Paranoid now about my (possibly!) frumpy Next trousers!

[ShadesOfPemberley]

Bought these and have been wearing them loads with the nice weather. Generally with either a plain boxy T shirt or with a half-tucked pale blue shirt, linen or cotton, quite boyfriend style. Trainers or tan leather sandals depending on the state of my toenails!

www.next.co.uk/style/su424729/ab5871#ab5871

Planned to wear them to a casual bbq this weekend and a couple of other weekend gatherings in the next few weeks, and having read the thread about the lovely poster in the Next queue feeling frumpy I’ve lost confidence! I wanted to avoid floral dress (nothing wrong with that look either!) because I’ve gained weight and don’t feel right in dresses. I’ve been more into this style of pleated trouser all winter and feel better in these than a dress or skirt.

but are they just going to make me look (more importantly feel) like style has passed me by?! I adore clothes, always have, but have seriously lost my way with peri weight gain and a lot of stress/worry at home. Just want to feel that I look vaguely breezy and ‘with it’ as my mum used to say, I’m not saying they’re trousers you’d wear to a front row in Paris but are they just hideous and unstylish?! And the dreaded ‘f’ word?

I am 48, am 5 foot 9 and an athletic (broad shoulders) untoned size 10/12, for context! I am working on the untoned thing but for various reasons it’s a struggle.

Any styling advice (or advice to bin the trews!) gratefully received!

Trousers look fine to me.
Frumpy is a knee-length dress! I do not know anyone, who looks good in that kind of outfit. Added frump points if the dress is round-necked.

I hope not! I’ve got some similar ones in black/white and really like them

Personally, I don't think the elasticated waist is great - it does seem a bit 'given up'. A bit more of a structured top (even a half elasticated waistband) would elevate them for me from schlepping about to attending a gathering. I have lovely wide-legged trousers from Abercrombie & Fitch that have a structured waistband and an elastic insert at the back - perhaps you could look for similar?

Yeah it was the all elastic waistband that I was starting to doubt…!!!

Thank you everyone, AuntieDolly I’m sure your trousers are lovely 💪

I wouldn't say frumpy exactly but the combo of the formal navy pinstripes with the loose fit and elastic waist is a bit odd, like a banker who wants to fit in a gym sesh before the conference call. Or grandpa pyjamas.

Sorry! You sound like you have a good figure and sense of style but that outfit doesn't even look great on the model, in my opinion. I think the same thing but with plain navy/tan etc would look fine, its just the pinstripes.

Pyjamas was def a look I was trying to avoid! Especially grandpa ones 🤣

I like these, I don’t think they’re frumpy, but linen is one of those fabrics that can look messy really quickly so I tend to avoid it

I was on a thread about trousers - it was suggested that we no longer refer to elasticated waists but pull-on trousers! It's how the stores describe them anyway

Thanks everyone! I might relegate them to just-hanging-about trousers and see if I can find something still floaty but a bit more structured at the waist for my going-out outfit

I don’t hate them (and I have no hesitation in being mean about post-1995 Next) and they’re perfectly suitable for everyday wear. But linen at that price is inevitably going to turn limp as soon as you put them on, so I wouldn’t pick them for anything where I wanted to look cool and well dressed.

But OP, these are perfect trousers for how you are wearing them. You said already, you have worn them loads.

Just because you read on here that someone else doesn't seem to like them, or wouldn't pick them due to the stripe, should not make you doubt yourself and choices.

Not everyone likes elasticated waists, but I can assure you I have more now that I used to as I wear what suits me and is comfy, and that is all that matters imo.

There are some clothes posted on this board that I think are dreadful, and many others seem to like.

What has happened to being individual? Everyone seems to be dressed the same a lot of the time and that I do find quite boring.

Wear your trousers OP. You certainly don't need to go and replace them with something else similar just because they have a zip and button, or a different colour just because someone else prefers that.

They're fine, OP. Stripy wide-leg linen trousers are all over TikTok at the moment, particularly the M&S ones (second year in a row those have been viral!). I don't like the navy colour of those personally, but have some similar light blue and white striped ones from Monki from last year that I wore loads with either a plain white t-shirt or a graphic tee, and trainers or Birkenstock clogs.

I like them and think the way you've described styling them is great.
I've got a paler blue/grey and white pair I got from Arket last year and love wearing them with graphic or plain t-shirts, sweatshirts or a denim shirt.

I think they’re a nice basic and whether they look frumpy or not is all dependant on styling. Worn with a graphic tee (French tucked) and trainers I think they’d look fab. For something smarter, a very bright shirt (maybe pink) would look really nice.
I would personally try and avoid anything that looks too corporate with it and try and introduce some fun, bright colours in your top and shoes to avoid making them look older.
Some other PP have mentioned the elasticated waist as a potential issue but I don’t think that’s an issue as you’ll find a lot of on trend trousers are fit that way now.
However, all that said, if you like them, they fit you well and you feel good in them that’s all that matters!

Well I really like them! I think so much of it is how you style them; but they’re definitely fashionable- almost every single online shop from asos to h and m and Zara have almost identical ones.

Trousers look fine to me, don't worry about elastic waists, even some high end brands are doing them,

They aren’t what I think of when I think of frumpy, purely because I prefer dated to frumpy and they are on trend at the moment, in a way say three quarter length leggings and tunic tops are not.

Some thoughts:

the trousers are fine. Not fashion forward but if you style them a bit, they will look fine.

Next overall is not somewhere to get a fashion forward outfit. Don’t get your style tips from there but the odd piece is ok.

Maybe look somewhere like Zara, net a porter, magazines etc for styling inspo.

I was one of the posters who were rude about Next on that thread. I did feel a bit bad afterwards because I know it's popular and also that posters who prefer real shops might not have many other options locally. So I'm sorry, op if I made you feel less confident.

I don't think I described them as frumpy or unfashionable. What I did say - and I still maintain this - is that Next make me feel depressed and cross. That's because I can't look at those trousers (that are a pretty current style by the way) without remembering the perfect 100% linen suit that got lost in a house move in the 90s, or the velvet flares (proper cotton velvet) that I revived a few years ago and wore last Christmas, or the countless other outfits I bought or tried on there, or the hours I used to spend pouring over their catalogue. Because when Next first opened in the 80s they knocked the rest of the high street right out of the park and I find it very hard to forgive them for what they've become.

Have you seen some of the crap that is posted on here? Why on Earth would you be put off your clothes by a few randoms on here 😂

I think they are lovely and if you want to look at styling Ashley James has them. Look at her IG page. Also if you feel comfortable and think you look great, who cares what other people think. 😊

I think they're nice! And sound perfectly put together with the outfits you describe. They don't sound frumpy at all. I think nice jewellery would make it more dressy. Chunky gold raindrop earrings.

Wear what makes you happy. No point wasting time second guessing how others perceive you, just dress to make you happy. I dread to think what some of my more fashionable colleagues think of what I wear, but then I also think some of their fashion choices are odd. But they're happy, and so am I.

Ah thanks everyone! I feel better about them now, a huge thank you!! Like the idea of nice gold jewellery with them.

I still think the pinstripes aren’t quite ideal and wish I’d got a pair in plain fabric instead BUT weirdly have located at the back of my wardrobe a pair I haven’t worn for ages because I was so into dressses for a couple of summers. Plain blue (kind of a light/mid blue) and with a smarter waistband so I might try those for my going-out event this weekend. They’ll still fit despite crappy weight gain because it’s all gone on my tummy and they sit below the waist. Will just need to find a flattering top and ta-da (hopefully!!) new outfit!

thanks everyone, and Floisme don’t apologise!!! I agree that next is a shadow of its 90s self 😣

I wore trousers like those, navy striped but with a drawstring waist on the bank holiday weekend with a betty Barclay yellow top and yellow superdry sliders and was stopped three times and told I looked amazing. I then washed them and they fell apart as they were very old m and s linen so I might just buy these to replace them as I felt a million dollars in them