Are you chic?

[Ceej]

Hate navy - for some reason it's the worst colour on me...makes me look like a corpse. And the skinny jeans and ballet flats, and cashmere sweaters thing is all a bit meh, really.

I'm clean and inoffensive....these days. Too overweight and overboobed for chic, even if I aspired. I do admire groomed people, neat nails, tidy hair, polished shoes...I never seem to manage that either, even if I try..I always look vaguely untidy at best.

 

[Cloo]

For further evidence of lack of chicness, see my latest buy on this thread.

Re: Navy, it actually looks very nice of me, but I think having it as my school uniform put me off it somewhat.

 

[Cloo]

Was reminded of this thread by this twitter thread about how elegant Nazi Coco Chanel came up with chic in part as a rejection of the colours and exuberance of poor, ethnic people. Not saying chic is Nazi, but this puts an interesting spin on it

 

[kalidarkone]

As per the guidance of Madame de la Fressange?

It's the sort of thing I'm so not. I could never do the plain, simple items looking sophisticated thing (my mum has joked that she and I were not born to be chic). I like wearing 'wacky' clothes in an attempt to seem interesting and I'd feel boring and invisible in a ballet pumps/jeans/navy cashmere sweater sort of combo. Not that it is boring, and can't look fab on loads of people, but it's not for me. Also because I'm not well groomed... I'm no makeup/wonky nails/scuffed shoes. The chic thing works when the rest is super neat and deliberate looking. Otherwise it could look like you're just not that interested in how you dress and want to blend into the background. It's high maintenance making plain and simple work, and I'd rather hide my lack of effort behind loud clothes.

What do you think about chic?

Bollocks and I hate navy.

 

[Edie]

Was reminded of this thread by this twitter thread about how elegant Nazi Coco Chanel came up with chic in part as a rejection of the colours and exuberance of poor, ethnic people. Not saying chic is Nazi, but this puts an interesting spin on it

Am I being daft? Can’t see anything about Coco Chanel on that twitter thread?

 

[wtfftw]

Am I being daft? Can’t see anything about Coco Chanel on that twitter thread?

It's quite difficult to get to the actual content. Let me try this link...

Edit to try again.

Thread by @Delafina777: actually, hang on, I have more to say about this, and I've actually said it before, but gonna say it again it's fascinating how the expensiv…

Thread by @Delafina777: actually, hang on, I have more to say about this, and I've actually said it before, but gonna say it again it's fasci the expensive jewelry ads I see are usually for very simple, minimalist jewelry, vs. more ornate cheaper jewelry…

threadreaderapp.com

 

[Edie]

It's quite difficult to get to the actual content. Let me try this link...

Edit to try again.

Thread by @Delafina777: actually, hang on, I have more to say about this, and I've actually said it before, but gonna say it again it's fascinating how the expensiv…

Thread by @Delafina777: actually, hang on, I have more to say about this, and I've actually said it before, but gonna say it again it's fasci the expensive jewelry ads I see are usually for very simple, minimalist jewelry, vs. more ornate cheaper jewelry…

threadreaderapp.com

I enjoyed that very much, thank you!

 

[Chilli.s]

More la freak than chic.

 

[killer b]

Coco Chanel is bizarrely featured in all those amazing women that changed the world books that our daughters get for Christmas despite being a massive nazi. Weird.

 

[Edie]

Coco Chanel is bizarrely featured in all those amazing women that changed the world books that our daughters get for Christmas despite being a massive nazi. Weird.

Tbf I don’t think hardly anyone knows she was a Nazi. Also lol at these books. Not having a daughter I’ve not come across em

 

[killer b]

Tbf I don’t think hardly anyone knows she was a Nazi. Also lol at these books. Not having a daughter I’ve not come across em

Martha has a library of them from various relatives. This year it was 'amazing women in science!'. She rolled her eyes.

 

[kalidarkone]

Hmm, her advice assumes you are slim. The jacket should be from a children's department, apparently. Fuck off.

I don't particularly like the french style anyway. It's all a bit herd-like and identikit. Anyway, no. Not chic. Chic implies sophistication. Audrey Hepburn-like. Or perhaps Katherine Hepburn-like. Even were I slim and young and perfectly groomed, I'd be more Diana Dors-like. That's not chic.

What I'm basically saying is you can't be chic and have enormous tits.


I aspire to "stylish".

You can totally 'be chic' and have enormous tits......just not her idea of chic which is fucking boring.

 

[wayward bob]

i only wanted to post to register a chic √ mark for Edie. i might be wrong but am open to disuasion

 

[QueenOfGoths]

No, well not unless Margo Leadbetter was chic

 

[wayward bob]

No, well not unless Margo Leadbetter was chic

you have to ask? x

 

[Edie]

i only wanted to post to register a chic √ mark for Edie. i might be wrong but am open to disuasion

Are you saying I’m a Nazi

Not sure I’m chic, chicky. Atm I’m mostly wearing second hand jigsaw (with holes sometimes, to add character). Hope you’re well darling <3

 

[Steel Icarus]

I'm about as far from chic as you can get without living under a flyover. I don't even bother wearing smart clobber now, I've basically given up. I just don't care about it. I like nice trainers but I'm too fat to get into all the nice gear I bought about four years and four stone ago.

 

[felixthecat]

I have chic moments.

Sadly, they are very occasional

Mostly I look like I'm practising being a bag lady

 

[wayward bob]

Are you saying I’m a Nazi

have never once witnessed any challenge on your part re: the independence of the sudetenland, therefore i assume "not a nazi" on account, apols, if misplaced

 

[moody]

I have all the things listed in the op's link apart from ballerina flats.

IMO, for what it's worth, is how you wear clothes, not so much what what you wear.

Example, you could take two items right from her list, a denim shirt & a pair of jeans, two items most of us own.

Many pairs of jeans look similar, same can be said of the shirt especially if the items were bought from a high-street store.

It's a lot to do with how you wear them that sets you apart or goes towards how you're trying to look.

Shirt tucked in or out
Sleeves turned up or not ,
Buttoned all the way up or not
T-shirt worn underneath or not,
Jeans turned up or not,
Worn low or with a belt,
etc

IME, These things can contribute to your general appearance, from preppy to skater dude, a lot is how you wear items, as well as what you wear. I mean, I'm no expert but I like to think I have an eye for clothes, styles and design.

We've all seen people wearing a nice suit but looking disheveled or we know someone who looks good in a soggy newspaper.

 

[Baronage-Phase]

I used do the minimalist black and white look years ago. It got depressing.

Nowadays my wardrobe is full of denim.
Denim pinafore.
Denim skirt.
Denim jeans.
Denim jacket.
Denim shirt.
Denim dungarees.
I've done the double denim.
I've even done triple denim.
And I'm finding that they all work for me and are easy to wear and look good.

 

[moody]

I'm surprised that Breton jerseys/ jumpers haven't been mentioned, esp in the OP link, they are a classic garment.

 

[kabbes]

When we did our house over a year ago now, we moved out, into a very small couple of rooms, for what was supposed to be 5 weeks but turned into 5 months. I took with me about 3 t-shirts, 2 trousers, a couple of jumpers, some work shirts and work suit and underwear. The rest of my clothes went into boxes up in the garden office.

Well, 16 months later, those clothes are all still in their boxes. I’m still living in those two non-work outfits. It’s great.

 

[BristolEcho]

Martha has a library of them from various relatives. This year it was 'amazing women in science!'. She rolled her eyes.

I got my niece one for Christmas a couple of years back. There are definitely some strange additions though.

 

[existentialist]

I'm chic in the same way Peter Ustinov would be considered chic

 

[moose]

Martha has a library of them from various relatives. This year it was 'amazing women in science!'. She rolled her eyes.

It never stops. I got 'Free the Tipple: Kickass Cocktails Inspired by Iconic Women' for christmas this year.

 

[kabbes]

It never stops. I got 'Free the Tipple: Kickass Cocktails Inspired by Iconic Women' for christmas this year.

That’s amazing. The ability of capitalism to repackage feminism never ceases to astound

 

[such and such]

Yeah, I’m still not chic. I’m not slim and have too much of an attraction to shiny things/colour.

 

[such and such]

I do think I’m reasonably stylish but stylish can mean a multitude of things. I like to take risks and have fun with what I’m wearing but chic to me seems to be more about restraint I guess.

 

[such and such]

While I’m feeling nice and ranty, I think those “10 Essential Items All Women Must Own” type articles are a bit stupid as they rarely take into account people’s lifestyles. A button down blouse and pencil skirt aren’t very practical if you have a very active job.