.

It's women like you who give S&B a bad name. Just vile.

I wonder what it is about The Ivy that never fails to attract the sneeriness? Is it because the original one was (still is?) very exclusive and now they've let the riff-raff in?

The sneeriness on here is comical at times. Mumsnet has always been batshit but it's way worse since the pandemic.

Love the comparisons to Pizza Express 😂 it's a really bitchy kind of person that suggests that. It's not posh, but the decor is lovely, the service is excellent, the food is really nice. It's hardly like popping into spoons for a cheap tea and a pint ffs. Heaven forbid that people actually enjoy an occasion to make an effort and look nice.

I remember a programme years ago where Joan Collins helped with makeovers for a woman and her daughter, she was saying how no one makes an effort and everyone looks like slobs these days, I'm inclined to agree with her 😂

It was like when I worked in the city and the firm would lay on lovely big events and the support staff staff would dress up beautifully and the lawyers went in their suits and eye rolled. The year before I left a friend and I really dressed up too - far more fun!

It’s nothing like Pizza Express and I agree that some people are just so bitchy.
I’ve been to several and always wore a nice dress and boots or smart jeans and a lovely top.
It’s fun to dress up a bit isn’t it?

The last time I went to the proper Ivy, we had a crap night. It’s not what it used to be. Poor service, mediocre food.

On the other hand, we go to the York branch quite often, and always have a lovely time, and people usually get dressed up.

I don't often post on Style and Beauty but what the hell is "bitchy" about saying that going to The Ivy Brasserie for lunch is not imvho the sort of event you need to go to town on your outfit for?

I think you accusing me of giving Style & Beauty a bad reputation (does it? I had no idea) and calling me vile is way more bitchy. It's wonderfully ironic.

So you really don't see anything sneery about this response? Anything at all?

You said: The idea that you'd order an entire new outfit to go there is amazing to me.

Bitchy and sneery as hell. Bore off.

I think it’s becayde the original one is smart casual. It’s relaxed atmosphere, but iconic and folks do make an effort but it’s not formal. Lunch and dinner are also very different for how people dress. With lunch much more casual The brasseries are very different again, a type of step down, and deliberately so. Still lovely but not generally perceived as buy a new outfit for at lunch time. However that doesn’t mean you can’t, or shouldn’t,

personally I’d always prefer accurate dress code advice so I can make a decision either way rather than rush out and buy a new outfit to find everyone sitting casually . The op has picked a very relaxed outfit so will be fine.

Yes, buying a whole new outfit to go out to lunch is amazing to me but I don't think it's sneery to say so. Why is it sneery or bitchy? A few extreme examples of weird inverse snobbery on this thread and some people just along for the ride. As for "bore off" really? Are you kidding?

It's more like I'm amazed people can afford it, although that's not exactly it, but close. The only time I bought an entire new outfit was for my own wedding.

But surely you must be able to see that some people don’t get out much and this would be very special to them, they have rhe disposable income so would happily buy a whole new outfit because for them it’s a big thing? The differentiator is if they wish to v they feel they have to.

I think it read that going out for lunch was so common place that buying a new outfit was mind boggling, which is why folks are reacting, but for many people it’s not common place and it is a big deal, they might even have the money but don’t have anything decent.

I didn't say you were bitchy @A580Hojas. I said it was vile to say:

The Ivy Brasserie is really not special, not posh, not different to more or less any average mid-price restaurant. I think some are possibly confusing it with the original Ivy restaurant in Covent Garden.

That is not 'being amazed people can afford it', it's putting someone down for thinking that lunch at the Ivy Brasserie is remotely special or out of the ordinary. And further patronising her by assuming she doesn't know it's the Ivy.

You were being unkind. Own it.

Your comment was awful,
@A580Hojas, and now you're back peddling. Either you meant to be snotty, or you're not very good at expressing yourself.
@Clymene is 100% right.

I had poor service there a few months ago. Our waitress said they are badly understaffed due to the national shortage of waiting staff- it sounded really tough.

I’m it’s tough, but sadly there were lots of staff around, and they were rude.

It made me sad. DH and I went there with the kids on our wedding day, so it was always special.