Here are some going out tops if that's still a thing

[Raggammuffin]

I've spent my whole life trying not to look scruffy as I'm only 5'1''. The photo attached was like my outfit last night, black jeans though. Bit uptight and dark compared to the floaty whites I saw around me.

Last night I had the slight sense of my outfit being wrong. I'm not usually conscious of that, hello 50s. I was in a bar with a restaurant, a casual place but in an expensive villagey location.. I did notice that a lot of the mostly younger women were wearing cropped tops under oversized clothes it seemed to me. Huge shirts over tanned bodies. I'm 5'1'' though, I'm not fat but not skinny. Anything over sized does nothing for me. Anyway, do any of these tops look good? Put it this way, my daughter never pinches anything.

green shimmery fine knit top

royal blue satin finish v neck top

I like both of these and could imagine reaching for them both a lot when I go out but are they a bit dated? I don't mind looking classic but I don't want to look dated. I never worried about looking dated before, i just trusted that my eye would be turned off, but not so sure now. Btw, it's not like I think all the 30 year old women were dressed in the most flattering way. A lot of them don't look their 'best' imo but there was definitely a look and I felt too dark, too 'fitted'. I don't know, I'm bound to be moving in to the Gerry Webber stage of my life.

Made me laugh out loud with the ‘trouser’ comment drives me nuts that that is now a thing … like ‘the Jean’ 😱😂

@Winterscomingagain - a Gerry Weber jacket! Well done for admitting it on here 😉!
Have you got a picture of it?

the jean, the trouser, the shoe
Nope, don't get it....

What about tops like these with smart jeans or black trousers?

The tops are nice, @Iamblossom but the necklines are a bit too high and the flappy cuffs would do my head in.

It’s so hard to find clothes! The stories shirts are too harsh/ dark for me and the Anthropologie ones are polyester… so I’ll give them a miss… like anything with a high or round neckline.
i do appreciate posters who include pictures - you are doing great service to us all. Thank you.

High Victorian necks
Puff sleeves
Polyester
Like the holy trinity of the high street. Or even off the high street.

Are the Anthropologie ones polyester? I spent most of this summer trying to hunt down cotton clothes, and it wasn't even particularly hot. Does annoy me. Summertime apart, I found quite a nice sweater yesterday in M&S only to find that it was recycled polyester, which I suppose is nice and sustainable, but it felt horrible.

The shiny ones are the ones that look like cotton are cotton.

Sorry, @NatashaDancing - I don't understand? The shiny ones are cotton?
I'll look again on the site.

I see that the Shirts by Maeve are cotton. They're really nice. I like the pale striped one as well as that strong dark red. @Fingerlimes were the Anthropologie ones you liked all polyester?

This is a really interesting thread, I'm 45 and occasionally did the top with jeans thing in the early 2010s when I was a young mum.

Now I'm old, going grey and peri meno, I can't wear jeans as they hurt my swollen HRT stomach.

@Raggammuffin thanks for starting the thread.

With the Arnotts link I'm guessing you are in Ireland? They used to have a COS concession in Arnotts didn't they? I always go for COS, but then if I go out for dinner I tend to wear a jumper, wide leg trousers and trainers. I'm totally lost, I wouldnt have a clue if there was something I HAD to dress up for.

The shiny ones are polyester, the ones that look like cotton are cotton.

Ok. I think it was just the way you had written it. The cotton ones look really nice.

I’m 56 and they seem very county/ middle aged suburban to me. I’m short as well and tend to wear more fitted tops.

I'm one of the fabled short scruffy people. I'm scruffy because by the time I find something I like, is natural fibres, vaguely suits my narrow shouldered pear shape and short legs, the fact it fits badly becomes a secondary consideration. Look at the blouses that have been linked to - the sleeves come down to the models' knuckles in most cases.

I just went through 12 pages of tops on the Wolf and Badger site. Finally found something that wouldn't drown me (anything not fitted does not suit me), wasn't polyester, and I liked. A silk slightly cropped wrap style top. But it's £300 so back to the search again.

www.wolfandbadger.com/uk/cropped-silk-blouse-shou-brilliance/

@Saverage yes, I often look at beautiful long sleeve tops and think that the sleeves would go down to my knees!
I like that top you linked to. I can imagine wearing that with high waisted trousers. It's expensive though, yikes.

@Moredarkchocolateplease not sure if Arnotts still do cos but there's a Cos branch on Wicklow street. I have a nice Cos top, it just walks that fine line between weird and a bit unusual!

@Raggammuffin yes also there!

I'm intrigued which upmarket village you were in where your style felt so out of place?

I know some parts of Dub are too trendy for words... <nosy>

I'm going to a place that sounds similar to the one you described in a couple of weeks. I've just ordered this shirt, which I'm planning to wear with light jeans, like the model, and neutral trainers.

Dancing Leopard stuff always comes up massive though so you might need a different brand! H&M have similar I think.

5ft2 and I struggle with the oversize look, I wear 10 /12 but feels oversize makes me look big, the tops you show are my style but I would wear daytime with bootcut jeans, this year to get out of the fitted top look, I've been wearing fitted vest tops with a open shirt over, I struggle in the winter as I still love a slim jean. But what to wear with, if I don't like oversize jumpers.

I've just returned a cos vest top, lovely quality but 26 inches long, that's too much to tuk in for my short frame

That's really long for shorties like us, @lindyloo57 ! It's crazy when you have to tuck in so much length, and it never looks good.

If you like the Wolf and Badger silk top but want something at a lower price bracket then this might work in the marine blue colourway (the picture is navy)
https://www.dancedirect.com/cxo-1st-position-cotton-poly-x-over-cardigan-3-4-length-sleeves#93=259&155=70

Can anyone recommend a shop which sells shorter tops, not cropped to show my tummy,