Dressing Appropriately

~ beetleypete

Remember when you were young, reasonably fashion conscious, and always tried to dress appropriately?

Me too.

Socks with open sandals should never be seen, right?

Sleeveless vests (singlets) do not flatter the older man with a large belly.
No debate about that.

Brown shoes with a blue or grey suit?
In my day that was unacceptable.

There was a time when I laughed at people who did those things.

Last week, during endless rain, and before it got that cold, I had to take Ollie out in a downpour.

I was wearing a red T-shirt, and put on a baggy zip-up black fleece top over that.

Next came knee-length cargo shorts in blue. Military style, and loose-fitting.

Because of the rain and mud, I wore navy blue wellington boots, with some black and yellow long socks just visible over the top of them.

Umbrella up, I set off.

Not long after, I encountered a local lady who I know well. She was walking her three small dogs, and stopped to make a fuss of Ollie.
She is forty-something, and usually smart and well turned out. As she walked off with her dogs, she turned and smiled as she called out to me.

“Love the look. What kind of outfit is that?”

As I struggled to come up with a reasonable reply, I watched her from behind, her shoulders rocking as she giggled uncontrollably.

Yes, she was laughing at me.

85 thoughts on “Dressing Appropriately”

  1. I used to get quite dressed up for work. Now I go to the supermarket, for a run or to Little O’s school for drop off. I now prioritise comfort over all things. I don’t think I have worn a non-trainer shoe more than 3 times since March.

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      2. Dont worry about, Pete! One can wear what one wants to do. Now we will officially the “second hand century”. We should save the nature, the environment, our money (we nevermore will have. ;-), and the property of our officials too. Lol Take Ollie as an role model. He has to be clothed always the same way. Michael

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    1. I don’t mind giving people a laugh. At least I haven’t got a funny hat, and walk around carrying lots of bags full of rubbish. Mind you, that could be next! 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete. x

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  17. It took me years of ‘maintaining’ accepted dress code operations at school, then work, before I got better at either running my own side biz, my own biz and/or choosing better who I chose to work for – yes, ‘they say’ the following: “dress for success’, ‘dress like you are taking it seriously’ but the older I get, and the more I change my actions on who I serve/give my energy to, the less I care about dress mode other than for comfort and ‘public decency’ (conservative) takes on the matter – And, I tend to show up in ‘boots on the ground’ attire – which customer wants to invite me or trusts me to say yes to walking their warehouse, their pasture, or taking my place at the information table with one chair for the elderly volunteer’s use or the food service line, if I’m dressed in biz suit with hose & heels? LOL -that said, anyone comments on my attire, or giggles to my face, I just say, “Well, for today, this is what I’m working on – and this is what it looks like – ” and let it go – For longer than I can remember, the words “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ personally meant more to me than ‘the latest style’ trucked out on marketing levels – but that’s just me – You’re retired, you’re comfy, you’re caring for those in ‘your pack’ and you’re not flouting general laws or damaging ‘tender eyes’ – so, in the end, I would have thought, “umm…yep, KUDOS to ME for making someone else get a healthy laugh today – – not as much laughter as we need, anymore!” – and felt GOOD about my attire!!! :D.

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      1. :D. I do the same – funny, but when I read other’s doing it, I realize (especially since reading your reply) that I tend to err on the side of ‘that’s okay, I do that too!” just in case…. We could even form a club and we don’t even need to buy t-shirts! I have a hand-me down red t-shirt and well….blue sweatpants….alas, I still yearn for someone to gift me pink bunny slippers or Chewbaca slippers to go with the outfit – – – :). The International Club of Dress for Comfort” or some such stuff….LOL

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  25. i vote for laughing “WITH” you, Pete. There’s a perennial pass for taking the dog in the pouring rain, and. I’ve been known to walk the dog in my PJs (with a wrap thrown over them). I don’t advocate fellows going back to coat and tie, or women making dinner in a dress, stockings, heels, and a single strand of pearls, but I do think we all have become much too casual not only in dress, but also in manners.

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    1. I agree, Angela. In my teens, I would put on a jacket before answering the door. Now I have gone too far the other way, and happily greet guests wearing only a dressing gown and slippers!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  26. Laughing at you or laughing with you, Pete. Hurray for casual Fridays and the casual six other days of the week. The only clothing I draw the line at here in the US is trump tee shirts and caps, plus of course all the various hate regalia.

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  33. Fashion does not seem to have limitations (except for modesty — for the most part) so in today’s society (especially where social standards are not dictated by some stuffy old expectations) anything is alright if it is comfortable and it is nobody’s business what a person wears in situations that do not impose such standards. (Such as in certain stodgy old gentlemen’s clubs, etc.). If it is comfortable and affordable then wear it! If it were me, I would not waste a reply to some insensitive dolt as that woman was in her snide giggling.

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