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Are you a beige dowdy?

(270 Posts)
Rufus2 Mon 27-Aug-18 14:07:38

During a phone talk with my nephew's wife she remarked on how most of the elderly ladies passing by her car (she was parked waiting for someone) were decked out in beige. This was in Bournemouth. Used to be retiree's heaven. She wondered why was this so? What's wrong with splashes of colour? Her (elderly) mother and my dear Vera would never wear anything beige in a fit. I put it down to the climate which can be drab. sad
Even Sir Ken Dodd picked up on this when he used to call his afternoon matinees "50 shades of beige" grin

winterwhite Tue 28-Aug-18 09:37:18

So who could Rufus's nephew's wife have seen since everyone dislikes beige so much? ...
Not me. I once heard beige/camel/fawn/sand referred to as 'various shades of porridge' which is quite a deterrent. (Taupe is surely brighter??)
My top colour is still pillar-box red, combined with Christmas tree green, so I look all right for about 5 days out of 365.

jenni123 Tue 28-Aug-18 09:36:05

I wear all manner of colours, even my hair changes colour regularly, it has been purple, green, pink, blue and several times a mix of many colours all at once. The only colours I can't wear are yellow and orange, they make me look awful

TillyWhiz Tue 28-Aug-18 09:33:18

I hate beige, I would have to liven it up with some colour. I've been in the beigest house I've ever seen, even the ornaments matched, very depressing. Then DH bought a beige Nissan Note, which is described as 'Latte' - it has a jolly Air Ambulance sticker on the back window!

sue01 Tue 28-Aug-18 09:30:44

We call it camouflage - the sartorial equivalent of magnolia paint or lift music .

Doversole Tue 28-Aug-18 09:29:02

Phoenix your coat sounds fab...black velvet collar...very dashing ...envy

Misha14 Tue 28-Aug-18 09:24:39

Currently wearing, black tights and shoes, blue flowered skirt, with touches of purple and pink which are picked up by my purple T-shirt and pink cardigan. Silver pendant, earrings and watch. No beige here thank you.

BBbevan Tue 28-Aug-18 06:32:06

DD has just given me one of her cast-offs It is beige cashmere cardy with a silk lining. I don't normally wear beige as I am fair skinned and look like the walking dead in it. But with a darker colour T shirt it doesn't look too bad

annep Tue 28-Aug-18 02:27:15

janeainsworth boden trousers look lovely. I did this thread recently and many people said beige trousers were fine but to team with bright coloured contrasting tops whuch I duly did. I dont like loose trousers though. Either wide linen or tight fitted are good. Not old fashioned baggy ones.

Elrel Mon 27-Aug-18 23:45:49

Never beige, DS had a brown secondary school uniform with a beige v neck jumper. It practically needed a daily wash!
If I'm feel underconfident and want to look conventional I go for navy blue. On a good day any colour goes, including a shocking pink scarf I'm very fond of!

M0nica Mon 27-Aug-18 23:36:49

I do not wear beige and I avoid black. Today I was wearing a pair of deep raspberry coloured cotton trousers and a top from Monsoon that had raspberry coloured flowers on a cream background and shoes to match.

Most of my wardrobe is bright and colourful. Yesterday I was in Sainsbury's looking through their winter range, a burnt orange long knitted jacket over a multicolour top caught my fancy and I will be back to the shop this week to try it on.

As for trench coats, or anything that belts round the waist, regardless of colour, I avoid them like the plague, they make me look like a potato sack with string round the middle even though I am 5ft 3in and a size 10

DoraMarr Mon 27-Aug-18 23:28:08

Marydoll has hit the nail on the head - it’s not beige per se, it’s the cut and the fabric that make some people in beige look dowdy. I see too many women of a certain age who seem to have given up on style, and wear cheap looking clothes in frumpy shapes that do nothing for them. A woman in a restaurant last week was wearing a beige silk shirt with black trousers, flat black pumps, and minimal silver jewellery. She had white hair in a flattering cut, and she was wearing lipstick and blusher. She looked fabulous, and, yes, she had a tummy and she was obviously over sixty. I would guess she was a size 16-18.

Cherrytree59 Mon 27-Aug-18 23:10:51

Phoenix your coat measures up very well.
I would love the velvet collar and buttonsenvy
Tres Chicsmile

Jalima1108 Mon 27-Aug-18 22:56:07

Oh dear Flossieturner, how old are these people?
Not the beige - but the pastel blue or lavender?

Jalima1108 Mon 27-Aug-18 22:53:46

I had a beige/cream trench coat and also a dark navy 'gaberdine' one. DH said the navy one made me look like a policewoman. I did send them both to the charity shop but sometimes I wish I hadn't. The navy one in particular was great in the rain.

paddyann Mon 27-Aug-18 22:22:41

Beige is the only colour for a trench coat and I have 3 for now.Apart from that no beige in my wardobe lots of purple and red tops ,dresses in all colours and boots long ,calf length and ankle boots .ALL with heels .I have no intention of ever ebing beige ....or old

Flossieturner Mon 27-Aug-18 21:39:07

If ever I look at anything beige my DD says are you going on a coach outing. She says that whenever people are waiting for the coach, outside her library they all wear beige. There is an occasional rebel in pastel blue or lavender. She says she wonders if anyone wore a colour they would be sent home to change.

I don’t wear beige but I wear and awful lot of grey.

phoenix Mon 27-Aug-18 21:37:00

So, how does my "going to the races" coat measure up? Camel coloured, cashmere mix with black velvet collar and buttons? Mid calf length, in case that matters.

annodomini Mon 27-Aug-18 21:25:09

Today I have travelled in: a pink top, blue trousers, grey and pink trainers and pink stripey socks, with a blue/grey cardi on top. Quite restrained really. I think I have one beige top but would always brighten it up with another colour.

Marydoll Mon 27-Aug-18 20:54:53

Day6, last year my husband I went to Puerto Banus for the day. We saw many older ladies wearing varying shades of beige, they looked so chic.
It's how you wear beige that makes the difference. None of the ladies we saw were wearing Bonmarche elastic waist trousers and polyester beige cardigans, , they were wearing beige/camel/taupe/ biscuit coloured cropped chinos with a combination of white/ beige/gold flat shoes.
Buy that trench coat!

janeainsworth Mon 27-Aug-18 20:33:08

Day6 I agree re beige trenchcoats.
This is me a few years ago in Washington DC in my Hobbs trenchcoat.
Not quite Joanna Lumley but not too shabby as DD would say.

Cherrytree59 Mon 27-Aug-18 20:17:41

Grr lost my post

I agree italian chic
Long camel coat with fur collar for a lady.
Camel double breasted coat very classic look for a gentleman.

phoenix Mon 27-Aug-18 20:15:26

Currently wearing jeans and a navy and white striped top, no hope for me! blush

BBbevan Mon 27-Aug-18 20:13:07

Hate beige. It is a non colour. I have never worn it and never will.

Lazigirl Mon 27-Aug-18 20:12:25

I think neutrals look classic and more expensive, and bright primary colours don't, plus you don't get tired of neutrals as quickly so they are more cost effective smile

travelsafar Mon 27-Aug-18 20:01:47

I always try to wear colour as beige and grey make me look washed out.