This older lady on the train..

[KibbeMe]

I loved what she wore, and she looked so comfortable!
I wouldn't call it a style, or remotely fashion conscious, but she was obviously interested in clothes, if that makes sense?

She was 65+ or thereabouts, medium height, slim, with bushy hair in a lovely twist. She was wearing a long tweed, flecked coat, with a sort of jersey tunic under it with a modest pattern. She wore dark wool tights with socks and clumpy brown boots, with a cotton tote and gorgeous mustard coloured wool scarf.

I remember thinking that I rarely saw older women in shorter skirts/tunics, and she looked fantastic. What struck me most was how at ease this all looked, so kind of interesting but comfy. It did not scream money, but wasn't cheap at all, it is hard to describe it, as it wasn't on trend for any age group, but reminded me a little of a dance tutor I had in my 20's who was vaguely bohemian in a neater, relaxed sort of way (not trendy or frilly).

If any of this makes sense, I would love some recommendations. It all looked great quality but not in popular styles. The tunic looked like basic jersey with a scoop neck, wasn't baggy or tight. Colours were mixed but not obvious.
This was in March this year and I still haven't forgotten her!

I'm sinewy like Davina and I really wish I wasn't. I'd love to be soft bodied and feminine...preferably with long pre-Raphaelite curls...

Loved that Toast era

This coat

( setting aside the fact Aunt Sylvie was completely bonkers and would have been a nightmare to live with)

You'd probably like the Ruth Rendell films from the 90's, I think from the 'mysteries' series, such as 'May and June', 'Master of the Moor', and 'Vanity Dies Hard'.
I can't locate any decent stills to illustrate this, but Alice in 'Vanity Dies Hard' definitely fits the sartorial mood of your 'coat' video..

So many wonderful clothes around on tv back then, similar to the slightly floaty academic look of early Morse episodes or Midsomer Murders.
Difficult to describe it, and not so easy to find nowadays, no matter how far up market you search. The quality just isn't there at most price points.

You can watch the whole series here! https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8wu5ei

Such an interesting thread! Thanks OP and others.

If anyone would like to come and join us on the Dark Academia thread, for more chat about this aesthetic, you'd be very welcome

Thanks @highlandcoo !

I was always drawn to dark academia but find some essential differences - I certainly can't see them enjoying a Seasalt tunic
Perhaps I saw too many pinterest images featuring schoolgirls wearing micro minis, loafers and harry potter glasses.

The old Morse and Rendell stuff definitely fits the more mature vibe though. I wish there was a name for that, but all that I can come up with is 90's, theatre going middle class, with a romantic, artsy, messier (perhaps bohemian) leaning.

Likewise, Dark Academia is almost but not quite for me at 60... it's fractionally too preppy.

The other thing that has a similar vibe to early Toast, however, is some of the old Rowan Knitting magazines. They were wonderfully arty and perfectly captured that Country House feeling of tweeds and classic knits in muted tones and all beautifully accessorised. I always found their winter editions wonderfully inspiring.

For some reason I’m thinking of When Harry Met Sally. Lovely knits and tweedy jackets in that.

Yes, my friends are Gamine types (House of Colour assessed).

the same style would look ridiculous on me as I'm a classic type and look mature, not girlish.

I think its very easy to look good if you're a gamine type.

I do light academia quite well but always look more like I'm channeling Ralph Lauren from 1990.

@KibbeMe, I can relate to so much in this thread. I think I've been 'softly counter culture' my entire life. I remember when I was at school one of the teachers telling my mum at a parents evening that I was a 'half rebel'.

And these days, at the age of 54, I would never go clothes shopping in a high street because I wouldn't find anything I wanted. In fact, that's probably been the case for about 20 years.

Agree about Toast; the glory days are over. Both photos you posted are older Toast. I am fast approaching the age you estimate she was, birthday next week. I think I dress a little like that, but sharper; tweed coat yes, tunic no. Was exiting a charity shop today, and a young woman said 'I love your style'. I get this quite often, which is pleasing.

Definitely not seasalt; too wholesome, not high quality.

Some of their linen dresses aren't bad actually, especially the ones that can be worn as pinafores (ditto Fat Face linens) but a lot of Seasalt prints are a bit frumpy, I do admit.

The only things I like....and I live right by them in Cornwall...are the waterproof parka jackets and the Toast-esque linen aprons. It's all rather children's TV presenter for me.

I have a long waterproof coat from Seasalt and it has stood me well, also a leaf print tunic that is excellent quality, compared to so much that I see on the market now. Maybe not the 'head to toe' look, though!
I don't like their tees or fashion related stuff (wide leg crops, etc) but their staples and organic jersey are pretty decent.

I seem to suit a tunic as a dress, with wool tights and clumpy boots. Not sure if I am 'gamine' but they never look frumpy on me, if that makes sense? I can easily chuck a big jumper over them and stick some wellies on and a flowing coat.

Seasalt would be great if they'd offer more solid prints. And like a PP said, I think this look, the lady on the train, entails putting different pieces together from different brands that work in harmony.

For me, the worst thing that happened to the market was the elasticated waist. Once aimed at older women, now even teens. They are often huge, chunky and shapeless and require either a longer top (which have all but vanished) or something that covers the unsightly bunching. This must have been popular since it won't go away, and it is becoming rare to locate anything with a flat waist or zipper. If a waistband has to be elastic, I can't see why they can't engineer a wide flat one, which would be comfortable, durable and sleek.

I love the Gabi cord trousers at Toast, but the waist band was impossible. I looked as if I was wearing curtain pelmet at the waist. Such a lovely pair of trews completely disgraced.

This is what I wore today, inspired by the tunic thread. Only a casual walk to town but I felt comfy and ok. Many might think it's awful and that's fine. I wore it with an old jumper from COS, wool scarf and boots.

I'm not that keen on Seasalt either, the floral midi dresses and elasticated waist trousers do nothing for me and lots of it is a bit frumpy. But I do have a few of their Larissa cotton shirts in colours/patterns I like and got in their sales. They are really useful as a sun cover up over a tank top in the summer and the fabric is really thin, so they keep me cool, plus they don't need ironing.

That’s very similar to what I wore today except the tunic/dress was a sort of denimy blue jersey and the boots were burgundy. Long chunky cardi rather than a jumper. I felt quite happy in it.

@Jenasaurus

Paynter are going to take pre-orders of their first tweed coat this Friday. It's long and comes in navy, brown, and grey.

paynter.co.uk/collections/womens-batch-no-19-harris-tweed-overcoat

Some of the plain Seasalt stuff is ok but the prints are often frightful :(

Agree many of them are awful. I was very picky about the patterns of the Larissa shirts I bought. Like, out of all the ones they have at the moment, the green 'Lelant Abstract Mix' one is the only one I'd consider and I'd only ever buy one in the sales. www.seasaltcornwall.com/larissa-printed-cotton-shirt?glCountry=GB&glCurrency=GBP&color=40325&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw6c63BhAiEiwAF0EH1IDoqa7DdSQJCtpGNBzCliry1R49ddboaSb1ur1qht-DcziB9JszZBoCs8sQAvD_BwE

What is described in the OP sounds like the sort of thing I wear in late autumn/winter. I'm still on my summer/early autumn wardrobe at the moment, I would absolutely boil in woollen garments, my long tweed coat and tights.

Seasalt I find a bit stuck in 2015. I used to like Sugarhill too but they are just rolling out the same schtick every year now.