# Badly dressed Irish



## liaconn (1 Jun 2009)

I was sitting on a bench at a local shopping centre waiting for someone this morning and it really struck me how Irish people just don't 'do' Summer style. Everyone was red and flushed, wearing baggy trousers, shorts on milky white freckly legs, t-shirts highlighting every bulge. Not one well dressed person passed me by (apart from two lovely Chinese girls). Yet in Winter you'd see lots of beautifully dressed people drifting around. What's wrong with us when it comes to Summer gear?

I, by the way, was looking beautiful and not a bit like all that other lot.


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## delgirl (1 Jun 2009)

I hope you've been blessed with beautiful swarthy skin - some of us are unfortunately genetically doomed to a life of white skin and sunburn!  

Although I don't think anyone should be condemned for that - they really can't help it - should they have to cover their white freckly legs?


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## liaconn (1 Jun 2009)

delgirl said:


> I hope you've been blessed with beautiful swarthy skin - some of us are unfortunately genetically doomed to a life of white skin and sunburn!
> 
> Although I don't think anyone should be condemned for that - they really can't help it - should they have to cover their white freckly legs?


 

Not cover them entirely, but hot pants  u[ to their hips walking around the supermarket? Its up to them of course, but I just wouldn't be seen dead in micro shorts unless I was on a beach as, unfortunately, I don't have beautiful sallow skin either.


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## Bubbly Scot (1 Jun 2009)

In the supermarket earlier I saw a woman wearing a pair of trousers and her knickers were showing over the top, those high cut ones so she actually had a gap between the bottom of her knickers and the top of her trousers. It wouldn't have looked so bad if she had been 20 years younger.

Worst fashion crime in my eye though is skimpy tops and non matching bras so you see all the back and straps of the bra, which is usually not even the same colour as the top.

Unfortunatly, I don't tan well so my milky white legs are usually peeking out of a pair of 3/4 trousers


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## Ash 22 (1 Jun 2009)

I think people should dress the way they feel like dressing, please themselves and not care what others think. I think generally anything goes now which is great. Don't think you're ever out of fashion no matter what you wear.


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## liaconn (1 Jun 2009)

Its not about fashion, believe me. I honestly don't think showing off half your bare This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language in the Supermarket is a great look.

To be honest, I think some clothes such as micro shorts can only really be worn by models, Californian beach babes and the like. The average Irish woman flip flopping around Tesco at 4 oc in the afternoon, well sorry girls I just don't think we quite cut it.


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## mathepac (1 Jun 2009)

liaconn said:


> I was sitting on a bench at a local shopping centre waiting for someone this morning and it really struck me how Irish people just don't 'do' Summer style. ...


Other than their lack of "style", what other indications were there that the people you obsererved were Irish?

Had they :


passports on display?
tri-colours stapled to their foreheads?
intense conversations "as Gaeilge" on the go?
If their lack of seasonally appropriate sartorial elegance offends your highly developed fashion sensibilities, you could always move away.


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## liaconn (1 Jun 2009)

mathepac said:


> Other than their lack of "style", what other indications were there that the people you obsererved were Irish?
> 
> Had they :
> 
> ...


 

Well, they were all talking with Irish accents!!  They weren't offending me, I was just noticing how badly we dress in the Summer ( I have emphasised  'we' on this thread). Couldn't move away, was resting because I'm just out of hospital and this was my first outing.


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## franmac (1 Jun 2009)

liaconn said:


> Its not about fashion, believe me. I honestly don't think showing off half your bare This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language in the Supermarket is a great look.
> 
> To be honest, I think some clothes such as micro shorts can only really be worn by models, Californian beach babes and the like. The average Irish woman flip flopping around Tesco at 4 oc in the afternoon, well sorry girls I just don't think we quite cut it.



I am sure the Irish women in Tescos that you disapproved of had not expected to have some fashion guru lying in wait.

The idea that larger women have to cover up in hot weather is ridiculous because of their size, just mind your own business and look elsewhere.

So if only models/ beach babes are the ones to wear these items then Penneys/Dunnes/Tesco/No Name etc may stop selling them.


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## ney001 (2 Jun 2009)

franmac said:


> I am sure the Irish women in Tescos that you disapproved of had not expected to have some fashion guru lying in wait.
> 
> The idea that larger women have to cover up in hot weather is ridiculous because of their size, just mind your own business and look elsewhere.
> 
> So if only models/ beach babes are the ones to wear these items then Penneys/Dunnes/Tesco/No Name etc may stop selling them.



Ah come on would you we all know what op is talking about or are we gone that bloody pc? I myself have had more than one laugh to myself this weekend   . I saw one very very large girl walking around with vest top tied up in the middle with a clip turning it into a belly top with rolls and boobs on display! It doesn't offend me it doesn't bother me but it does give me a laugh! The only thing that does bother me is kids walking around burnt to bits and not a hat or sunblock in sight! I shall continue to laugh at the men in socks and sandals this week and the women big and small with their bits hanging out cos at least  I know summer in Ireland is here! As for the passport comment..........


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## DeeFox (2 Jun 2009)

I was talking about this very topic over the weekend.  I think it mainly comes down to the fact that we so rarely get sunshine that people don't want to spend the money on summer clothes for fear of not getting the use of them.  Or that "the summer" passes in a flash and people are caught unawares.  I saw quite a few men wearing their football shorts out and about - and in these recessionary times why would you buy fancy new ones when there's a perfectly good pair that you use for your football training??


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## AgathaC (2 Jun 2009)

ney001 said:


> It doesn't offend me it doesn't bother me but it does give me a laugh! The only thing that does bother me is kids walking around burnt to bits and not a hat or sunblock in sight! I shall continue to laugh at the men in socks and sandals this week and the women big and small with their bits hanging out cos at least I know summer in Ireland is here!


Same here. It bothers me a lot to see kids out in the sun with no suncream on, getting burnt, or little babies being pushed along in buggies with no shade of any description over them. In fairness, I dont think the bad dressing is confined to the Irish. You will see the same in many countries.


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## liaconn (2 Jun 2009)

franmac said:


> I am sure the Irish women in Tescos that you disapproved of had not expected to have some fashion guru lying in wait.
> 
> The idea that larger women have to cover up in hot weather is ridiculous because of their size, just mind your own business and look elsewhere.
> 
> So if only models/ beach babes are the ones to wear these items then Penneys/Dunnes/Tesco/No Name etc may stop selling them.


 
Would you cop yourself on and get a sense of humour. As I have said, I am talking about 'we' here, not sneering at others while swinging my long bronzed legs in white mini shorts.  This thread is called 'shooting the breeze' you know.


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## ney001 (2 Jun 2009)

mathepac said:


> [*]intense conversations "as Gaeilge" on the go?
> D



Definitely couldn't have been Irish so!


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## Purple (3 Jun 2009)

liaconn said:


> I honestly don't think showing off half your bare This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language in the Supermarket is a great look.


 It depends on the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language in question


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## DavyJones (3 Jun 2009)

Have some German friends and once when referring to the weather, they said "there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes". 

As a nation we don't do extremes very well because we don't seem to dress right for conditions.


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## Caveat (3 Jun 2009)

Bubbly Scot said:


> In the supermarket earlier I saw a woman wearing a pair of trousers and her knickers were showing over the top, those high cut ones so she actually had a gap between the bottom of her knickers and the top of her trousers. It wouldn't have looked so bad if she had been 20 years younger.


 
I see this all the time. 16 - 60 year olds.  Winter/Summer. 
I just think it's risibly slaggy.



> Worst fashion crime in my eye though is skimpy tops and non matching bras so you see all the back and straps of the bra, which is usually not even the same colour as the top.


 
But is this not often intentional? A kind of a brassy/trashy 'I don't care/ early Madonna/charity shop' look?


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## mathepac (3 Jun 2009)

Caveat said:


> ... A kind of a brassy/trashy 'I don't care/ early Madonna/charity shop' look?


As in


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## Caveat (3 Jun 2009)

mathepac said:


> As in


 
Well that's probably the logical conclusion of the look alright.


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## Paulone (3 Jun 2009)

It's like the entire country reached into their drawer and pulled out their shortest shorts and croppiest tops. Have to say that it's great for global warming - all that white skin reflects the rays of the sun back so strip off everyone and do your bit.

I saw several groups of Americans yesterday and - as a more reserved nation generally - they were all in long trousers and proper t-shirts. One was even in a coat (must've been from Florida where here would be the temperature of their late autumn!).

Tips for guys dressing for the sun:
* Shorts = good
* Remove beer belly prior to getting stripped to waist
* Socks and open sandals = arrestable offence 

Tips for girls dressing for the sun:
* shorts / miniskirts = good
* check mirror carefully for four-cheek / four-boobs effect created by optimistic over expectation of fitted clothing
* Kaftans/flowy long dresses = tent

Tips for tourists visiting Ireland:
* Dress normally
* Think generously of unfortunate Irish currently in throes of sun fever
* Buy gear locally when it gets too warm to assist national economic situation


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## ney001 (3 Jun 2009)

Also 

Speedos = Bad  (at any age)
Burnt red skin - not good!
Girls.......... always always shave the legs! even if you think it's too short to be noticed it's usually not!
Girls if you usually wear say size 16 knickers then why would you assume that you should wear a size 10 top............. in my experience knicker size is actual size!


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## DeeFox (3 Jun 2009)

I saw plenty of "muffin tops" in the last few days - rolls of flesh pouring out over the top of the shorts on either side.  An unpleasant sight, and it must be uncomfortable to sit down wearing something that is clearly too small.


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## liaconn (3 Jun 2009)

ney001 said:


> also
> 
> 
> girls if you usually wear say size 16 knickers then why would you assume that you should wear a size 10 top............. In my experience knicker size is actual size!


 
lol.


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## ney001 (3 Jun 2009)

DeeFox said:


> I saw plenty of "muffin tops" in the last few days - rolls of flesh pouring out over the top of the shorts on either side.  An unpleasant sight, and it must be uncomfortable to sit down wearing something that is clearly too small.



Yup saw quite a few 'camel toes' as well!


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## Caveat (3 Jun 2009)

ney001 said:


> Yup saw quite a few 'camel toes' as well!


 
Acquainted a Spanish friend with this phrase recently - she thought it was the funniest thing she'd heard in ages.


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## Bubbly Scot (3 Jun 2009)

DeeFox said:


> I saw quite a few men wearing their football shorts out and about - and in these recessionary times why would you buy fancy new ones when there's a perfectly good pair that you use for your football training??



Nothing wrong with that, but recession or not, surely they can afford a shirt of some description. The number of men who walked into our shop without a shirt on, skin bright red and freckled-and a wee bit sweaty looking too-was disgusting. Never mind the effect on the rest of us but haven't they heard of skin cancer???


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## capall (4 Jun 2009)

liaconn said:


> Well, they were all talking with Irish accents!!  They weren't offending me, I was just noticing how badly we dress in the Summer ( I have emphasised  'we' on this thread). Couldn't move away, was resting because I'm just out of hospital and this was my first outing.




Sometimes when abroad you just know by looking at someone that they are irish ,not sure what it is exactly ,sometimes i think you can tell someones irish just by their expression


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## becky (5 Jun 2009)

Paulone said:


> Tips for guys dressing for the sun:
> * Shorts = good
> * Remove beer belly prior to getting stripped to waist
> * Socks and open sandals = arrestable offence
> ...


Agree with all except under girls.  

No. 1 - after the age of 35 skirts should get longer - not in a millon years would I wear minis or shorts now  (I'm 38).

No. 3 - have replaced minis with ling flowy maxis dresses and birkenstocks.


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## Caveat (5 Jun 2009)

becky said:


> No. 3 - have replaced minis with ling flowy maxis dresses and birkenstocks.


 
Mmmm...the 70s adult movie look


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## MandaC (5 Jun 2009)

becky said:


> Agree with all except under girls.
> 
> No. 1 - after the age of 35 skirts should get longer - not in a millon years would I wear minis or shorts now  (I'm 38).
> 
> No. 3 - have replaced minis with ling flowy maxis dresses and birkenstocks.




Dont agree - I am in and around the same age group and whilst I would not  wear a mini (never have) I would still wear shorts (albeit not very short shorts)  I do think some of the long maxi dresses can be very shapeless and look like tents.  Sometimes they can actually make people look bigger than they are.  I tend to live in combat type shorts just above the knee.


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## MandaC (5 Jun 2009)

becky said:


> Agree with all except under girls.
> 
> No. 1 - after the age of 35 skirts should get longer - not in a millon years would I wear minis or shorts now  (I'm 38).
> 
> No. 3 - have replaced minis with ling flowy maxis dresses and birkenstocks.




Dont agree - I am in and around the same age group and whilst I would not  wear a mini (never have) I would still wear shorts (albeit not very short shorts), more combat type shorts to the knee.  I do think some of the long maxi dresses can be very shapeless and look like tents.  Sometimes they can actually make people look bigger than they are.

There is a woman I know who is actually over 60 and wears skirts to the knee or just slightly above.  She has a great sense of style and always looks fab.


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## becky (6 Jun 2009)

MandaC said:


> Dont agree - I am in and around the same age group and whilst I would not wear a mini (never have) I would still wear shorts (albeit not very short shorts), more combat type shorts to the knee. I do think some of the long maxi dresses can be very shapeless and look like tents. Sometimes they can actually make people look bigger than they are.
> 
> There is a woman I know who is actually over 60 and wears skirts to the knee or just slightly above. She has a great sense of style and always looks fab.


 

This is the type of maxi I mean
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/12/21/article-1099544-02D52874000005DC-549_306x742.jpg.

I think we're on the same page about skirt. I wear shift dresses to the knee and maybe one inch above and don't consider these minis.

Same with shorts I wear that type but not very often.  I prefer 3/4 lenght combats.  I also like 3/4 lenght trousers.


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