Do you want to look "smart"

‘Tidy’ is used in the NE, too. I was quite taken aback the first time this compliment was paid to me when dressed up to go out for the evening! In fact, at the time, I think I felt a bit offended! I wondered how untidy I was the rest of the time! 😏😆

suelld

Bella23

My DH is always very careful what he says and it's "You look nice"' if I have made an effort. His father always said" Tidy"' to MIL and she went crazy because she took a great deal of effort with her appearance.
I listen to DD's opinion most and often follow what they say. They buy me makeup and accessories or get me colours they say I suit. My DH was the one who called me "Care home chic" last year. I've upped my game since then. I relaxed quite a lot after leaving work.

Oh but ‘Tidy’ is a Welsh ( in particular) word that means “ you look great” , with graduations to “ wow she’s sexy “ depending on the subject.
Never heard the phrase “ ooh she’s tidy “ til I moved to Wales back in the 1960s . It does not mean tidy as in “everything’s tidy in this room”.
Your MIL should have been flattered!

Well, that's interesting he wasn't a miner but lived in a mining community and went to Chapel. Do you think it might be related to the Welsh mining communities? His "Tidy lass"' drove her mad.

I'm sorry, eddiecat, but your account of your husband telling your daughter she looked smart in her wedding dress made me laugh out loud!
I'm sure it's just a vocabulary thing; he uses the word 'smart' to cover a wide range of situations.

Mandy74, Gosh, that sounds rather dated, 20 years ago I might have dressed like that, but not now. My navy blazer was replaced by a smart denim jacket years ago, my kitten heels would be pumps or smart trainers, the crisp white shirt would probably be a good quality white T shirt.

Bella23

My DH is always very careful what he says and it's "You look nice"' if I have made an effort. His father always said" Tidy"' to MIL and she went crazy because she took a great deal of effort with her appearance.
I listen to DD's opinion most and often follow what they say. They buy me makeup and accessories or get me colours they say I suit. My DH was the one who called me "Care home chic" last year. I've upped my game since then. I relaxed quite a lot after leaving work.

Oh but ‘Tidy’ is a Welsh ( in particular) word that means “ you look great” , with graduations to “ wow she’s sexy “ depending on the subject.
Never heard the phrase “ ooh she’s tidy “ til I moved to Wales back in the 1960s . It does not mean tidy as in “everything’s tidy in this room”.
Your MIL should have been flattered!

I met an acquaintance while in the town this morning and she remarked “Ooh you look lovely, where are you off to?” I felt pleased! I was going to pop into M&S! 😂

I spend most of my time in jeans, T-shirt, sometimes a smart top or cashmere sweater. I would love to wear really cool jeans, a Chanel style jacket a nice dress but feel that I never have anywhere to go in these clothes and my dog doesn't care.

Perhaps looking at the original question "How do you aim to look? And what reactions do you get from nearest and dearest?"

Classic tailored smart - like myself.

My husband likes how I look. He is what matters, nobody else. He usually says something flip as "do you have on undies? Let's have a look". His expressions, we all have our way to show what we think.

I am still working as a private music teacher teacher and l think my dress sense reflects this. I love colourful clothes, especially red, gold, green and pink. My favourite brands are Joe Browns, Seasalt and Popsy. I often buy my clothes on eBay as otherwise I could not afford them. I was thrilled to find a Popsy dress on eBay with musical symbols printed on it and wore it for my pupils’ concert on Saturday. I love accessories and usually wear a necklace and brooch as well as rings. I like Red or Dead Ziggy shoes, too. My mother calls my style flamboyant, which is only half complimentary as she has always dressed in a very conservative manner. Her idea has always been clean, comfortable and smart. I am a lot more outgoing than her, though.
I think the old lady style that so many of us wish to avoid is that of the late Queen Mother or Margaret Rutherford in her Miss Marple role. My grandmothers adopted this look from an early age - very smart but not how I would ever wish to dress. The short curly perm, aided by the weekly shampoo and set, the clothes (never trousers) in fifty shades of beige, the stewed tea coloured tights and matching shoes and handbag. I loved them dearly but have never wanted to imitate their style.

Personally,I aim for. clean and tidy.

Maybe your DH is just not very good with words OP. I like to look smart with clothes choices which I hope are flattering, suitable for the occasion and feminine but not floaty if you see what I mean.

We all have our individual style, don't we?

My late husband often bought clothes for me & was always generous with his comments on how I dressed
Now no one ever comments
I’ve probably had my quota for this lifetime

I saw a dear older lady the other day (in her late 70's). She was wearing wide cropped white trousers with a relaxed long sleeved T shirt. She looked great! Comfie modern and stylish.

My mother was both smart and elegant, it just instinct in her, and her mother before her. As a child I was always being told how well-dressed my mother was, with always had the implied query in it, why are you such a mess?

My short answer to the original question is “No” (I don’t want to look smart). I wouldn’t want to look scruffy if I’m out in public, but equally I wouldn’t feel relaxed and comfortable wearing, say, ‘slacks’, a crisp white blouse, a navy blazer with gold buttons, navy kitten heels, a blue handbag with a gold chain handle - which is how I think of ‘smart’.

Germanshepherdsmum

I think you meant glamorous?

Yes Thank you . ( always someone on here ready to jump on a Typo ) Makes me so anxious that I make more typos

lizzypopbottle

I think the problem here is simply vocabulary. I'll probably get cancelled for saying it but women tend to have a broader and often more subtle range of words to describe things. For example, my husband described any colour in a range, from baby pink to burgundy, as red! So smart probably covers any outfit that's not positively scruffy.

Mine tends to default to 'quite nice' (which he applies to food, too). Maddening, but if he says it unasked for I take it as a compliment. I think it's to avoid getting into a conversation about fashion.

icanhandthemback

It doesn't matter what I wear, I always end up looking like a Ragbag after an hour. The other day I got ready to go to see my mother in hospital. I changed my clothes to smart casual, washed my face and hands, brushed my hair and I thought I looked quite reasonable. My husband said I looked nice and I replied that my mother would probably make some negative comment. The first thing she said to me was how scruffy I looked and I could have brushed my hair. Honestly, it was a 20 minute journey and a 20 metre walk from the car to the hospital door. How on earth can things have changed that much?

I was thinking to myself that I might get one of those "colour" things done to find my best colours and make up a set of matching outfits and then I thought, is there any point?

sorry I had to restart my brouser it was quoting the wrong post and i didnt notice . I am sure that is just a mother older a certain generation thing. My mother is so negative, she is always telling me I am fat I am a size8/10 and always have been (much smaller in my teens) my hair is dyed too much (it is natural ) My clothes don’t suit me. I am dressed too young, too frumpy too girly too masculine. Jeans are too young for a person of your age so on and so on. My sisters do not actually bother with their appearance and she doesn’t do it to them, only me.
I would listen to your husband, unless your car is a soft top with the top down its unlikely your hair was a mess.

I think you meant glamorous?

I meant glamours which is what typed but was changed by predictive text.

I think the problem here is simply vocabulary. I'll probably get cancelled for saying it but women tend to have a broader and often more subtle range of words to describe things. For example, my husband described any colour in a range, from baby pink to burgundy, as red! So smart probably covers any outfit that's not positively scruffy.

I don't aim for 'smart' either. I aspire to 'stylish', but am not sure I always achieve it . I don't know that I have a particular 'look' - I dress for myself and it varies day to day, but the main thing is comfort. I think it is impossible to look good (however you define that) if you have a pained expression because your shoes are too tight or you are worried about your neck or hemlines.

My DP never tells me I
Look nice, etc., I have to ask 🙃

win

Definition of smart 1. astute, as in business; clever or bright · 2. quick, witty, and often impertinent in speech. a smart talker · 3. fashionable; chic · 4. well-kept; neat · 5.
Personally I would love to look fashionably and chic all the time. Stylish is too formal to me, I like to be comfortable but clean and hopefully coordinated most of the time

I am sure that is just a mother older a certain generation thing. My mother is so negative, she is always telling me I am fat I am a size8/10 and always have been (much smaller in my teens) my hair is dyed too much (it is natural ) My clothes don’t suit me. I am dressed too young, too frumpy too girly too masculine. Jeans are too young for a person of your age so on and so on. My sisters do not actually bother with their appearance and she doesn’t do it to them, only me.
I would listen to your husband, unless your car is a soft top with the top down its unlikely your hair was a mess.

I was once told that I look 'Homely' !