Is it possible to be OS and feminine?

meanmarie

MMMM....caught sight of myself to-day in a shop window and said unmentionable words about how I looked....black beret, purple jacket, beige trousers and black shoes....doesn't sound as bad as it looked, I assure you. I will not mention the no make-up, not even lippy, hair in need of a cut and shoes really needing to be thrown in the bin!

It is all about feeling good about oneself....when I worked every day I didn't leave the house without hair being done, foundation, mascara and lippy in place. Now the story is soooo different and I don't like it, so need to do something about it and fast, before I degenerate into total senility.

Marie

dandy-candy

meanmarie wrote: »

MMMM....caught sight of myself to-day in a shop window and said unmentionable words about how I looked....black beret, purple jacket, beige trousers and black shoes....doesn't sound as bad as it looked, I assure you. I will not mention the no make-up, not even lippy, hair in need of a cut and shoes really needing to be thrown in the bin!

I have to say that's the moment I cringe too, when you catch an unexpected glance at yourself. I'm not great at picking day to day clothes which doesn't help - pretty outfits for parties no problem! But everyday stuff stumps me

lostinrates

LAdies, the ''what are you wearing today thread'' in Health and Beauty used to really help me be as OS about making an effort in dressing as I am about cooking and housework, I just can't keep in the swing atm....I recommend it to everyone though. The regulars on the thread are lovely and of mixed ages and lifestyles. OS tips like mending and remaking etc are well received there. I especially recommend Goanmad's blog on retro dressing. She's amazing, always working on a project and looking quite remarkably wonderful and herself, though all the girls are pretty wonderful and many keep great blogs!

ceridwen

Hello

"Tatty 'erb" here - reporting for duty...:rotfl:

Now I'm past my "dating days" I tend to feel rather demotivated about doing very much...:cool: - as there doesnt seem to be much point in it when I'm not hoping to attract "dates" any more, I live in Britain (ie a country where low importance is given to appearance) and I have a job (rather than a career).

So - my own personal take is that - as long as I have a reasonable figure/good haircut/am clean and reasonably tidy (no "scaring the horses"...:rotfl:) then it will do by and large. I know I can always put on an elegant dress/pair of heels and bit of "dainty"/real jewellery within the hour if I have to "come up to scratch" for anything.

Living where I do I dont tend to see the point - as I've just adapted to my "environment" and do the right amount to "blend in" living here. If I lived somewhere where the norm was to put in lots of effort - then I would put in lots of effort. Personally - I've just adapted to where I am...

There are times when I would like to go round looking smart/elegant/etc regularly - but I just think "Oh well - blending in here at least has the advantage that I spend very little time/money on my appearance - so that time and money is available for other things.."

katholicos

I'm sure it is entirely possible to be OS and feminine. Our O.S predecessors are an excellent example of domesticated (and non domesticated) OS'ers looking damn fine on very little expenditure. I do think that many eyars ago, there was, however, a certain expectation of women to make 'the best of themselves' in order to be noticed by the opposite sex, and also because life in general was very much more simple and confined by finance and situation,

Speaking for myself, as I can only do, these days i much prefer to pay attention to the interior self than the exterior. Sounds hippy dippy but what i mean to say is that I don't particularly have the inclination to think for longer than 2 minutes each morning about what i will wear each day. If I can figure it out in the first 10 seconds, it's even better!

I bathe regularly, brush my teeth, wash my hair and am generally clean, though perhaps a bit crumpled, in appearance. I just care more about 'who' i am these days, about fulfilling my potential as a human being, being a good daughter/parent/sister/friend/member of society. I'm a person of faith so to me 'appearance' is so far down the list of 'important things' in my life that it is barely visible.

In addition to this, i simply don't care enough about my appearance (even if catching sight of myself in a shop window does scare me somewhat) to put adequate time, money, energy or effort into doing anything about it.

I used to be very much more focussed on my exterior, but didn't find that it benefitted my life in any way and i would so often felt resentful at the time it would take to style my hair (it is terribly unruly in a morning), apply make up, choose what to wear each morning. I know that some ladies say they feel better when they have put more effort into their appearance, and i hope they do....but I just feel uncomfortable wearing make up and more 'dressy clothes' and I also hate going to the hairdressers and just tend to cut it myself these days. I'm not a girly girl though, and i've always a bit of a tomboy.

When i dress up i know i look really quite nice, but i feel it is more high maintenance than i am prepared to keep up with. For special evenings out i do make an effort, but really i am much happier in jeans and a jumper.

Penelope_Penguin

dandy-candy wrote: »

The old wartime magazines always said "Beauty is a duty!" and women then were working in ammunition factories and being land girls - does anyone manage to still look yummy and be OS?

Of course :T How long does it take to choose nice earrings and put on some lipstick

At work, we have Frock Wednesday - working for a charity we don;t wear suits, so we make sure that one day a week, we dress nicely

I'll move this to the Health and Beauty Board, where you'll likely get more responses.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

DianaMattos

I found that adding a pair of brown high heeled pointy boots (bought in the sale at Dorothy Perkins 4-5 years ago) to most outfits make it seem much more glammed up and that you've made more of an effort than you have!

Having said that, whenever I wear a skirt, I get compliments about how lovely and glamerous I look, even if it is a denim skirt. I hate cold legs, but am also not such a fan of flappy long skirts with tights. Still working my way through that one, and I do want to wear more skirts.

I do think that there is a difference between 'glammed up and impractical for OS life' and being feminine. I think a lot of it has to do with demeanour, so if you are gentle and smiley rather than 'alright mate' then you immediately appear more feminine regardless of whether you are in jeans or a pretty dress.

Just my thoughts!

LadyGooGoo_2

I bake in a pretty pinny and bunny slippers but I garden in my jeans and wellies. I could quite happily bake in jeans but I wouldn't garden in a pinny and bunny slippers.

It's possible that I am OCD about clothes because I have clothes for all the activities I do and there is rarely any overlap.

I wouldn't wear work clothes to the gym, or gym clothes out dancing, a glam evening outfit round Morrisons, or a casual weekend outfit to work.

Trying to be OS can hamper your femininity when you break nails and chip polish trying to be practical.

Remember those "Beauty is a Duty" ladies didn't shower and wash their hair as often as us and a set had to last the week. They had a lot less choice in their wardrobes, and so much less in the way of beauty products that there's no comparison really.

We just live in a different reality. If I thought I looked good with a five day old shampoo and set and just red lipstick then I'd be sorted, but unfortunately my "look" is a lot more high maintenance.

Progress eh?

puss14

It's funny when I brought a pair of jeans from a charity shop I felt I was the bees knees:rotfl: as I had been going around in trackies and too big for me trousers that my mum had passed onto me. They fit me really well and as I hadn't brought any clothes for a very very long time I was absolutely ecstatic.
It was a glimpse in a shopfront that made me decide to make more effort with my appearance, not necessarily dressed up but nice well fitted clothes that suited me. I have some key pieces now I have brought from op shops and i have been through my wardrobe and donated a heap of clothes that make me feel bad when i wear them. I have a lot less in my wardrobe but at least i know that most of it is decent. I did keep a few old bits for gardening.

In my defense I do cleanse and moisturise/sunscreen religiously, but only do make up probably once a fortnight.

jog

Sorry for being a bit thick, but having just read this thread with great interest, what does OS mean?

Thanks

Jog