I am certainly not a “clothes-horse.” For one thing, I am color blind, so the concept of color matching has no meaning for me. However, my wife checks out my costumes to make sure I don’t frighten babies.
When I was growing up, there were certain understood standards of dress, according to the occasion. Church, weddings, funerals, banquets etc. called for something more than everyday dress. I suppose this was a gesture of respect, for the occasion as well as for the reputation on your family.
Apparently such standards no longer exist. Historians tell us that such standards began to disappear during the late 1970’s, and we have since morphed into a “wear anything, anytime society.”
Recently I attended a class reunion for my wife’s high school. This was a grand affair, representing classes from 1938-2000. There were over 700 attendees registered. While many of the events scheduled over the two days were appropriate for very casual attire, there were also two banquets. Here at least, one would expect the alumni to make some effort to look presentable to their friends and classmates, some of whom they had not seen for many years.
Most did make an effort. Now this was in western Oklahoma in August, where the temperature was 103 degrees each afternoon. Only a couple of elderly gentlemen showed up wearing coats and ties. Most everyone else was in clothing appropriate to the climate. Of course there were a couple of men wearing caps advertising John Deere Tractors or Southern States Fertilizer, and a few old ranchers with white Stetsons. At first, it was a little disconcerting to look around and see men sitting at a banquet table wearing a Stetson while eating, but then one must remember that such hats are permanently attached, and can only be removed by a surgical procedure.
The ladies present had all made an effort to look especially nice for the occasion. Not so for all the men. A couple of local men came in wearing old Bermuda shorts, dirty t-shirts and shower clogs. From the looks of those around me, I could tell that many others had the same impression I did. These men just could not be bothered. Whatever they happened to have on was good enough for an alumni banquet, good enough for classmates they might not have seen for years, even if some of those classmates had come great distances for the celebration.
You never have a second chance to make a first impression. My first impression was that these were slobs, and should be boiled in oil.
If they were politicians, they lost a lot of votes that night.
I haven't been back to a reunion since my 10th high school get together. But if I'd traveled all the way to Oklahoma I'd have been surprised also to find such negligence in dress.
ReplyDeleteBut today no one worries about that sort of thing except those of us who were taught that special occasions call for special care in your attire.
You were lucky! About 3 years ago, my husband and I attended a funeral of a well-loved preacher. He had no children, so the family in attendance were cousins and in-laws, and that ilk. There were six pall-bearers. One must have been a great-nephew. All the pall-bearers were properly dressed in suits and ties, all but one in navy blue. Then there was the kid, who looked like a high school line backer. His uniform was a fire-engine red T-shirt and wrinkled khaki shorts with flip-flops.
ReplyDeleteOur question was, "What was his mother thinking?"!