I wish I were either more stylish than I actually am, or could make peace with my CBeebies presenter aesthetic.

[LucyGru]

How I think I would like to dress: Black, complicated, arty dresses, simple statement jewelry, severe glasses, very short hair, expensive boots.

Me in real life: Oooh look, YELLOW shoes!! And these ones have DAISIES on them! And a cardigan with novelty buttons! And ANOTHER denim skirt because this one has RAINBOW stitching! Shall I get the cat glasses or the blue and green flowery ones? Ha! This bag looks like a hotdog!

I'm the same with house stuff. I logged on to look at cut glass crystal wine glasses (because I want to be a grown-up with grown-up things) but found myself adding the KMart 2-tone pink and yellow wine glasses to my basket...

I’m the same but not (😅), Decided I wanted to ditch black and always living in trousers and plain tops and be an adult with dresses/ skirts and blouses, scarves etc. tried it and dh laughed that my big reveal for son’s communion ended up being a black top and polka dot skirt (black) mid summer. You’re drawn to what you’re drawn to for a reason op. You sound cool to me. (Whispers: don’t change!!)

Where the brights against the dark - try to coordinate

Bright yellow shoes, black laces and black trousers, with flashes of yellow up top

If everyone looked like hairdressers (all in black) or perfectly groomed fashion magazine editors, there would be no fun

Wear. Not where. Obviously

I imagine you have a fabulous collection of stuff! Perhaps there's one small part of you waiting to wear the complicated black dress. Could you buy the outfit just so that there's a place for all of your whims to get their day?

I think you sound great!

Lol. My mantra is "it can't be that bad, somebody thought it was good enough to mass produce". Off to Google hot dog bags.

Go for it. You'd be the interesting person I'd talk to (quite literally, I had a stand at a work thing recently and spent ages talking to the arty wellbeing stall holder who was colourful and interesting). All black just doesn't sound half as interesting.

I also have a quirky, clever, interesting older teen who lives in DMs, Lucy and Yaks and looks fantastic. Musical with amazing style!

Wear what makes you feel good.

You sound lovely op and those glasses are beautiful!

Ha ha I just thought yesterday morning that I might style myself more like the cbeebies presenter. I have long brown hair and a fringe, like the lady on yesterday. And this morning, in fact. I like colour. I like dungarees. It's all good.

It could be worse. My H told me my new cardigan is CITV not even CBeebies.

I like to play around with my style although probably within a narrower palette than you. So I have phases of the complicated architect black dresses with the geeky “personality” glasses and then I have my 1970’s sports presenter with vintage blazer or a bit of a retired wrangler slightly gone to seed with my cowboy boots. It’s fun. I don’t want to dress like a Parisian unless I want to. Buy one complicated black dress and see if you wear it. ( I would suggest not with brights but that’s just my preference.) Take a view after that.

Well you obviously like it, otherwise you wouldn’t keep buying it.

Just embrace your inner Su Pollard.

At least I'm not alone! I'm so enjoying the Rod, Jane & Freddy, and Sue Pollard references.

Perhaps the best advice is to buy one complicated black dress and see if I wear it. I long to be an effortlessly stylish Parisian architect.

Agree!

You can wear colour in a stylish way. I enjoy colours but dress very differently from a CBeebies presenter. I like block colours, lovely fabrics, great tailoring.

A recent outfit I got to wear to a wedding was a bright green tailored suit, which I wore with a slim t shirt underneath.

The options aren’t either dinosaur printed trousers or plain black! If you want to dress differently why not explore interesting colours, colour combinations, fabrics, or fits?

Do you have a job where you can dress quirkily? I wear the really childish stuff there (I’m a MH nurse and need to look non-sexy, for everyone’s sake) and then dress boho/alternative but more “grown up” the rest of the time. Even if that’s not possible, maybe have different “uniforms” for different settings? I do get what you mean though, the stress is real 😂

I feel like it’s actually a bonus to have a sense of your individual style and what you like, a lot of us mould ourselves to what is fashionable and potentially lose sight of that. As PP said this clearly is your style coming through quite strongly and regardless of what you think you’d like to be wearing. Life is what happens whilst you’re busy making other plans type of thing. You’d soon get very bored.

I have a similar battle, always attracted to colour and quirkiness. I tend to let it out on my house. One (small) bedroom has a magenta wall, a dark blue wall and floor length teal curtains.

I think you can combine colour with being a bit more sophisticated but it has to be controlled. And not just paired with black. I think Trinny does this really well, maybe check out her Closet Confessions series. Getting your colours done might help as then you buy from a specific palette and everything harmonises

I’m trying to buy less and sometimes the more colourful and distinctive items are harder to match and get the most wear out of so I’m making a conscious choice to buy plainer stuff, as I don’t really want a wardrobe full of non matching stuff. But some people do just fine making that eclectic look their aesthetic.

I wonder if you can stick with your lovely clothes but just make sure it coordinates, colour wise. Then it looks like an outfit rather than toddler got dressed in the dark.

OP you really remind me of the joyous Louisa Clark in ‘Me before you’ by Jo Jo Moyes with her bee leggings! Don’t dim your wonderful unique exuberant individual expression - the world is full of boring conformity and people wearing black, so be your own glorious self. I have a neighbour who loves pink and she makes me smile every time I see her with her bright clothes and plants.

There is a lady in our village who colours her hair all lovely pastel colours, she might be baby blue one time, and peach the next
The lady wears the brightest of bright colours in glorious combinations, and you know what she brings a smile to everyone's faces!
When I first saw her I thought she was in her late thirties, and then when I was chatting to her I found out she was a retired teacher!
Do what makes you happy.

It sounds like Philippa Perry should be your style icon! She’s a blend of both of those styles.

Agree with this. When I wear colour, I wear block colours. I have a bright pink coat, for instance, but I pair it with navy underneath.

Do you even know if you suit black statement dresses and short hair? I know I certainly wouldn't! Your wardrobe sounds fab.

I love colour but do not embrace rainbow colours or the Sue Pollard look. I like to look a bit 'edgy' but don't always manage.

I do like a colourful frock though!

I'm the black dress woman, the absolute opposite. It's such an effort to buy and wear any colour, black, whit and grey are such a happy place for me!

But have heard several times that I look intimidating, mostly from my children's teachers 😀