WHEN EVERY DAY IS CASUAL FRIDAY

People have become almost totally casual about what they wear. This is the case almost anywhere you go and also whatever the occasion.

A joke about men and women shows a variety of occasions in which women wear a different shoe on each occasion and the man wears the same running shoes for all of them.

Women do change their shoes a lot, probably because our shoes are notoriously uncomfortable, however, we don't dress up very often to go along with the shoe changes. 

It takes education and self knowledge to recognize and appreciate quality but unfortunately it is not readily available in the absurdly expensive trend obsessed, advertiser-driven fashion magazines. Looking at these probably drives people either to buying lots and lots of new things all the time or giving up completely and wearing the same dozen things everywhere.

I suspect that few people really appreciate that a couple of great outfits, even consisting of a total of 4 or 5 pieces can give you many suitable combinations and take you to a large variety of events looking well put together.

As Sophia Loren once said, starting with a black (dark) skirt and blouse begins any wardrobe decently and suitably. Meanwhile, French women usually buy 10 quality items, of as fine a quality as they can and alternate and coordinate these with other accessory items.

Price per wearing on something of good to great quality averages out to a miniscule amount of money over time. In contrast, the armfuls of stuff you give away, unworn, often with price tags still on them, cost most of us dearly.

However, if you don't see well dressed people around you or on the street, and magazines show their advertisers wildly expensive trendy clothes, how can you learn how to 'invest' your hard earned money wisely in clothing that is both durable and appealing. That the same clothes also be age appropriate and reasonably stylish, usually makes dressing a burden, not a pleasure. 

Some of us concede defeat and surrender by wearing jeans or a track suit or literally the same items we wore to school however, many years later we find ourselves.

As a little girl, I remember that every Saturday night, my father polished all of my brothers shoes, and washed the car. The girls always had a new hat and coat for Easter as well as white gloves at least until about 1965. We went to church every Sunday and were always tidy and neat and in 'Sunday clothes'.

While, admittedly I worked in the business world downtown, I don't remember seeing people wearing sweatpants, men going to work without jackets and very casual slacks worn by women or men on almost any and every occasion. This now applies whether they are going to see a sporting event, wash their car or going to the theatre.

I remember in the mid 90's showing a woman a gorgeous fine quality blazer and skirt suit at the charity clothing store I volunteered at. She said she had no occasion to wear it...to work or anywhere else. She also said that she worked downtown for the president of her company.

When people come to a funeral parlour dressed in sandals and shorts; when no one dresses up and everyday is 'casual Friday', when is any occasion special?

As I write this, I realize that my own 4 and 1/2 months in sandals, makes me as guilty as everyone else in wearing about 20 casual, casual items over and over again all the time, for the last decade.

I think that for my own personal satisfaction, it's time for me to reach into the closet for the beautiful classics I love. Had these lovely garments been people, they would have died of loneliness, sitting in the dark, hunched down over their hangers by now. Time to bring all of that beauty and colour and take it out for a walk.



NOTE: SEE ALSO - CLOTHES THEN AND NOW and
                                  CLOTHES LOVER - FINDING BEAUTY ON THE STREET and
                                  AT LEAST WALMARTIANS ARE REAL PEOPLE