What screams frumpy?

[bradpittsbathwater]

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

That'll be me. I scream frumpy.

Its all about how you wear stuff IMO. This morning I felt I was looking good (not high fashion but not frumpy) in uggs, wide legged, baggy jeans and a nice jumper...
Then I had to walk the dogs in a muddy park and tucked my big jeans into wellies......I shot straight past frumpy and into 'clowncore' !😆
I mean some people have the amazing ability to style anything and make it look good, Im def not one of them!

It has been known with me, but only on a warm summer’s day. But don’t tell anyone will you? 😉

thinking of skinny jeans with a white cotton shirt, a couple of neck chains, a pair flat leather toe posts, tanned skin, long swishy hair, could look pretty good on your holidays

Meghan Markle does this look well I think. Skinny, sometimes ripped jeans, big white shirt, tan leather shoes and bag.

I think of mid blue jeans/beige trousers or cords with a thinnish long sleeve top perhaps striped or with a collar and a fleece body warmer.

Did anyone else have to look up waterfall cardigans?

Clue: they're not what TLC were singing about in the 90s.

Just catching up on this thread and I see there’s nothing left in my wardrobe that would be deemed non-frumpy. Today I’m in a midi dress, worn with trainers and…..a cardigan…..an orange cardigan…. Runs….🏃‍♀️

well, hence the trainers @Craftycorvid 😄

Anything classic looks dull on me, - I'm thinking trench coats and blazers - anything neat and a bit proper, a bit grown-up, maybe it bores me I don't know but I can see that it suits other people and unlike me, they don't look like a 1990's throw-back.
When I was younger I used to envy people who seemed not to care what they looked like - I used to think how liberating that must be. But now I think the liberating thing is not to care what others look like!

I thought of Megan Markle too - but any mention of Megan has the potential to derail. Was also thinking of Elle Macpherson, she looked amazing in skinnies.

@StarlightLady not a word.

So why even post if you think everyone here needs to get a life. You’re not interested in this topic. Scroll on by…..

I have some gold leather Mary Janes, and some patent leather ones; some chunky ones and some dainty ones..none are frumpy to me ....I can't wear heels and have largish feet so clumpy boots, which look great on smaller feet, make me look like I am off to work on a building site (or going lumberjacking!).
Each to their own, enjoy what you like and to hell with the haters!

Claudia Winkleman wears super skinny jeans, mainly in black with biker boots and looks the absolute opposite of frumpy.

I was thinking about this thread today and thinking how few people look frumpy these days. When I think of frumpy I think of a friend we had as children who was old before her time, had a severe haircut and wore knee-length nylon skirts or slacks with tan tights. She was only about 40 but dressed much older.

These days the generations seem much less definite in terms of clothing styles, and pretty much lots of people wear sports leggings, jeans, fleeces, boots, in various styles, and I don't find any of them frumpy. Not all extremely on trend, but not frumpy.

@ItsallIeverwanted Yes! Claudia is a great example - she is constantly in skinny jeans and it looks cool. All part of her north london glam grunge look.

Skinny jeans and boots till I die.

Yes, I was thinking of the immaculate Claudia too when PP were saying skinnies and boots are frumpy. Claudia is about as unfrumpy as you can get!

I think whether skinnies suit you comes down to the proportions of your legs (not weight). If you have shortish thighs, and longish lower legs, they look good. If, like me, your legs are about 90% thigh, they don't.

For me as I age I tend to buy classic well fitting clothes.
Love lots of high fashion but I know it would look dreadful on me.

This!!

I'm not a floral dress person myself, but this makes all the sense.

Oh hell I better throw out most of my wardrobe then 🙄
I have a few things from Fatface and like a just above knee length dress with a cardigan and boots

I wore a breton top, black leggings, white sketchers, beige wool coat, and a white stuff navy tote today.
All to be avoided, according to this thread.
Example photos for reference. I felt great and not frumpy at all.
And in the warmer weather, I'll be wearing a green floral midi dress, white sketchers and a denim jacket (with a tan radley cross body bag).
😆

Let's be honest, 'frumpy' is code for not being sufficiently preoccupied with readying oneself for male gaze. God forbid any woman would prioritise warmth, comfort, or spending her disposable income on books or travel or whatever, rather than conforming to the current idea of what makes a woman look 'acceptable'.

What goes with frumpy is 'dowdy', and the idea of having 'given up'. We should interrogate this. Given up on what? The idea we must make an effort to conform to beauty ideals in order to keep men interested, or to fuel consumerism? Giving up on that really freaks some men out. Not being interested in needing their approval signals a loss of their power. It's also big business to keep women feeling like they must keep spending to avoid becoming 'dated' looking.

I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the male gaze, a lot of high fashion actually baffles men as it looks so weird and unappealing. Right now it’s all about grunge, UGGs, those narrow sunglasses from the 90s and tiny handbags. I wouldn’t say that attracts the male gaze.

I think there’s different kinds of frumpy 1. Not looking sexy enough for male approval, 2. Not looking fashionable enough for female approval.

Yeah, but frumpy isn't really code for not high fashion is it?