Comments on: #146: Don’t Dress Up. I Mean, Don’t Dress Down.

By: How Not To Act Old » Blog Archive » #154: I’ve Decided: It’s “Don’t Dress Up”

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:38:18 +0000

[...] Despite the confusion the New York Times brought to this issue, I’ve decided after much deliberation and observation that the official How Not To Act Old dictate should be “Don’t Dress Up.” [...]

By: Ms. Yingling

Ms. Yingling — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:01:33 +0000

Ha! Once again, the pleated skirt, twin set and penny loafers RULE! If it’s not in fashion, it can’t really be out. Or at any rate, I’m dressed the way I feel comfortable, and the Evil Young may laugh at me all they want! (And Pam, I read your book AGAIN over the weekend– what a hoot. I really needed it, since the Evil Young in my house were attempting to leave it wearing short shorts, a sports bra, and a t shirt with no sides or sleeves. And they laugh at what I wear?)

By: elle

elle — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:09:05 +0000

Wendy, I love you. Perfectly articulated:
“…casual wear IS very homogeneous – in the US. look outside the borders and you see much more fashion, meaning expressions of individuality, among all age groups. quit navel-gazing about being 40+, 50+, whatever. wear what you like, what expresses some part of who you are, and have some style. if not now, at this age, when??? someone thinks you’re old? so what. no doubt they’re younger. inspire them to be this way when they’re older.”

I couldn’t agree more. As I age past youth, my thing is to become more of who I always was and to wear it proudly giving barely a *ish what some evil youngster thinks. They stopped ruling my life in highschool. I refuse to relive it.

By: Pamela Redmond Satran

Pamela Redmond Satran — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:38:12 +0000

Wow, I’m flattered you mistook me for Andre Leon Talley. But in case it wasn’t evident enough, I guess I need to insert the word HUMOR in red capital letters every sentence or two. And in case I still haven’t made my point: Don’t worry, babe. I don’t really think it’s okay to wear pajama pants and UGGs to the theatre, though some 19-year-olds might feel otherwise.

By: james

james — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:32:43 +0000

The main problem with this critique of the NY Times Editorial is the writer’s line “Gee, just when I was about to think it was okay to wear pajama pants and Uggs to the theatre.” First of all, anyone criticizing a style editorial would never, and I repeat, NEVER ever think it is ok to wear pajama pants and UGGs anywhere outside of your home. And also, anyone criticizing a style editorial would never, and I repeat, NEVER ever buy UGGs in the first place. That’s like criticizing the Chanel pistol pump while wearing your Crocs. Here’s a tip from Mr. Gunn which I hope will help you in the future. “If you are going to dress like you just got out of bed, don’t get out of bed”

By: Wendy

Wendy — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:17:09 +0000

casual wear IS very homogeneous – in the US. look outside the borders and you see much more fashion, meaning expressions of individuality, among all age groups. quit navel-gazing about being 40+, 50+, whatever. wear what you like, what expresses some part of who you are, and have some style. if not now, at this age, when??? someone thinks you’re old? so what. no doubt they’re younger. inspire them to be this way when they’re older.

By: tully monster

tully monster — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:04:32 +0000

Oh, where to begin. This whole article suffers from New York Times Columnist syndrome, in which some vapid, self-centered, neurotic writer, usually a woman, lifts her head briefly from her ongoing examination of her own navel to look at the navels of her friends and identifies a Global Trend, or a Universal Truth, which she generally pulls out of her posterior. Looks like this guy did the same.

In academia and in IT, men who dress up are viewed with deep suspicion, because the only men on campus under 40 who dress like that are either B(usiness)-schoolers or administrative types, the sort who wander cluelessly into a given department wondering whether it’s the sort of thing that can be cut and farmed out to Bangalore for distance learning. IT types in their 20s and 30s still wear the uniform of t-shirts and jeans. Younger professors wear button-down shirts, khakis, and sweaters.

Best strategy is to consider these guys to be trying too hard. Because they are. Ask one of these dandies for his boss’s contact information–and then say, “Oh, forgive me–I’m afraid I thought you were an administrative assistant.”

By: Pamela Redmond Satran

Pamela Redmond Satran — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:37:26 +0000

Perfect, Mauigirl. And I wonder whether the editorial support for dressing up might be underwritten by the increased pressure to attract advertisers? “People don’t give a crap about what they wear to work” is not a story that’s going to bring Brooks Brothers through the door.

By: Mauigirl

Mauigirl — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:13:23 +0000

It’s just typical – the younger generation always rebels against the older one. It’s not just Boomer hatred specifically.

I love this line:

“I think it’s a reaction against the homogeneity of casual wear,” said Gordon Henderson, the design director of Topman. “There’s nowhere to go with that in terms of personality, whereas a suit sets you apart.”

Hilarious. In the old days, all men looked the same BECAUSE they were wearing suits. Now they claim casual dress all looks the same. “The man in the grey flannel suit” was the epitome of the Everyman.

This is at least the third time they’ve claimed dressing up for work is coming back in style. I’ve yet to see it become really prevalent except in some businesses. Historically, if you look at codes of dress through the ages, it always goes from more complex to less and less complex. I don’t think people, now that they are able to wear comfortable, practical clothes to work, will ever go back to uncomfortable fussy clothes (and for women, god forbid, pantihose) if they can help it.

We work longer hours now in offices than we ever did before. You just can’t keep that up when wearing a noose around your neck or pantihose and heels.

By: Robin Kaye Grack

Robin Kaye Grack — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:00:38 +0000

Pam, your link takes us to “My Parisian Christmas,” not the NY Times article. That aside–you are so right on about the evil young. They are always changing the rules so they can “win.” Didn’t we learn as children that doing so made you a spoiled little spoil sport? A sore loser? Nuff said.