A stylish person you once saw who you can't forget

[iCod]

Me, Southwest West France about 1979
We were still agog by topless women, but there was this one woman who had a gold chain around her tiny waist and she looked brilliant and I just thought today she must be dead by now
Who do you remember seeing that made an impact?

Did I say the teachers who dressed like that in the 1980s were dull, unstylish, frumpy or dowdy? No, I did not. In fact, the 2 in particular I am thinking of were rather fabulous in their own way, one was a very tall woman who could command a classroom like nobody else and the other was a lovely woman who many of us called 'mum' by mistake. But you go ahead and carry on being judgmental - it's a bit sad really that you've derailed the thread in this way.

@DriveMeCrazy1974 I had an utterly fabulous teacher in the 80’s. Convent school with a smattering of what I thought were elderly ladies in twinsets.
Miss Caroll was 23, a maths genius, but looked like one of the Kid Creole dancers.
She started teaching aerobics at lunchtime and we were all in.
Her wardrobe was amazing - long sleek hair when everyone else had perms, wide trousers, silk shirts, wooden bangles.
I ended up teaching with her a decade later and we had a night out one Friday. 3 on the morning and we were still in the club and the owner said oh Gina, it’s a bit early for you to leave.
Then I got all of the tales of her exciting life and blimey she’d lived.
She told me when she went for her job interview to the Head - the chief nun who was actually a brilliant lady and full of fun - asked her why she’d gone into teaching and she replied…
Well it’s either this or being some rich Sheik’s plaything, Sister.
Miss Caroll did get married a bit later on and we stayed friends. One of the funniest, chicest and wild women I have ever known. She was like the Patsy Stone of her profession.

She sounds AMAZING! How fabulous that you became friends with her! It's always surprised me the different type of people that become teachers. My middle school was very different to my upper school, by then teachers were becoming more individual and dressing quite differently to the ones I knew when I was 9 - 13 years old!

She once won a sports car in a card game in the club she took me to, at 5 in the morning.
I had suggested a club I liked and she said, oh, darling how dull it’s full of off-duty policeman.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Such height. Such dignity. Such SWISH.

Can't tell a Cardinal "wearin' it well' about his ecclesiastical robes. But oh yes he was.

(I did see him in person.)

Ha! She sounds like a lot of fun :)

I'm in Europe on holiday atm and seem surrounded by very beautiful, tiny waisted Japanese girls/women.
In a boat trip today I was very taken by a lady on a plain cream linen sleeveless dress, with a leather plaited belt and FABULOUS shoes.
Another was wearing a knee length floral multi layered, long sleeved high necked tea dress with a huge hat 👒
An older lady also caught my fat, sweaty, frumpy eye and was wearing olive green baggy silk trousers, a white tight top and the loveliest silk jacket..olive Green at the hems and cuffs and an abstract floral pattern all over. I'm not describing it well, but I thought she looked fab.
The Japanese ladies I've seem even look good in leisure wear

Just last year I was on a beach, and noticed a woman walk down the steps in this gorgeous dress that was white with like a blue floral pattern and she was just so beautiful, very natural looking, curvy, gorgeous long brown hair that she just effortlessly threw up into a messy bun. I can't really pin point why but for some reason I just couldn't take my eyes off of her!

😂 it's sad that you felt the need to use the term "mumsy".
So just calm down. I'm interested in language and it's use. No need to get irate. 🙏 ☀️

Sometimes it's hard to pin down, isn't it? I think if a woman is confident in her own body, knows what suits her and goes for style over fashion, it's always a winning combination.

"mission to find fault"
Nope. Just interested in the use of a term.
It is really nothing to get upset about, as I said.
It's only a discussion thread! 🤣

You should definitely have told him 😅!!

Woman who ran the cafe in the very small town i lived in in france. She looked like she stepped straight out of the 70s. She was in her fifties, tall and skinny, really boyish figure with long wavy grey hair. She wore things like drainpipe jeans with a faded cheesecloth shirt tucked in and drove a 2CV. Think patti smith vibes

Yes, definitely you're so right. She was very beautiful but also very normal looking (and I don't mean that in a horrible way!) but she definitely seemed to have that winning combo. She just seemed so at ease with herself and confident, maybe I saw something in her that I hope to see in myself one day.

No, that doesn't sound horrible - I know what you mean 😊.
I think your phrase about being at ease with yourself nails it .

It is noticeable that almost every description includes skinny, slim, etc,etc.

A guy I saw at a music festival this Monday.

He was a light skinned, slim black guy in his fifties. He was wearing straw and leather espadrilles, a pair of good quality, beautifully fitted dark grey cotton cropped harem pants, a seventies style fitted orange t shirt with a quote from the C4 TV Desmond's on it, a cross body leather mulberry pouch in conker brown and a straw Vivienne Westwood "buffalo hat".

He looked like he had walked off the set of a very cool 1990s music video

What are you not getting about the fact that this is how people were described in 1980-something? Please don't tell me to calm down. Do you have any idea how patronising you come across as? I am perfectly calm, thank you very much.

I disagree. 'Mumsy' si a distinct adjective and style.

I've seen women like that. Sensational.

That's fine. You disagree, I think it's a term which indicates a certain attitude to women.
'tis all.

Ok. You did sound very irate.
It's all good. No problem 😁

I agree, I think those fabulous colours and distinctive styles do call for a woman to carry herself well. The richness of the colours is something I always admire, being a lover of colour myself.
Back to our discussion about women feeling at ease with themselves and confident about style.

That lot always made 🤣 and 🙄 at the same time!!

Feels a bit like a microaggression to be honest.