What screams frumpy?

[bradpittsbathwater]

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

I can’t wear contact lens so I assume my wearing glasses will affront @Cookie77777 🙄🤬
Perhaps after reading her list I should just stay indoors?

If anybody can find me an example of the word "frumpy" used to describe men, I will eat one of my flowery dresses and my glasses.

(Seriously? Glasses? Frumpy? Let's hope the people saying this aren't passing this message on to children.)

It's really horrible as a woman who has no choice but to wear glasses to hear other women say they are frumpy.

Women who definitely don't look frumpy in glasses: -
Jo Whiley
Mary Portas
Susanna Constantine
Jennifer Aniston
Sarah Beeny

the only label that woman wears is Drip Dry ( Patsy Sloane, Ab Fab)

This is me!
I don't care if cardigans are frumpy - for us menopausal women, layers are the way to go. I wore a jumper yesterday and had to keep taking it on and off which was a real PITA. Cardigans are so much easier.

@Tiddlywinks63 If you were truly stylish, you wouldn't r be able to read @Cookie77777's message. What with being too cool to wear glasses.....

Yes, there is that aspect of it. It just seems a bit of a waste to have these physical attributes going unseen.

It’s not misogyny or ageism, at all. Anyone can look non- frumpy it’s nothing to do with weight or age.
Thinking about it, generally I find things frumpy when there are the following:
unnecessary embellishments , like extra useless buttons, frilled cuffs, peplums, writing, glitter…
Bad fabrics
Black polyester trousers paired with bright patterned tops
From the long list above I actively like a blouse ( if it’s silk or cotton) and I love coloured tights, so some things are clearly subjective.

Nah, they look like a drug dealer.

I think I'm guilty as a PP says of getting mumsy mixed up with frumpy. Because the people I know, it is probably more mumsy.

It’s fine to look frumpy if that’s the look you enjoy and choose to wear! But if you want to avoid it, then avoid outdated clothing. Skinny jeans, twee patterns, fiddly details, the wrong fit (oversized is trendy) or the wrong style of trainers (chunky ones are in). Outdated glasses ruin your look too, and outdated jewellery (chunky is out, delicate is in).

Certain shops cater to the frumpy mumsy market so their clothes aren’t suitable if you don’t want to look frumpy (Joules, Boden, Fat Face, Bon Marche, etc). In general the clothes at Cos and Arket are more modern and not frumpy. Again, nothing wrong with shopping at the former if that’s the look you want!

I’m very short with big tits and a bit lardy at the moment so almost everything that looks edgy on the young or those blessed with coat hanger shoulders and a willowy frame looks frumpy on me. The number of items that don’t look frumpy on me is terrifyingly small. If I shift a few lbs it will help a bit but the oversized thing is a disaster for me.

As @SomersetTart says if she's happy with her style then go for it.

There are a few people I know/have known whose style is a million miles away from my own, but if they like what they wear, then good for them.

In fact, one friend, she wears/wore an Oasis leather peplum jacket which I coveted and she's the least frumpy person I know, likes to be very much on trend and follows the latest fashions.

Thank you @CurlewKate my thoughts exactly

Wearing glasses, except sunglasses
Glasses aren’t frumpy - the exact opposite! People are wearing glasses with clear lenses to get the look, because glasses are trendy. The youth are all wearing chunky frames or wire aviators. The super trendy are starting to wear tinted lenses in colours like yellow, orange or blue.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain your mum sounds so cool! I hope I’m like that when I’m older

Oh, another post to quote and it's you again Kate 💐

@Itsanothermanicmonday
That's not frumpy that's the trying hard to be 'quirky', the word alone makes me 🤢, it's deliberate; oh I've just flung any old thing on, when it's not that at all.

Sorry but the word 'frumpy' is awful.

It's only ever used to describe women who are not meeting society's standards of feminine beauty and sex appeal. Ugh!

Women - wear whatever the hell you want and don't listen to this 'frumpy' bullshit - you are attractive and brilliant.

Marilyn Monroe ! definitely not frumpy, despite being ‘voluptuous’
Sophia Loren ( from her forties)

Jennifer Lopez,
Cate Blanchett (sp)
Scarlett Johanson
JAMIE lee Curtis,
Gwen Stefani
Diane Keaton
Meryl Streep
many more I’m sure

not forgetting Iris Apfel, rip
and
HM the Queen ! rip

Baggy clothes, unkempt hair (or hair that doesn't really have much style), grey roots, dull colours...

I love my Adidas Gazelles. And frankly at 60 I’d look ridiculous in clumpy trainers.

And my dd who is very cool and on trend won’t wear trainers at all. ‘No one wears trainers mum ‘ She wears furry DM’s with long droopy dresses or Converse.

If people are so happy with what they wear, don’t like fashion, don’t care what people think, then why get so up in arms about it on here?!

It’s ok to not like fashion, it’s ok to like it. The OP wanted to know what people thought frumpy meant, possibly with the aim of avoiding it. People were giving their thoughts, it’s not a personal attack just because you happen to like skinny jeans and ballet flats.

I like fashion, I don’t look fashionable all the time. I’m currently sitting in a particularly frumpy outfit of woollen leggings, woollen top, baggy jumper, and socks. I’m wfh and cold! I might pop out to the shops in it later. Yes, people may say I look frumpy and I would totally agree with them. I wouldn’t be offended though.

The clothes look a lot better if they flatter your shape. My friend looks great in a belted trenchcoat over a floral tea dress. I'm a different shape to her and would look like Hilda Ogden in the same outfit.

@108anj 's acquaintance sounds cool.

I know someone who is short and not skinny and wears midi dresses under a midi 'seasalt'-type coat. She always looks fab.

Certain shops cater to the frumpy mumsy market so their clothes aren’t suitable if you don’t want to look frumpy (Joules, Boden, Fat Face, Bon Marche, etc).

I love the idea that the creative team of these brands sit around a table and brainstorm designs to cater to us mumsy, breton top types.

"Let's run up a cardigan with an uneven hem"
"Good thinking Jocasta, and put it on a model wearing glasses and a big handbag, that'll be catnip to the frumpy demographic"