The Decline of the Well Put Together Lady

[ColeV48]

On the note of Ugg boots being bad for your feet; yes! I'm in the process of learning how to make 18th century ladies shoes and I've had long discussions with my Master over how many problems peoples feet have today. They're just plain lazy feet. With the cushioning support of tennis shoes and the like, our feet don't have to work and the tendon actually weakens. It's a major problem fitting modern people in historic shoes because they have so many issues with them being "uncomfortable". The big shoes also give room to spread, so feet are quickly becoming wider. Give me a good pair of saddle shoes or 2" heels any day!

 

[lareine]

The big shoes also give room to spread, so feet are quickly becoming wider. Give me a good pair of saddle shoes or 2" heels any day!

Surely we should be wearing wider shoes, then, so that feet can spread, as it's clearly not natural for them to be constricted by footwear. Was that what you meant? I'm all in favour of shoes that actually fit, if people are going to wear shoes at all. Too-tight shoes do awful damage.

 

[Drappa]

Surely we should be wearing wider shoes, then, so that feet can spread, as it's clearly not natural for them to be constricted by footwear. Was that what you meant? I'm all in favour of shoes that actually fit, if people are going to wear shoes at all. Too-tight shoes do awful damage.

Yes, I totally agree! Though it is true that trainers provide too much cushioning and weaken modern feet, historic footwear isn't particularly healthy either. The best thing to do would be going barefoot, or if that fails have thin soles and enough room to spread your toes. even 2" heels are completely unnatural for human feet and not that much better than Uggs.

 

[ThemThereEyes]

I work in a department store attached to a mall, and I could go on and on about the doozies. All that has been mentioned, pajamas, animal slippers, boyshort panties, visible foundation pieces, Uggs, etc. I used to work at a counter right next to the upward escalator. It has glass sides, so one can see all of who or what is riding. Unfortunately, this means what kind of or lack of underwear for those wearing very short skirts. One of us would look around, as human nature, and oh no! Fortunately, I'm at a different counter now.

 

[rene_writer]

I saw a good one yesterday. I don't even notice pajamas anymore, but how about going out for gorceries in your pajama bottoms and a see-through tank-top with no bra, carrying your blanket. At five o'clock. I work late hours, so I figure anything after 8:30 is excused, but 5:00? When you aren't sick?

 

[rue]

I saw a good one yesterday. I don't even notice pajamas anymore, but how about going out for gorceries in your pajama bottoms and a see-through tank-top with no bra, carrying your blanket. At five o'clock. I work late hours, so I figure anything after 8:30 is excused, but 5:00? When you aren't sick?

Maybe she was hoping to get lucky by having that just got out of bed look?

 

[ThemThereEyes]

I saw a good one yesterday. I don't even notice pajamas anymore, but how about going out for gorceries in your pajama bottoms and a see-through tank-top with no bra, carrying your blanket. At five o'clock. I work late hours, so I figure anything after 8:30 is excused, but 5:00? When you aren't sick?

Just imagining this makes my eyes smart.

A blanket? Were there cameras following her? Maybe a new episode of "My Strange Addiction."
I think people have stopped looking into mirrors.

 

[Miss sofia]

Just imagining this makes my eyes smart.

A blanket? Were there cameras following her? Maybe a new episode of "My Strange Addiction."
I think people have stopped looking into mirrors.

Ha ha, my italian nana always used to say 'he/she obviously doesn't own a mirror', when a scruffy individual would walk past.

I saw a great one last night, i was waiting for supper in the fish and chip shop queue and a lady came in, wearing a dressing gown and slippers, (grubby slippers, eeew), hair all over the place. I was more amused by the fact that she didn't even seem to care, just strode up to the counter bold as brass and started chatting to one of the guys serving. As i have said before, i have nipped out for a pint of milk in my pj's before or done the school run, but have at least tried to pretend i'm dressed! Shoes are always a good start.

I did read some comments, Rue being one, who said they have had to do the dog walking in jammies. When nature calls in the dog world, that is the only time it's acceptable i believe. I see a few of my neighbours doing the poop run day and night in their nightwear. I used to do the same, dog waits for no man to get dressed.

 

[rene_writer]

A blanket?

A shiny, purple, fuzzy one. I happen to *sort of* know the girl and she was with her mom. I know my mom sure wouldn't have let me walk around flashing my endowments to everyone in the grocery store at 14. Actually, she'd probably kill me if I did that now.

 

[ThemThereEyes]

Ha ha, my italian nana always used to say 'he/she obviously doesn't own a mirror', when a scruffy individual would walk past.

I saw a great one last night, i was waiting for supper in the fish and chip shop queue and a lady came in, wearing a dressing gown and slippers, (grubby slippers, eeew), hair all over the place. I was more amused by the fact that she didn't even seem to care, just strode up to the counter bold as brass and started chatting to one of the guys serving.

Hahaha

As for the dressing gown/manky slippers woman, she should have been refused service on the grounds of being in violation of health code. Hehehe

 

[Miss sofia]

Indeed! Luckily there was a counter seperating him from her manky feet. It was only us customers that had that pleasure.

 

[Miss Stella]

Hahaha

As for the dressing gown/manky slippers woman, she should have been refused service on the grounds of being in violation of health code. Hehehe

Eeeeeeewwww....I feel ill

 

[RodeoRose]

Aww, isn't it a little unfair to pass such harsh judgement on strangers when we have an entire thread devoted to the silly assumptions others make about us? I personally subscribe to a rather archaic dress code, and don't go outside in my nightie, but you never know what others' circumstances are. Just sayin' . I'll show myself out, haha.

 

[Miss Stella]

I confess:
When I had heart surgery five years ago, I left the hospital in brand new pajamas my gal friends treated me to for the ride home.
But we came STRAIGHT home...no stops!

 

[lareine]

Aww, isn't it a little unfair to pass such harsh judgement on strangers when we have an entire thread devoted to the silly assumptions others make about us? I personally subscribe to a rather archaic dress code, and don't go outside in my nightie, but you never know what others' circumstances are.

I don't think it's unfair to pass judgement on people who plan in advance to leave the house in their slept-in nightwear or anything they choose on purpose to resemble nightwear. And particularly not on a thread entitled The Decline of the Well Put Together Lady. We are merely discussing this decline! Nobody's circumstances force them to wait for their fish and chips, or do their grocery shopping, or go to a lecture, looking like they exited their bed five minutes earlier. If you are so pushed for time or so sick that you can't get dressed, you're not likely to be out shopping or buying food or getting an education.

 

[Caroline H]

Lareine,
I agree with you! We aren't bashing people who are dressed that way because of some sort of emergency or taking their dog out in the yard to do it's business. This is a huge chunk of the population who are simply being lazy and want the rest of us to accept that as normal! I think the thread about the silly assumptions people make about us is often representing the flip side of the same problem. The lazy people don't want to feel bad about the way they are dressed so they resent anyone who presents a contrast! I'm both fascinated and horrified to read in this thread and hear from you all how widespread this trend is! We knew it was bad here but it sounds like it is the same all over! :eeek:

 

[Flicka]

Personally, I would never, ever take the dog out without dressing first. Not that I have a dog, but in the 14 years when we did, we never ever took him out without dressing first. Without brushing my hair, in my oldest jeans, yes, but never in my dressing gown. It would not be acceptable where I live - I've never seen anyone else do that either. I would become infamous in my neighbourhood if I tried that...

To me, wearing real clothes is basic. Everything else -hair styling, make up, well polished shoes - is just nice to have. Completely optional and a matter of personal preference.

 

[sheeplady]

There's a difference between being critical of something in general, versus targeting someone and making comments or staring at them. In reality, we make judgements about people all the time. Pretending that we don't is useless. Judging that it's ok for a person to be running about in their PJs is judging just as much as saying they shouldn't. It's what we choose to do with our judgements that makes the difference.

I worked for years with 4-H in "underprivileged" areas. I used to judge presentations at all different levels. You saw kids who came from upper, middle, working, and poor segments of society. You could see it in the way they dressed. But never in my entire time doing that did I see a child wearing dirty or unneat clothing. I saw plenty of patched, ripped, worn, and ill-fitting clothing, but I never saw a child or a teenager show up looking like a slob. Some of these children lived in 40-year old trailers with plastic sheeting for the busted out windows and newspapers for flooring- so I am talking about being really being impoverished.

I have a feeling that a number of these people who go out in their PJs or inappropriate clothing in public regularly aren't doing it because they are impoverished, sick, or depressed. Quite honestly, if you think someone you know is running around in inappropriate clothing because they are impoverished, sick, or depressed, you shouldn't be sweeping their behavior (and the underlying causes) under the rug- you should be helping them.

 

[RodeoRose]

Of course, being a slob isn't some 21st century affliction. I was reading some original late '20s and '30s Hardy Boys books over the Winter break (oh hush, they're fun lol) and quite universally, dodgy characters are referred to as very sloppy, dirty dressers whereas the nice characters are described as being neatly attired. And how about the absolute horror of girls in rolled stockings and slacks! Now, I do agree the standard has slipped considerably, but as no-one can predict the future, I'm sure the state of bad dressing seemed just as horrifying to certain types back then as it does to us now. Aesthetically, I think it would be wonderful if we saw a return to well-tailored clothing and an emphasis on neatness, but we probably won't and it's not something I lose sleep over.

To me, this lazy and casual dressing trend isn't really a problem in and of it's self. If anything, it's a symptom of other declines in society that should be addressed first (say, the causal attitudes towards education, the "me first" generation, etc.). I don't think issuing everyone tailored suits or frocks would ameliorate anything; it's the other way around, and the values need to be established first. I won't criticize the way others choose to present themselves, because in the grand scheme of things I'm the eccentric one for walking around in clothes that've been out of fashion for over half a century. Just my opinion. Obviously it is not the popular one .

Though I really can see how some things are just plain old gross though; dirty slippers, really? That is bad lol.

 

[Flicka]

Of course, being a slob isn't some 21st century affliction. I was reading some original late '20s and '30s Hardy Boys books over the Winter break (oh hush, they're fun lol) and quite universally, dodgy characters are referred to as very sloppy, dirty dressers whereas the nice characters are described as being neatly attired. And how about the absolute horror of girls in rolled stockings and slacks! Now, I do agree the standard has slipped considerably, but as no-one can predict the future, I'm sure the state of bad dressing seemed just as horrifying to certain types back then as it does to us now.

I remember in Gaudy Night how Harriet goes on about the sloppiness of modern girls and how she and Peter jokes about being to properly dressed when they go boating as opposed to the girls sunbathing in their underwear...