Subconsciously dressing to my youth

[Maria 60]

Wow! a Saturday night and everyone is out and no ones scheduled to come home till tomorrow. I better go buy a lottery ticket.
I fully dressed last night and I'm fully dressed again this morning, my wife looks at me this morning and said that I freak her out at what I choose to wear, last night I was dressed to go dancing and today I'm dressed to go to a nuns convention.
I told her my mind always goes back to my youth, on Saturday nights my sisters friends would come to our house before going out and they would be dressed amazing to go dancing and I would wait all week for that. On Sunday's we would all go to church and again my mother and sister would be dressed amazing and going to church and seeing all the women dressed and beautiful legs everywhere and always trying to find the forbidden slip viewing, that was my favourite. And I even reminded her how she was always dressed to the tees on Sunday's and how much I would enjoy that.
Everywhere we went on Sunday's the women would be in there Sunday clothes, it was like an all day festival for me.
I told her I believe I must have carried this memory with me and as much as I looked forward then I guess it brings back memories and I want to relive what they must of felt being dressed on these days.
My wife gave me a "whatever makes you happy" answer.
I must admit it was fun looking back and remembering what probably brought me to this point in my life where I am now and even subconsciously still dressing the way women would dress in my youth.
Maybe it's strange, but I do miss it and have a smile on my face just remembering how nice it was.

[Stacy Darling]

That's the beauty of being an individual Maria, you can dress as yourself!

Imagine if we dressed as we were told to?

When it's hot like today I'll be in short shorts or a little skirt, just like the hot chicks were wearing at the beach in my glory days, or today!
Subconsciously or not, we do dress to please our inner self. If we are not controlled by others that is!

You dress like the Woman you enjoy being Maria!

Stacy!

[Pat]

I tend to agree with your wife -- "whatever makes you happy." If you dress in a way that resonates with happy childhood memories, cool.

[immike]

I love to dress in a short mini skirt,off-black nylons,a silky blouse&3-4" heels&use a long,brunette wig

[docrobbysherry]

I must disagree. Almost everyone compromises their dressing whenever they go out in public!

Which is why I'm a closet dresser at heart! With no SO, I have virtually no limits, restrictions, or concerns when I dress at home in private!

[GeorgeA]

Maria,
Your reminiscences are similar to mine. I miss the "good old days".

[Aunty_Hazel]

When Hazel started to re-emerge in November, I started looking for modest, age-appropriate outfits.
I was kind of surprised when I got the chance to go out shopping in London last month that that all went straight out the window and I was trying on all the mini-skirts and corset tops I loved when I was in my twenties!

[Karen RHT]

I'm on exactly the same wavelength as you Maria.


Karen

[Tracy Irving]

I dress all kinds of ways and when it is to my youth it is definitely not subconsciously.

[Beverley Sims]

Nothing wrong with dressing retro, take a few tips from your wife and dress the way she desires.

Life will be easier.

[Sidney]

I remember the "Good old days" when people dressed up. Now everything is so casual, I do miss those days. I do like the casual because it's easier for me to blend in in pants instead of a dress. But the memories are nice.

[Stephanie47]

Yendis observation that "now everything is so casual" resonates with me. When I was in elementary and junior high school girls were required to wear dresses or skirts and blouses. The vice-principal patrolled the halls during class passing looking for mini-skirt offenders. Maybe, girls should have been allowed to wear pants. And, the guys had to wear pants that were not jeans and a shirt with a collar. In junior high I had to wear pants, shirt with a collar and a tie. Heck, this was public school and not some high priced private academy. Women went to work wearing dresses. Church too.

I retired ten years ago from a professional office environment. When I started working there thirty years prior men were required to dress professionally; suits or sportcoats. Women wore dresses or skirts and blouses. By the time I retired it was not uncommon to see professional women wearing sweatsuits and capri pants with sandals to work. Totally unprofessional. I was still stuck back in the old days; shirt and tie, slacks and shined shoes. It was more than once visiting professionals assumed I was the boss because I was the only person professionally attired.

Which brings me to my cross dressing preferences; dresses, hosiery, heels. I readily admit I am stuck back in my youth. It's the June Cleaver and Harriet Nelson attire. If I am preparing dinner or vacuuming the house or doing the laundry/ironing it is in a dress and heels/hosiery.

I know it's each to his or her preference. However, I cannot ever envision myself trying to emulate a woman by wearing attired that has been co-opted from the male side of my closet. Personal choice.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Maria , Your story brings back memories of the women
back in the 50s' & the 60s' and the lovely outfits that they wore.>Orchid......

[ReychelleC]

Over the past year my wardrobe has expanded exponentially, and it has included a wide range of outfits from ball gowns to jeans. While I started out with super-femme dresses and heels I quickly decided I wanted to experience many forms of feminine dressing. I get up some mornings and find a plain black skirt and blouse with some mid-height heels are the ticket, while other days I might want to vamp it up a notch. I think most of us have imprinted on our memories the vision of previous generations of femininity, and I do feel much more "girly" with lace bras and heels. I happen to think I look good in a swing dress but like the fact that I can show different facets just like real women.

[Dana44]

I agree that the gold ole days were far better. Yet today I saw a woman walking towards Walmart in a nice skirt and top. with nice heels. So when its warmer we can wear skirts out.

[Denise S]

I have never thought about it but that is why I probably love leotards and any dance wear so much. When I was younger my sisters took dancing lessons so they had drawers full of leotards and bright shiny satin costumes that I wore more than they ever did. I used to get so excited when I heard they where getting new costumes. I used to pretend I hated it but deep down I wanted to be one of those girls up on that stage in those cute costumes.

[Rachelakld]

OMG - to dress like my mum, auntie, grandma - NO WAY

Hose - bin (not in daytime unless it's business)
blue eyeshadow - bin.
too much (try hard) makeup - bin

I went shopping for 2 hours in my daughters modern clothes Sunday, tried on 12 modern outfits, found and bought a modern top (wife liked it and wore it before I got a chance).
IMG_20180105_065617.jpg

If I'm going to dress old time - it'll be 1880's corset dresses thanks - one of the girls here does the steam train rides - she dress really cool for those.

Just hacking on ya, please wear what ever makes you happy (except a Borat mankini)

[Kayliedaskope]

Yendis observation that "now everything is so casual" resonates with me. When I was in elementary and junior high school girls were required to wear dresses or skirts and blouses. The vice-principal patrolled the halls during class passing looking for mini-skirt offenders. Maybe, girls should have been allowed to wear pants. And, the guys had to wear pants that were not jeans and a shirt with a collar. In junior high I had to wear pants, shirt with a collar and a tie. Heck, this was public school and not some high priced private academy. Women went to work wearing dresses. Church too.

I retired ten years ago from a professional office environment. When I started working there thirty years prior men were required to dress professionally; suits or sportcoats. Women wore dresses or skirts and blouses. By the time I retired it was not uncommon to see professional women wearing sweatsuits and capri pants with sandals to work. Totally unprofessional. I was still stuck back in the old days; shirt and tie, slacks and shined shoes. It was more than once visiting professionals assumed I was the boss because I was the only person professionally attired.

Oh, I definitely resonate with this one: I work on a college university, and the styles are sometimes quite shocking. No WAY I would come to class/work looking like some of these women do! (Sweatsuits with Ugg boots or bedroom slippers, skintight "hoochie mama" clothes that show off every single fold, wrinkle, and divot ... and don't even get me started about the disaster fashion show at Walmart. Don't these people have mirrors???) I can understand dressing for comfort, but come on ....

Now I'll be fair and say there are also a lot of nicely-attired ladies here, too: properly-fitting dresses, skirts, blouses, and heels. One very petite woman (4'9") dresses smartly in professional skirt suits and 4" heels every day - yup, I look. (Well, she's adorably cute.... )

[Micki_Finn]

But really Kay, doesn’t every generation say this about the one that comes after?

[susan2010]

You are so right about how women and girls dressed when I was young. Sundays, with the nice dresses were fantastic, but almost everyday at school you could get a look up a dress at slips and panties. That's what influenced the way I like to dress: slips, and sometimes girdles and stockings, pettipants.

[TracyT]

I had to laugh reading this post. My wife often tells me "Your tastes were frozen when you were 17," and "You were a cheerleader in high school and you still dress like a cheerleader." (Actually I was on the drill team (poms) in HS, but same difference.) And it's certainly true that there are certain tastes from that era (Keds, high ponytails, headbands, jumbo velcro rollers) that I've never lost. I'm actually trying to update my wardrobe some as I get older but I'll never lose my fondness for those girly days of yore!