Do others on here loving dressing up?

[friendlyflicka]

As I am writing this I suddenly have a vision of my youngest daughter, as a toddler, always in princess dress and wellington boots...but probably a similar mindset:

I always think about what I am wearing, I love getting ready for things, I love putting on makeup. I always have. Even in lockdown I bothered because it is something that gives me immense pleasure.

When people on here suggest that an outfit is 'overdressed' it makes me feel sad.. I love looking online for beautiful second hand expensive clothes. I enjoy making an effort. I don't think is is for anyone else. I am 56 and I admire women of all ages who look as if they have put thought and effort into their appearance.

I don't advocate that everybody should do the same at all. And I appreciate that for lots of people, this is not a priority at all. I do spend time on a lot of other pursuits that might be considered less superficial. But even when I am properly ancient, I can't imagine that I will change.

I can remember when my grandmother, was on a stretcher in hospital, after a heart attack (she lived another 20 years) and she whispered to me 'are my eyebrows still on, darling?'. It could be genetic.

I just wondered if there are others on here who are similarly ardent.

I love getting dressed up and it makes me sad that I get few opportunities to do so these days. Before COVID and kids I worked in a corporate office so lots of dresses and heels. Now I work from home I go nowhere apart from school and supermarket. Plus I now live in a rural village where everyone slobs in tracksuit bottoms and consider jeans to be dressed up! I find I spend ages now planning my outfits to go anywhere 😆

It's annoying as well as I finally have a bit of disposable income to spend on expensive clothes but a) have nowhere to wear them and b) many former decent brands are now crap.

My mother used to put her appearance down all the time. Very sad because I look at photos of her and she was lovely but tall and self conscious. And she brought us up to be very unsure of ourselves in terms of appearance.

I think I was born with a great love of pink (I am 56 so not as ubiquitous then). My mother, quite comically retrospectively, told my sisters to stop me buying pink clothes, and said I was 'unnatural' and 'not one of them'.

I was also called superficial and frivolous, again, even though I did well academically.

I thought I was going to get a dressing down on here for saying how much I loved dressing up/with care. That is why I got the criticism in before anyone else went for it

My mum used to have a perfect body when young but I grew up listening how her three kids damaged her belly and breasts which is ironic since she apparently didn’t care

She would go out of her way to not look put together - extremely short and shapeless hair cut at the barbers - which was not trendy at that time - always trousers and t-shirts with plimsols and only one handbag for every occasion 😱

She was very clean though

@HiGunny if only we lived in the same small rural village and then we would win prize for best turned out dog walkers. I spent the morning in jodhpurs. Usually better dressed rest of day but hard to fight the mud atm

I'll join please! I adore getting dressed up. I have a lot of very beautiful clothes & I'm very fond of velvet & tweed & lace & corduroy. Although I don't actually dress like an Edwardian I am drawn to clothes that have an old world quality & a friend described me as dressing from another era in a good way.

I have a group of female friends & we meet around once a month for dinner & drinks out & we all make a wonderful effort when we meet & we're super complimentary of each other & I love planning my outfits for these nights.

I work in a v creative sector & have lots of friends who dresses on the more flamboyant side of things & I adore this!

I'm really into perfume & jewellery too.

I wear flat shoes / boots/ trainers day to day - I love really good expensive shoes & wear Tracey Neuls, Mara Bini, isabel Marant, Chie Mhiara & Sturlini shoes & boots everyday..

I have some very fabulous heels - mostly chunky / platforms (no stilettos ) for evening but quite often wear flats then too depending on the outfit

Even if dh & I are going to the cinema i make an effort 👌

I forgot to say a typical work outfit would be wool tailored trousers from ME+EM, Brora or whistles with a silk shirt & a navy or bottle green or Plum cashmere jumper. Or a corduroy jacket.

I envy you op. I wfh and live in leggings most days but when I try to make the effort I can never pull it off - my size 16 menopausal hourglass figure, big tummy and fine flat hair go against me but I never really can pull an outfit off. It always looks too try hard and ‘mutton dressed as lamb’.

I used to work with a lovely eccentric older lady who could miss-match 6 different patterns and textures in one outfit and still look put together and glam. I just haven’t got the styling chutzpah sadly.

I love makeup and I love clothes but I never want to look ‘dressed up’. In fact I have an aversion to it. I like to look good, but in a ‘I just threw this together’ way.

I would never get my colours done in case they told me that only bright colours suit me. Everything I own is black, light brown, grey or white 😂

My MIL always looks amazing.

Hair washed and blown every morning, make up done and a gorgeous outfit that makes her look 20 years younger than she is.

I always feel like I need a good wash when I'm around her 😂

I love looking on Pinterest for outfit inspiration but in reality, I'm a bit of a scruff.

If you love dressing up, do it! I love seeing stylish people who look well groomed.

I envy you op. I wfh and live in leggings most days but when I try to make the effort I can never pull it off - my size 16 menopausal hourglass figure, big tummy and fine flat hair go against me but I never really can pull an outfit off. It always looks too try hard

I know this isn’t essentially a problem-solving thread - but I can’t resist … And in the spirit of ‘dressing up’ … I know someone whose hair is no longer what it was, who wears a Rosie Sugden cashmere turban every day. She has them in different colours to suit her clothes - and looks ridiculously chic even if she’s not leaving the house. She feels the cold but there are milliners who make really beautiful plain or printed silk turbans.

And I’d have thought a size 16 hourglass figure would be a joy to dress? Are you sure you’re shopping in the right places? Though with a sense of enjoyment you could probably find great clothes anywhere.

I am quite jealous too, of your effort. I scrub up ok, like to dress up and make an effort for an occasional wedding or friends 50th, but day to day I can't be bothered. I do put on a skirt and a silver top for work, a bit of tinted moisturiser and perfume that everyone compliments me on, but more than that I just can't be arsed.

My view is that (allowing for basic self care etc) if you can't be bothered then just don't. So I don't paint my nails or have a fancy skin care regime yet I realise that others get a lot of pleasure out of that but find my clothes obsession quite bonkers. It's only worth doing if it's enjoyable.

Definitely. That is why I confessed it as a love that I have always had. Not as a 'act like French women' or 'how to be better groomed' thing. Very similar to my once toddler daughter who couldn't go out of the house without a princess dress on.

I always wanted to be good at art and I wasn't. I think it used the same urge. Before I got into high end make up, I used to buy boxes of beautiful pencils and inks - then realised I was doing no good with them

I absolutely love clothes and am generally "overdressed" but couldn't care less. I love feminine clothes; beautiful fabrics, detailing and full skirts. I get a lot of snarky comments but just don't care.

I love clothes, always have. The history of fashion is an interest of mine - I studied anthropology and am fascinated by the meaning and messaging of clothing.

I work from home and my social circle is casual to the point of scruffy, so I don't get much opportunity to dress formally, but I always think about what I'm going to wear, even if it's just going to the supermarket.

I think about outfits all the time, and even at home I like to dress interestingly. My standard home outfit is bamboo lounge / yoga pants in black or blue, with a matching crop top, and a fabulous cotton or silk colourful duster jacket (I'm building a collection).

I'm sure a lot of this is down to this stuff not coming naturally to me. My mother wasn't at all "girly" and as kids we were left to our own devices to dress ourselves. I didn't have much money to spend on clothes, so I always felt like I was wearing the wrong thing in my teens (thank god for school uniforms). I had to learn everything from scratch and slowly developed my own eye and style as a result. It has literally taken decades and I'm still learning in my 40s. I suppose everyone does to an extent, but I've never been able to just dress casually without thinking about it.

I can't be doing with skincare and the like though (beyond cleaning and moisturising). I'm shit at routine anyway, and all those lotions and potions are so expensive. I'd rather spend that money on fabulous clothes.

I do quite like wearing make-up, and have some good quality basics, but I don't bother with all the primers and bases and stuff that have appeared in the last few years.

Once a month I have a manicure to keep my hands nice, but I don't do anything at home except trim my nails.

Me too, not much interest in make up, nails and hair - just love clothes! Always plan my outfits too, even for mundane days.

Lovely to hear you. I feel like a complete aberration in my normal life.

I hear you!!

Absolutely love getting dressed up, planning my outfit is one of my favourite parts of going out! Love (fake) fur coats, sequins, bright colours, swishy skirts... I can't wait for spring - find it really miserable this weather as whatever you wear it gets hidden under boring practical coat, so I have been wearing jeans and hoodies quite a lot which definitely dampens my mood. DH says I like my outfits to be noticed when we go out and I guess he's right. I always make a point of complimenting other women when they look nice - it takes confidence to stand out and sometimes you do feel a bit "much" so I think it's nice to acknowledge when someone's made the effort!

Just ordered this from Vinted.... can't wait to wear it! Thought you'd appreciate it!

I like dressing up. I've gone to the local pub on a Friday/Saturday night in a 'fancy' dress and heels. Overdressed by miles! I don't care. I don't spend fortunes on clothes....pretty much everything is bought in sales. But I have some nice stuff and want to wear it! Life's too short to leave your best gear in the wardrobe for 'something special'!

I'm always overdressed for nights out Lemony, my in-laws are usually dressed up to go out in stripy t-shirt with a few diamantés round the neck, slacks and sensible shoes and I turn up in something snazzy and they look at me like I've gone mad! Friends appreciate my efforts though! And agree, it's such a waste to never wear your nice clothes.

Me! I love the whole shebang of clothes, hair and make up - not necessarily dressy every day, but always something that looks like it's had at least a little thought put into putting it together. I don't always wear make up, or style my hair particularly, but definitely always a clean face with a glowy face cream, and neat hair, even if its just brushed back in a clip.
But when it iss something I want to be more 'dressed up' for, picking an outfit, deciding on a hairstyle and make up up, is my absolute favourite thing. I'm happy to be noticed as having made an effort; perhaps it's an unattractive trait of mine, but I enjoy being 'the glamorous one'

I always wanted to be good at art and I wasn't. I think it used the same urge.
Same here. I find getting dressed is a great outlet for all those creative urges I've never really had the talent to express very well.

I too am interested in fashion / costume history and now that I'm retired and have a bit more time, I'm really enjoying finding out more. I've collected vintage clothes since I was a teenager and it's fascinating to learn more about their story. (It also makes me wish I'd taken better care of them )