‘Ugly’ fashion only works if you’re attractive

[WizardinTraining]

I know it’s subjective and there’s no right or wrong and we should all be comfy with ourselves etc but am I the only one that thinks the current ugly/wacky/comfy type fashions that all the Instagrammers are wearing only work because most of them are slim and attractive.

I love all the bright jumpers, clashing patterns, baggy jeans and especially the bold trainers but being short, not very slim and booby I’d look like a Playschool presenter at best and an oversized child at worst <sigh>

You're probably right about it being all @Gwenhwyfar

I'm genuinely surprised people are dressing for other women or men! When I see clothes or shoes I like, I get them because I love them and I think they look amazing. What other women or men will think about them doesnt even cross my mind.

Fashion is very much about self expression for me and there are some outfits I have that I know are quite "niche" and will evoke marmite responses because they're a bit "out there" but I don't care because to me, they express who I am. If people don't like them thats absolutely fine because I don't dress for other people's approval and nor do I expect others to dress for my approval either. I will never understand the judgment of other's appearance because imagine how bloody boring the world would be if we all wore the same outfits all the time- it would be like some horrid Stepford universe - there's no imagination or creativity in that whatsoever.

I think that's because I and - I think - some other posters were expecting a much more extreme 'anti fashion' look than this particular instagrammer.

It IS a look that most women would avoid, or not even consider, in the sense that leggings and a plain hoodie and a black gilet … require much less thought, effort and money,

Honestly - in my entire life (6 decades!) I have never, ever worn the outfit you describe as being a default. Other than for formal exercise I last wore leggings in my 20s - with a big white shirt, or men’s cashmere cardigan. Hoodies came along much later - I rarely wear them outside the house or garden but if I do it’s with maybe cords or something-not-jeans, or maybe an old, tweedy or denim skirt. And I’ve never owned or even borrowed a black gilet. So it would cost both money and extreme misery for me to find myself dressed like that.

Conversely I don’t think women dressed in a similar way to the instagrammer have ‘carefully styled’ their outfits. They’re just clothes.

Yes, that was why I was surprised — that influencer looks nice and fairly mainstream to me. Large numbers of female students dress like her at my university, things appearing to have diversified somewhat from the pure athleisure look from a while back, though that’s still very much around.

And not just students — I was at an event as part of an arts festival last week, and was circulating at a wine reception afterwards, and lots of 30 and 40 something women were in clashing, colourful coats and big, bright scarves over jeans and bright boxy jumpers, or patterned dresses.

There’s also a trend for male undergraduates to wear brightly-patterned jumpers over stonewashed retro jeans, baggy or skinny, worn short to expose the ankles, accessorised with a modern mullet.

It IS a look that most women would avoid, or not even consider, in the sense that leggings and a plain hoodie and a black gilet … require much less thought, effort and money,

Like ProperSleep that's not a default outfit for me. I once owned one pair of short leggings to wear under a recalcitrant wrap dress (copied from noticing it was something elegant cyclists in Copenhagen wore)

I've never owned a hoodie or a gilet.

Me neither, but I get what the OP means - whatever is the default for your age and region I suppose.

Where I live it would be dark jeans, jumper and black coat.

That’s why I said “most women”, not every single woman to have walked this Earth 🤪 I only live in one place and can only go off my own experiences. I’m not trying to generalise for everyone, just try and explain my interpretation of the OP.

And of course that instagrammer has carefully styled her outfit. It’s her job!

I think the OP is getting a hard time on this thread
I hope the op doesn't feel that way - it's certainly not my intention and it's not personal. But the op did use phrases such as 'ugly,' 'Playschool presenter' and 'oversized child' and lots of posters have agreed with her so I think it's reasonable to question and push back.

And of course that instagrammer has carefully styled her outfit. It’s her job!

Obviously. But my point was that other women who dress in a similar way probably aren’t Making A Style Statement. They’re just getting dressed, wearing clothes they’ve chosen because they like them.

I don't think the OP is getting a hard time either. There was clearly a misunderstanding by some posters, including me, about the style the OP was referring to. I don't think it was getting at OP to ask for an example; nor to question why the example is deemed to be ugly and unwearable by, for want of a better word, "ordinary women"

Allowing that "ugly" is subjective it's clearly not an unwearable style.

I totally agree

@happyshineyperson thank you, that’s exactly what I was trying to say!

I don’t think I’m getting a hard time but I did mention specifics in my OP so not sure why not everyone got it.

That said I think I live in quite an unstylish world - nobody I know would have heard of half the brands mentioned on this thread and they would see that Instagrammer’s outfits as more suitable for the circus than Tesco 😳😂

I quite like aspects of them as I said originally but my point stands - I don’t feel I would look good in them because I’m short, not thin and fairly ordinary.

So which are the aspects you like best op? The colours? the silhouettes? Individual items? Even if you don't want to go the whole way, I don't see why you can't incorporate certain elements and, to me, it seems a real shame to write something off when you said in your op that there are parts of it you love.

@Mamette with you on the Dalek look 😁I like the DGAF that its not flattering feeling when I wear mine.
Exterminate!

The title of the thread is “ugly fashion only works if you’re attractive”. OP gave an example, but it doesn’t prove the point at all. The influencer mentioned isn’t particularly attractive. Surely that proves the exact opposite - that look can work even if you’re not pretty?

Although like you, it isn't the style I thought was being referred to. I was expecting as Flo said, "hard core avant garde"
Looking up that Instagrammer it's not the style I had pictured from the start of the thread. She looks colourful and stylish and it's a look that a lot of people could pull off by choosing the right pieces.

The look I was envisioning was more in line with certain dungarees tribes where I'd describe the look as getting dressed in the dark and being surprised that a lot of people won't find clothing covered in period products, vulvas and clashing garments a good look.

I did mention specifics in my OP so not sure why not everyone got it.

Posters have explained why they didn't get it. It's not what I was expecting from the start of the thread.

I finally got an Instagram account. She's got some nice stuff but there's nothing challenging about her look.

I think "it makes you look like a Dalek" would be a selling point, not a disincentive !

I'm currently into oversized everything with chunky sneakers or bulky sandals. I'm 31 and 5'3" so not too young and not tall either. To me, this look is cool (I know many will disagree) and that trumps looks that are "flattering" for me.

TBH I think a lot of the baggy shapeless stuff that's around at the moment looks just as shit on beautiful models as it does on the rest of us.

I really think some MNers are stuck in the 50s when it comes to clothing, judging by many of the posts on here regarding clashing colours and unflattering clothes.

I was questioning the supposed "rules" on clashing colours as a young teen - colours co-exist happily in nature, but we can't wear them??? I certainly don't exaggerate my (many) faults by the way I dress, but I don't care much about wearing clothes which are "flattering" either.

I'm 64 and it astounds me to see people much younger who are so hide bound by these fashion rules.

Those look fine to me - and I'm in my sixties!

I hate close-fitted clothing with a passion, and am at my happiest floating around in shapeless linen dresses atm (it's summer here).

I was overly harsh calling the Instagramer's clothes "very ordinary". It was over-egging that the clothes aren't ugly or "out there". Her choices are cheerful, colourful, practical and wearable.

Apart from the jeans and trainers, which aren't my thing, I'd be happy to wear most of it. There was nothing in the " I couldn't bear to leave the house in that" category

It was the word 'ugly' in the thread title that made me think it was about something far more hard core. I like most of goodmannersstyle's clothes and how she uses colour and agree that they look very wearable.

Regarding younger people and fashion rules, I'm possibly about to contradict something I said upthread but I don't think I encountered a lot of the current ones until I was in my 40s. For sure there were many rules and restrictions In the 70s and 80s but when I think about it now, they were more to do with dressing etiquette - skirt length, trousers, bare legs etc. I remember someone telling me I was pear shaped but I didn't fully know what it meant until 'What not to Wear' came along.