Whatever Happened to: Blue Jeans and T-shirts?

 

Whatever happened to Blue Jeans and T-shirts?

In August of 2021, I wrote a blog post titled: “A Throwaway Society? ... Humm.” In it, I discuss the casual nature of throwing away our values as easily as throwing away a used article of clothing. I would like to use that post as a springboard to expand on the idea of the uniforms we wear to announce to the world, who we are, what we do for a living, and where we stand socially. As always, this is only my opinion. 

It used to be that blue jeans and t-shirts were the norms in casual wear. This was a de rigueur uniform (form of dress) for maturing young adults. There were no skinny jeans, tight leggings, oversized shirts, skin-tight dresses that emphasized your backside. After all, barely-there coverings that leave nothing to the imagination was for the bedroom, not to be seen outside at the grocery store. In my day, wearing hair rollers outside was guaranteed to invite scorn from the neighborhood, causing extreme embarrassment. Nowadays, being seen outside in bedroom slippers, pajamas, and hair bonnets (not to be confused with Bantu hair wraps, which are gorgeous, btw), are commonplace. 

Some of this might be amusing, but there is a seriousness to this dilemma. As mentioned in my August blog post:

‘Clothing is the uniform we wear that announces to the world who we are.

If I want to be taken seriously, I would never wear clothing that left little to the imagination. If I want to project I’m an officer of the law, my clothing should reflect that without saying a word. If I want to project that I’m a doctor, lawyer, teacher … you get the idea. The principle is the same if I’m a stay-at-home mom or dad, nanny, house cleaner, gardener, etc. We want the world to recognize and respect who we are, and one way to do that is through what we wear, how we carry ourselves, our principles, moral values, and standards.’   

I also think that what we see celebrities wear, carries a considerable influence. Along with the fashion industry, Hollywood adds to our sense of what we believe is appropriate in defining beauty. This is misleading. Yes, they look beautiful, but we forget or don’t understand that these celebrities wear what they do because they are on camera. The make-up, clothing, lifestyle, etc., is almost always larger than life. They wear bright clothing, make-up so thick it can be scraped off with a knife, eyelashes so long it looks as though a cat's furry tail sits on the lids, clothing so tight as to accentuate curves and other regions of the body, and so on. I’m embarrassed to see some entertainers perform on stage with little to nothing on their bodies and cringe, wondering if something might spill out! For them, it’s about selling a product; themselves. This is their uniform, their packaging, and their brand.

We, regular people, don’t need to go to those extremes.

The lives we lead are different, so our uniforms should be different. Activities like gardening, grocery shopping, soccer games, PTA, board room meetings, nine-to-five jobs, barbeques with friends, walking our dogs, dinner dates, etc., require a different dress. We don’t need to impress anyone other than ourselves or significant others. We put on a good ‘face’ so the world understands who we are. Clothing matters. It says a lot.

On the odd occasion, when a celebrity is caught in a candid moment when the cameras aren’t on them, they look casual. They wear jeans and t-shirts for the most part.

How novel!

Now I grant that this form of dress isn’t called for daily, but I hope the point is clear. To present oneself in the best way is to say to the world that you care. You care about yourself, your health, your well-being, and how you want others to see you represented in your profession. You respect yourself. Respect comes from being pulled together with clearly understood and well-placed standards. There is no need for extreme artifice or attention to body areas, which should only be displayed discretely or privately.

For casual days, I personally love the feel of a good pair of worn-in jeans and the soft cotton feel of a t-shirt. If leggings are called for, I make sure my body is toned enough to wear them and worn with a covering for my backside. Otherwise, why bother.

Jeans are just fine. 

~DaMarie  

 

   

 Photo Courtesy of Avie Huff