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Maybe it depends on where he is going to run errands? For instance - if I were going to run errands in an upscale city, I would probably at least wear my "soccer mom" jacket even for a trip to the hardware store. On the other hand, when I go to the hardware store in my local, blue collar town, I wear my beat up Carhardt work jacket. And I fit right in.
You don't seem to want to hear this, OP, but - he is *retired*. So let the man wear what he wants! At least he is groomed and tidy. Plus, maybe he is able to negotiate a better deal from people who feel sorry that he is in difficult financial straits!
The OP clearly stated that he had a Doctor appointment, not an errand at the Hardware Store.
He is 77 year old retired Electrical Engineer with 2 degrees and a successful career under his belt. Today he left for a doctor's appointment in old baggy-butted jeans, a black tee shirt and an old flannel shirt unbuttoned over it. Ratty old tennis shoes too and a stocking cap. But the worst part is he wears his key ring on his belt and it hangs down and makes noise with so many keys on it. He looks like a janitor or a building super.
He has nice khakis, button-down shirts, jackets and sweaters and better shoes in his closet but he only wears them when I am going out with him and ask him to "clean up" a little bit.
He showers daily, has regular haircuts and gets his beard nicely trimmed and he has acknowledged he gets better treatment in shops and restaurants when he is dressed better but he just doesn't seem to care enough to present himself better...unless I gently remind him.
Also he really didn't have to wear a suit or even a tie for quite some time while he was still working so it's not like he is rebelling.
I'm no fashion plate but at least I try to wear something better than knock-around-the-house clothes when I go out.
Now I hear some saying "Leave the man alone. He's not hurting anybody" but I think he is hurting himself even if he doesn't realize it. I realize he is not going to change but I am wondering if other women are having the same issue with their elderly husbands.
I'm 55, but retired at 47... I really enjoy wearing clothes that are comfortable and well broken-in (though as others have posted, the SO throws them out when she figures they are past their useful life ;-). On the other hand, I also tend to dress comfortably based on where I am... such as way up in New England, not much beats LL Bean stuff, like the wool plaid shirts and boots, etc. Like Europe, Far East, Australia all dress differently, often based on their climate, so often their apparel tends to be the most comfortable. I DO keep the 'barn clothes' in the barn, and the 'garage clothes' in the garage, and don't go out in public with them, but really who cares how I dress, other than myself? I somewhat understand why many women want to look nice in public (she is only 40, and looks 35, so I guess it is a stay-looking-young thing), but that is not that important to me.
So, he isn't hurting anybody, and you cannot tell a man by the way he dresses (other than perhaps a person that is so self-absorbed and superficial that he needs an upscale appearance to appease his low self-esteem). So let him do his thing.... (though I agree with you about the dangling keys) JMHO.
The OP clearly stated that he had a Doctor appointment, not an errand at the Hardware Store.
Okay. So same thing. If I go to a doctor's appointment in my home town - where most people wear carhart work jackets and farm boots as part of their daily attire - I wear my work jacket and blue jeans. When I have doctor's appointments in a nicer area/big city, then I dress a bit nicer - I wear my "soccer mom" jacket, for instance.
Usually when people go to the doctor they are there for health reasons; they aren't out to impress.
This doctor thing changes everything. Obviously it makes good sense to dress well in the hopes of impressing doctors and other healthcare providers. We want to make sure they know we understand healthcare, we can pay for it and we demand quality. I learned the importance of dressing well for such occasions by reading this thread.
This doctor thing changes everything. Obviously it makes good sense to dress well in the hopes of impressing doctors and other healthcare providers. We want to make sure they know we understand healthcare, we can pay for it and we demand quality. I learned the importance of dressing well for such occasions by reading this thread.
You might be right. I feel so much better informed when I wear khakis than when I wear jeans. When I put on a tux, I'm smarter than the entire staff of Jeopardy.
Beanie propeller hats, I tell ya. Or tinfoil ones.
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