We Can Do Better
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:32 pm
Had to go to a funeral yesterday. It was surprisingly a large crowd, probably 125 give or take. I wore a black dress with black hose and black and white spectator pumps, quite appropriate for a funeral IMO. What surprised me is the number there in what I consider less than proper attire for the circumstance. Jeans, t shirts, there was even one guy there in shorts and a woman though in a skirt wearing a cami top.. Not everyone but probably 25 or 30 of them. As I looked around the offenders in my mind were probably more men than women but both genders were guilty IMO. Yes there were other women there in dresses and guys even wearing sports coats but other than the immediate family no guy had a tie on.
I realize this is Southern California and we do our own thing but seriously? Have we gotten so wrapped in comfort and casual we have lost basic respect? I am not saying women need to wear hose or heels even a dress but what about a nice pair of dress slacks and blouse? Guys you can't tell me khakis are that much more uncomfortable than jeans? Please don't even try to tell me you don't own anything but jeans and t shirts. I will even bet you own at least one pair of shoes that aren't Nikes or Adidas!
I am not saying we need to go back to the old days and I for one welcomed the original corporate casual culture but we have slid a long way down the rabbit hole from where that started. I am not dissing those women who eschew hose. I admit pantyhose is not the most comfortable thing to wear many times though as I am getting older my legs are not what they once were and do wear them with a knee length skirt more nowadays. I even am not harping on women for not wearing heels. I generally wear them a couple of times a week but am probably not the only one who kicks them off the minute I walk in the door and search for my comfy slippers. I'm not saying guys have to go back to wearing suits and ties but I do admit I find a guy a man dressed like that sexy.
IMHO we have gone too far and I see a lot of blame to go around here. Parents who grew up in the 90's and 2000's who never really taught or understood what proper attire for certain functions is. The rise of the "me generation" telling the world it is all about them and just deal with it. The rise of the untraditional corporate executive like Mark Zuckerberg and his hoodie being put on a pedestal as the "up and comers." Even the pandemic with its work from home and and self isolation has a hand here. I admit to more than one video conference where from the waist up I had on a nice top complete with jewelry, my hair and make up done yet out of sight was sweat pants and my slippers but I would never think of leaving my condo dressed like that with the possible exceptions of taking the trash out or running down to the mail box.
Ladies maybe it is time to start a movement to dressing at least a little less carelessly. I am not saying when you are out en femme here for I have full faith you are appropriately attired then and if anything over dressed. Then again I have always believed it is better to be overdressed than underdressed. I am talking here when you are out in drab. Definitely leave the sweat pants at home where they belong! Unless you are actually going to a concert leave the concert t shirt in the drawer. For the hour it takes you to run to Home Depot suck it up and no shorts! It won't kill you to put on big boy pants or at least a decent pair of jeans. If you're running to the grocery store or out to eat ask yourself could I wear this to the beach? If the answer is yes, change! One last thing which is a pet peeve of mine. Guys if you have a beer belly don't wear your pants below it so you look 7 months pregnant! Buck up and buy some pants that fit properly!
Is this going to bring about instant change? Probably not but we have to start somewhere. If you can get even one person to change their attitude about how they appear to rethink they appear in public it is a start. The time has come for a grass roots movement here and I am not talking a hula skirt!
I realize this is Southern California and we do our own thing but seriously? Have we gotten so wrapped in comfort and casual we have lost basic respect? I am not saying women need to wear hose or heels even a dress but what about a nice pair of dress slacks and blouse? Guys you can't tell me khakis are that much more uncomfortable than jeans? Please don't even try to tell me you don't own anything but jeans and t shirts. I will even bet you own at least one pair of shoes that aren't Nikes or Adidas!
I am not saying we need to go back to the old days and I for one welcomed the original corporate casual culture but we have slid a long way down the rabbit hole from where that started. I am not dissing those women who eschew hose. I admit pantyhose is not the most comfortable thing to wear many times though as I am getting older my legs are not what they once were and do wear them with a knee length skirt more nowadays. I even am not harping on women for not wearing heels. I generally wear them a couple of times a week but am probably not the only one who kicks them off the minute I walk in the door and search for my comfy slippers. I'm not saying guys have to go back to wearing suits and ties but I do admit I find a guy a man dressed like that sexy.
IMHO we have gone too far and I see a lot of blame to go around here. Parents who grew up in the 90's and 2000's who never really taught or understood what proper attire for certain functions is. The rise of the "me generation" telling the world it is all about them and just deal with it. The rise of the untraditional corporate executive like Mark Zuckerberg and his hoodie being put on a pedestal as the "up and comers." Even the pandemic with its work from home and and self isolation has a hand here. I admit to more than one video conference where from the waist up I had on a nice top complete with jewelry, my hair and make up done yet out of sight was sweat pants and my slippers but I would never think of leaving my condo dressed like that with the possible exceptions of taking the trash out or running down to the mail box.
Ladies maybe it is time to start a movement to dressing at least a little less carelessly. I am not saying when you are out en femme here for I have full faith you are appropriately attired then and if anything over dressed. Then again I have always believed it is better to be overdressed than underdressed. I am talking here when you are out in drab. Definitely leave the sweat pants at home where they belong! Unless you are actually going to a concert leave the concert t shirt in the drawer. For the hour it takes you to run to Home Depot suck it up and no shorts! It won't kill you to put on big boy pants or at least a decent pair of jeans. If you're running to the grocery store or out to eat ask yourself could I wear this to the beach? If the answer is yes, change! One last thing which is a pet peeve of mine. Guys if you have a beer belly don't wear your pants below it so you look 7 months pregnant! Buck up and buy some pants that fit properly!
Is this going to bring about instant change? Probably not but we have to start somewhere. If you can get even one person to change their attitude about how they appear to rethink they appear in public it is a start. The time has come for a grass roots movement here and I am not talking a hula skirt!