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I was so struck when I was in Italy a few years back that older and old women dressed up, many in hose and heels, to go to the grocery store. Of all shapes and sizes as we age, are we too old to dress up, or are we going to go around in sweats and shorts with baggy tops?
I don't remember my female relatives striving to "look beautiful"...except for one aunt maybe. My maternal grmother was a lifelong career woman so she did always dress nice. The other side of the family was more casual but we always 'dressed up' for church. In the 50s we ALWAYS had to be dressed nice to go shopping too. Easter was looked forward to for the new clothes and shoes and gloves, etc..
As for me...I've never been much of a clothes horse, except when I worked in offices and had to look nice. Most of my working life has been spent in uniforms of one sort or another so I've never needed much in the way of 'nice clothes'. Right now I'd be hard pressed to find something really decent in my closet for a wedding or funeral. I live in sweats in winter and shorts in summer. I have NICE sweats though and shorts are mainly for around the house, not going shopping. I LIKE comfort and have never cared what the current fad/style was. Not since high school anyway.
I work at Walmart so, yes, I do sometimes see some odd clothing combos but for the most part people dress decently, if not fancy. I will never know why or how it became 'fashionable' to wear pajama bottoms and slippers to go shopping though. My niece still does that and adds a robe on top of that! But she's the only person I know who does that.
I love dressing comfortably but also stylishly. Around the house I wear what I call "yoga" outfits -- or what we used to call "running suits." They look nice and are very very comfy. They are not stylish! They are easy to wash and wear!
I do not go out in public dressed that way-- EVER. Not even to pump gas. I may put on jeans, but I enjoy coordinating everything. To run errands, it may be jeans or capris, shirt and sandals, but it looks nice. It is fun! I have costume jewelry as well as some nice hand made pieces and I like to show them off, too (big chunky necklaces, for example).
Shoes are sooo much fun. I have all sorts in a rainbow of colors and styles. Jeans (blue, black, white) and a cute pair of sandals and simple top, show-piece necklace . . . it makes me happy!
I like "high church" so I would be rather dumbfounded to walk into church and see the minister or priest in anything other than liturgical robes. I like pomp and circumstance, lol. I like beautiful organ music, acolytes, liturgical symbolism. It's not for everyone and those who choose a community church or a non-liturgical church often choose it b/c they like the laid back casual atmosphere -- something for everyone! For those of us who want liturgical trappings - we can choose a different type of service. Many churches have 2 services every Sunday and then there are Saturday Masses at most Catholic churches. Often the early service will be contemporary (more laid back, sometimes a live band, casual dress), then "high church" or a traditional service at 11 am.
There's something for everyone out there . . . I am a Southerner and enjoy the traditional Southern style of dressing - country club/prep casual. My son likes pulling out his seersucker suit, madras jacket, white or khaki pants . . . so does hubby. We enjoy dressing up and going out together. We don't care how others are dressed - we do it for our own enjoyment, but typically, if you are friends with other Southerners, we all end up dressing similarly anyway, lol. There is a "code" . . . and basically it is prep style, and for summer, it is cotton and linen, thong sandles if in a resort/beach, flat shoes in many colors, bow ties on guys . . . spaghetti strap or A line dresses . . . it is fun, always looks fresh . . . for winter, it would best be described as the Ralph Lauren look.
I also like cowboy boots (they come in many colors and designs!) with dresses and a cute denim jacket . . . I see younger women put together that look for a "date night" and it is adorable. Older women like me me can adapt the look with a long skirt.
Young men are wearing expensive suits, even tuxes, with keds these days. It is a great look!
I also think the Bohemian (BoHo) look is a lot of fun . . . and can be put together regardless of season.
Comfortable, classy clothing doesn't have to be stuffy. Classics last forever! I like pashminas, capes . . . have some fun with clothing. Who cares if anyone else is dressed the same way . . . when we look good, we feel good and no reason that comfort and style can't be synonymous. Most of us developed our own "style" many years ago . . . and style/taste are very personal.
As we get older, I think we more or less get invisible to others . . . so who cares what you are wearing other than YOU, yourself? That being said, the vast majority of over 65 folks that I see do not look unkempt at all. They look fresh, put together, even if in a running suit with sneakers.
Clothing and style have typically signaled others as to a person's station in life, whether anyone wants to acknowledge it or not. If you look "down and out," others will assume you are, lol. However, purposely casual is not unkempt . . . there is a difference.
I remember a time when you didn't dare arrive at at girl's home to pick her up for a date and not be wearing a coat and tie. Her dad might just take one look at you and tell you to hit the road. By yourself. It showed respect I think.
We just watched the movie "Silver Linings Playbook" and was surprised when the young men were expected to wear a tie to a dinner invitation.
I remember a time when you didn't dare arrive at at girl's home to pick her up for a date and not be wearing a coat and tie. Her dad might just take one look at you and tell you to hit the road. By yourself. It showed respect I think.
We just watched the movie "Silver Linings Playbook" and was surprised when the young men were expected to wear a tie to a dinner invitation.
Ohhh - now I want to see this movie! Checking it out! Thank you for mentioning it.
Interesting how people can see things in different ways. Church is one place where I actually prefer seeing people in casual clothes.
As a child and as a young man ... I always went to church in slacks and sport coat. Suit for Easter. Now I attend a church which has two services each Sunday. The first is a 'traditional' one that's more highly structured, choir, organ music, and the Pastor gives the sermon from above ... in the pulpit .. and people are dressed in either 'business casual' or slacks/coat. I attend the second service, which is called 'contemporary.' There's a band which plays religious music, the Pastor doesn't wear the robe, the sermon is delivered mid-way in the middle of the congregation from the center aisle, we gather around and near the altar for Communion ... and it's a 'come as you are' dress code. In warm weather I wear a t-shirt and shorts ... as do many other people. In cooler months I'm in jeans and a pull-over. I think people should dress comfortably, because God is pleased just having us in the house.
Sure, I remember "dressing up". What it meant then, and still does, was that I had to wear one of the most useless, uncomfortable, and genuinely stupid articles of clothing ever invented, the necktie.
I hate neckties and any event that requires that I wear one.
My fondest hope has always been that the inventor was later convicted of a capital crime and hanged by the neck until dead!
My fondest hope has always been that the inventor was later convicted of a capital crime and hanged by the neck until dead!
I'm surprised. I'd guess that most people who would take the moniker "Curmudgeon" would be the ones praising neckties and promoting their use. Very glad to see that I'm wrong in this case.
I'm surprised. I'd guess that most people who would take the moniker "Curmudgeon" would be the ones praising neckties and promoting their use. Very glad to see that I'm wrong in this case.
Curnudgeons can't suspend disbelief and have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology.
As a child and as a young man ... I always went to church in slacks and sport coat. Suit for Easter. Now I attend a church which has two services each Sunday. The first is a 'traditional' one that's more highly structured, choir, organ music, and the Pastor gives the sermon from above ... in the pulpit .. and people are dressed in either 'business casual' or slacks/coat. I attend the second service, which is called 'contemporary.' There's a band which plays religious music, the Pastor doesn't wear the robe, the sermon is delivered mid-way in the middle of the congregation from the center aisle, we gather around and near the altar for Communion ... and it's a 'come as you are' dress code. In warm weather I wear a t-shirt and shorts ... as do many other people. In cooler months I'm in jeans and a pull-over. I think people should dress comfortably, because God is pleased just having us in the house.
I like the idea of the two services, esp since so many including myself have not so fond memories of having to really dress up for church when young. That may have turned off a lot of people. Informal church services are great to reach out to a wider demographic. Yesterday we did an outdoor service serving free meals to the homeless regulars who come. If we had been dressed up (which we wouldn't be anyway) they never would have approached.
Since retired, I won't go anywhere that requires me to dress-up. I wear an occasional leather strap watch but no other jewelry.
I have no idea what's fashionable nor do I care. I don't notice what other people wear, either, but then again, I didn't notice what other people wore when I was younger either. My clothes are clean and all machine washable. It's hot here longer. Blazers I used to wear to work, that I could wear with pants now, are out. I wear shoes that are comfortable. I have two favorite TV shows. One is about rural Harlan County, Kentucky and the other is about the 1980s cold war. So, I have no reference to "fashionable current day hot looks" in my TV viewing. I occasionally read magazines about birds and outdoor photography not people/celebrities. My music taste is even before my time so I don't see many performances live or on TV (for fashion examples) because they're all dead or close to it.
I have glasses not contacts because I see better with glasses.
One of my hobbies requires me to dress down so I don't fall down when I'm doing it (outdoor photography). The other one - well, I don't even have to wear clothes to do that one (reading). I live by myself and like it but it also means I don't have to look a certain way. And, I hate shopping and do it online so there is no clothes shopping attire. I dress the same way for classes now as I did when I was in my teens/20s at college. The retired people I take classes with are not make-up/jewelry wearers or showy country club types. Neither are the camera club members.
I go out to lunch, not dinner if I'm eating out, and everyone is casually dressed except those coming from work.
In my entire life, not counting haircuts and 80s perms done at the salon, I think I've had my hair "done" once at a salon (graduation photo) and I went kicking and screaming all the way since I still was a kid that one time. My hair gets blow dried by me or the person cutting it, that's it for hair prep before I go out. I do dye it...the same color for decades.
BUT, one of the only reality shows I watch is Project Runway (clothes and styling are not for 60+ year olds). Go figure!
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to do that one (reading). I live by myself and like it but it also means I don't have to look a certain way. And, I hate shopping and do it online so there is no clothes shopping attire. I dress the same way for classes now as I did when I was in my teens/20s at college. The retired people I take classes with are not make-up/jewelry wearers or showy country club types. Neither are the camera club members.
