According to a Chicago Sun Times interview with Linda Przybyszewski , associate professor of history at Notre Dame, we have become a society of people who take no pride in our appearance.
She hates that flip flops, shorts and t-shirts have become the fashion staples of today and is writing a book about it called "Nation of Slobs-How Americans learned and forgot how to dress." She is also teaching a new course about Americans' poor dress habits.
Her extensive collection of 300 home economics books, dating back to 1918,were used as a reference. These books are guides to clothing ,sewing, design, grooming and budgeting — essentially books about the
"art of life,'' she says.
Supposedly our fashion sense has been heading in a downward spiral since the 1960's and I can't say I disagree. Although there are definitely appropriate places to wear the myriad of sportswear choices available today, these ultra casual styles are now seen almost everywhere, including weddings, funerals and job interviews. It does seem like we're becoming too lazy to put any effort into how we present ourselves, no matter what the occasion.
Like the professor, I agree we could all benefit from being a bit more conscious of our appearance. I'm really getting tired of seeing jeans that droop down so low that I have to look at undergarments (or worse yet, butt cracks), t-shirts with obscene sayings that aren't even clever or amusing, clothing so tight and cut so high or low that there is nothing left to the imagination and enough with the sweatpants already!
At the risk of sounding like some old prude, I think the sportswear of the 40s, 50s and 60s was much classier than what we see today . But, even then, it still would not have been considered appropriate attire for more formal occasions. I definitely think it's possible to dress informally without looking slovenly and it's just plain laziness to show up at someone's anniversary party looking like you just stepped out of the gym. Of course, I don't think we should be all stuffy and uptight, but I'm concerned the etiquette pendulum is definitely swinging so far the other way that we're losing our sense of decorum.
How do you feel about our trend toward extremely casual attire for any occasion? Do you agree with the professor that, as a nation, we're in need of a fashion makeover?
Here are some contemporary classic fashion choices from the FashionTribes blog to help you "stand out stylishly in a nation of slobs.
Tags: casual, classic style, clothing, Fashion, Linda Przybyszewski, nation of slobs, sportswear, style, trends
boy is this ever on target. Yesterday I went to a swing dance class at our local university. This being a Sunday afternoon, I dressed casually in a 1950’s white cotton blouse and black embroidered skirt, with black oxfords and white bobby socks. I was hands down totally overdressed, but got the most compliments. Hopefully those of us that still like to dress “up” casually can inspire someone else to do the same!
I completely agree. I’m a college student and I cannot stand the typical college uniform of a t-shirt, jeans, and old, dirty flip-flops. If that isn’t bad enough, there are also the students who come to class in pajama pants and slippers! Is it too much to ask that a little time be put into your appearance in the morning?
I have said this on other blogs and I will repeat it here as well
I agree that we are a society of slobs. It annoys me to no end to see people who think black jeans constitute dress clothes and pajamas are public wear. But…..
I am glad that I have the freedom to wear a t-shirt and capris or a tank and some lounge pants to run to the corner store.
It’s all about balance. Be clean all the time, dress neatly as much as you can and all will be well.
I am from another time I know. So some of my comments would reflect that. But there are certain things that were ingrained in me. You DO NOT wear jeans to church. And you dress up to attend a formal event. I love my jeans and t-shirts in the appropriate place.
When I was in college we weren’t allowed to wear pants to class, just dresses…. that does age me…. But at finals time we could wear the jeans or capris or what ever. However, I never felt I could do well if I weren’t dressed for “business” if that makes sense.
To me it seems insulting to not care about your appearance when you are attending a special event.
Beth ( http://vintagerambling.blogspot.com )
I agree that there is less effort put into style these days - I think (for me anyway) its due to lack of time. More people work outside the home now, and there are more complications and distractions which leaves less time for ironing clothes and styling! pity…
While I agree that I feel exceedingly over dressed most days, I would like to point out that it is a bit refreshing to know that when you walk into a job interview you will be judged by the content of you resume (or even better, your brain) rather than the shoes you are wearing. But jeans don’t flatter me, and I’ve cast them aside. I hate feeling over dressed because I’m not wearing jeans. Sigh.
Coming from Asia, I had trouble packing the clothes to bring over since I could only bring so much. That and the change of weather posed a challenge to my rain-and-shine life. I arrived on my first winter and homesickness aside, I became far more inferior to my lack of knowledge when it comes to dressing up for the cold season. But alas! I was surprised and a bit rather impressed over the fact that Americans care less about how they look and more about fending off the cold. This, however was the same when it started to warm up and I fear that I’m slowly becoming a shirt and jean type (regardless of the occasion) with matching bad-hair combo.
I used to scorn over how my fellow countrymen put so much effort on appearance but now I can totally see that the opposite of it is really not a bit impressive either.
It’s somehow nice that over here, (as Amanda said) people give emphasis on content, but we could definitely use a nice packaging to go along with that.
Nice blog topic, by the way!
It does not take any longer to put on a nice shirt than it does to put on a t-shirt. It takes no longer to slip on a skirt than it does to slip on a pair of jeans.
(PLEASE PLEASE people, buy jeans that fit! You do not look sexy in jeans that show fleshy patoots or where you wipe your bottom!)
There are so many fabrics out there that are wash and go. Plus, I think that many people make time to watch tv… so put up an ironing board and iron while watching your favorite show!
It does not take any more time out of your day, and it makes a big difference in your wardrobe and productivity.
I wear dresses or skirts every day–I personally find them more practical (warmer in the cold alaskan winters because you trap body-warmed air around you, cooler in the summers as the lighter fabrics are less constricting and allow breezes to flow, they are more flattering for more body types, etc). I ride horses in them, put up fencing at -30 degrees, fish, whatever.
It takes me the same amount of time to slip on a dress as it would to put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Actually less so. I almost never wear hose, and nice shoes take no longer to put on than flip flops.
It is not time, it is choice in many cases. I can be “church ready” in about 20 minutes, maybe less. My hair is a pain and my skin is a mess, but I streamlined the process and you can too
Find a hair style that works WITH your hair. Make up can be applied, literally, in 5-10 minutes (a little mascara and lipstick takes even less, if you have nice skin that can go bare).
As for being judged on resume and brain, not clothing….ask some of the people who hire. It is not being judged on clothing, actually, it is being judged on your ability to discern a situation and act appropriately. It is being evaluated on your ability to be serious and dedicated. It is about attention to detail, maturity level, being presentable to clients. It is not about “brain vs clothing”, it is about “professionalism vs unprofessionalism” and “brain that can evaluate a situation properly and act appropriately”. I do not mean this harshly! It is just a fact that there are proper ways to dress and act in every situation.