What a great post, Rebecca! That 70s picture brings back some memories for sure. lol!
As much as I always wish people would go back to dressing up when they go out in public (as they did in the 40s and 50s), I totally understand the need for comfort...especially as we get older. Working from home (in Florida), I can usually be found in shorts and a t-shirt. A few months ago, I decided I was going to dress as if I were going into the office on Mondays. I did it for a few weeks but then decided it was a bit silly, so I went back to just being comfortable at work.
While I don't know much about fashion, your wedding dress was truly rocking! Looks like it was a fun day :)
LOL - thanks, Mark! That 70s dress looks rather like curtains, doesn't it?! All rather 'The Sound of Music'........!
There's something to be said for dressing in work clothes for work, but I'd certainly go for comfort above an arbitrary dress code for working from home. I'm lucky in that my job is out and about, so my work clothes are just my ordinary clothes... and I really don't want to go back to my office days!
Thanks for the compliment on the wedding get-up! It still sees the light of day occasionally. The girl who made it is a genius (she was pretty busy in the run-up to our wedding, because not only did she make my outfit, she was also Jim's best 'man'!)! 🤣
Great story about how you grew up in the perspective of how you dressed. Loved the angle of your father the pilot and the pictures that are sprinkled throughout. It is good to see you have gained confidence. BTW, I bet more than a few people look at you!
Thanks, Tom! It was such a fun trip to see Jo off at Heathrow - there were lots of tears because she was leaving, but oh boy it was brilliant - as you can tell I remember pretty much all of the detail!
I don't know if Jo's on Substack, but I'm still in sporadic touch - perhaps I'll e-mail her this story!
I always marvel at old pics and films where people are at sports events in 3-piece suits when I now see people at the coffee shop literally in their pajamas. I've never been especially fashionable either, and it's a rarity for me to put on a dress. I'm happily in jeans most days. I've also banished all traces of uncomfortable shoes, especially heels! There's a time and a place for a little formality and dress-up, but I'm with you on being practical and comfortable most of the time. But if I start wearing my pjs in public, please stage an intervention!
LOL - pjs in public! The news reports of schools cracking down on parents doing the school drop-off in their nightwear that get rolled out every year always make me laugh. Oh, the SCANDAL! It's amazing what counts for news these days!
Comfy shoes are a human right! I've worn heels before but only on very confident days, because I'm over 6ft in flats, and I look rather eccentric if I add too much height. Mind you, these days I don't really care - which is just as well, because I'm going to need some shoes to go with the dress I've just bought for the wedding. Should be fine - the groom himself is 6ft 8in, and he has two brothers who are nearly that tall. I'll have no qualms about my 'excess' height at THAT wedding, definitely!
If I were the headteacher I'd tell parents not to wear PJs. Apart from the complete inappropiateness of it, good schools attempt to lead by example. How can kids be expected to dress properly if parents don't? I'm really riled up now. I have to go and lie down for a bit.
PJs in coffee shops? If I was the owner I'd ask them to leave. I don't understand why some people seem to have no boundaries between what's appropriate in public and what should be reserved for private.
It's really bizarre. My parents wouldn't have allowed us outside the house as children unless we were fully dressed, so I can't imagine why full-grown adults can't dress themselves before leaving the house... unless, of course, they're making the case to the world that they're not actually proper adults.
Awww, thanks Jillian! Adding 'slackening' was an afterthought, in fact, but once I put it in I was laughing so much that it had to stay in! 🤣 And heck, it's true.... 😉
Glad you enjoyed the pictures! I had fun choosing which to put in.
Well, at the risk of making myself unpopular, that check-in person was right! Standards need to be maintained. Every time I travel by air I ask for an upgrade, and even though I usually dress smartly, I make a special effort on such occasions. It's worked several times. But I remember once being admitted to business class, and several of the other blokes there looked like they'd just come off the beach. I don't think they should be allowed on, regardless of what they paid. It all brings out the teacher in me, I'm afraid. I would refuse to teach students if their tie was at half-mast or they were slouching. Give me that check-in person's name because I want to recommend her for an MBE for services to decent presentation in public.
She was absolutely right, Terry - the rules for staff passengers was that they were expected to wear 'smart office wear' - and that they DON'T ask for an upgrade! In Jo's defence, she had no idea about the dress code that was required for her to even make it onto the flight. Her dad hadn't mentioned it, and although I'd flown staff travel a number of times myself, I wasn't aware of the dress code myself - it just happened that as a family we would dress very smartly to travel - it had never occurred to me why. So I hadn't mentioned it to her either! For the record, she didn't get an upgrade, nor should she have expected one.
Dad told me that he'd once flown a certain very famous person first class who'd turned up dressed to utter perfection - and after having a glass of fizz and a meal, she disappeared into one of the washrooms and came out 20 minutes later wearing a cashmere sleepsuit and no make up. She slept for the entire flight, and given due notice of landing, went back into the washroom to put everything back on again. She emerged fresh as a daisy and looking absolutely immaculate: clothes, hair, make-up, the works. She'd had years of practice of first-class long-haul travel - and THAT'S the way to do it! Every time I see her in the press I think of her flight routine. All power to her!
You should never worry about how you look in certain clothes. I'm sorry to hear you got picked on for it.
We always worry about what we look like when we go out and then I see all these people who look like they just blindly took something out of their closet and put it on. They obviously don't worry about their outfits. Chances are, you'll never see these people again.
Liked the photos. I'm glad you went with something comfortable and what you wanted for your wedding. You shouldn't be restricted to the usual traditional wedding garb. You can take it as you wanted to be fashionable and trendsetting. You both looked great!
Love the story about flying. Our family was an airline family and when my son Jordan was about 14, I took him and my daughter Amy to Arkansas to visit friends. Jordan wasn't dressed properly for first class because I didn't think there were any openings. When the gate agent assured me there was an opening in first class, she asked if my son had a jacket. I replied yes, even though he had no jacket with him. I returned to where my kids were seated and told Amy to give Jordan her jacket. Mind you, the jacket was definitely feminine. He balked. I asked him if he wanted to sit in first class. He put the jacket on. The whole ensemble looked pretty funny. And of course, Amy and I cut him no slack, laughing all the way down the jet bridge. When we entered the plane, inflight took one look at him and told me that my daughter and I could sit in first class, but Jordan would have to sit in the back-- because of his SHOES. Not the jacket. I just giggled at the absurdity of the whole situation and said, no, that's okay, we'll all sit in the back. It was a gallant effort on our part. Next thing I know, the inflight attendant was ushering us into first class, and telling my son to take his shoes off. We had a wonderful flight and a story I've retold many a time. Funny memories!
Thanks, Sue, and wow, what a great story! Gosh, poor Joshua - but how wonderful that ALL of you could travel in style!
Never mind 'openings in first class' - on Dad's airline we had to be clothed according to the dress code just to be allowed to board the plane - it was often quite funny travelling down the back in economy and being able to spot immediately any other staff passengers - we'd all be by far the best dressed!
Sometimes we were lucky enough to get an upgrade, sometimes not. Economy was fine, of course, but being so tall it would be nice to get a better seat. Several times I travelled on the jump seat on the flight deck (great fun!), and on one occasion, on the way back from JFK to LHR just before Christmas, I travelled in the crew rest cabin - horizontal, and very comfortably asleep! Happy memories!
I loved getting a peek at your childhood here, Rebecca. The floor length yellow dress with tiny feet peeking out! The rumpled uniform. The "it's-my-wedding-i-will-do-what-i-want" clothes! I can't wait months to see you in your knee-length fitted flowered dress. How about a little sneak preview just for your readers. pleeeeeeeze
LOL Sharron - thanks so much! I'm sure I'll be posting an update about the wedding - at which time: yes! In the meantime, a girl needs time/effort/the risk of a nervous breakdown to find the right accessories.......! 🤣
Happy New Year, Rebecca! I am catching up on reading. I am right there with you about comfort and dressing more for myself than others, especially as I approach 48.
Dressing up for flights! When my Grandfather or Great Aunt would fly in for visits, they were always dressed in their best clothes and I distinctly remember my Grandfather complaining about how poorly dressed all the “young people” were.
Lovely to hear about your relatives complaining about the appearance of the 'young people'! It's funny, though - I mean, we always DID dress up to travel when I was younger - not just for flying on Dad's airline, but for ferry trips across the Channel, and package holidays on charter aircraft. It was just the 'done thing' back then! Gosh, that makes me feel old....!
Loved these snapshots and memories that resonate with some of my own. I think my sisters and I had the American version of that 70's nightgown. And your school uniform reminds me of what my high school singing group wore—something I really need to write about. Glad we've connected through Substack!
What a snazzy story!!!! ;)
LOL - thanks, Mark! 😊
What a great post, Rebecca! That 70s picture brings back some memories for sure. lol!
As much as I always wish people would go back to dressing up when they go out in public (as they did in the 40s and 50s), I totally understand the need for comfort...especially as we get older. Working from home (in Florida), I can usually be found in shorts and a t-shirt. A few months ago, I decided I was going to dress as if I were going into the office on Mondays. I did it for a few weeks but then decided it was a bit silly, so I went back to just being comfortable at work.
While I don't know much about fashion, your wedding dress was truly rocking! Looks like it was a fun day :)
Best wishes and Happy New Year!!
LOL - thanks, Mark! That 70s dress looks rather like curtains, doesn't it?! All rather 'The Sound of Music'........!
There's something to be said for dressing in work clothes for work, but I'd certainly go for comfort above an arbitrary dress code for working from home. I'm lucky in that my job is out and about, so my work clothes are just my ordinary clothes... and I really don't want to go back to my office days!
Thanks for the compliment on the wedding get-up! It still sees the light of day occasionally. The girl who made it is a genius (she was pretty busy in the run-up to our wedding, because not only did she make my outfit, she was also Jim's best 'man'!)! 🤣
Great story about how you grew up in the perspective of how you dressed. Loved the angle of your father the pilot and the pictures that are sprinkled throughout. It is good to see you have gained confidence. BTW, I bet more than a few people look at you!
LOL - thanks, Scott - much appreciated! I had fun looking for the pictures at my parents' house over Christmas. I found some absolute shockers, too!
Wonderful! What I especially like is all the physical detail, the specificity of it: I could see Jo heading to the airport. Does she read this?
Thanks, Tom! It was such a fun trip to see Jo off at Heathrow - there were lots of tears because she was leaving, but oh boy it was brilliant - as you can tell I remember pretty much all of the detail!
I don't know if Jo's on Substack, but I'm still in sporadic touch - perhaps I'll e-mail her this story!
Oh, send it to her! How could she not love it?
I always marvel at old pics and films where people are at sports events in 3-piece suits when I now see people at the coffee shop literally in their pajamas. I've never been especially fashionable either, and it's a rarity for me to put on a dress. I'm happily in jeans most days. I've also banished all traces of uncomfortable shoes, especially heels! There's a time and a place for a little formality and dress-up, but I'm with you on being practical and comfortable most of the time. But if I start wearing my pjs in public, please stage an intervention!
LOL - pjs in public! The news reports of schools cracking down on parents doing the school drop-off in their nightwear that get rolled out every year always make me laugh. Oh, the SCANDAL! It's amazing what counts for news these days!
Comfy shoes are a human right! I've worn heels before but only on very confident days, because I'm over 6ft in flats, and I look rather eccentric if I add too much height. Mind you, these days I don't really care - which is just as well, because I'm going to need some shoes to go with the dress I've just bought for the wedding. Should be fine - the groom himself is 6ft 8in, and he has two brothers who are nearly that tall. I'll have no qualms about my 'excess' height at THAT wedding, definitely!
If I were the headteacher I'd tell parents not to wear PJs. Apart from the complete inappropiateness of it, good schools attempt to lead by example. How can kids be expected to dress properly if parents don't? I'm really riled up now. I have to go and lie down for a bit.
I'm "only" 5'10, but I used to feel self-conscious in shoes with a big heel. Now I agree, so what? Embrace it and have fun! And, stay comfy :-)
PJs in coffee shops? If I was the owner I'd ask them to leave. I don't understand why some people seem to have no boundaries between what's appropriate in public and what should be reserved for private.
It's really bizarre. My parents wouldn't have allowed us outside the house as children unless we were fully dressed, so I can't imagine why full-grown adults can't dress themselves before leaving the house... unless, of course, they're making the case to the world that they're not actually proper adults.
'....unless, of course, they're making the case to the world that they're not actually proper adults.'
FABULOUS!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
LOL. Absolutely!
Pyjamas in public are pretty passé in Asia. It's fun.
I'll have to take your word for it ;-)
“I swear that this slackening skin of mine is becoming more comfortable the longer I inhabit it.” YES! ⭐️
The best part of aging is the confidence.
Also loved all the pictures.
Awww, thanks Jillian! Adding 'slackening' was an afterthought, in fact, but once I put it in I was laughing so much that it had to stay in! 🤣 And heck, it's true.... 😉
Glad you enjoyed the pictures! I had fun choosing which to put in.
I felt that line, too!
😊
Well, at the risk of making myself unpopular, that check-in person was right! Standards need to be maintained. Every time I travel by air I ask for an upgrade, and even though I usually dress smartly, I make a special effort on such occasions. It's worked several times. But I remember once being admitted to business class, and several of the other blokes there looked like they'd just come off the beach. I don't think they should be allowed on, regardless of what they paid. It all brings out the teacher in me, I'm afraid. I would refuse to teach students if their tie was at half-mast or they were slouching. Give me that check-in person's name because I want to recommend her for an MBE for services to decent presentation in public.
She was absolutely right, Terry - the rules for staff passengers was that they were expected to wear 'smart office wear' - and that they DON'T ask for an upgrade! In Jo's defence, she had no idea about the dress code that was required for her to even make it onto the flight. Her dad hadn't mentioned it, and although I'd flown staff travel a number of times myself, I wasn't aware of the dress code myself - it just happened that as a family we would dress very smartly to travel - it had never occurred to me why. So I hadn't mentioned it to her either! For the record, she didn't get an upgrade, nor should she have expected one.
Dad told me that he'd once flown a certain very famous person first class who'd turned up dressed to utter perfection - and after having a glass of fizz and a meal, she disappeared into one of the washrooms and came out 20 minutes later wearing a cashmere sleepsuit and no make up. She slept for the entire flight, and given due notice of landing, went back into the washroom to put everything back on again. She emerged fresh as a daisy and looking absolutely immaculate: clothes, hair, make-up, the works. She'd had years of practice of first-class long-haul travel - and THAT'S the way to do it! Every time I see her in the press I think of her flight routine. All power to her!
Amazing. I get the impression that Joan Collins and Joanna Lumley would do that sort of thing!
🙌
You should never worry about how you look in certain clothes. I'm sorry to hear you got picked on for it.
We always worry about what we look like when we go out and then I see all these people who look like they just blindly took something out of their closet and put it on. They obviously don't worry about their outfits. Chances are, you'll never see these people again.
Liked the photos. I'm glad you went with something comfortable and what you wanted for your wedding. You shouldn't be restricted to the usual traditional wedding garb. You can take it as you wanted to be fashionable and trendsetting. You both looked great!
Thank you, Matt, for such a very thoughtful comment. Very kind!
The wedding photos! 🤩🤩🤩💫 super interesting post! Cx
Awww, thanks, Claire! Much appreciated! We had an absolute whale of a time (you can probably tell.....)!
Great post. I’m also a jeans kinda girl but living in South Florida will wear Jean shorts in the summer. 😀
Happy New Year! 🎉
Thanks, Susi! Got to be comfortable, right?! Thanks so much - Happy New Year to you, too!
Love the story about flying. Our family was an airline family and when my son Jordan was about 14, I took him and my daughter Amy to Arkansas to visit friends. Jordan wasn't dressed properly for first class because I didn't think there were any openings. When the gate agent assured me there was an opening in first class, she asked if my son had a jacket. I replied yes, even though he had no jacket with him. I returned to where my kids were seated and told Amy to give Jordan her jacket. Mind you, the jacket was definitely feminine. He balked. I asked him if he wanted to sit in first class. He put the jacket on. The whole ensemble looked pretty funny. And of course, Amy and I cut him no slack, laughing all the way down the jet bridge. When we entered the plane, inflight took one look at him and told me that my daughter and I could sit in first class, but Jordan would have to sit in the back-- because of his SHOES. Not the jacket. I just giggled at the absurdity of the whole situation and said, no, that's okay, we'll all sit in the back. It was a gallant effort on our part. Next thing I know, the inflight attendant was ushering us into first class, and telling my son to take his shoes off. We had a wonderful flight and a story I've retold many a time. Funny memories!
Thanks, Sue, and wow, what a great story! Gosh, poor Joshua - but how wonderful that ALL of you could travel in style!
Never mind 'openings in first class' - on Dad's airline we had to be clothed according to the dress code just to be allowed to board the plane - it was often quite funny travelling down the back in economy and being able to spot immediately any other staff passengers - we'd all be by far the best dressed!
Sometimes we were lucky enough to get an upgrade, sometimes not. Economy was fine, of course, but being so tall it would be nice to get a better seat. Several times I travelled on the jump seat on the flight deck (great fun!), and on one occasion, on the way back from JFK to LHR just before Christmas, I travelled in the crew rest cabin - horizontal, and very comfortably asleep! Happy memories!
That's awesome! Yes, it was indeed a different time back then. We were fortunate to have enjoyed the airline benefits!
I loved getting a peek at your childhood here, Rebecca. The floor length yellow dress with tiny feet peeking out! The rumpled uniform. The "it's-my-wedding-i-will-do-what-i-want" clothes! I can't wait months to see you in your knee-length fitted flowered dress. How about a little sneak preview just for your readers. pleeeeeeeze
LOL Sharron - thanks so much! I'm sure I'll be posting an update about the wedding - at which time: yes! In the meantime, a girl needs time/effort/the risk of a nervous breakdown to find the right accessories.......! 🤣
Happy New Year, Rebecca! I am catching up on reading. I am right there with you about comfort and dressing more for myself than others, especially as I approach 48.
Dressing up for flights! When my Grandfather or Great Aunt would fly in for visits, they were always dressed in their best clothes and I distinctly remember my Grandfather complaining about how poorly dressed all the “young people” were.
I love your photos shared here! 😍
Thanks so much, Amy!
Lovely to hear about your relatives complaining about the appearance of the 'young people'! It's funny, though - I mean, we always DID dress up to travel when I was younger - not just for flying on Dad's airline, but for ferry trips across the Channel, and package holidays on charter aircraft. It was just the 'done thing' back then! Gosh, that makes me feel old....!
Loved these snapshots and memories that resonate with some of my own. I think my sisters and I had the American version of that 70's nightgown. And your school uniform reminds me of what my high school singing group wore—something I really need to write about. Glad we've connected through Substack!
Thank you - that's so kind! Ooooh, looking forward to reading about your high school singing group!