What is this style? I love it!

[TheMatisseStories]

I see it, or variations of it in a lot of the Japanese films/youtubes I watch, it is a loose yet tidy style, which looks so very comfortable!

It isn't wacky like Gudrun Sjoden and rarely sports a pattern, but there seems to be emphasis on texture and natural fibres.
What i can't get my mind around is why I always look/feel weird in loose clothing myself. I am 5ft5 and slender, not much in the boob dept and have a fairly simple look that should suit these clothes.
So if a similarly sized/build of Japanese or Korean woman makes this style look lovely, where am i going wrong?

People in the west often say oooh you have to be tall to pull it off, but this obviously isn't at all true.

I would love to include more pieces like this in my wardrobe!
Maybe I am so used to skin tight clothes such as leggings and skinny jeans over the years that my mind can't switch.

Any shop recommendations would be appreciated.

I agree with this comment. Many of these clothes are beige/ cream. You may just be too beige all over (unlike Asian women). I think there have been a few items which have a bit more colour (including your last picture) so maybe you need to go for muted colors rather than beige) grey/ cream especially next to your face.

Also try Eileen Fisher - second hand is good.

Would you consider posting a picture? We could help to work out if it’s the proportions that are off. Sometimes an objective eye can help.

I agree it's probably your colouring - pale with pale hair and beige clothes will look very washed out and blah. Asian women will generally have high contrast hair and features.

Do you know what season you are? I would suggest looking into that - there will be neutrals you can wear, but you need to know whether you're cool or warm toned and how bright you need colours to be.

That's interesting, I am fairly muted, low contrast, likely a light summer. My hair is mid ash blond and my skin is neutral, seemingly both slightly cool and warm. I suit both gold and silver equally.

In my mind, i feel scrawny, and i think this is due to having delicate features and bones, so cumbersome/boxy clothing cuts overwhelm me. More flowing, finer knits and shapes work well.

As far as i am aware i suit pale, muted tones, with occasional brights such as deep red and blue. Most of my clothes are grey, beige, white, with navy on the darker end. Pastels suit me but I don't like them.

The first one is the just crawled out of bed look the rest are just I've given up all hope look

am a similar size OP and can't pull this off. I have come to the conclusion that this is because I am too scruffy with messy hair and the unstructured clothes amplify the effect. I also struggle with linen as I don't iron. Love the look though!

I live in Asia, and see a lot of this look and, when it looks ‘right’, it looks great to me. I can’t pull it off. I think you’re on to something with the rest of the appearance being sharp and neat, and the dark hair and more contrasted colouring, plus tendency of hair to be neat and sleek helps.

It took me a while to get used to it as a look, but I like it a lot now.

I dress like this all the time 😂 my mum hates it and calls it 'lurpy'. I just have a strategic tuck or ankles or wrists on shoe to remind people I am not a marshmallow.

^^ my new favourite is soyaconcept

I’ve had several items from LaundryB which I’ve been pleased with. They do the lagenlook thing. Their linen is good quality at reasonable prices.

https://www.laundryb.com/results.aspx?page=1&q=Linen

I think you need a bit of structure to pull this look of if you’re not an East Asian woman, otherwise you end up looking floaty hippy/ art teacher rather than cool.
some tight layers underneath work well so I quite often wear shorter culottes with leggings underneath and tight tops with boxy cardigans .
There’s a woman called Africa (the vitamin d project on Instagram) who I think has a similar look to what you are going for. She’s started to do videos on TikTok showing exactly how she gets dressed and her thought process https://www.tiktok.com/@thevitamindproject/video/7213003833293786374?_t=8asjheSPKhJ&_r=1

I think you need a bit of structure to pull this look of if you’re not an East Asian woman, otherwise you end up looking floaty hippy/ art teacher rather than cool.
some tight layers underneath work well so I quite often wear shorter culottes with leggings underneath and tight tops with boxy cardigans .
There’s a woman called Africa (the vitamin d project on Instagram) who I think has a similar look to what you are going for. She’s started to do videos on TikTok showing exactly how she gets dressed and her thought process https://www.tiktok.com/@thevitamindproject/video/7213003833293786374?_t=8asjheSPKhJ&_r=1

I think you need a bit of structure to pull this look of if you’re not an East Asian woman, otherwise you end up looking floaty hippy/ art teacher rather than cool.
some tight layers underneath work well so I quite often wear shorter culottes with leggings underneath and tight tops with boxy cardigans .
There’s a woman called Africa (the vitamin d project on Instagram) who I think has a similar look to what you are going for. She’s started to do videos on TikTok showing exactly how she gets dressed and her thought process https://www.tiktok.com/@thevitamindproject/video/7213003833293786374?_t=8asjheSPKhJ&_r=1

I think you need a bit of structure to pull this look of if you’re not an East Asian woman, otherwise you end up looking floaty hippy/ art teacher rather than cool.
some tight layers underneath work well so I quite often wear shorter culottes with leggings underneath and tight tops with boxy cardigans .
There’s a woman called Africa (the vitamin d project on Instagram) who I think has a similar look to what you are going for. She’s started to do videos on TikTok showing exactly how she gets dressed and her thought process https://www.tiktok.com/@thevitamindproject/video/7213003833293786374?_t=8asjheSPKhJ&_r=1

I think you need a bit of structure to pull this look of if you’re not an East Asian woman, otherwise you end up looking floaty hippy/ art teacher rather than cool.
some tight layers underneath work well so I quite often wear shorter culottes with leggings underneath and tight tops with boxy cardigans .
There’s a woman called Africa (the vitamin d project on Instagram) who I think has a similar look to what you are going for. She’s started to do videos on TikTok showing exactly how she gets dressed and her thought process https://www.tiktok.com/@thevitamindproject/video/7213003833293786374?_t=8asjheSPKhJ&_r=1

Yikes, sorry. Looks like I really think you need a bit of structure!!

lol
happens to the best of us 😲

A previous poster has mentioned wide legged trousers (palazzo pants) and it's reminded me of mine! I'd forgotten all about them!

A couple of years ago i took the plunge and bought a couple of pairs. Like you OP i was used to skinny jeans (or opaques) so having that much material swishing round my legs felt really weird at first. However i always wore them with a strappy clingy vest for a bit of balance (and to show my waist does exist) and i used to get complimented a lot!

I've got a 'do' to go to next week and i'm going to dig out my palazzo's!
Thanks for this thread

I can't believe people pay this much for this type of stuff on etsy.
It's mostly originally from China for a start and the mark up on etsy is so overpriced compared to the same dress on ebay or amazon.

@BoozeHound & @Laiste

I am one of those weird people who can't see what's wrong with looking like a boho art teacher - I almost became one myself! Life is terribly short, and I am at an age where I'm not interested in enhancing my figure, even if it's in good shape. I spend half the year in yoga clothes and the other half in an art studio so the toned down bohemian slouch doesn't frighten me in the slightest. I won't be entering an office any time soon and go to vanishingly few functions or appointments which require a specific dress code.

I also think UK women are really good at putting themselves down, creating harsh sartorial rules and restrictions and describing their bodies as ugly. We need to cut ourselves some slack!

I agree. In real life that will be thin and nasty

@TheMatisseStories I totally agree there’s nothing wrong with boho art teacher look. Im
normally a scruffy version of this myself.
I was just trying to reply to your original question where you said you weren’t pulling off the look and weren’t happy in loose clothes.
I don’t think I’ve said anything particularly harsh about women’s bodies or rules, just trying to give you some tips which is what I thought you wanted?

I love this look, although I'm a bit overweight so on me it looks a bit like I'm a giant escapee from an adult babies sleepover party.

Lots of brands have things that you could make work- Toast springs to mind. Margaret Howell, Eileen Fisher, Poetry. Lisa Yang. But I think the key is getting the proportions right so you look chic and not swamped.

My comment wasn't aimed at you booze, just something i pick up from MN in particular. Lot of rigid rules and worries, we could all do with an injection of confidence.

Also some of the less flouncy things on Cabbages & Roses- they do lovely wide-legged trousers and knitwear.

Yes, proportions is where it's at! I think you have to be willing to tailor some of this stuff, especially leg and sleeve length. I have a lovely shirt from cabbages&roses (ebay) that I had altered to bracelet-length sleeves and evened out the hemline.

I wonder if a lot of us, of a certain age, are wary of new shapes and silhouettes? I know I am, at least a little. I do wonder why this particular style seems to provoke derision from some......like the Toast threads of old. It is as if women daring to wear what they desire is somehow offensive or frightening. I strongly doubt anyone in the real world cares or has time to, tbh.