Welcome to 3 more articles on the subject of dress. Today we are looking at vintage house dresses, visible underwear making a comeback (!), and Joan Collins' thoughts on jeans and t-shirts as "tragic".
As always, the subjects are varied and interesting. I always look forward to your comments so please chime in with your observations below.
🌹 Let's look at the first article, which was sent to me by KA Leuis: The Outfit That Has Fallen by the Wayside: The History of the House Dress.
I shared this article on my facebook page and so many Connoisseurs chimed in on the lost practice of wearing a house dress. I'd love to discuss this topic more and even explore wearing one in my home... stay tuned for that.
🌹 This article is both shocking and not surprising, discussing how visible underwear is making a comeback. I think you can guess where I stand on this issue! The most disturbing thing about this article is that it was originally featured in Teen Vogue. Why is a magazine geared toward teenagers promoting this kind of dress? This is why I do the videos I do, to counteract the inappropriate popular culture that is inundating our society. This article was sent to me by Tessa Meyers.
🌹 Finally, this article was sent to me by Ashley: Joan Collins Says Wearing Jeans and T-Shirts Is Tragic.
Joan Collins says, "I really hope that people will spend more money on clothes, because nobody dresses up anymore," Collins told Vogue. "If you do, then people stare at you, or make cutting remarks… Well, maybe not cutting, but they’ll say something like, ‘Oh, look at you! You're all dressed up.’ I find that very sad, because it will be the end of women buying elegant clothes in stores. Everybody’s going to end up in jeans and T-shirts, which I think is tragic.”
I suppose this is how I feel about wearing gym clothes every day. My grandmother, Lila, never wore jeans a day in her life. Perhaps this is a generational thing? Were jeans the yoga pants of prior generations? What do you think?
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18 comments:
Thank you, Jennifer, for being unapologetic about your thoughts on this subject. I have for years (literally!) been eyerolled for putting on shoes everyday as I go about my work at home life. I never could figure out why my footwear was a threat to some people, lol. .where I live I have many friends from South America and they would never even wear athletic shoes much less go barefoot or wear slippers all day. Their sense of style has been a great inspiration to me. That said, I was trying to locate your Facebook post on the housedress article to read the comments, and I can't seem to locate it -- can you share the date it was posted? I am a new follower after someone I follow on Twitter mentioned you. .wish I could remember who it was. .
Hi Jennifer,
One of your comments about studying dress caught my attention and reminded me of a book I enjoy, "The Lost Art of Dress" by Linda Przybyszewski (copyright 2014) and would like to highly recommend it. It is a book which focuses on dress during the first half of the twentieth century, an interesting and enjoyable book! I have loaned this book out on numerous occasions with positive responses.
I can't help but wonder did you recommend this book years ago on one of your earlier videos ?
Loved your video, as always.
Sincerely,
Nancy
Hi Jennifer,
One of your comments about studying dress caught my attention and reminded me of a book I enjoy, "The Lost Art of Dress" by Linda Przybyszewski (copyright 2014) and would like to highly recommend it. It is a book which focuses on dress during the first half of the twentieth century, an interesting and enjoyable book! I have loaned this book out on numerous occasions with positive responses.
I can't help but wonder did you recommend this book years ago on one of your earlier videos ?
Loved your video, as always.
Sincerely,
Nancy
I think jeans are very much an age thing, as well as a style thing. I agree fully with the article that women over 40 should be very careful about wearing jeans. That said, I think there are ways to make them look stylish if you are younger. I'm in my 20s and my personal style is more French girl cool / garçonne. I wear jeans quite a bit, although almost never blue jeans. The last time I wore blue jeans with sneakers and a tee was when I moved to a new apartment. They're great for hauling boxes full of books and carrying furniture. They're also convenient for skiing in warmer weather when proper ski pants are too warm.
For a normal day outfit, I would typically wear black or white slim, high waisted jeans. I then pair that with a more dressy top and proper shoes: ankle boots, oxfords, or ballet flats depending on the season. Never sneakers unless I'm going for a long walk in the woods or helping a friend move or something like that.
For example, today to work (I work at a university, so the dress code is basically nonexistent) I wore my black jeans with a black silk pussybow blouse, black suede ankle boots and delicate gold jewelry. Other favourites is pairing jeans with a boatneck cashmere sweater or a Sezane-style ultrafeminine frilly lacy blouse or a silk tank under a smoking style jacket. And always my signature delicate gold rings, stud earrings and lipstick. The key point is that the jeans are always the most casual part of the entire outfit. Everything else is more dressy, never equally (or more) informal.
And the only time I would be caught outside in exercise clothes is on my way to and from my ballet lessons.
I don't think jeans or yoga pants or ballgowns or pajamas or any other article if clothing is "tragic." I just think each article has its place and our culture has blurred the lines of what is appropriate. Let's also remember the principle of expressing our true style. There are many ways to dress appropriately for a given situation. (Visible underwear not being one of them!)
First, I have to say that Joan Collins, an ultra wealthy glamour-puss actress, does not speak for the "older generation." I'm 66, retired and active, and I wear jeans almost every day during fall, winter and spring -- summers are too hot for jeans where I live. I am often the most dressed up person in the room. I don't wear them to a fancy restaurant or to the theater. I wear well fitting, dark wash, traditional (not fashion) jeans -- no holes, no rips, no whiskers, no bling. I wear them because they are versatile, classic, practical, well made, sturdy, fit my lifestyle, and I don't have to wash them after every wearing and don't have to iron them. Second, saying women over 40 should be careful about wearing jeans is a HUGE generalization and that jeans can be made to look stylish IF YOU ARE YOUNG ... well, that's just kind of condescending.
We need to remember there's more than one way to look presentable.
Picture a minion saying 'whaaaaaaat???" That was my response to the news that showing G string underwear had come back into fashion - I never realised it had been a fashion in the first place! I am definitely not prudish, but there is a time and place for everything. What happened to mystery? I am amazed that young women now dress in a way that only a prostitute would have dressed when I was growing up. How sad.
Loved the article about house dresses. My darling grandmother (born 1913) actually never owned a pair of pants of any description, including pyjamas. She was always gorgeous. I have photos of her on a world cruise in 1967 and note that all of the women are beautifully dressed with dresses, coats, hats etc...for their sightseeing. I don't mind jeans (I am in my 50s) but really they are not the most comfortable garment and somehow we've all been brainwashed into accepting them as cool.
Madeleine
Picture a minion saying 'whaaaaaaat???" That was my response to the news that showing G string underwear had come back into fashion - I never realised it had been a fashion in the first place! I am definitely not prudish, but there is a time and place for everything. What happened to mystery? I am amazed that young women now dress in a way that only a prostitute would have dressed when I was growing up. How sad.
Loved the article about house dresses. My darling grandmother (born 1913) actually never owned a pair of pants of any description, including pyjamas. She was always gorgeous. I have photos of her on a world cruise in 1967 and note that all of the women are beautifully dressed with dresses, coats, hats etc...for their sightseeing. I don't mind jeans (I am in my 50s) but really they are not the most comfortable garment and somehow we've all been brainwashed into accepting them as cool.
Madeleine
A real eye-opener on the underwear above the pant line. There's a guy style of dropping baggy jeans below the boxer shorts. Looks like competitive underwear displaying. Crazy. I loved the "house dress" article. I have some dresses I've actually named "popovers." I wear these popover dresses over my yoga clothes to class so I can run errands before and after. Once I left my popover at home because I was just going to yoga. The teacher said, "Where's the rest of your clothes?" We had a good laugh. I do like to be modest and look presentable, many thanks to you for your encouragement in that area. Also thank you for introducing me to the Boden company. I love their presentable dresses and like you said you can buy them on sale. I wear the jersey dresses as "day dresses." I rarely wear jeans anymore, though I don't object to them. I find dresses in summer are cooler and with tights and boots in winter warmer and just prettier. Thank you Jennifer. I pray you just keep on keeping on.
I really enjoyed the article on the house dress. I have very fond memories of my Great Aunt always in a dress - house dress and apron at home, and dressed more formally for special events.
Thank you for this article. It brought back many special memories.
DD, I completely agree with you. Well said.
Emilia
Thank you for sharing the interesting article on the house dress. I can well remember my great grandmothers wearing these. My grandmothers did wear slacks. Both worked. One was a widow and worked in a factory to support 3 children and her live=in widowed mother. The other worked in home day-care and was a very hands-on, get dirty, be outside and play on the floor lady. I adored them both. They were ALWAYS pulled together and classy.
Coming from a VERY ORTHODOX Latin Rite practice, it incurs social censure to not dress as if you could have an audience with the Pope at any moment. Neckline to the throat, hemline below the knee, no open toed shoes, nothing tight, etc. M.o.d.e.s.t. I have made peace with MY own style, posture, and how I choose to comport myself. Joan Collins personal style does not permit jeans yet generous use of cosmetics does. It is all relative to some extent. Certainly Lauren Hutton can make it look elegant and natural. Hopefully the Biblical quote on the inner beauty of person as being our primary adornment deserves as much attention as the exterior. The French sense of fashion is fun but they have largely lost their je ne sais quoi spiritually and that can be the alluring mystery of a woman underlying the chosen costume of the day.
Hi, Jennifer. I love the article on housedresses. Although I live in Canada, in New Brunswick, just above Maine, and dresses in winter are often not warm enough, I often wear skirts in the summer, instead of shorts, because, as you said they're more presentable (and, I find, more comfortable and cool). I have fond memories of hugging my grandmother, smelling of lavender, in her housedresses and her friends who also wore them every day. I would love to see an investigation of these, as well as sources for them. Amazon does carry "house dusters," which look to me like lightweight housecoats and might serve the purpose, though, as the article suggests, I wouldn't be comfortable wearing them "out." A blessed Christmas to you and your family.
Hi, Jennifer. I love the article on housedresses. Although I live in Canada, in New Brunswick, just above Maine, and dresses in winter are often not warm enough, I often wear skirts in the summer, instead of shorts, because, as you said they're more presentable (and, I find, more comfortable and cool). I have fond memories of hugging my grandmother, smelling of lavender, in her housedresses and her friends who also wore them every day. I would love to see an investigation of these, as well as sources for them. Amazon does carry "house dusters," which look to me like lightweight housecoats and might serve the purpose, though, as the article suggests, I wouldn't be comfortable wearing them "out." A blessed Christmas to you and your family.
Hi, Jennifer. I love the article on housedresses. Although I live in Canada, in New Brunswick, just above Maine, and dresses in winter are often not warm enough, I often wear skirts in the summer, instead of shorts, because, as you said they're more presentable (and, I find, more comfortable and cool). I have fond memories of hugging my grandmother, smelling of lavender, in her housedresses and her friends who also wore them every day. I would love to see an investigation of these, as well as sources for them. Amazon does carry "house dusters," which look to me like lightweight housecoats and might serve the purpose, though, as the article suggests, I wouldn't be comfortable wearing them "out." A blessed Christmas to you and your family.
Jennifer, I like the way you dress, your sensibilities, and all of your videos. I've been a follower since you were pregnant with your first daughter.
Hi ladies, I really enjoyed your commentary on this post and appreciate all of your unique perspectives. Thank you, as always, for your support of the blog. You make this community special!
Love,
Jennifer
I notice the housedresses in your pieces are from an earlier era. Being born in 1952, my experience of house dresses belies your admiration of them. They were abundant when I was growing up, and well into the 1980s. Dowdy, shapeless, utterly without style, I swore as a young teen I would NEVER wear one. They were the p.j.s and elastic waistband shorts that people now wear in public, of that time, and I had contempt for those women who were too lazy to take a little time to not look like a schlub. A good pair of jeans and well-fitting tee were a THOUSAND times more stylish, although certainly not the only option.
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