To Dress, Or To Overdress?

[oldsalt1]

Speaking of which, when it comes to fashion, we, as men, are far behind the learning curve. When it comes to how to wear women's clothes and how to put together stylish and tasteful outfits, we're learning in our 30's, 40's, even 50's what women learned as little girls

If you take the 30's and the 40's and add them together you get ""70's"" Boy talking about having to catch up

[moonshadow]

I could understand the concept of inappropriate clothing, such as wearing a floorsweeper and high heels on a bush walk.

I think that's a lot of it, it depends on the situation you're in, or plan to be in.

Here lately with the constant rain we've been having on the weekends, I've found myself having to wear items that won't get damaged or cause wardrobe malfunctions when they get wet. My Saturdays are typically "errand" days which in the winter can involve hauling off the garbage, grocery shopping, getting the L.P. tanks filed, in addition to any handywork around the house. I typically wear skirts, however on these type of days the skirts are plain, rugged (denim, Macabi fabric, or thick cotton/polyester blends), and might even be paired with one of my rugged tee shirts rather than the more "dainty" stuff I have.

I have a few things that are more "dressy" but the issue is I don't generally engage myself in activities that warrant dressing up. I don't go to parties, I don't go clubbing, I might visit a museum on occasion, but it's normally when I'm just out exploring and on that same day I may find myself trekking the side of a mountain, or photographing and old building or barn. As many of you all have seen in my Moon Phases thread, I've been known to hike and bicycle on trails, sometimes happening upon a little out of the way swimming hole where I may jump in and cool off.

A couple years ago we were out driving in the country side when we all stopped, Amber and I walked in the woods for about an hour, a good portion of it was walking straight up a creek... in the creek. I was wearing a suitable skirt, but I was also wearing my flats. The cushioning in the flats got saturated with water and the squished when I walked in them for six months afterwards. Ever since then, I typically wear my old tattered sandals on weekend outings because... you just never know. It's must more likely I'll be wading in a creek than sitting in a symphony hall before the day is out!

So in all fairness, I too would rather not look like a clown, but I think our lifestyle should take precedence on what we wear.

Today, when I log off of here, Jenn wants to go out somewhere, just a little ride. I know a few things we have to get at the store. The weather is overcast and the wind is very gusty. Temps in the high 50's. I don't plan on any hard manual labor today so I've thought about getting one of my long flowy numbers out. Why? Because I just LOVE the way a long flowy skirt flutters on a windy day! It also has a smaller chance of blowing straight up like shorter skirts tend to. That is, unless you pull a Marylin Monroe and stand over sidewalk grate with an updraft- which thankfully there are not too many of those around here. I'll pair it with my regular shoes as it's still a little chilly and I don't plan to go swimming anyway.

[Grok]

My Saturdays are typically "errand" days which in the winter can involve hauling off the garbage, grocery shopping, getting the L.P. tanks filed, in addition to any handywork around the house. I typically wear skirts, however on these type of days the skirts are plain, rugged (denim, Macabi fabric, or thick cotton/polyester blends), and might even be paired with one of my rugged tee shirts rather than the more "dainty" stuff I have.

I think our lifestyle should take precedence on what we wear.

Yeah, there seems to be a niche for more rugged skirts. Sort of the one pipe counterpart of jeans.

[Caultron]

...Oh, by the way, Caultron, for whatever it's worth, I've never ruled out the notion of wearing an evening gown. I'd just need to find the right gown and the right situation to wear one.

For sure, always dress for the situation (within some range).

[Ralph]

When it comes to how to wear women's clothes and how to put together stylish and tasteful outfits, we're learning in our 30's, 40's, even 50's what women learned as little girls

That may have been true 30+ years ago, but today... not so much. My generation (1960s-70s) took "casual" to a whole new level, and never passed our parents' fashion sense on to Generation X, who never passed it on to the millennials, etc.

I'm just barely old enough to remember when you were expected to dress in "office formal" (jackets and ties for the men, white gloves for the women) aboard an airplane; by the time I was old enough to travel on my own it was "sports casual" - jeans without holes, shirt without pictures or words on it. Now, of course, anything goes.

Which is how we ended up with a whole generation thinking it's appropriate to go into Walmart in their pajamas.

[Caultron]

...Which is how we ended up with a whole generation thinking it's appropriate to go into Walmart in their pajamas.

So, anything more than pajamas is overdressed?

Scary.

Especially because for me, sleepwear is an oxymoron.

[JeffB1959]

Which is how we ended up with a whole generation thinking it's appropriate to go into Walmart in their pajamas.

Well, some people who go to Walmart are weird creatures to begin with, and they go there with express purpose of displaying their weirdness for all to view (see below), so I discount them.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com

[STEVIE]

"WEIRD" is simply another word for unexplained.
Like the "walmartians", I too am WEIRD.
I do not feel the need to justify myself to anyone.
OK, discount me too, but do not stand in any kind of judgement.
I can get that anywhere, least of all a supermarket.
Steve.

[Wonderful Electric]

A great question and I am in the camp of dressing better. If I am going to wear a skirt I need to be sure that the ensemble is thoughtful and appropriate because I will be judged for my appearance.

For influencing the population at large, I think business culture has a large effect. If you look at business leaders like bill gates and Steve jobs, they created business casual. For today’s generation Mark Zuckerberg famously showed us his closet of only hoodies and jeans for when he was deciding what to wear when he was going back to work after paternity leave. It’s a casual era but I want to to better. It’s a pretty low bar to clear to be honest.

[crfriend]

["Business 'casual'" is] a pretty low bar to clear to be honest.

It's so low a snake can walk over it without even hopping. "Clean grunge." Thanks, Zuckerberg. Thanks a lot.

[moonshadow]

["Business 'casual'" is] a pretty low bar to clear to be honest.

It's so low a snake can walk over it without even hopping. "Clean grunge." Thanks, Zuckerberg. Thanks a lot.

Nah.... only people like Zuckerberg can get away with that. The masses still are expected to dress nice.... that is if you want gainful employment.

We have to be eye candy for the little corporate pony show....

Sorry... where'd that old sour grape come from?

[Grok]

Nowadays, simply making oneself presentable-as opposed to ultra casual-is the high bar.

[Caultron]

"WEIRD" is simply another word for unexplained.
Like the "walmartians", I too am WEIRD.
I do not feel the need to justify myself to anyone.
OK, discount me too, but do not stand in any kind of judgement.
I can get that anywhere, least of all a supermarket.
Steve.

Rock on!

[SkirtedWelshman]

I always try to dress to impress. I wear kilts, Doc Martens boots, full make up and nail polish. I agree most people dress for practical reasons. Personally I think if you go down the make up route as a man you have to make an effort. Looking smart shows you both care about yourself and care enough about other people, as to look your best for them. If you dress differently and at the same time look untidy, it gives people ammunition when they try to derive you.

Martin.

[STEVIE]

Oddly, I was in ASDA, UK branch of the Walmart "family".
Nobody saw me at all, let alone as a WEIRDO.
That actually included a motorist who nearly hit me on a crossing where I had right of way.
I quote "I was distracted, I did not see you", scary.
I'll just add that I have been jeered and hooted at twice, recently.
Both occasions by very immature males. Me, I'd have knocked the s***t out of them, but,fortunately that never arose.
I'm not affected but how many of our fellow coffee mates would be?
Now, lets reflect on how we really view WEIRDOES?
To quote "let some giftie gie us, tae see oorsels as ithers see us"!
Look up the translation but the true meaning is different?
Steve.