S/O Define "frumpy."

[Chris in VA]

Another poster said her mom was looking for a non-frumpy dress.

 

Could someone define that for me? Pictures would be nice --maybe compare/contrast style?

 

I'm afraid my fashion sense is...well, not there.

[Melinda in VT]

I don't have much fashion sense either, but I think of "ill-fitting when I think of frumpy. Baggy. Shapeless.

[DawnM]

You mean like a big denim jumper???   :lol:

 

 

I don't have much fashion sense either, but I think of "ill-fitting when I think of frumpy. Baggy. Shapeless.

 

[SproutMamaK]

To me, it means any or all of the following:

- ill-fitting, overly baggy and shapeless

- embarassingly out of fashion

- dirty or worn

- generally giving the impression that someone didn't consider appearance at all.

[Night Elf]

frumpy to me is no style. I use the word frumpy with how I feel about the way I dress and the way I look. My hair is never styled, only pulled back into a pony tail. I don't wear makeup. And I wear big jeans and tshirts. Frumpy. My days of cuteness are behind me.

[Guest]

Agreeing with ill-fitting, shapeless, unaware of style, no effort or thought put into appearance. Too covered up can look frumpy. No visual interest can, too.

 

I would post some photos if I could.

 

ETA Okay, I found this great post by googling "frumpy homeschool looks." I think she did a great job de-frumpifying this thrift store find. http://www.finding-free.com/2012_12_01_archive.html

[Farrar]

To me, it means any or all of the following:

- ill-fitting, overly baggy and shapeless

- embarassingly out of fashion

- dirty or worn

- generally giving the impression that someone didn't consider appearance at all.

That's what I think too. Because part of it is fit, I think some shapes can make clothes look fine that look frumpy on others because of where your fat is, though usually the shapeless or out of fashion element is key too.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Generally looking like you gave no thought to your appearance.

[SKL]

Pretty much the way I dress, LOL.  ;)

[Caroline]

Agreeing with ill-fitting, shapeless, unaware of style, no effort or thought put into appearance. Too covered up can look frumpy. No visual interest can, too.

 

I would post some photos if I could.

 

ETA Okay, I found this great post by googling "frumpy homeschool looks." I think she did a great job de-frumpifying this thrift store find. http://www.finding-free.com/2012_12_01_archive.html

 

This! I love how a quick hem really un-frumped that dress. 

[elegantlion]

Dated clothes, worn or dated shoes, hair ignored, wrong attire for the event.

[trulycrabby]

Well, I am wearing knee-length stretchy shorts, a long print mummu blouse that I purchased from Walmart five years ago, fip flops, uncombed hair, no makeup, and no manicure or pedicure. My guess is that's pretty frumpy. :o

 

P.S.: The flip flops are Keen; does that un-frump me? :o

[Starr]

Frumpy comes with a large nuance Chris. I think it would be easier to focus on wearing what looks good on you than defining frumpy.

[In2why]

To me Frumpy means an ill fitting bra.  Where the person either has the appearance of 3 breasts, or breasts closer to their belly button.   (Of course if a person is lucky enough to not need a bra that doesn't apply)  

[marbel]

To me Frumpy means an ill fitting bra.  Where the person either has the appearance of 3 breasts, or breasts closer to their belly button.   (Of course if a person is lucky enough to not need a bra that doesn't apply)  

 

:iagree: The bra is a huge factor in frumpiness!   

[UncleEJ]

To me Frumpy means an ill fitting bra. Where the person either has the appearance of 3 breasts, or breasts closer to their belly button. (Of course if a person is lucky enough to not need a bra that doesn't apply)

Or no bra at all, but on a person who REALLY needs one. Or thinking that a "built-in bra" tank is enough, when clearly it is not.

[elegantlion]

Dated clothes, worn or dated shoes, hair ignored, wrong attire for the event.

 

 

And to let it be known, I will be sporting frumpy for today, including the no bra thing. I have no pressing engagements today, except with a stack of school books, who don't mind frumpy. 

 

Frumpy - the 8th dwarf 

[Trish]

frumpy to me is no style. I use the word frumpy with how I feel about the way I dress and the way I look. My hair is never styled, only pulled back into a pony tail. I don't wear makeup. And I wear big jeans and tshirts. Frumpy. My days of cuteness are behind me.

 

Huh! I always thought your pic was cute. Noticeably so.

 

Frumpy is Amy on Big Bang Theory.

 

[Jenny in Florida]

"Frumpy" means old-fashioned, out of style, the kind of thing an older person would wear. 

[kewb]

Frumpy=Me.  Right now I am sporting shapeless capris which may be 5 years old and a plain, loose fitting tank top, and my house sandals (definitely 5+ years old).  When we go out later I may throw on a shapeless cardigan.

[Soror]

When I think of frumpy I associate it more with ill-fitting clothes and a bit of a disheveled appearance. I think of style as a separate category someone could have well-fitted out of date clothes and to me they would just be out of date but not necessarily frumpy. In general I think older clothes that fit well look better than any clothes that are all lose and baggy. Specifically frumpy shirts are boxy and often hit the wrong part of the body, usually too short on the waist. Pants are mom jeans with elastic waist or hit at an odd spot with unflattering cut and pockets. Jeans shouldn't be dragging behind you, especially not these days. You don't have to wear skinny jeans but baggy pants don't work or the old school taper legs There should be some balance with the shoes not being too bulky either. If you don't have a particular hairstyle I think pulling it back neatly is preferred, frumpy to me is 80s style or the mulletish styles I seem on some. I think there are a wide range of styles that work on women though. I'm not a fashionista but I try to stay somewhat up to date and prefer to be nice and neat when out in public especially.

[elegantlion]

"Frumpy" means old-fashioned, out of style, the kind of thing an older person would wear. 

 

This concerns me as I get older.   :cool: I mean, I grew up in the 80s, will big hair and leggings with a long tshirt become "frumpy" when I'm 80? Or as I near 80 does that mean I will naturally gravitate toward "old lady" style with sensible shoes? 

 

Or will there be a whole new fashion industry with witty sayings on t-shirts for older adults? Snarky shirts for the elderly, I can see my generation wearing those. 

[Lady Florida.]

 Or as I near 80 does that mean I will naturally gravitate toward "old lady" style with sensible shoes?

 

Or will there be a whole new fashion industry with witty sayings on t-shirts for older adults? Snarky shirts for the elderly, I can see my generation wearing those. 

 

I have back pain that can be made worse with poor shoes. Recently I shouted the old cliche to my family - "We can send people to the moon but we can't make sensible shoes that aren't ugly!" 

 

I think as the latter end of the baby boomers (I'm in there) as well as children of the boomers age, fashions for older people are getting less frumpy. Finally, there are whole generations of people unwilling to jump off the fashion train just because of age.

[Jenny in Florida]

This concerns me as I get older.   :cool: I mean, I grew up in the 80s, will big hair and leggings with a long tshirt become "frumpy" when I'm 80? Or as I near 80 does that mean I will naturally gravitate toward "old lady" style with sensible shoes? 

 

Or will there be a whole new fashion industry with witty sayings on t-shirts for older adults? Snarky shirts for the elderly, I can see my generation wearing those. 

 

I was thinking about that as I was typing. 

 

I've been wearing jeans and t-shirts for a few decades now and fully anticipate continuing to do so. It is a little disconcerting that some of my shirts with "vintage" or "nostalgic" logos are beginning to earn me comments from clerks one-third my age, however. (I've actually made it a point to stop wearing my Ramones shirts out into the world, because I can't be anonymous and ignored as I prefer.)

 

Of course, my mother started telling me my taste was frumpy while I was still in my teens. So, take that for what it's worth.

[Liz CA]

"Frumpy" means old-fashioned, out of style, the kind of thing an older person would wear. 

 

Define "older."

 

[Jenny in Florida]

Define "older."

 

 

I always think of it as being "older" than the person actually wearing the clothing, and not in a cool, young-teen-dressing-like-a-grown-yp way. For example, if I am 22 and wearing an outfit more appropriate for a middle-aged matron, that's frumpy.

[Guest]

This concerns me as I get older. :cool: I mean, I grew up in the 80s, will big hair and leggings with a long tshirt become "frumpy" when I'm 80? Or as I near 80 does that mean I will naturally gravitate toward "old lady" style with sensible shoes?

 

Or will there be a whole new fashion industry with witty sayings on t-shirts for older adults? Snarky shirts for the elderly, I can see my generation wearing those.

I have wondered about this, too. Is there going to come a day when periwinkle polyester slacks with an elastic waist suddenly seem quite the perfect thing to wear? I am already rebelling against having "mom hair," though I don't know how far into the future I can keep my current hair.

[Belacqua]

I have wondered about this, too. Is there going to come a day when periwinkle polyester slacks with an elastic waist suddenly seem quite the perfect thing to wear? I am already rebelling against having "mom hair," though I don't know how far into the future I can keep my current hair.

 

I've wondered that, too. I just got a marketing e-mail from Blair (a clothing company that specializes in just such items; my grandmother was a big fan) and deleted it in horror, so I figure I'm still doing ok.

[Catwoman]

frumpy to me is no style. I use the word frumpy with how I feel about the way I dress and the way I look. My hair is never styled, only pulled back into a pony tail. I don't wear makeup. And I wear big jeans and tshirts. Frumpy. My days of cuteness are behind me.

Give yourself some credit! You're still plenty cute!!!!! Your avatar photo is so pretty!

[Catwoman]

This concerns me as I get older. :cool: I mean, I grew up in the 80s, will big hair and leggings with a long tshirt become "frumpy" when I'm 80? Or as I near 80 does that mean I will naturally gravitate toward "old lady" style with sensible shoes?

 

Or will there be a whole new fashion industry with witty sayings on t-shirts for older adults? Snarky shirts for the elderly, I can see my generation wearing those.

:lol:

 

When my mom was 80, people still stopped her on the street to compliment her hair and her outfits, so she definitely wasn't frumpy. She always wore very classic clothing that would look appropriate on pretty much any age woman. She also never wore clunky shoes or carried dated handbags, and I think that helped as well. And as silly as this may sound, I think her posture and overall confidence made a huge difference in how people perceived her.

[Crimson Wife]

A lot of clothes that Chico's, J. Jill, LL Bean, etc. sell are frumpy. It's often hard to find clothes that are age-appropriate for middle-aged women but aren't frumpy. Do clothing manufacturers really think that all of us WANT to wear shapeless, unflattering outfits?

 

For example:

https://www.chicos.com/store/browse/product.jsp?maxRec=34&pageId=1&productId=570109816&viewAll=true&prd=Crinkle+Gauze+Guilana+Dress&subCatId=cat40023&color=&fromSearch=&inSeam=&posId=27&catId=cat40004&cat=Dresses++Skirts+Dresses&onSale=&colorFamily=&maxPg=1&size=

http://www.jjill.com/jjillonline/product/itempage.aspx?BID=481661329&rPFID=10&item=OI022Y&h=M&sk=M

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/81367?feat=302-CL1&page=women-s-lakeshore-washable-linen-skirt

 

[forty-two]

Or thinking that a "built-in bra" tank is enough, when clearly it is not.

This might be me :shifty - I live in camis with built-in bras. I do notice if I appear to be sagging and shorten the straps to lift me back up, which seems to do the trick, but otherwise I'm thinking I'm fine - what else should I be looking for in terms of "built in bra is not enough"?

 

  

She also never wore clunky shoes or carried dated handbags

I don't have the first clue about what makes a handbag dated or not - I do not remotely keep up with handbag styles. Is there any quick way to do this? :lol:. (Of course, my bag was a $5 goodwill find, so probably that makes it dated by definition :lol:. At least it's black ;).)

[Ewe Mama]

You can tell you are frumpy when a man serving a life sentence doesn't even look at you when you walk by his cell.

[Soror]

:lol:

 

When my mom was 80, people still stopped her on the street to compliment her hair and her outfits, so she definitely wasn't frumpy. She always wore very classic clothing that would look appropriate on pretty much any age woman. She also never wore clunky shoes or carried dated handbags, and I think that helped as well. And as silly as this may sound, I think her posture and overall confidence made a huge difference in how people perceived her.

We have an older lady at church who is this way, she always looks so lovely. She doesn't follow any style but dresses in a classic way, like Audrey Hepburn or such, that fits me personally and I aspire to be so well-dressed now, let alone when I'm that age.

[Catwoman]

You can tell you are frumpy when a man serving a life sentence doesn't even look at you when you walk by his cell.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

And that's when you keep telling yourself he was gay.

[fairfarmhand]

 Is there going to come a day when periwinkle polyester slacks with an elastic waist suddenly seem quite the perfect thing to wear?

 

I laughed out loud at this!

[Reefgazer]

A good bra, a skirt above the knee, and heels, and it would be hard to look frumpy.  I find it easier to define not frumpy than frumpy, LOL!

[Caroline]

I think frumpy can be an attitude, too. You can have a beautiful outfit l and still look frumpy if your attitude is such.

[Jenny in Florida]

A good bra, a skirt above the knee, and heels, and it would be hard to look frumpy.  I find it easier to define not frumpy than frumpy, LOL!

 

Oh, no. Trust me when I tell you that no one wants to see my knees poking out from under a skirt. At my current weight, it's not only possible but probably I would look frumpy in anything. But, wow, an above-the-knee skirt would be just awful.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have never found a better description than my Grandmothers. Frumpy = looking like you are wearing a potato sack with a string tied round the middle.

[Barb_]

[FaithManor]

You can tell you are frumpy when a man serving a life sentence doesn't even look at you when you walk by his cell.

:smilielol5:  :smilielol5:  :smilielol5:

[8circles]

The skirt from llbean looks ok to me, but yeah the rest look like sacks. Not even the models are pulling them off.

Lol. I liked the jjill and Chico dresses but would say the skirt is frumpy. But then again I'm not known for my fashion sense.

 

I think frumpy means looking like you put forth zero effort into your appearance and usually ill-fitting or matronly clothing. The above dresses don't fit my description of frumpy but the d say the skirt was matronly.

[Crimson Wife]

The skirt from llbean looks ok to me, but yeah the rest look like sacks.  Not even the models are pulling them off.

 

Elastic waist + mid-calf length = frumpy in my book. The skirt would be okay if it had a tailored waist and were either knee-length or ankle-length.

[shanvan]

The skirt from llbean looks ok to me, but yeah the rest look like sacks.  Not even the models are pulling them off.

Thank God!  I own a washable linen skirt from LL Bean.  

[Farrar]

Everything I wear is jersey skirts that are mid calf.  Well, not everything, but it's kind of my thing lately.  Is that really frumpy?

 

This is one of my favorite ones:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102135006/knee-length-teal-blue-a-line-soft-jersey?ref=shop_home_active_14

[HSmomof2]

Everything I wear is jersey skirts that are mid calf. Well, not everything, but it's kind of my thing lately. Is that really frumpy?

 

This is one of my favorite ones:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102135006/knee-length-teal-blue-a-line-soft-jersey?ref=shop_home_active_14

I don't think that's frumpy at all.....that skirt is cute.

[Belacqua]

Everything I wear is jersey skirts that are mid calf.  Well, not everything, but it's kind of my thing lately.  Is that really frumpy?

 

This is one of my favorite ones:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102135006/knee-length-teal-blue-a-line-soft-jersey?ref=shop_home_active_14

 

Not frumpy. And now I want several of those skirts. 

[8circles]

Everything I wear is jersey skirts that are mid calf.  Well, not everything, but it's kind of my thing lately.  Is that really frumpy?

 

This is one of my favorite ones:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102135006/knee-length-teal-blue-a-line-soft-jersey?ref=shop_home_active_14

Oh, those are cute!  I vote not frumpy.

[Guest]

Everything I wear is jersey skirts that are mid calf. Well, not everything, but it's kind of my thing lately. Is that really frumpy?

 

This is one of my favorite ones:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102135006/knee-length-teal-blue-a-line-soft-jersey?ref=shop_home_active_14

Okay, those are cute, but I was thinking one thing that OFTEN looks frumpy is "motif" clothing. Clothes with little (or, God forbid, big) kittens or sailboats or butterflies on them.