DCUM; dress me like a rich woman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you don't necessarily mean "rich woman", you know. You really want to look like a certain kind of fashion savvy woman.

The three wealthiest women I know do not look like what you imagine. One spends all her time with her horses, and she has a sensible graying bob and perpetual sunburn, plus dirty boots ALL THE TIME; she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her appearance. The second is an "old money" academic who is a little overweight, and who dresses in an "old" New England well-scrubbed way, with dark colors and a giant battered diaper bag that she's used as a purse for the past decade. The third is a writer who really does scrub up well when she is forced into human contact, though on her own terms: she dresses like a really elegant Victorian boy; the rest of the time, she hangs out alone in a pair of giant gray sweatpants that she's had since college. All three of these women are so wealthy that they can afford to do whatever they want all day, every day, and never worry about money. I think when you have the kind of wealth they do, you don't even need to strive to "look rich" anymore.

That whole uniform look you mention is not really "rich", just really wealthy in a suburban kind of way.

This look you describe is accurate, but you left out the ultimate assessory -- the giant, or well placed property.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the above.
Rich women aren't concerned with any of the stuff pp's have written.
I married money. None of my mil's circle look anything like what others have described. That sounds very working class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the above.
Rich women aren't concerned with any of the stuff pp's have written.
I married money. None of my mil's circle look anything like what others have described. That sounds very working class.

Hardly!

[Anonymous]

You can't tell by looks since I'm always in my favorite very old yoga pants. They are perfect for chasing kids and going back and forth between the playground and pool. My hair is a frizzy mess from swimming with them most days.

Seriously, +1 on the Norstrom appointment if you don't know where to start. And please don't highlight your hair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I can help, OP. And I don't think your question is odd or trying to be something you are not. I get it. I also will tell you, you don't have to spend outrageous amounts of money to get the look I think you are going for.

Sheath Dresses: Good if slim body build- Anne Taylor is fine sometimes, but Theory is great. Max Mara if you really want to spend the money. Strangely, Limited has some nice sheath dresses in the fall and winter.

Trench: A must have. Black, Tan, or Navy is best for a classic look. If you want to spend-- Burberry is the classic. Thigh length. Otherwise, Banana Republic, and JCREW often have very decent trench coats.

Ballet Flats: Fine but frumpy on a lot of legs. I would go for a classic wedge in the summer and if a ballet flat try to find one with a bit of a wedge type heel (Cole Haan Nike)

Boots: Nice riding and under jean boots. Cognac color or dark rich brown.

Jeans: Slim cut, not necessarily skinny. Darker wash. Get professionally hemmed if you need to and have them keep the stitching at the bottom.

Blouses: A go to. Range from Tory Burch, to Jcrew, to Lilly, to Theory. Silk or all cotton. Fit key. Sometimes flowy is good with white denim and wedges, sometimes a slimmer cut button down with slim dark jeans is a great look

Jackets: 1-2 exceptionally well fitting (get tailored) blazer type jackets. Max Mara, JCrew, etc. I would get a navy one and something fun.

Barbour Jacket - may be too "country" for you, but a nice look that a lot of women like.

Cashmere long sweaters or vneck. Rarely crew neck. Wear nice blouse with sharp collar underneath or nothing and a simply necklace (diamond like small pendant or similar). Long cozy ones but slim cut not big an bulky with a very well fitting tee underneath in black, white, or grey.

Wrap over coat in wool. Max Mara

Dresses: Jude Connally for summer. Lilly fine too. Or simple white or tan linen from Theory or similar.

Jewelry: minimal. Studs, nice watch, not too crazy ring, simple necklace.

Nails. Short and clear or very light polish. Brownish color ok in the fall/winter

Bag: There are a lot of good bags out there around 3-400. I recommend strongly against the big logo thing. You can get a Yves Saint Laurent muse, which is now not an "it" bag but a classic on line for about 400. Downtown Bag by YSL nice too and can get on line (try the real real) for a decent price. For casual Marc Jacobs, there are also some nicer bags in the Marc Jacobs line. No Louis Vuitton please, or Gucci that is with logo all over. Simple suede Gucci that is not screaming Gucci is fine. Chloe bag would be great but expensive. Celine same. If money is an issues, try Rebecca Minkoff nice used. Again Real Real or PoshMark are good sources.

Bathing suit: Simple black or navy bikini if you can pull it off or one piece. White if you really have a great body. Havianas (flip flops) or Jack Rogers cute for beach/pool

Patagonia down jacket/sweater jacket

Hope this helps! Obviously this is a pretty basic lists and in some ways not that much "fun" so of course incorporate your personality. I like to mix colors a lot of people wouldn't wear together and I like scarves in the winter. I also love a good funky sundress.

Have fun!

Love this! Are you a professional in the field?
If anyone can post compatible links, that'd be great.

How lazy are you? Look this shit up yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't tell by looks since I'm always in my favorite very old yoga pants. They are perfect for chasing kids and going back and forth between the playground and pool. My hair is a frizzy mess from swimming with them most days.

Seriously, +1 on the Norstrom appointment if you don't know where to start. And please don't highlight your hair.

+1

Life is meant to be LIVED. You can't buy that, OP.

I am similar to PP, in that we have oodles, but you would never know - no matter how much you try to Google. Life is AMAZING - and not because of what I am wearing or not wearing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't tell by looks since I'm always in my favorite very old yoga pants. They are perfect for chasing kids and going back and forth between the playground and pool. My hair is a frizzy mess from swimming with them most days.

Seriously, +1 on the Norstrom appointment if you don't know where to start. And please don't highlight your hair.

+1

Life is meant to be LIVED. You can't buy that, OP.

I am similar to PP, in that we have oodles, but you would never know - no matter how much you try to Google. Life is AMAZING - and not because of what I am wearing or not wearing!

We get it. There are a lot of rich ladies who look like crap. But there are also wealthy women who look put together and wear nice clothing. Op wants to be like these people. Not you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't tell by looks since I'm always in my favorite very old yoga pants. They are perfect for chasing kids and going back and forth between the playground and pool. My hair is a frizzy mess from swimming with them most days.

Seriously, +1 on the Norstrom appointment if you don't know where to start. And please don't highlight your hair.

You need to check out the thread on putting your kids before your marriage. You sound like you need to a makeover and a reality check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you don't necessarily mean "rich woman", you know. You really want to look like a certain kind of fashion savvy woman.

The three wealthiest women I know do not look like what you imagine. One spends all her time with her horses, and she has a sensible graying bob and perpetual sunburn, plus dirty boots ALL THE TIME; she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her appearance. The second is an "old money" academic who is a little overweight, and who dresses in an "old" New England well-scrubbed way, with dark colors and a giant battered diaper bag that she's used as a purse for the past decade. The third is a writer who really does scrub up well when she is forced into human contact, though on her own terms: she dresses like a really elegant Victorian boy; the rest of the time, she hangs out alone in a pair of giant gray sweatpants that she's had since college. All three of these women are so wealthy that they can afford to do whatever they want all day, every day, and never worry about money. I think when you have the kind of wealth they do, you don't even need to strive to "look rich" anymore.

That whole uniform look you mention is not really "rich", just really wealthy in a suburban kind of way.

This is definitely true. I knew people like this in NY all the time. The filthiest and the less they cared the more money they had and buildings they owned. There are not a ton of people like that here but they definitely exist. But that's not the group OP is playing to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't tell by looks since I'm always in my favorite very old yoga pants. They are perfect for chasing kids and going back and forth between the playground and pool. My hair is a frizzy mess from swimming with them most days.

Seriously, +1 on the Norstrom appointment if you don't know where to start. And please don't highlight your hair.

+1

Life is meant to be LIVED. You can't buy that, OP.

I am similar to PP, in that we have oodles, but you would never know - no matter how much you try to Google. Life is AMAZING - and not because of what I am wearing or not wearing!

We get it. There are a lot of rich ladies who look like crap. But there are also wealthy women who look put together and wear nice clothing. Op wants to be like these people. Not you.

Now you, PP, YOUR personality is simply glowing - may we be as rude and miserable as you someday. One can't buy that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you don't necessarily mean "rich woman", you know. You really want to look like a certain kind of fashion savvy woman.

The three wealthiest women I know do not look like what you imagine. One spends all her time with her horses, and she has a sensible graying bob and perpetual sunburn, plus dirty boots ALL THE TIME; she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her appearance. The second is an "old money" academic who is a little overweight, and who dresses in an "old" New England well-scrubbed way, with dark colors and a giant battered diaper bag that she's used as a purse for the past decade. The third is a writer who really does scrub up well when she is forced into human contact, though on her own terms: she dresses like a really elegant Victorian boy; the rest of the time, she hangs out alone in a pair of giant gray sweatpants that she's had since college. All three of these women are so wealthy that they can afford to do whatever they want all day, every day, and never worry about money. I think when you have the kind of wealth they do, you don't even need to strive to "look rich" anymore.

That whole uniform look you mention is not really "rich", just really wealthy in a suburban kind of way.

This is definitely true. I knew people like this in NY all the time. The filthiest and the less they cared the more money they had and buildings they owned. There are not a ton of people like that here but they definitely exist. But that's not the group OP is playing to.

+1

No the types who owe on a bunch of mortgages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't tell by looks since I'm always in my favorite very old yoga pants. They are perfect for chasing kids and going back and forth between the playground and pool. My hair is a frizzy mess from swimming with them most days.

Seriously, +1 on the Norstrom appointment if you don't know where to start. And please don't highlight your hair.

You need to check out the thread on putting your kids before your marriage. You sound like you need to a makeover and a reality check.

Sex every night says you are wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm rich and I dress how I want.

Be who you are - not a barbie doll you think people want you to be.

+1

Good point. Stay away from that washed out white blonde look, while you are at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good Morning Everyone!

Thank you so much for your very thoughtful replies. I really appreciate you taking the time to post to this little non-sense thread of mine!

As a clarification, I am not looking to emulate "rich women" in the sense that I want to be seen for what I am not. I'm not looking to "trick" people into believing I'm a certain way. I just really quite like that put together, clean, well cut presentation certain women in DC have and it seems to be a more regular sight in the wealthy neighborhoods I mentioned. If you care to know, I am not super rich but I am not "poor" either. I want a look that exudes class and good taste. Why? The answer is pretty obvious isn't it? People treat you better, also I feel as if that look is more me rather than the frumpy dont care look I have been sporting for the past few years.

For example I just envision myself wearing my long black hair down and sleek and frizz-free. I'm wearing a grey wool well-fitted sheath dress along with low heeled black leather pumps. My makeup is minimal to bare and I'm wearing small diamond studs in my ears.

That's the kind of understated, no fuss but high quality elegance I am going for.

Thanks so much again!

Cute look. You won't find that in Potomac (where I live). Many here have been "new money" for several generations (I believe that would be somewhere between new and old, yet they still behave "new"). Conspicuous consumption is common. I notice this, because I often feel I don't fit in. The River Falls/Avenel crowd may look different, but in the rest of Potomac, you see a lot of very long hair (the length you see in high school students), large LV monogram bags, yoga capris all day. Some are very thin, some are not. Sometimes long painted fingernails. It's a very Long Island aesthetic. Other Potomac women have diverse senses of style, and you really can't generalize.

I'm starting to see more Lilly, but only since the store moved into Montgomery mall - before then, no one wore it here.

If you want to look put together, just find your own style and do it. I love the hypothetical wool sheath you describe, but where are you wearing it? If it's a good fit for your job, then just buy that dress. But if you work in a casual office, or you are a SAHM, or you are a surgeon, or... it's really only practical for date night, and you probably can't dress that way for a typical Tuesday.

Lol! +1 my NY compatriot!

[Anonymous]

The wealthiest people I know dress very simply and tend to go for the natural look in hair, nails and makeup. They drive nice, but older cars. They also have nice handbags (Chloe, Chanel, YSL) that look fairly plain on the outside, but the bags aren't brand new as they tend to wear them for many years. Most of the people I know who are covered in brands and bling don't make too much more than I do (and we're pretty solidly middle class).