So what are we wearing instead of floral midi dress and white trainers this Spring?

[KrabiBeach]

Like many 35-55yo women I've been wearing a floral midi dress with trainers every Spring/Summer for the past few years. I always buy dresses with pockets and love the comfort, practicality and coolness (temperature-wise) on a sunny day. Easy to layer under a denim jacket, biker or blazer and wear with any white trainers or converse etc.

It was inevitable that such an easy outfit would become so ubiquitous that the fashion world declared it "dead".

I'm gutted but I am a follower of style. So yes, I know it's shallow but this is the Style board so.... What other outfits fit the brief?

One journalist in the Sunday papers suggested trouser suits are the new floral midi dress and trainers. But I don't think a trouser suit would work in a hot day like a flowery dress would, no matter how much you keep it casual with a t-shirt and trainers - it's still too hot surely?

If you're a follower of trends, what will you be wearing instead of floral midi from now on?

(Article for reference: amp.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/feb/10/john-lewis-declares-death-of-the-floral-midi-dress)

Agree that style doesn't equal trends, but also think some looks become very overdone eventually, largely from it being declared the 'in' look so people who are less interested in their own personal style end up wearing the latest uniform.

The ubiquitous midi floral and chunky/athletic white trainets look has been done to death, especially with a denim/biker jacket.

There's lots of other causal dress and skirt looks with comfy shoes though.

If someone's personal style includes dresses or skirts with some form of casual trainer then they're probably going to keep wearing it, and it won't look dated because it's one part of their overall personal style. They probably never looked like a cut and paste person when the trend was everywhere.

If someone is clinging to the summer uniform of the last 5-10 years in a cut and paste way, then it's going to look dated. The lack of individual style when wearing the dress/trainer look is what will make it look dated.

But not wearing floral midis with trainers doesn't mean not wearing the dress or the trainers with other things from your wardrobe.

Every thread on fashion gets posts about how terrible we all are for buying more and more clothes and fast fashion blah blah. That isn't what I at least have been saying I am going to do. It isn't the great gotcha counter argument for every fashion thread.

Keep the same dress. Keep the same trainers. Wear in a different way. You're welcome 😉

Skinny jeans are out, but you are also allowed to hang on to them and just put them away for the next time they are inevitably in again. I give it ten years minimum.

Don't go Kondo-ing everything when it goes out of style

I’ll be mostly sticking with my vintage frocks, some of which are floral, some of which aren’t. And I’ll be wearing them with sandals (unless I’m doing a lot of walking in which case I might resort to some Adidas Sambas). My nod to current styling is wearing the ones that end below my knees rather than on my knee. Its much easier (and cheaper!) than buying new and they don’t exactly go out of fashion as they haven’t exactly been in fashion for decades.

My skinnies have never been put away.
I don't wear style them the same as 2010 though.

I think you're right comfies about not buying lots of new things though.

Part of me thinks the need to either cling to trends past their best before date or have an endlessly new wardrobe jumping from trend to trend comes from people not having a sense of individual style.

People with individual style will probably add a nod to a trend into their existing staples, but probably don't fall into the cookie cutter trend traps.

Agreed @LolaSmiles

The difference between liking fashion and being a fashion victim

I only own one pair of jeans and they are straight cut, so tend not to go in or out of style

I will definitely keep wearing my floral midi with boots or sandals. I still wear my white trainers but not with that particular dress. No fast fashion was purchased. No planets were harmed in the restyling of my clothes 😌

I mean there are still some people wearing blue jeans after over 60 years, I think I'll wear what I please.

35-55yo? Why so specific? My 26 yo daughter and me, 58, will both continue to wear such an outfit😂

Floral dresses are out but you can just wear plain dresses instead. Put the white trainers away and get chunky trainers in grey or black, or lightweight chukka boots, or chunky flat sandals if it’s a bit warmer. Loose trousers and a plain top are also trendy.

You missed the point of my post

We should no longer be stopping wearing clothes because they aren't on trend or talking about dated, slow adoptees etc.

Yes we can think if new ways to wear the look or the clothes to make them a bit updated. Yes of course the midi and white trainers is a trend but it's one a lot of people have bought into and let's please not call it dead while those clothes are still wearable.

Its not just about midi/white trainers look. It's every time there's a thread on what's on trend there's so many posts saying wear it but you are dated, or out of style. Suggestions that involve changing the whole outfit rather than small changes to allow you to keep wearing what you own. The attitude that people are dated and should change that is what I have a problem with, because I don't think its environmentally conscious anymore

And giving to charity is not a viable solution. You will then get 1000s of floral midis in charity shops that no one wants because John Lewis has said they are dated.

As will I early 70's

So yes swap the trainers for boots or sandals.
Wear the trainers with your jeans. Wear an update belt or something. Change things around

If needing a new dress maybe go towards a non floral midi.

But we should work towards not creating a new uniform that everyone just buys for the sake of it.

I'm sticking with maxis and trainers/Birkenstocks. Fuck it.

I hate my bare legs or I'd wear minis too. I have the dilemma of what to wear on my legs and then veer into horrible leggings territory.

You missed the point of my post

We should no longer be stopping wearing clothes because they aren't on trend or talking about dated, slow adoptees etc
I've not missed the point at all.

People can wear what they want, but if they choose to be a cookie cutter trend follower with little individual style then they can't complain if and when trends move on that people notice an outfit dates.

Clothing changes and has done for centuries. We're not all wandering around in early 20th century gear, and last time I checked people weren't wearing 80s shoulder pads at work.

If people embrace their own sense of individual style then they're not going to look like cookie cutter trend followers, they'll focus more on buying the stuff they like that suits their individual style and won't be consuming clothes atba ridiculous rate.

I think that the dress and trainers was an sort of edgy / juxtaposed look - nice feminine dress + quirky casual trainers.

I don’t think swapping in sandals has the same feel / look somehow - just too formal.

Boots are great but not for the summer.

Maybe some sort of clog - or as others have said dark chunky trainers? Or stick with the white trainers and wear a plain or denim dress?

Ooolaaaala
I quite like converse with dresses and skirts. That's always been my preference over the white trainers look.

It probably doesn't hit the style point of style and beauty, but I found Toms looked quite nice with skirts.

I like the clogs idea @Ooolaaaala

I have chunky, black, platform sandals so think that juxtaposition still works with those. I also have some DM shoes which would work, but even they would be a bit warm for summer I think... I'll go ballet flats at work, which I agree may be too feminine overall, but I can live with it at my work (which is quite conservative)

I used to have some quite ugly-beautiful mary-james which would have looked good, but I wore them to death sadly

I know this has passed most by but this was a really sneery, snarky comment about the posters reading the style boards.

Except they are never quite the same next time around. Different wash. Dark light distressed etc. the ruse is different etc

If we all stick with it, how can it be out of fashion? Also, who cares if it is out of fashion? Who can afford to be buying new clothes every season?

I've stopped clearing out my wardrobe when things start to look dated as I've learned from past mistakes that things come round again- my dd is currently dressed in all 90s gear that she buys in charity shops- she does often make me giggle as she looks like she's been transported here in a time machine at times and looks dated to my eyes (but apparently she's really cool). I'll just be packing nice but dated things away and waiting for them to look current again.

Let's take our inspiration from Joan Collins who is 90 today and wearing a leather jacket she's had since the 80's which she has dug out of storage.

Vintage is the biggest trend right now!

PP might mean this - https://www.monki.com/en_gbp/clothing/dresses/midi-dresses/product.cotton-midi-dress-black.0868710029.html

I have the same and LOVE it.

I am a dress person anyway. I hate the overdone trainer look. Will go with plain dress and sandals or on trend ballet pumps or loafers.