Is this dress a bit dated?

[CerealPosterHere]

I like it but am aware that apparently floral dresses have “had their day”. I am in my 40s so probably fat face target audience

https://www.fatface.com/style/su397065/e79200#e79200

I like it, I’d wear it with denim jacket and white trainers so shoot me 😆

Says 'summer only' to me.

I’m beginning to think that I might as well just buy from primark or go much better quality like Toast. The inbetween brands don’t seem any better than primark or Tesco

I came to a similar conclusion long ago and operate a decidedly high / low shopping process. I don’t find most of the High St offers value for money compared to buying so called luxury brands which are invariably available somewhere at a discount.

It's a nice pattern.
Not high fashion but that's ok for a comfy summer dress no?

Get off tick tock!

@FreshEgg skinnies are coming back.

Instead of trainers, you could try some long boots which seem to be in again, to update the look? Or some kitten heel /ballerina/mary jane/slingbacks type shoes, if you're up to it, but not sure if they are still in or out! And instead of a cardigan I would maybe wear a jumper over the dress, to turn it into a skirt/top look and get more out of it. And instead of a denim or leather jacket, maybe find something else, eg a trench coat, suede or fun furry (faux) jacket. Anyway, I'm not an expert in fashion but I always think longish dresses/skirts and boots look really good together in a kind of 70s boho vibe kind of way.

Personally I think thinking in 'trends' is what should be outdated really. It stems from capitalistic thinking, always getting us to spend our money on new things when the old are often still good for many more years. And using shame to look down on others just for not being 'up-to-date'. It should be a personal choice if you even want to be 'in' or not. And could lead to more individuality and uniqueness in your personal style too, which I always prefer to see. And people are strapped these days so we should be thinking in terms of sustainability anyway, wearing the most out of the things we have and maybe looking at ways to refresh an item or creating something new with it if you had the right sewing skills rather than just chuck them away.

And it would give the middle finger to the billionaires of the world who rely on our spending habits to keep them rich! /lecture over

Sorry just realise i quoted the wrong person. This was meant for the OP!

I hear you, but I'd wear that for lunch with friends but with some trainers and a trench or jacket to dress it down! But I'm 31 so appreciate I'm looking at it through a different lens, it's hard to balance being 'on trend' and not being too young and trendy! I'd feel ridiculous in some of these Gen Z outfits 😂

Turn of the spin it’s the spin that shrinks viscose.

That’s interesting, didn’t know that and had just assumed it was washing. Always spin at 1400.

I’m not saying that if you wash it too hot it won’t shrink, but I’ve found viscose doesn’t do well with spins.

Two (of the many things) which have surprised me on MN is the mindset of some posters that everything needs to be washed after every wear and everything goes into a washing machine at a full spin.

I wash cotton dresses and some viscose dresses at 30° or cold and spin at the lowest setting , 600. Some viscose and silk I hand wash and use only a brief spin at lowest setting.

Sorry, that sounded snippy, but I'm often genuinely surprised that a lot of posters don't seem to take very good care of clothes.

Real wool for example needs very little washing. The upmarket brands like &Daughter and the genuine Scottish manufacturers recommend washing no than once or twice a year.

I love it but, if you could see me know, I doubt you’d consider my opinion as any sort of validation…

No worries, spin speed has just never crossed my mind. Will definitely take it on board 😁

of course someone 'wearing what they love' can still look dated 🙄
If someone wandered around in a shellsuit and perm they'd still look like they escaped from the 80s, regardless of if they had a smile on their face.

Of course people can still wear whatever they want, feel comfortable, and even look great in clothes that are a bit out of date. But it's a bit weird to come on the forum specifically called style and beauty and somehow pretend that trends don't exist and people aren't aware of them.

It's like going on a car forum and saying 'I ride a bike, it's great, good for the environment and cheap. No idea why you guys are getting so worked up about engine sizes and horsepower, I think 20mph is fast enough for anyone.'

Maybe know your audience?

Have you ever asked yourself who decides what is "dated"? Generally someone with a vested interest, who wants us to buy new clothes, and everyone follows along like sheep. Personally I stopped worrying about things being "dated" when I left my teens.

As for But it's a bit weird to come on the forum specifically called style and beauty and somehow pretend that trends don't exist and people aren't aware of them. As I said in my earlier post, style and trends are NOT the same thing.

Maybe the audience knows a bit more than you.

Not exactly on trend. A bit dated, but nice if you like that style.

I generally really dislike both Fatface and floral dresses but I actually like this! However I’d probably avoid wearing with trainers and denim jacket - that look is a bit done IMO. Sandals/chunky loafers and a nice trench maybe? Or sandals in the summer and some kind of non-denim jacket?

The length would put me off as it's not flattering on the calves. But who cares? If you like it get it.

I buy what I like, not what I think is fashionable - still in skinny jeans here!

I have no clue what is dated and what isn't as there don't seem to be any trends anymore in the same way as there used to be. Before the advent of fast fashion, there were clear trends. I'm sure I'm not the only age 50+ woman here who remembers how shops would bring out small collections each season, generally copied from the catwalks in some way. End of season sales could be genuine bargains. There was genuine excitement at each change of season.

Now, with fast fashion, there are (literally, in rubbish dumps) mountains and mountains of stuff brought out much more regularly, with no discernible "theme" or style. I find clothes shopping in a lot of high street stores depressing and complicated. Far too much of a range, at very low quality, instead of a smaller range at higher quality. Online ordering has got very timeconsuming as there are far too many pages to wade through. As for the quality of the material, fits, styling and finish....some of it is straight off the equivalent of those Chinese made to order cheap wedding dresses which come back looking nothing like the picture on the website.

I went to Rome last year and felt very frumpy and cheap compared to the local women there. Not a print or a flounce to be seen. Jersey material, joggers and hoodies were for doing sports in only. I decided I needed to up my game and I've tried to choose natural materials as a starting point from clothes I buy from now on.

@CurlyhairedAssassin
Just want to make a point on Rome & how Italian women dress. I read somewhere once that Italian women spend on average the same amount on clothes per month as British women do on their mortgages. No idea if that’s true or not but it would explain a lot if it were - well if you’re looking at mortgages where I live anyway 😂

Have you ever asked yourself who decides what is "dated"? Generally someone with a vested interest, who wants us to buy new clothes, and everyone follows along like sheep.

I think to a great extent the people who decide what is dated are women themselves because women (eventually) get bored with a look. I don't think the getting bored effect comes in anything like as quickly as posters and others claim (when criticising women for being interested in clothes)

The midi floral dress, trainers and denim jacket look had a good innings. The midi floral dress isn't going anywhere - there plenty of brands where it's a staple including high end brands like Erdem, Alémais, Zimmerman. Trainers and denim jackets aren't going anywhere either. It's just a case of not wearing all 3 together.

Your (general your) floral midi dress gets an oomph just by adding a flat pump, Mary Jane or espadrille and a boxy or chunky piece of knitwear.

LOVE IT