UK Fashion

Yes, coming from San Diego (and teaching middle school), I owned very few "smart" clothes (in fact, uhhh, I still wear some of the same sweatshirts and tshirts from high school! Not outside the house anymore though...) so I felt I should pick up some new clothes as well, just to up my dress to the slightly more formal level that there is here.  I still tend to wear classic clothes (button ups or polos, trousers or nice pressed jeans or skirts) as opposed to totally trendy stuff (I'm short, blonde, and stocky, so I feel foolish in a lot of the fashionable stuff).
That said, wear what you feel comfortable in and *take some time* to figure out what *you* want--don't feel as if you have to go right out and buy clothes! The only thing I purchased in the first year was a very smart interview outfit. (and that was with a gift card from a family member!)

I have the same issue re women being "slutted out" when I go out to pubs.

I'm happy with my body and I don't mind wearing revealing clothes, but I'm cold.

I either cover myself up more than all the other women and feel like a stuffy prude.

Or I put on something lighter and more revealing and end up wearing my jacket or coat  all night, so nobody sees my outfit anyway.



 

I think my husband was much more influenced by London's high fashion than me. He used to working close to Oxford Street, and seeing so many well dressed men spurred him into being a little more fashion savvy.

I'm sure it depends on the pubs and circles of people you know, but I don't find that any of my British girlfriends dress like sluts. I certainly see it on a night out, but don't feel out of place with not having everything on display.

I prefer to quality over quantity, so I usually stick to higher end (yet still affordable) brands like Ted Baker, Mango, and Reiss.

Yeah, I remember back in college, I had no problem wearing like, a tank and black pants to go to the bars in the middle of the winter, but now I just refuse to be uncomfortable.

I feel like what saves me is the blazer/nice top combo.  I still wear jeans, though.  I wear a lot of dresses to work, but none of them are "going out" dresses, so I just don't do it.  

I do feel underdressed sometimes..but at the same time, can't be THAT bothered.  What sticks out the most for me is I feel like I'm not wearing enough makeup, or something?  

I do feel underdressed sometimes..but at the same time, can't be THAT bothered.  What sticks out the most for me is I feel like I'm not wearing enough makeup, or something?  

Is it the fake tan you are missing?  I see a whole lotta that around here!

I do use a bronzer, but as I'm Casper McPaley, it's gotta be one of the ones that are more rose/pinkish than true bronze.

Oh, that orange.  I mean, I like a bit of a glow (and actually need to start thinking about that before a wedding next month, our bridesmaid dresses are strapless/sleeveless and to the knee..so that's a lotta white skin), but the orange is just insane.  It's the super blond and the super orange that gets me.  Because a lot these girls were pretty to start with, but now they all kind of look like clones. 

Oh, that orange.  I mean, I like a bit of a glow (and actually need to start thinking about that before a wedding next month, our bridesmaid dresses are strapless/sleeveless and to the knee..so that's a lotta white skin), but the orange is just insane.  It's the super blond and the super orange that gets me.  Because a lot these girls were pretty to start with, but now they all kind of look like clones. 

Here it's more like orange skin with dyed black hair. I blame Jordan. 

I blame Jordan. 

As well you should!  Though, I blame Britney.  There would be no Jordan if it weren't for her. 

I absolutely do not understand the mutton-dressed-as-lamb thing.  I am over thirty now, and I don't want to dress like a teenager anymore, but the market seems completely geared towards slutty teen clothes.  It can be very difficult to find plain, simple, unadorned classic clothing, and that's so frustrating!  I would love to get a maxi dress, for example, but every.single.one I see is either a horrible tacky print or covered in sequins or something (sequins...*shudder*).  Add that to being a plus size and it makes clothes shopping very challenging indeed. 

I absolutely do not understand the mutton-dressed-as-lamb thing.  I am over thirty now, and I don't want to dress like a teenager anymore, but the market seems completely geared towards slutty teen clothes.  It can be very difficult to find plain, simple, unadorned classic clothing, and that's so frustrating!  I would love to get a maxi dress, for example, but every.single.one I see is either a horrible tacky print or covered in sequins or something (sequins...*shudder*).  Add that to being a plus size and it makes clothes shopping very challenging indeed. 

You are singing my song!  I am 37, short and a bit more than chunky and 99% of high street fashion is just not for me.  I stock up on clothes when I'm in the US and try to mix it up with accessories I've gotten here.  I'm in freaking central London, so you'd think there would be a store out there for me...I just haven't found it yet.

It's either mutton dressed as lamb or one foot in the grave.

I don't want to dress like a teenager, but I also don't want to dress like I'm 80.

There seems to be little appropriate clothing for women in the 30s to 50s range.

I do like Dorothy Perkins and Next, sometimes. Marks and Spencer can have some decent items, but they are hard to find amidst all the old lady stuff.

I was complaining recently to DH that about 80% of my clothes are too small  He said, trying to be helpful: why not throw them all out, lose the weight and then treat yourself to all new things. I said no, because I like the stuff I had bought a few years back much more than the current styles!

I'm in the north and personally think the fashion style is terrible here and I grew up in the midwest.  As everyone has said, the norm is dress up for anything that involves getting out of the house at night and wearing near to nothing.  While that is fine if that is your thing what bothers me the most is that there doesn't seem to be an alternative really.  Every major city I have lived in the US has alternatives, choices.  You always had the dress up with nothing on in the middle of winter girls/guys but you also always had casual bars and alternative choices and here or at least where I live, you don't.  

What I also hate is the hair styles.  I see sooo many 20/30 something girls with layers that look like stairs.  Also have people noticed that a vast majority of the brits have straight hair. You may see some dyed hair but rarely naturally curly or wavy hair (or at least where I am this is the case).  It explains why the person that cut my hair, did such a terrible horrible job... she cut it for different texture of hair.  Anyway, I digress...

I'm sure it depends on the pubs and circles of people you know, but I don't find that any of my British girlfriends dress like sluts. I certainly see it on a night out, but don't feel out of place with not having everything on display.

I prefer to quality over quantity, so I usually stick to higher end (yet still affordable) brands like Ted Baker, Mango, and Reiss.

I agree with what a lot of the others have said, and this sort of says how I feel pretty succinctly.  Except I can't really affod Ted Baker, but I do keep my eyes out for that stuff at the charity shops (yes, I do find it, too!)

I think if you are good at putting separates together you can create your own individual, non-slutty age-appropriate look.  It's sorta what I do at work anyway on the mannequins in the window.

My own dilemma is that at a couple different points in my life (first about 10 years ago and second more recently) I just didn't know how to dress anymore.  I think I started dressing too old and too boring.  But both my old job and my present (dirty!) job don't cater to wearing anything you particularly like because it'll just get ruined.  So I dress pretty boring at work, but I am trying to dress more interestingly, but more *me* when we go out.

This weekend we went to a 60th b-day party (hubby and I were the youngsters there!) and I did see a lot of mutton dressed as lamb, women dressed with "one foot in the grave", and women dressed too revealingly for their body type and age.

But I did see some who were dressed nicely and in their own style.  Our one friend (she's 50-something) is sort of a cross between hippy and goth and even at her age it works great for her (flowy dresses and skirts, dyed hair, interesting jewellery).  So you can piece together your own look if you really try, I guess.

I decided to have fun with my outfit and wore a black Next dress (empire waisted, sort of low-cut, but not grossly so, mid-thigh length), fishnets, a hot pink Monsoon fuzzy cropped cardigan, and my Converse high tops.  I felt like me, and I felt comfy and not old or too young.  By the way, everything except the fishnet tights I found at charity shops.

There's a great hippie shop in town and I also love Nomads...  I wish I were skinny enough to fit into the clothes.  That would be my fashion issues sorted.  Instead I just can't find anything interesting that will actually fit me. 

Also have people noticed that a vast majority of the brits have straight hair. You may see some dyed hair but rarely naturally curly or wavy hair (or at least where I am this is the case).

So many people are using straighteners these days... they were practically unheard of when I was a teenager (mid-late '90s/early 00's), but it seems to be really unfashionable not to have straight hair at the moment. Some of my colleagues were shocked when I told them I don't own any straighteners, but it seems like a no-brainer to me: my hair is naturally straight, so I don't need to use straighteners on it . Now, on the other hand, if only I could get my hair to curl...  (if I curl it, it falls flat again less than an hour later  ).