No-Frills Fashion

 

April 13, 2025

 

I’ve pretty much decided this year that my Spring Clothes spending will consist of one good black T-shirt and one good White/Off-White T-shirt, to combine with skirts and pants and sweaters that I already have. Plus the white sandals that I have to replace, because I forced myself to ditch my old ones at the end of last summer. (Good thing, too. With the styles I’ve seen this year, I might have been tempted to hold on to the old, ratty ones.)

 

Today I read about a contest by a fashion company that rewards people for wearing the same dress for 100 days in a row. The columnist made it for 30 non-consecutive days (the number of scarves and wraps she used in order to change the look weren’t enough to stave off boredom.) But the principle is a great one.

 

Never has there been a better time to be wardrobe-oblivious. Finally, I’m at the forefront of fashion!

 

 

 

Whole Lotta Airbrushin' Going On?

 

March 22, 2025

 

I was scrolling on my homepage when I saw an ad for shorts that are “Long enough for 67-year-old legs”. The picture shows shorts that are knee-length, stopping just above the knee, which is great—but they were on 20-something legs. Either that, or there was some serious airbrushing—but you could tell that that wasn’t the case.

 

There’s nothing wrong with younger women wearing the shorts—but if you want to make your case convincing, show the shorts on 67-year-old legs—you know, the ones with the dry, wrinkly knees.

 

 

 

Parting Words

 

January 5, 2025

 

A reader wrote in to a fashion-tips column lamenting the return of center hair parts, and asking how long this unflattering “trend” was going to last.

 

Huh?

 

I didn’t know that a center part was a “trend.” It just happens. Maybe the reader was complaining about a center part and the hair just hanging long and limply. I don’t know. But I thought it was a weird thing to be unhappy about.

 

I have a natural center part. I don’t fight with it, because that would take more effort than I’m willing to spend; although I do have a flattering hairstyle, and don’t just let the hair hang, it definitely is parted in the center. So, she’ll have to deal with it.

 

But about being judgmental:

 

About 15 years ago, I saw a newscaster with a part in an artful “S” shape. It was unconventional, and I thought it looked odd, but I was willing to give her points for being herself. Then I noticed that EVERY SINGLE NEWSCASTER had adopted that style—maybe it was their choice, or maybe every news station made the women wear that style. Who knows? So, it went from being one person’s choice to (in my opinion) a really weird trend. Thankfully, it’s over. 

 

So, I guess I should let the person have her gripe. We all get worked up about something inconsequential, I guess. (Like, WHEN are women on TV going to stop wearing lip gloss? It looks weird.)

 

But I’m keeping my center part.