Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. As a self aware "frumpy" woman I have secretly always admired and been envious of these beautiful, put together feminine women. How do they find the time or the energy for such meticulous effort?

It takes time but not THAT much time. Go somewhere nice and have your hair cut and colored. Go to an upscale salon where someone can help you with your style. You will have to wait for an available appointment.

Okay now go to Sephora and also a department store and have your makeup done. Also work with a stylist somewhere like Nordstrom for a new wardrobe. You want high quality feminine clothes. Some dresses for work, dresses for dates, skirts and tops etc. make sure you have something casual to wear for he weekends that isn't frumpy. For example, cute wedges or flats, jeans that fit you well and nice shirts. buy a pair of practical heels for work. Purchase new lingerie and have a bra fitting. You can do all of this in one weekend or two.

Figure you need to spend one evening a week and something beauty related. For example a mani/pedi or hair removal.

Make sure and do your hair and put on makeup before leaving the house. Bring powder and lipstick should you need to reapply before a meeting or event.

Have your hair blown out at your new salon before a date night or before a big event.

Most women I know who look put together spend a fair amount of time to do it.

Styling hair alone takes most white women about an hour, if they don't put their hair up in a ponytail.

Men - if you see a white woman with stick straight hair vs frizzy or curly hair, it means she spent at least an hour straightening it.

As for the makeup, you don't need more than 5 minutes if all you're putting on is mascara and lip gloss. But most people need a lot more than that to look good. Most people have horrible skin, so their makeup routine takes at least a half an hour, an hour isn't really unheard of. (Evening skin alone requires coverup, foundation, highlighter, bronzer, blush, etc..)

If Kate can do it, we can too!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this romanticizing of the South? You think everyone looks like sorority girls wearing dresses to SEC football games?

Large portions of the South have struggling schools and high unemployment/underemployment. So you're going to see plenty of frumpy people with muffin tops wearing too-tight Hollister t-shirts and shitty flip-flops. Just like anywhere else.

+1. Granted, I am a New Englander, but I have several southern family members and friends, and have never thought of Southern women as particularly stylish...

Then you're probably spending time with lower or middle class people. Go and check out upper class girls at a college in New England and then do the same in the south. The southern women will dress up for class and look amazing. The New England ladies will wear sweatshirts.

Because they aren't into showing off. They're old-school WASP "too rich to care." I guess you have to care in the South, lest someone give you a "bless your heart"

Eh I'm not sure that's it. Fwiw, most of these upper class southern women could also be in the DAR. Regardless, you should care about your looks and if you don't you're foolish. If anything, men care.

I know everyone has decided this is a troll, but I sympathize. I grew up in Chicago and DC, moved to Atlanta after marriage, and it was an eye opener.

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. As a self aware "frumpy" woman I have secretly always admired and been envious of these beautiful, put together feminine women. How do they find the time or the energy for such meticulous effort?

All it takes is time and money. The women I know like this get up really early because their morning beauty routine takes at least an hour. So, spend money on a nice haircut and nice makeup and nice clothes. Spend time blow-drying your hair and styling it and doing a full face of makeup every day. They do this because they were raised to think it is important. If you thought it was important, you would do it, too. You might admire them, but if you don't do what they do, it's because you don't actually think it's important.

Like Britney just before it all went to sh*t in 2007.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this romanticizing of the South? You think everyone looks like sorority girls wearing dresses to SEC football games?

Large portions of the South have struggling schools and high unemployment/underemployment. So you're going to see plenty of frumpy people with muffin tops wearing too-tight Hollister t-shirts and shitty flip-flops. Just like anywhere else.

+1. Granted, I am a New Englander, but I have several southern family members and friends, and have never thought of Southern women as particularly stylish...

Then you're probably spending time with lower or middle class people. Go and check out upper class girls at a college in New England and then do the same in the south. The southern women will dress up for class and look amazing. The New England ladies will wear sweatshirts.

Because they aren't into showing off. They're old-school WASP "too rich to care." I guess you have to care in the South, lest someone give you a "bless your heart"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this romanticizing of the South? You think everyone looks like sorority girls wearing dresses to SEC football games?

Large portions of the South have struggling schools and high unemployment/underemployment. So you're going to see plenty of frumpy people with muffin tops wearing too-tight Hollister t-shirts and shitty flip-flops. Just like anywhere else.

+1. Granted, I am a New Englander, but I have several southern family members and friends, and have never thought of Southern women as particularly stylish...

Then you're probably spending time with lower or middle class people. Go and check out upper class girls at a college in New England and then do the same in the south. The southern women will dress up for class and look amazing. The New England ladies will wear sweatshirts.

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. As a self aware "frumpy" woman I have secretly always admired and been envious of these beautiful, put together feminine women. How do they find the time or the energy for such meticulous effort?

It takes time but not THAT much time. Go somewhere nice and have your hair cut and colored. Go to an upscale salon where someone can help you with your style. You will have to wait for an available appointment.

Okay now go to Sephora and also a department store and have your makeup done. Also work with a stylist somewhere like Nordstrom for a new wardrobe. You want high quality feminine clothes. Some dresses for work, dresses for dates, skirts and tops etc. make sure you have something casual to wear for he weekends that isn't frumpy. For example, cute wedges or flats, jeans that fit you well and nice shirts. buy a pair of practical heels for work. Purchase new lingerie and have a bra fitting. You can do all of this in one weekend or two.

Figure you need to spend one evening a week and something beauty related. For example a mani/pedi or hair removal.

Make sure and do your hair and put on makeup before leaving the house. Bring powder and lipstick should you need to reapply before a meeting or event.

Have your hair blown out at your new salon before a date night or before a big event.

Anonymous wrote:What is this romanticizing of the South? You think everyone looks like sorority girls wearing dresses to SEC football games?

Large portions of the South have struggling schools and high unemployment/underemployment. So you're going to see plenty of frumpy people with muffin tops wearing too-tight Hollister t-shirts and shitty flip-flops. Just like anywhere else.

+1. Granted, I am a New Englander, but I have several southern family members and friends, and have never thought of Southern women as particularly stylish...

What is this romanticizing of the South? You think everyone looks like sorority girls wearing dresses to SEC football games?

Large portions of the South have struggling schools and high unemployment/underemployment. So you're going to see plenty of frumpy people with muffin tops wearing too-tight Hollister t-shirts and shitty flip-flops. Just like anywhere else.

This is OP. As a self aware "frumpy" woman I have secretly always admired and been envious of these beautiful, put together feminine women. How do they find the time or the energy for such meticulous effort?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a typical northern 30 something DC dwelling female. I dress pretty frumpy and don't have a clue about how to be flirty or attract a guy. My twenty three year old younger sister is friends with this "southern belle" and watching her is like a revelation on how to be beautiful or feminine.

Get this; this girl is only 23 but she is just so...self aware and so sure of herself and her womanly wiles. She is petite, has bleach blonde curly hair, wears bright colors and always has her nails and toes done. She also always wears a full face of makeup and is so naturally feminine. The way she flirts with guys and walks and talks. Its SO new and strange to me.

Wish I knew how to do that!

Considering this is true ...

What is to stop you OP? Stop dressing in a way that you feel is frumpy. Wear bright colors. Do your hair. Get a mani/pedi if you want. Take a chance and make a change. Its not rocket surgery really.

Thanks, you made my day.

It does seem to be rocket science for many women though. Look around. So much frumpiness. All they need is a good hair cut, makeup and new clothes. Oh and to lose 10-20 lbs. but they don't. I assume they either don't care or don't know they could look so much better

Well, they COULD. But not every woman wants to be fodder for OP's pervy fantasies about southern belles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do pp think this is fake? I can relate. I haven't got a clue and am so impressed with these women who can put themselves together seemingly effortlessly. It's impressive.

It's not effortless. They get up at the Crack of dawn to look "easy breezy"

Exactly. They may look put-together, but there's nothing effortless about it. It takes a lot of time and a fair amount of money. If that's how you want to spend your time and money, then you could look like them, too. There's nothing magic about it.

Smile more. It makes A big difference, it's free and doesn't require dieting or exercise. That's a southern secret for attractiveness - to men, women, children, and the rest of the world.