What's your 'lifestyle' (clothing wise)?

[TheMatisseStories]

You know how people say 'dress for your lifestyle', which is of course very sensible, what is yours and how do you go about it?

I've never been great at this to be honest and would love some pointers!

I wfh and am in a creative field, not wealthy but not struggling either. Am currently single and have one adult child who lives overseas. My hobbies are painting and yoga, with some walking thrown in. So this leaves me kind of wide open in a way, with too much choice. Anything fancy feels unnecessary, so I tend to go with walking/yoga outfits a lot (hiking leggings, fleece, lol) or loose-ish jeans/trousers with a decent jumper.
I also use a rucksack almost daily, as it's just so practical..

I love dresses and skirts and beautiful bags but the prices seem extortionate, especially for the synthetic, thin frocks and I just can't see when I'd wear them. I have 2 for special occasions and that seems like enough.

In my fantasy life I have a lot of gorgeous dresses that only exist in my imagination, with lovely suede lace up boots that are not a great idea when living in a rainy place. I would also have arse length hair but it is a nightmare to deal with in real life, and goes straggly when mid length.

Do your personal tastes match your lifestyle, or do you end up with a ton of stuff in your wardrobe that you rarely find opportunity to wear?

@TheMatisseStories you sound very stylish, I'm quite a lover of knitwear and scarves myself. I'm not much of a dress person, unless they look like something else eg. sweater dress, t-shirt dress or shirt dress. I wear mini skirts in fabric like denim, cord or wool with thermal leggings (as tights) in cold weather as they seem more practical. I used to wear more maxi skirts before children and for work. I mostly wear trousers of many different shapes and styles, though.

I think the wear clothes for the life you live, is so you don't buy lots of clothes that you never wear. I live a mostly casual lifestyle but still have some smarter, more formal clothes for either mixing in with casual pieces or the odd occasion I need it.

I wear my two posh dresses quite a lot - for social events - we have a large group of friends and family and at least 2/3 weddings a year as well as wearing them for cruise holidays.
I really am a scruff at work compared to how I used to be but I'm part time and retiring soon.
I dog walk daily and go to the gym/ swimming regularly so I mainly have leggings/tshirts hidden underneath normal clothes.
I hate winter dressing I need soooo many layers to stay warm, even with cashmere and lambs wool and I do wear UGG boots daily. I love summer clothes and wear shorts asap. I also love spring and autumn before it gets bitter when you can wear boots and nice jackets
At weekends we often go to indie/rock/ punk gigs or watch live music in the pub - I usually go for jeàns or leather jeggings for a slightly rock chiçk look, a bit less intense than I used to with my 80's tassly leather jacket and Motorhead tshirts!

This

I do like the idea of this thread as I just buy random clothes and have never managed to have a personal style or feel at all stylish. I always read these threads and think I will start buying proper fabrics and neutral colours and then buy cheap prints from Sainsbury's and synthetic cardigans.

I am a teacher and keep my arms covered year round so I have a teacher wardrobe of long or 3/4 sleeve dresses worn with thick tights and boots, or black trousers and jumpers/tops with loafers/boots.

In my spare time I'm a disaster and just end up wearing the same few pairs of jeans and hoodies. Safe/comfortable/dull.

In summer holiday mode I dgaf and enjoy wearing my nice floaty sundresses, denim shorts, walking sandals and other fairly unstylish items!

My lifestyle is casual, active and comfortable. I wear a lot of leggings and sweaty Betty, for both wfh and in the office and daily errands. Also to the gym!
I do have lovely dresses which I wear on nights out and sometimes also just daily for work but they’re still comfortable and rarely super smart or formal, it just doesn’t suit me.
When I have to be very smart/presentable - weddings, job interview etc I don’t look like me in smart clothes!

Exhausted Mother is my lifestyle and look haha. I mostly wear sportswear tbh. I work part time but our office is casual dress so usually just leggings with sports vests/cardigans/shirts/t-shirts/whatever I'm in the mood for. I'll sometimes wear a nice skirt and a bodysuit with tights or a dress a couple times a month but I'm pretty casual for the most part. If you like sportswear and yoga OP I recommend Sweaty Betty - their leggings are pricey but lovely.

My style was described by a male colleague as ‘glamorous northern bird’ and he summed it up well. I like to be well dressed in clothes that fit properly, I know what suits me and I go to a lot of social stuff. It’s all about the coats, shoes and sunglasses in Manchester. Well, in my circle anyway.

I WFH more than I did in the past so I’ve had to try hard to resist the slide into being too casual. I wouldn’t wear gym gear except for the gym, for example.

I do a very senior corporate role, in finance, and I have bare legs all summer. With perfectly varnished toenails and subtle fake tan. Nobody has ever batted an eyelid. Apart from “how do you walk in those?”, yawn.

In answer to your question, I’ve made my lifestyle match my personal tastes! I couldn’t bear not to have the opportunity to wear my lovely clothes. I’d consider changing jobs if everyone wore hoodies and leggings all the time! If I were you, I’d be looking for dressmakers who could translate your gorgeous dress vision into reality. You work in a creative field so the opportunity is there. Life is too short not to wear beautiful clothes.

Scrubs for work, long shifts so straight home to pjs. Days off, smarter as opposed to casual, skinny jeans, loafers, nice jumper etc. Sporty/comfy wear does me no favours.

Bar the student nurse bit, this is me 😊. I got excited ordering a new Schoffel gilet to try and smarten myself up!
If I'm not covered in mud from dogs/horses and have to go somewhere where mud and horse hair aren't acceptable then it is country casual ie Fairfax, skinny jeans and Welligogs. Very boring but also classic and I don't need to replace items very often at all as each piece lasts decades. Which may or may not be a good thing 🤔

I have a 'lumpy' middle-aged Mum figure that looks best in simple, classic lines. Don't do frills, weird hemlines, puffy sleeves etc. Tend to try and liven things up a bit with statement scarves, nice jewellery, hair accessories etc.

Autumn winter, wear a lot of mustard, navy, burgundy, bottle green etc

Summer wear a lot of jade, peacock blue, pink, purple, coral

Look shite in grey, lilac, yellow at any time of year

I have a 1-day-a-week work wardrobe. (Boden ankle length trousers, brogues, smart shirts and cardigans.)

The rest of the time I mostly wear jeans, boots, Bretons, oversized jumpers and scarves....dog walking chic. 😂

I probably do do weird hemlines or shapes, as I tend to look boring in classic styles. Today is cold, so it's a forest green jumper dress and faux leather leggings.

Ah @twistyizzy I've got a pair of ariat ketley boots which are my 'clean' ones! 😂 clothing kind of stays the same minus the mud!!!

Placemarking as I want to come back to this when home from the office where I'm in a jacket I need to get out of!!

I'm weird. I work from home at 2 part time admin jobs and do freelance art stuff as well when I can. I have a lot of pain from day to day so I like to be comfortable. I don't have much cash to spare, but I have a strategy. I wear really cheap but nice joggers from M&S but with a really nice sort of artisan top. I'll buy cheap trousers but save all year round until EAST clothing finally decides to have their sale and when it reaches 50 - 60% off I POUNCE and often multiple buy [have checked on here to see if I'm the only one that does that lol] a few of my favourite top they have and I'm set for another year along with a few I already had. I'm nearly 50 and don't care anymore what people think if I've several of one top I love wearing. Tried Ebay shopping for a while but realised that it's often so hit and miss finding the style you like on there with no returns, that it made more sense to just save up and get new when reduced. I do like the East's ethics and sustainability but full price is way out of my reach.

Hard to describe my lifestyle, probably unexciting. Maths Teacher, 4 dc, dog, live on the edge of a town - new build estate but close to fields. I love dancing for fitness.
I’d say my style is Minimalist Preppy. So work is slim trousers, plain shirt and a smart fitted jumper, for weekends it’s jeans, fitted polo and jumper. So plain, but well cut, good fabrics, no frills or fuss. I think the fussiest pattern you will get me in is a tweed skirt or cable knit jumper. I love a good leather handbag too. Simple jewellery. Classic dressing I suppose.
I do like bright colours though, and am a bit partial to a neon shade of jumper or t shirt. I have a few different bags but I’m in awe of pp’s bag organisation including 4 different make up bags! I definitely need to do that

I have found the easiest way of always looking nice and put together is just by only owning nice clothes.
if you don’t own joggers, you can’t be tempted to wear them.

I dress with absolutely zero style. I dont think I ever really grew out of my "chav" teenage style. I wear a lot of hoodies and I used to wear them with jeans, but since I put on a lot of weight I hate jeans. I also hate being cold, so I'm wearing trackies a lot in the winter. I hate the way leggings feel on my legs so that's out. I am so NOT a girly girl or a smart dresser. I'm approaching 40 now so I guess I never will be

I work in healthcare and am studying too. I have two kids and am often running around after them to various after school clubs. Comfort is my key.

I dress for my real lifestyle. I'm a solicitor and whilst I don't do full tailored suits I'm always smart. I live in a city and most of holidays are in cities.

I never did dress down Friday before COVID and I'm not doing dress down now.

99.9% of the time I wear dresses , occasionally skirts, never trousers. Currently lots of Palava, Samantha Sung, Edina Ronay, a few Eponine, a few & Daughter, some Liberty prints, a Cabbages and Roses dress. It's sort of 1950s lady who lunches meets Bloomsbury.

I wear "good wool coats" (see other thread) and proper felt hats in winter. No puffers or anoraks.

Shoes- no trainers, no platforms, no block heels, very few high heels. I like neat and dainty shoes- ballet flats or kitten heels, or low heeled stilletos.(the sort of shoes you often saw Audrey Hepburn wearing) Don't care if that style is "in" or "out" or "dated" Boots are lace up ankle boots in black, burgundy, navy and tan and a couple of pairs of over the knee boots. I have loads of shoes and as they don't get heavy wear some of them are years old.

I have loads and loads of clothes - I might get fed up with items and put them away for a while but won't throw them out unless worn out or too small.

The only thing I can think of which I've regretted buying were a pair of Doc Martens boots. There's nothing in my wardrobe I don't like

I get loads of compliments about my clothes not just from friends but work colleagues, people in shops and restaurants and random passing strangers. Not saying that to boast, it just is. I'm not interested in what's in or out or dated or "on trend".

Oh and Hermès scarves, rarely without one.

I do pretty well in terms of dressing for my lifestyle. I have one ‘party’ dress which is more for relaxed evening events rather than weddings and stuff and I have a couple of LBDs, one is more evening appropriate but with a nice cardigan on top is day time appropriate and one is very work/ formal. I think the clothes I own match my different style personalities of that makes sense. I have dresses that are for when I am feeling feminine, jeans for feeling “in style/ fashion” and things in between. The most expensive clothing item I own is a Ted Baker trench which I get out when the weather and mood is appropriate. I use accessories a lot and I have many le pliages which are practical and imo stylish.

About mid-30s, I realised that I often bought clothes for the person I thought I would like to be, rather than the person I actually am, which I think is what the whole lifestyle thing is about.

I find buying clothes a lot easier now that I just get the stuff I'm comfortable in, but a stylish/quality version (although I have a small budget, I have got a lot of cashmere, silk, Levis etc. on Vinted or eBay).

So I have mainly jeans, wide-leg trousers, t-shirts, shirts, jumpers, trainers, but all nicely made and nice fabrics and colours; a couple of nice leather satchel-style bags. Then I get lots of fun jewellery, modern glasses, sunglasses etc. to change things up and dress up when needed.

Even for leggings and hoodies, I've brought myself round to the idea that I look a lot better in posh ones, rather than supermarket bought ones!