Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Town Clothes



Do you remember town clothes?  

Did you have town clothes?

There will be those of you who have no idea what I am talking about.

But those that do - if you do, it means you know about house clothes.  When I was a kid, we even had yard clothes.

Recently, driving through town with my daughters and the older one snorted when apparently I made an involuntary intake of breath while driving past someone in paddock clothes in the main drag.

I can’t help it.  I grew up with it.  It is cultural.

Its not that I am what one would call at fashionable or even approaching appropriately attired at all times.  

However there are many women in my family that one has to either attempt to meet their standards or adopt a whatever attitude.  

And just because I have taken the latter approach – that doesn’t mean that the conditioning still has fair sway in my mind.

See, we were Country growing up – and that means at least a half hour in a car before you get to town – so there are logistics involved, some thought needs to go into the venture – and that includes pulling yourself together a bit.

 Not like you Town kids, who you stepped out of your front doors to civilization.

6 comments:

Debby said...

I remember once every other week, walking to town in my bare feet with my library books. And after we crossed the creek on the railroad bridge (which always scared me witless), we stopped, put on our flip-flops (thongs for you Aussies) and continued into town with shoes on our feet to where the bookmobile met us in front of the post office.

Rootietoot said...

Absolutely had town clothes! Still do! No yoga pants, people. No pajama pants or hair in a wad nor stain on the front of my shirt. I don't dress fancy but I try to keep it up to a certain standard. I have quit expecting others to, though.

BB said...

Of course!! I remember even wearing pantyhose and not-so-comfortable good shoes, hair brushed hard and roll-on lip gloss. And I certainly never wear stretchy comfy house clothes unless I am on crutches (like now!!). We all know I don't live up to the standards you are referring to though!

Kelly said...

I can totally understand where you're coming from here, even if I don't have the same terminology for it. I definitely have things I'll wear at home vs. things I'll wear to town - even if that's just Walmart (have you ever seen the websites filled with the "people of walmart", showing some of the horrendous things you might see there??) And what I might wear to Walmart still might not cut the mustard for other "town" activities. There's even a difference between what I'll wear to church at 8:00 a.m. vs. the 10:00 service (I prefer the earlier!) Heck, I'm old enough that when I was a girl, my mother only allowed me to go to school in dresses. Jeans were for weekends or after school! Try hanging upside down on the monkey bars in a dress!

Crazed Nitwit said...

We called them dress clothes and play clothes. :)

jeanie said...

Debby - my mind was blown on the concept of "walking to town"!!! My daughter does a version of yours these days, though - she is ALWAYS barefoot when being driven to town...

Rootie - I do no believe you even HAVE yoga pants!

BB - I remember having to wear pantyhose on sunburned (like blistering level) legs.

Kelly - I think Mum did attempt to send us to school in a dress once - but it was a pretty strict kid-enforced policy of shorts and t-shirts at our school. Even mid-winter!!

CN - we didn't have "play" as a gear, I don't think...