Dottie, I am with you. I too wonder, how come people don't care how they look. Yes, I just posted a picture of me in my old pain stained overalls, but I was working on bikes, as a volunteer...

At work there are numerous people that show up in torn jeans. What gives?

Don't you care to look presentable?

Moni

Fuddy-duddy or not, it's nice to see people get dressed up particularly for a Christmas special.

I would put the blame on the stores that allow that kind of dress.
Why can't the store say we have a dress code here for our employees abide by it or hit the streets.
I suppose if management is in the same age bracket as the slovenly employess, you're fighting a losing battle...What a revolting development !!!
Put me in the fuddy-duddy column too..

There is a dress code, but it isn't enforced. Irks those of us that care.

Of course, working in the garden department I get dirty and sometimes wet, and in the summer smelly... but I do come to work clean!

Yep, I am a fuddy duddy too. :)

Moni

I'm in the fuddy duddy court as well I guess. I think that it starts back in the schools, the kids dress pretty much as they want, there should be a stricter dress code. It's a shame that in many cases, there isn't a sense of pride or respect anymore. It's sad when at a store you can't tell the employees from the shoppers.

I don't think of myself as fuddy-duddy but I do think there is a new generation of people who have been raised in an "all about me" environment who couldn't care less about other people or what they think. They do what pleases themselves. And what a joy they are when they get to the professional work environment. Fortunately for us, many never get past the interview process. And then they wonder why they can't get a job.

Why is it that I'm not even 50 yet and everyday I see more proof that I'm becoming a crotchety fuddy-duddy!!!
If I get a "welcome to the club" letter from AARP soon, I'm just gonna crawl under the covers and cry...

Seriously, tho, do you think this clothing shift happened when stores started selling the pre-torn jeans? Or before that? We know the baggy pants came to the forefront at least when rap music was in its infancy.

There are young women in my building who wear pants that are tight (and they don't have the figures for tight pants), or outfits so ill-fitting that I wonder if they own a mirror. I know I'm very conservative in dress, so I have a bias. Several years ago, my supervisor mentioned some "words of wisdom" to a young employee who was wearing a tube top (just not appropriate, IMHO, for office buildings, even on a weekend.)

I don't even like seeing flip-flops in the office!

OK, fine, AARP: Go ahead and sign me up.

(One other thing: I was walking into a IHOP yesterday, and ahead of me in the parking lot was a young couple with a child. The man's pants were drooping so much that I just hoped they wouldn't fall down before our paths diverged! I would've completely lost my appetite. And fallen down laughing!)

Are you kidding? Have you priced the faded and frayed jeans lately? They cost more than a Brookes Brothers suite. It is all a matter of what the contemporary styles are and sadly we are far behind the times...

There was a time when we couldn't wear a pair of jeans to school and no one dared be caught out in public with your work pants on if they had even the slightest tear in them...

Today if you don't have fades and frayed tears you are looked upon as poor and buying your fashions off the rack at the dollar store.

What gets me is the people that go out in public in lounge/pajama pants! I have nothing against them I were them around home. The only time I have wore them in public is when I went to the ER and then had to stop where I work with off work papers.
Guess I am a fuddy duddy too.
Kittywhiskers

I was waiting at the SS office the other day. I watched as a young man came in in his pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. Then on the way home, stopped in Wal-Mart, again, saw someone in pajama pants. Am I way behind on the fashion trends, or, is this going to be what we see on the streets?

We just got back from a second trip to Paris. I will say, I did not see one over-weight person, or anyone dressed like we do in this country. We went to many tourist places, and unfortunately, we could bet money on who was an American. Hats on backwards, pants hanging way down, stupid sayings on t-shirts, shoes untied. And that just wasn't on young kids. I don't like to be judgemental, but when it's in your face at stores, etc.....
Me= old fuddy-duddy

Sign me up for the fuddy duddy club also. I am sorry to say, but slovenly is in and neat is out.

I don't think this is due to laziness. They think they are stylish. It's what's 'in' for young people today, like the three-day beard on guys. It looks to me like a sort of reverse snobery: "I'm much too busy/important to spend time on my clothes." They work hard on looking like this! LOL

Think about what Steve Jobs wore to present a new product: Jeans and a T-shirt. It's called appealing to your market.

Casual dress in public used to bother me too, up until a couple of years ago when I decided that I'm ok with it now. I remember having to get "dressed up" just to go to the grocery store and, looking back on it now, I have to wonder why I did it, what was the point? I know I'm in the minority here about the subject. :)

But I still wouldn't wear jammies and slippers in public. I have my limits LOL.

I'm with you Dot! We noticed it this fall when we went to the high school football game where they announce the "king" and "queen" of Prom. Back, not too long ago, it was everyone dressed to the nines. This year, it looked like they came right from the locker room. Shorts, sleeveless T's. One girl had jean shorts with so many holes, they weren't covering up much. I guess I'm a fuddy, duddy too...

Nothing to add regarding how people dress these days, I think the above posters have pretty much covered the topic.
I just have to say, Dot - that sentence "talent from state-wide sharing their talents, some good, some brave" was just priceless!
What a wonderful way to express the feeling that some people aren't really all that talented but still have the gumption to get up there and give it all for charity.
Suzan J

I will gladly join the "fuddy duddy" group....I cringe when I see how people are dressed and I too, will not leave the house in what I don't think appropriate...I often think, when seeing some of these people in church, dressed in the fashons of today, "at least they came to church"....But, so often, I also think, have you looked in the mirror before you left the house?????

A little funny about the saggy, baggy pants....A friend of mine rides the bus to and back home, from work...This bus is always crowded and one day, a young fellow got on, wearing the latest, reached in his pocket for his change and low and behold, his jeans fell down....AND to make matters worse, he wasn't wearing any underwear..The people on the bus had the biggest laugh etc. ..He quickly pulled up the pants and made a fast exit....My friend said, everyone was waiting for him the next day but sadly, no more "free shows"......

I must misunderstand that type of dress. They probably are
dressing for their group, generation, whatever. To me it looks
like "you mean so little to me that I will come as a bum".
Knowing I have it wrong, in the 60's + fuddy duddy group...

I prefer the casual dress. The holes/frays in the jeans don't bother me - and Lazypup is right on the cost. Miss Me jeans are at least $100 pair - gasp! I have seen other brands that are A LOT more than that. A LOT!

I feel that as long as the clothes are clean and the boobs/butts are covered modestly - it looks fine to me.

When my girls have a nice pair of jeans on with some layered tops and pretty necklaces on, I feel like they are dressed up.

They do have a pair of black pants and a black skirt in their closets that they wear for certain school competitions they go to - vocal and academic competitions. The instructors require that type of clothing.

Also DS has to have a pressed white shirt, and black slacks for his FFA activities. They also learn how to tie a tie in FFA - life lesson! LOL

I said when I kick the bucket - I DO NOT want to be buried in dress clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt. And that is exactly what I want people to wear to my funeral!~

Iowagirl -- Your funeral plans remind me of what's normally requested in the death notices in Hawaii: Aloha wear. (Shirt, shorts, slippahs.) I don't think I've ever seen the 'in lieu of flowers' request there. Na lei are expected at a funeral.

I'm more middle-of-the-road on this one. More later. sjarz, it wasn't until your post that I caught the comment! Naive, stupid me (oh, that's right - can't use the "s" word either...) thought of someone in a wheelchair or having some sort of disease making an appearance as being "brave". Sometimes I need to be hit over the head since subtle isn't always caught! :) Good one Dotmom! Although I think sometimes it's more the people are so self-centered and arrogant they think they can sing, dance, or look good packing their 300# bodies into spandex or showing off their ugly feet and diseased toenails in flip-flops. Although anyone who wants to wear their silly flop-flips around here now can go right ahead AFAIC. The road salt might kill some of that foot fungus!

What many mistake for pajama bottoms are actually flannel lounge pants. They're simply a lighter version of sweatpants (that were so popular an attire just a few years ago) plus they're much more functional than sweats since they usually have pockets on them. I had to wear them for a couple months, yes even in public since I wasn't supposed to wear any conventional "tighter" fitting clothes for a while while healing. However I didn't attend any major functions in them either. And yes it's nice to be back to wearing cargoes and jeans again.

I don't like the rip/torn look. But there's times I think that the term "business casual" should be learned, especially on the newscasts. These people look silly to me wearing ill-fitting suits, pantsuits that don't fit because she's pregnant or pounding down too many Twinkies. And the weatherguessers taking off the jacket and rolling up their sleeves are a bit of an improvement but really a dress polo shirt, perhaps with the station's logo on it would be far more professional looking to me than this Goodwill clothing look. I'm more troubled by the look of hair now that is to look like you just got out of bed. Some of the local news tried that for a while and I wrote them and offered to buy combs and brushes for them and teach them how to use them. Not sure if they had gotten a lot of complaints but that look was changed in short order.

I've long since quit wearing suits to weddings (unless I'm the photographer but haven't done that for years), funerals, airline flights and such. I think it's so ironic that for instance my great uncle who if he ever wore a suit in his life it sure wasn't more than a time or two, was put in one in the casket. That guy must be rolling over in discomfort I'm sure! I said he should have been buried in his overalls, complete with a pocket full of in-the-shell peanuts that he fed the chipmunks on his farm whenever I saw him. But the "in thing" at the time was you must be in a suit.

When there's a formal event a suit, tux or something is appropriate and should be worn IMO. But there's also times where suits and tuxes are *inappropriate* too IMO and I look at it more as putting on airs as they say. What, you trying to make yourself out to be more important than everyone else or something?

I don't like seeing a male doctor wearing a tie when treating people or a female doctor wearing the gaudy jewelry and loads of makeup, though that used to be a required dress code too. How much bacteria is that tie & jewelry holding? I know how infested makeup is! And I know how seldom ties are laundered. Wear a clean coat and gloves please. You'll look a lot more professional to me if you're concerned more about MY well-being than your looks.

But I do kind of like the 3-day beard look fad these days. No, I don't particularly like the look but it's convenient since I'm lazy that way! Now I don't have to feel compelled to shave so often. And have received some compliments (believe it or not!) about how "fashionable" I was! LOL Joke's on them. Sometimes I tell them it's just laziness, other times let them think what they want. But I do draw the line at the sliced pants and "pants on the ground" look!

Yeah, I'm an old, crotchety curmudgeon with strong opinions on a lot of things. As Baby Sinclair used to say "Gotta love me!" (Or not. I won't lose sleep either way) :D

I read the book about Steve Jobs and I think the jeans and black T-shirt is always what he wore. I wouldn't be surprised if that is how he was buried. He had dozens of the T-shirts all from the same manufacturer. The book was very interesting. He certainly was strange and opinionated.

I think the younger generation is still taking pride in their appearance. It's just their definition of fashion and looking good is different than the older crowd. They think their jeans look good and yes, they often pay very good money for those clothes.

I really don't care what anyone wears, I care about their actions,not their clothes.

Have to admit I have chuckle most at how women dress these days. Since when did high-lighting fat become a fashion trend? I was at a luncheon the other day where one lady (around my age -60)showed up wearing a stretchy glittery red sweater that showed every fat cell on her torso, a short pleated skirt that looked like a skating skirt from the 60's and black tights and ankle boots. Believe me she would have looked far better in torn jeans and a loose top that didn't show all. It was hard for me not to stare and I know this gal. Then there are the older fat women with cleavage and crepe like skin. But even though they look silly to me I don't care as long as they are good people.

I remember back in the 90's DS had friends that wore nothing but surplus cargo pants. No matter where they went. Turned out several were extremely wealthy dot commers who hit the boom. The guy in the suit? He worked retail at barely above minimum wage. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

The only clothing I am really bothered by are when mothers treat their little children like dress up dolls, dressing them up, fussing with their hair, painting their nails etc. I feel sorry for those kids. I am not talking about special occasions but the constant fussing. It especially annoys me to see little girls dressed in ways that don't allow them the freedom to run,play and climb. I find it very sad and I wonder what this generation of fussed over tutued little (at least the ones who won't have the sense to rebel later) will grow up to be.

I agree with Carla. I'm pretty sure every single older generation has questioned the sanity of the young people of the times. :) Ditching corsets, women wearing pants instead of dresses, long hair on men, bathing suits that actually show skin, no pantyhose, bell bottoms, paint-splattered jeans with sideways ponytails and neon sunglasses (how DO you explain the 80's? hahaha), and now today's current fashions.

Styles evolve but the "in my day..." is forever!

- Signed, a former high school goth complete with thick black eyeliner and spiderweb stockings!

Call me a fuddy-duddy..ol'timer, whatever. I am in the same court with you. I came from the era where people took pride in the way they dressed and looked. We had our family party Saturday nite with over 50 family members in attendance. One of my great nephews had his pants around his hips and it was everything I could do to keep my big ol' mouth shut, plus they did not look new..all torn and holey. geeeez...His parents have the means to buy him new pants for pete's sake!!!! Why on earth did he wear his old pair to our Christmas party???

Is there room for me in this fuddy duddy group?

Like all else, we each have our own opinions and tastes. Mine were molded in days long ago when people dressed "decently," whether it was the farmer's bib overalls, or the preacher's black suit, or Mama's house dress.

Most people, even the young ones that I see on the street, or in the stores are dressed decently, give or take some lemmings. Where I see the near-to-indecent is on television.

This reminds me of something I read back a few years ago when young men began to wear full beards. A nicely dressed young bearded man applied for a job. He met all the qualifications and the interviewer told him he was just what they were looking for. The young man said "The beard is not a problem, then?" Interviewer replied "Not at all. Just don't wear it during working hours."

That attitude should apply to all (dress) work situations.

Sue

I'm soooo out of the fuddy-duddy group, and I'm old.

OP, they showed up for a fund raiser. Good for them. Were YOU there?

I don't ever give a hoot about how some one is dressed. It's either all they can afford or a statment. Who cares? I've known some really nice pierced and grundge kids. If they're good people, you lessen yourself by limiting yourself of getting to know them by what your grandma told you. Dress is the same.

Grandma left her eggs on the counter....I don't.

chi83, you crack me up. I had a goth DIL and SDS. Funny how a kid can make you take off the makeup.

Roco 0101, is it necessary to get nasty? I was just stating my opinion, which you are also entitled to do. I'll respect yours, please do the same for mine.

As a member of the "hair" generation of the 60's , I should be more tolerant. I and my husband and kids had long flowing hair , wore jeans with peace signs and dug rock and roll. My mini skirts were short, at least 6-8 inches above my knees but my GD at Thanksgiving wore one so short that had she bent a fraction, you would have seen her underwear. Her BF looks like he's in Woodstock. He has shoulder length hair in braids, pierced ears, peace tattoos , a red bandana around his head and pants 6 inches below his waist with plaid boxers showing. But he's a very nice guy and a senior in college who plans to go to graduate school so you can't judge a book...

I think chisue said it right:

'I don't think this is due to laziness. They think they are stylish. It's what's 'in' for young people today, like the three-day beard on guys. It looks to me like a sort of reverse snobery: "I'm much too busy/important to spend time on my clothes." They work hard on looking like this! LOL'

I like to see people dress nicely for special occasions too, but the definition of 'dress nicely' has changed a lot.

BTW, I still like to dress up in dress and hose for church, even though I'd a lot rather see people there in jeans than not going at all. I feel like I'm more respectful when I'm dressed up.

Remember the old saying.."you feel, the way you are dressed". Having kids wear uniforms in school, is a part of that saying. It's a fact, when people dress nicely, they act differently. Just another part of human nature.

I don't care if anyone wears jeans as long as they are clean.

Casual Fridays are acceptable at work and everyone wears jeans and tees or sweatshirts. People are more productive when they're comfortable, which is why businesses today are less restrictive in what their employees wear. In fact "Business Casual" is now pretty much everyday wear in my office. Not jeans, but comfortable pants, sweaters, and no ties or jackets for men.