What screams frumpy?

[bradpittsbathwater]

What makes something/someone frumpy? It's hard to define. I know MN can get upset at this word.

I wouldn’t say she looks frumpy but she does look outdated.

I don't tend to think of anyone as 'frumpy.' I'm only likely to notice if someone looks unkempt or haven't made any kind of effort at all.

Knee boots are definitely not frumpy 🤣🤣🤣

www.net-a-porter.com/en-gb/shop/product/balenciaga/shoes/knee-high/waders-90-leather-knee-boots/1647597291569965

Yes, it's definitely not frumpy. I haven't got a pair anymore but they still look attractive.

I don't think short tight dresses are in fashion but I wouldn't look at a woman who looked good in one and think they looked frumpy.

WTF?

To me, off the shoulder tops and black leather biker jackets scream “frumpy” but they are still being sold everywhere. As are ditzy patterned collarless blouses. I guess we all have different tastes

It appears I am fabulously frumpy 😁

Christ, this thread is just DRIPPING with judgment.

How about we just encourage all women to wear whatever the fuck they want and not feel the need to bend to these ridiculous rules of acceptability that you can guarantee men made up.

Fuck ALL of that shit.

Sounds like me however I do wash

I haven't read the whole thread, as that's more internalised misogyny than a gal should consume in a day, but I tend to think we're looking at this the wrong way.

A head held high, wearing things that conform to one's own personal aesthetic values, tends to look pretty good, whatever the specific choices.

Desperately trying to evade hostile assessment by others, is a less confident basis to sally out from.

And yet in the nightclub I went to last weekend, all the youngsters had black biker jackets on.

Basically I think everyone’s idea of frump is heavily influenced by what the generation before them wore.

So if gen1 wore a lot of midi skirts, gen2 finds them frumpy and avoids them like the plague.

Then gen3 comes along and think “gen2 are so frumpy and they never wear midi skirts, so midi skirts are fresh and flattering not frumpy” and they adopt midi skirts enthusiastically.

Then gen4 comes along and goes “ugh, midi skirts, so gen3, definition of frump”.

So you get to either spend a lot of time and money chasing the current fashions (but woe betide you if you go too faddy)

Or you fall into the land of frump and should be thoroughly ashamed and disgusted by yourself.

Ok great, that sounds empowering. Why do women do this to ourselves? Do you ever think of what could be achieved if we stopped giving a fuck about the most fashionable jeans cut and put our energies into something more productive?

There's nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel good, but this is a misery treadmill for everyone involved.

I think the body shape makes us look frumpy more than anything. Menopausal belly becomes the centre of our attention and we just choose things that hide our middle.
Fast fashion makes us look frumpy. I’m thinking supermarket T-shirts, which have a shit cut, shit material and wash like a dishcloth.
Lack of time and money makes us frumpy. Long working days, long commute, COL, a couple of kids, ageing parents…one of a sudden the fact that you’re wearing a waterfall cardie means fuck all. You’re grateful for some warmth, something to hide the belly and it doesn’t break the bank.

It’s not the clothes’ fault, or our taste in things. It’s our lifestyle.

Just been watching You Tube videos. One woman is saying wear 80% classic and 20% modern.

I think youngsters can look good in fast fashion but not so much when you are older.

The cropped biker in Zara is currently one of the ‘most wanted’

Knee boots are a thing again though.

I've just clicked on another video that was made 4 months ago mentioning tall boots as being a good thing to wear.

Genuine question, if cardigans are considered “frumpy” what do women wear to keep themselves warm?! I work in an office, dress code is smart but not quite as formal as “business dress”. I like to wear dresses as it’s easier than coordinating separates, and I like wearing dresses, but our building is old and drafty, so I need an extra layer to keep warm!

What is frumpy on ME 😁 as a 52 yr old 6ft tall woman:

• midi dresses, anything mid calf. I just look like a Sunday school teacher, or a vicar’s wife on her way to hosting a tea party for lonely elderly parishioners . on other women it looks cool, but not on me, ever
• Floral patterns, again I look like the vicar’s wife
• Cropped trousers, ridiculous and frumpy and looks like I am not aware I am 6ft tall and have borrowed my 5ft1 best mate’s trousers
• pussy bow blouses, all blouses, I look like I am an anxious chubby middle aged lady (and only two of those things are true about me)

controversially I look ok in outdoorsy clothes as we live between woods and farms and it just looks like I’m about to walk my dogs (which I often am)

I think any clothes can look cool or frumpy, but it depends on WHO wears them, and HOW and WHERE

or maybe I just need to find a local vicar to marry and be done with it

Tsh! You want to prioritise meeting bodily needs and keeping warm? You are a lightweight.

Frumpy is clothes that don't suit the wearer, not any type of clothes.

It's usually a combination of wrong colour and wrong style, badly put together. Decent hair and a smile both help to overcome frumpiness whilst a sad day and bad hair are no one's friend.

Some people look fabulous in a floral dress and flat shoes, others look awful. Personally, I look pallid and dull in beige which is supposed to be oh so cool.

Some people look edgy and amazing in clashing colours and patterns, others look like escapees from an asylum.

Some people look incredible in black. Most white british people don't.

Some people look awesome in skinny jeans, boots and whatever else is deemed to be so last season. Get over it.

Some people look stunning in the latest styles. Others look like a joke who got dressed in the dark.

Not frumpy is being authentic and wearing what suits you. Use a mirror, not a rule book.

If millennial / of an age where Alexa Chung still is a guide: jumpers

If actually young: sportswear

If extremely hipster: hillwalking gear

If don't care about fashion and prioritise practicality: hillwalking gear

If young and also have disposable income: hillwalking gear

at the centre of the venn diagram of all above categories (except teens): merino wool base layer

hth

Not frumpy is being authentic and wearing what suits you. Use a mirror, not a rule book. Excellent advice @Citrusandginger !

True to an extent, but if you're wearing something v old fashioned (like a waterfall cardigan imo) as opposed to something classic, you're still going to look frumpy.