[rachaeltrom]

p.s everyplace u go ppl judge by fashion

p.p.s i also live in a "rich" community so tht may b why i feel tht fashion is important and ovr looked. we should take time to look GOOD.... ppl say tht u cant find good shoes and stuff tht look good tht dont hurt but thts not true. i happen 2 own a pair of flats tht ar AMAZING on me and they dont hurt one bit

[vtfashionlover]

I think that it depends what part of Vermont your from. I'm an over 40ish mom who tries to keep up with some sense of fashion - whether it be scarfs, jewlery or shoes to enhance what I'm wearing. I live near 2 colleges and notice some of the small trends that the college kids bring with them. I feel that I have to travel a few miles west to the Lake George, Glens Falls area to shop for more interesting pieces of clothing and not necessarily bright bold colors just the basics, like, black, kahki, white, etc. I guess that wearing a combination of quality clothing with other less expensive accounts for my wardrobe which has to be really functional for the outdoor weather. Thank God for stores like TJMaxx, Target, Marshall's, etc so we can feel somewhat "put together" when we need to find clothes for getting "gussied up". Thanks for letting me spew . . .

[GypsySoul22]

I have bought very little since moving here. You can find nice clothes at Kohl's or Pennys, Fashion Bug.

Most people dress like they do not care. I have seen the odd 'put together' person but it's understated, which is nice.

The worst thing you see here is ratty hair (including mine). People are either too cheap (me) to pay someone 'inflated prices' (more than in NY) to get a hair cut every few weeks or they do not care and like looking scruffy.

I only found one place that does a nice hair cut in 2.5 years. I don't have $25 to pop on a salon, though. The girl in town who cuts hair charges nearly $22 for women (scam) but guys are $10. She did an 'eh' job. The local 'chop shop' 6 miles away did my hair in exactly 10 minutes, cost me nearly $20 bucks.

I guess I could go to the beauty school, but I like to walk in and get my hair done, not make appointments and so on...(my gripe is done).

[arel]

OMG, in Brattleboro I pay $75 for a cut and color (I guess now I've given away that I'm female), but the person does a great job and she is known for her skill with my kind of hair (curly). I believe a haircut alone in this salon is $30.

I go every few months, though, not every few weeks.

Now that I'm up here, I find myself dressing in jeans, a turtleneck and a fleece vest. Most of my turtlenecks are from LL Bean. The new jeans I have bought at Peebles. And the fleeces I buy at Labels for Less, where they have Columbia sportswear. I also have some Baxter and Wells fleece vests from Peebles, but they are not as nice as the Columbia ones.

Peebles is a pretty good store. You have to look carefully, but you can get some nice things there. They like to give "discounts", and you can get a coupon for an even greater discount. The undiscounted prices are quite high, though.

I have gotten away from wearing a lot of black, which I did in New York. I have the desire to be more colorful. But I usually wear black shoes and bags, and I like to wear dark, or at least saturated colored tops.

I like being free of the New York fashion police!

There is one thing in particular I have noticed here in Vermont that you rarely see in New York. Many women here have gray hair and youthful hair styles. Sometimes relatively young women have gray hair! I don't know if someone is prematurely gray (and likes it) or if she actually colors her hair gray. But the hair looks healthy and youthful.

I also see older women with long hair. Really long hair, down the back, even down to the waist.

I have been impressed with the vibrant older women here. This is a good place to grow old.

If you can afford it.

[arctichomesteader]

I wear a variety of colors...flecktarn camo has several...

[GypsySoul22]

I never thought of 'wearing a lot of black' as a NY thing but I suppose it is...several people on this board have commented about 'black clothes' not fitting in outside metro NY.

I just always happen to have a lot of black in my wardrobe, though I prefer light colors. (Black and dark blue are more universal in stores).

I've never followed 'fashion' and I think being neat and clean go a lot further than being dolled up. However, I was taught you dress up nicely for work, something I don't see a lot of here.

As for long hair, yes, you see it a lot here. But where I live it's because people probably don't care WHAT they look like...I have seen more 'severe hair cuts' in some places (can't tell if the person is a man or woman by their hair). That goes for long hair too..

Again, neat and clean...free to be...

[mustmove]

The dress code is affected because it is so damn dirty. Have a dirt driveway and heat with wood- good luck keeping nice clothes clean. Cars get so dirty in VT brushing against your car is akin to falling in the street. Throw in that folks move to VT to get away from 'civilization' and you have your answer.

[arel]

I can live with that.

[Iwon'tforget]

I had to laugh at the grey hair comment. When I moved back to VT, I thought "Now I'll never have to worry about coloring my hair because no one really cares."

People just have other priorities.

[swanstone1]

Indeed this can be quite sad.....In Houston I dressed to the nines diaily w/ 5" heels and stockings. All nail polish matched at all times even if it menat I was late getting to work to change that color. Now, I smell like hay but love my sheep, am continuously covered with drywall dust and paint, always smell like a grill, cuz I cook year round, and by gosh wal mart dictates my fachion style! At times it depresses me, but on the whoile who cares when you are actually "at home" ? Ok, guilty pleasure....while I look like a local on the outside??? V Secret under that I do just for me!!!!!! If you're caring about your clothing style? You "ain't " a local!