Pensioner Chic

[HudsonHawk]

Would it be preferable to show ones chest? I prefer to see undershirts rather than chest hair. Or is the issue wearing a shirt open collar at all?

Showing chest hair is another matter as well. But if the situation calls for covering the chest, it should be covered, including the undershirt. I don't see it as necesarily an either/or proposition.

 

[Stanley Doble]

This brings up another one of my pet men's fashion peeves...guys who wear a crew neck undershirt with an open collar such that the top of the undershirt is visible. They wear them like that out in public, at the office, on dates, etc. What on earth ever gave guys the notion that its acceptable to have any part of your underwear showing?

I think this started in the military. Possibly the navy.

 

[earl]

Well, I'll be a "pensioner" in 5 1/2 years. I now wear a suit or sport coat to work every day. Obviously, don't wear that on the weekend. However, my casual wear is darn chic if I do say so myself. So, doubt I'll lose my sense of style in 5 1/2 years. Think I'll miss wearing the really fancy duds then, though. But, can't imagine much reason to dress like that when I retire. Then, again, my deceased father-in-law wore a suit every day of his life. When I see seniors out and about around here, don't really see really tacky dress-that's more likely for those younger than that. Though have seen some older ladies out shopping in what we termed "house dresses" in my younger days which just don't look right to me. Earl

 

[AtomicEraTom]

One guy comes to mind. Every time I see him, he's wearing the same thing, an old checkered sport coat, khakis, an NRA hat, and white sneakers. The only change is the color of the polo shirt that goes with it all.

 

[1961MJS]

Showing chest hair is another matter as well. But if the situation calls for covering the chest, it should be covered, including the undershirt. I don't see it as necesarily an either/or proposition.

Not disagreeing. I wear long sleeve shirts with no tie, top button unbuttoned in the winter. In summer, I swap to short sleeve dress shirts also with the top button unbuttoned. I wear v-neck undershirts with both. I can't wear an undershirt with a polo shirt because the darn undershirt won't stay hidden. Half the time, I may as well wear the crew necks and just show the stupid undershirt. I'm not at all sure why there's a difference.

Just my $0.02 and worth every penny

 

[HudsonHawk]

Not disagreeing. I wear long sleeve shirts with no tie, top button unbuttoned in the winter. In summer, I swap to short sleeve dress shirts also with the top button unbuttoned. I wear v-neck undershirts with both. I can't wear an undershirt with a polo shirt because the darn undershirt won't stay hidden. Half the time, I may as well wear the crew necks and just show the stupid undershirt. I'm not at all sure why there's a difference.

Just my $0.02 and worth every penny

I'd pay double that to get an Okie's thoughts, everyday and twice on Sundays.

 

[Zombie_61]

since half the people you pass in the street on a warm day are wearing a t-shirt, i hardly think they qualify as 'underwear' anymore.

although, have you ever thought that a lot of people today are basically wearing late Victorian workwear (jeans), 1900s underwear (t-shirts) and 1920s baseball boots (Converse) as normal everyday wear ? and they think we 'vintage dressers' are crazy !

I'd guess most of those people don't even realize denim jeans date back to 1873, t-shirts date back to the late 1800s, and/or Converse "All Stars" date back to 1917. Speaking as a member of a blue collar/working class family, I'm very familiar with all three.

 

[earl]

since half the people you pass in the street on a warm day are wearing a t-shirt, i hardly think they qualify as 'underwear' anymore.

although, have you ever thought that a lot of people today are basically wearing late Victorian workwear (jeans), 1900s underwear (t-shirts) and 1920s baseball boots (Converse) as normal everyday wear ? and they think we 'vintage dressers' are crazy !

I occasionally like to wear a T-shirt. They're quite comfortable. However, never 1 with any kind of logo or graphics. As to the T-shirt showing under a shirt, that kind of thing does look a bit tacky to me. Earl

 

[LyraMae]

I have a couple of theories as to why tracksuits (sweats) are popular with the Senior crowd. One of them is that in their mind there's an association of tracksuits with athletic and thus youthful. The other theory I have is that for pensioners on a fixed income comfort takes precedence over style in their clothing choices.

Clothing that simply pulls on is a great boon to people with arthritic hands, too. I've known more than one old lady who would rather die than have someone else dress her, even if it did mean sacrificing style.

 

[Metatron]

since half the people you pass in the street on a warm day are wearing a t-shirt, i hardly think they qualify as 'underwear' anymore.

although, have you ever thought that a lot of people today are basically wearing late Victorian workwear (jeans), 1900s underwear (t-shirts) and 1920s baseball boots (Converse) as normal everyday wear ? and they think we 'vintage dressers' are crazy !

Totally agree, just goes to show that things generally don't appear out of nowhere.
Then again, there are also polyester cargo trousers and hoodies...

Btw this is the sort of look I see older gentlemen sporting in my area:

[screenshot taken from a documentary about the Bristol Beaufighter]

I think it's very cool, a bit dandyish even and not unlike what many Fedora Loungers wear.
I love the shirt.

 

[tropicalbob]

This brings up another one of my pet men's fashion peeves...guys who wear a crew neck undershirt with an open collar such that the top of the undershirt is visible. They wear them like that out in public, at the office, on dates, etc. What on earth ever gave guys the notion that its acceptable to have any part of your underwear showing?

Actually, the modern look of a white shirt under a suit or sport jacket dates back to the Regency period, when gentlemen displayed the cleanliness of their linen (undershirts) by exposing it a bit.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Actually, the modern look of a white shirt under a suit or sport jacket dates back to the Regency period, when gentlemen displayed the cleanliness of their linen (undershirts) by exposing it a bit.

It's still tacky and offensive. I'm sure their underwear is squeaky clean. But that doesn't mean I want to look at it.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

It's still tacky and offensive. I'm sure their underwear is squeaky clean. But that doesn't mean I want to look at it.

 

[The Good]

I think I tend to see older people wear fur felt and wider brimmed fedoras even more than younger men do, in Los Angeles. They also tend to wear suits or sports jackets more often to church on Sunday, or to family reunion and holiday events. There is certainly the appearance of more formality in general, that I associate with the older age 60 and above generation.

This brings up another one of my pet men's fashion peeves...guys who wear a crew neck undershirt with an open collar such that the top of the undershirt is visible. They wear them like that out in public, at the office, on dates, etc. What on earth ever gave guys the notion that its acceptable to have any part of your underwear showing?

This is something that wearing a tie can always fix, but there are those that suggest v-neck t-shirts instead of crew-necks, or not wearing an undershirt. I'd prefer to wear the tie. There are also cravats or ascots as well, to consider, although I haven't sported one yet. When I wear a tie casually, it is usually a wool tie, or a knit tie with a flat bottom. I have both narrow and wide knit ties, although I've taken to liking the wider ones especially; I have checked online stores, and knit ties sold today are mostly narrow compared to 3 inches or wider. Rough fabric ties could look somewhat less formal than a smooth one, and if wearing a tie more casually is the point, I think they certainly help avoid the presumption that one just got back from work.

 

[Metatron]

I agree about the knit ties, they look like you are wearing them for 'fun' as opposed to being obligated to.
The t shirt under shirt thing-definitely looks fine with a casual shirt, chambray or checked, less so with a dress shirt.

But shall we keep it on-topic otherwise? I'm sure this undershirt stuff has been discussed elsewhere...

 

[Two Types]

I can think of a few good examples:

A couple of years ago i saw an old boy of about eighty wearing a white cotton suit, white shirt, striped tie and white leather brogues. He looked great.

There's another chap I know who is 90+ who still wears a cravat every day. He told me that he used to get in trouble at school in the 1930s for refusing to wear the school tie and instead wearing a cravat.

I once went to interview a former army officer (whose first job after being commissioned was to make models of the D-Day landing beaches for use in troop briefings) and I commented on the fact that we were both wearing cravats. He replied "I am from the generation that believes that women should be protected from seeing a man's neck."

 

[Edward]

Black socks go great with bermuda shorts, especially if you are wearing wingtips and cutting the grass. At least one neighbor (as I was growing up) did this. :eeek:

Jinkies. Now I think about it, I don't recall ever seeing men of pensionable age in the UK wearing short trousers, away from a beach environment at least. I think that might be a difference between the US and UK - here they still have that strong association for some generations of being 'little boys' clothing'. Sadly, many of my generation and younger have lost this.

Well, clearly you are going to wear a shirt open collared some of the time. I think with two buttons undone you don't see much chest hair and it looks good. But then I don't agree that showing an undershirt is bad either. As long as the colour doesn't clash with the shirt and you are well dressed, who cares...

I actively like it as a look. If that's what anyone has to look for to find fault with me, I'm doing alright.

since half the people you pass in the street on a warm day are wearing a t-shirt, i hardly think they qualify as 'underwear' anymore.

although, have you ever thought that a lot of people today are basically wearing late Victorian workwear (jeans), 1900s underwear (t-shirts) and 1920s baseball boots (Converse) as normal everyday wear ? and they think we 'vintage dressers' are crazy !

lol

Clothing that simply pulls on is a great boon to people with arthritic hands, too. I've known more than one old lady who would rather die than have someone else dress her, even if it did mean sacrificing style.

It certainly can be an issue. I emailed with PIR Clothing a few weeks ago about some new trousers I bought from them. Apparently the reason they shifted from the button fly to a zip is that a large part of their customer base is Korean vets who want to wear that style of trouser still but can't quite manage the buttons any longer.

Totally agree, just goes to show that things generally don't appear out of nowhere.
Then again, there are also polyester cargo trousers and hoodies...

Btw this is the sort of look I see older gentlemen sporting in my area:

[screenshot taken from a documentary about the Bristol Beaufighter]

I think it's very cool, a bit dandyish even and not unlike what many Fedora Loungers wear.
I love the shirt.

I dress like that on occasion (or aspire to, anyhow)... people sometimes think I'm trying to dress like I'm in the Seventies. Which I detest. I prefer to think I'm dressing like someone in his Seventies.

 

[Reddogg]

Cool thing about pensioners. They did not buy those clothes for show. They wore the to work and play. Great to see the ones who keep their outfits in good repair and show them off.

 

[Story]

This thread needs music.
Don't play if potty language bothers you.
http://youtu.be/Ivn68kFrSgE

I’m a take your grandpa's style, I’m a take your grandpa's style
No for real, ask your grandpa, "Can I have his hand-me-downs?" (Thank you!)

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Saw my grandfather in the most interesting combination a couple weekends ago.

Green polo shirt, blue slacks, cowboy boots, and a light blue fedora. Even funnier with the pink life jacket.