Anyone else not into fashion?

Parents Forum Parent Cafe
1

Definitely don’t want to mess up the fashion thread, but seeing it posted had me wondering if I’m the only one on here who doesn’t give a hoot about what’s in fashion for anything - clothes, shoes, cars, appliances, “colors,” or anything else one could think of. What matters to Creeklanders is function coupled with what we like (in fashion or not), environmental factors, and any “company” factors such as location, sharing values, etc.

I’ve always been that way from toddlerhood on up. It irritated one grandmother considerably that I didn’t want to be a “girl” enjoying dolls, crafts, playing dress-up, and more. My parents tried hard to get me to play with Christmas presents she gave me. I had no interest at all - never even took the dolls, etc, out of their boxes.

She also tried hard to teach me how to wear make up, but after giving it a whirl I decided I didn’t like how it felt or the time it took to put on/take off, so ditched it in my late teens. She gave me a ton of jewelry that I rarely wear and things like that. She told me, “no man is going to want me,” but H absolutely loves that I don’t get involved with all of that “stuff.” Two of my boys have married gals who don’t get involved with all of that “stuff” either and they seem quite happy - as do the DILs.

I don’t own high heels or make up, and wear sneakers almost everywhere (or hiking boots). I’ll wear flats for working at school and going to church, but that’s it other than dressing up for weddings and funerals. If any other event requires dressing up more than what I’ll wear to school, I don’t go and feel I don’t miss a thing. I’ve never been a party lover.

Our vehicles are purchased on function and crash safety ratings.

Our house appliances don’t match, nor does our furniture. It’s all functionable though, so none of us see a need to replace anything until it wears out. Then function is the main driver with what it gets replaced with.

I can’t imagine being any other way and don’t care what others think about our choices.

Anyone else out there like that or did my guys find the only two other gals out there who share my views? Interestingly enough, one of their moms also told her, “no man would want her.” She’s thrilled to be in our family and fits right in.

ps It’s not a financial issue. We’re more than willing to pay for what we like/want such as terrific hiking boots or scuba gear. Fashion-score just isn’t even on our radar anywhere, for anything. I don’t care what others choose to wear or buy.

14 Likes
2

You sound a lot like me, though I do love traditionally “girly” things like nail polish (though I do my own). I’m not into fashion and feel like a car is to get you from Point A to Point B, not a status symbol.

I will say, however, that as I’ve gotten older I recognize that just because I don’t care about any of those things doesn’t mean others don’t. There’s such a thing as being too extreme in the other direction.

3 Likes
3

Love this post! I relate to a lot of it, but a lot I don’t relate to.

I don’t care about cars or make up (except on a night out), or nice clothes (though sometimes, I do want nice clothes). In fact, I thought about posting on @abasket ’s thread because I am horribly guilty of wearing ancient baggy stuff that should be thrown out.

I am very slender, so there is no good reason why I wear things until they are completely stretched out and baggy, other than it seems wasteful to replace them if they are still intact enough to cover me. I think these days, the biggest thing that stops me buying new clothes is that I don’t know what my style is anymore. But if I’m going out, I do wear something stylish (maybe?) and I do wear heels on occasion and make up.

Since the pandemic, I’ve totally given up any daytime makeup, even when working. I think also that I got out of the habit of going shopping. Essentially, I don’t care what I look like during the day.

I do like modernizing the furniture and such, but we sat on the same terrible sofa for 25 years and only just replaced it. As for appliances, I replaced the washing machine when it finally broke permanently after 17 years, but it doesn’t match the dryer, which still works fine. I do care about energy ratings on appliances and we are 100% in the “repair rather than replace camp.”

3 Likes
4

I’ve known others care since my young youth. My grandma saw to that. :wink:

As I’ve gotten older I’ve moved up how much I care about environmental and “what/who my dollars are supporting” factors going into decisions. Nothing else has changed.

One huge plus for us is not having to really budget for clothes. I have some I’ve owned for 20+ years that I still occasionally wear with no regrets.

I’m totally a “live and let live” person when one’s choices don’t affect others, so don’t mind everyone making their own choices. I can get miffed when others don’t give me the same right (IRL - don’t care about threads), but it never causes me to lose sleep over it. I just know they have far different priorities.

1 Like
5

I definitely relate more to this thread than the other, but I suspect you are more so than me.

I have never understood the love of jewelry, purses, or shoes. The person with $600 shoes? That’s more than the value of all my shoes in my closet, probably including my running shoes. Well maybe not since I have 4 pair now in rotation. It would be close. I have told h and my kids never to buy me jewelry. Waste of $$$ on me.

I also wear things a long time. My thing is that I try to wear them until they cost <$1 per year of wear, preferably $0.50.

I’m definitely a functional over fashion person. I’ve come close to renovating the kids rooms that they moved out or will next year, but I’m like why bother? I already have 2 bedrooms I don’t use. We renovated our house when we moved in and that was 17 years ago. It could stand a freshening up, but I’m like eh… we will move in 5-6 years anyway. Who cares. We did redo the kitchen a few years back and a bathroom last summer. So we haven’t been completely useless. But it’s definitely more H than me. He is the artistic one who picks out everything. I just have veto power if I hate it for some reason - rare!

I do wear makeup though. I think I look better with it. But it all fits in a Fanny pack and it’s all Covergirl/maybelline type stuff

4 Likes
6

For me, fashion or appearance in clothing is very different from home décor so I’d differ with you in that aspect. I don’t care about what’s fashionable, or trendy, in either realm but I do care about how my environment looks and take care to make it feel happy. I don’t have a negative response to people who do care about fashion, and even find some of it interesting but it’s just not for me. I do agree about cars and value them only for their function.

I spent a lot of time on clothes, shoes, makeup and hair as a teenager and young adult. Maybe that’s why I later went so far in the opposite direction. I was often told that my value was in my appearance and I must not gain weight, cut my hair short, or wear comfortable clothes that weren’t in style or flattering to my figure if I ever wanted to attract boyfriends, get married, or get a job. When multiple surgeries meant giving up wearing a bikini so that my scars wouldn’t disturb other people, I engaged in some behaviors that had lasting ill effects.

On the other thread, I cringed when I read a comment about some people should not wear sleeveless tops. I hate to think that only the buff should enjoy feeling the sun and breeze on their arms. When the former perfect specimen of physical fitness is elderly and their skin sags or they have scars or age spots will they have to hide their arms? I used to feel that I should, but not any longer.

If others care more or less about fashion in clothing or decorating that doesn’t matter to me as long as they aren’t rude to others about differing preferences. I can find some of those things interesting without wanting to participate.

3 Likes
7

I care less about fashion than most women. To me a purse is all about function, never a fashion statement. I do wear a little makeup when I go out. I like shopping for clothing that appeals to me and looks good on me (usually need petite), but I keep things a long time without worry about it looking dated.

I’ve shopped a bit in thrift shops the past 20 years, but in recent years I do think more about its environmental/reuse advantage. It anybody is interested in learning more, this article has some stats

Of course, I do have quite a few tops from Kohls too. And way too many pairs of shoes, mostly comfortable but not all sneakers.

1 Like
8

Add me to your list @Creekland.

1 Like
9

I’m not much into fashion or jewelry or makeup but did love playing with dolls as a kid, especially Barbie. I have never dyed my hair and hadn’t worn any makeup in decades until son’s wedding earlier this year. Wanted to look okay for the pictures. And the makeup and hair people were wonderful . The makeup person misted my face to cover imperfections,did something light on my brows , and very light mascara on my top lashes. A chignon bun as requested by the hair person. Simple, classic dress, real pearls, and I was done!

My family knows as far as gifts not to waste money on me with fancy jewelry, clothing, purses , watches , etc. Just not important to me. I got two Timex watches last Christmas (a floral weekender from my son and his wife and a black leather one from sister). I was thrilled!

3 Likes
10

image

My adult woman (daughter) loves to dress and play with clothes. Even when she’s relaxing she’s still the best dressed in the room. Not fancy, but definitely someone who loves to play with clothes and accessories.

4 Likes
11

You and I sound a lot alike @Creekland. I’m a jeans and t-shirt kinda person. Don’t do anything to my hair but wash it and occasionally cut it myself. Might wear a tiny bit of make-up for a wedding or a funeral, but I don’t go to any other kind of fancy occasion and don’t like to dress up for fun. It makes me uncomfortable. Also hate parties. I bought some t-shirts when we went to the beach this summer, but the last “fancy” outfit I bought was for a wedding in 2021. I don’t do fancy unless I have to. I wear stuff until it wears out. Definitely function over form for me.

5 Likes
12

My “green” mid 20s boy always shops in thrift stores first for anything he wants, clothing and anything else. He’s done that since high school.

I’ve told people God knew to just give me boys, because I wouldn’t know how to raise girls. I also warned my boys that most girls were not like their mama so they weren’t surprised in their dating lives. :wink:

Glad to know there are others of us out there!

Most of what I wear are t-shirts with jeans/shorts pending season. I buy some most places we travel - helpful to reminisce and entirely useful around home + the farm or hiking, etc. If they get ripped or stained the ponies and our cat don’t seem to mind at all (nor does H - he has his own t-shirt collection he wears as frequently as I do).

We did make a rule that we each had to get a new outfit for our anniversary because we put a picture from each year on our wall taken at our annual trip wherever we went. One year we realized we were wearing the same clothes from different years in a couple of pics. Doesn’t happen any longer. In 2020 with Covid our “new” outfit were the t-shirts we got from a blood drive because we realized too late in the process that we hadn’t gotten anything else! We decided to hold the masks in that photo too.

Here it is: (We put the kayak in the water after the pic, and took it from where we were on the Conewago Creek out to the Susquehanna River. Each pic comes with memories…)

Aug2020
Aug2020833×625 167 KB

17 Likes
13

I suspect my daily jeans, t-shirt, running shoes outfit (or shorts, if it’s hot out) isn’t peak fashion.

5 Likes
14

For the mostpart I live in leggings (capris in the summer, full length or jogging pants in the winter (and either exercise or tshirts). With long pants if I am going out, its often a tunic or big sweater. I do dress up when need be, and have a closet full of shoes and sandals, but comfort is king.

4 Likes
15

I’m very much the same way. I don’t wear makeup. My outfit of choice consists of t-shirt and sweats, jeans, or capris depending on the season and sneakers or flip flops depending on the season. I don’t wear makeup, even to the office. A little lip gloss to avoid cracked lips is all I need. No fancy jewelry or purses here. When we go to concerts, my friends are always dressed up and I’m in comfy clothes. I’ve finally converted a few of them though to dressing my way. My feet never hurt at the end of the night. Haha I use everything until it dies and am not into upgrades. No fancy car, house, electronics, or furniture.

3 Likes
16

90% of the time I’m in workout clothes and no makeup.

That said, I do like dressing up when we go out or are meeting up with friends.

I love shoes and purses and I get my hair done regularly.

I will say that comfort is getting more important as I’m getting older.

5 Likes
17

I can definitely relate. I’ve always been more into athletic attire or functional clothes. Never cared about doing my nails, jewelry, or wearing a lot of makeup. Most of my friends are similar.

2 Likes
18

:person_raising_hand:

Just can’t be bothered. As long as my clothes are clean, I’m done.

8 Likes
19

I wear jeans most of the time, no makeup, no dyed hair ever , no manicures , etc. and definitely not a high fashion person. That was one of the reasons I was so stressed in figuring out dress, shoes, hair, etc. for son’s recent wedding. I wanted to look like myself but stepped up some so I looked okay walking down the aisle and in pictures. It all worked out well but I was pretty anxious in the lead up to the wedding because it was at a very high end , elegant place.

One of my guilty pleasures though is the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo. The $7,000 , $16,000 handbags blow my mind . I’ll stick with my fanny pack! But, to each their own!

3 Likes
20

When I worked at an art school, I tried to be a little bit edgy in my dress. I wasn’t as hip as my younger coworker, but I dressed less “stodgily” than I did when I worked at a large university. Once I stopped working, it’s been a steady diet of jeans, shorts & t shirts. I have a few tops that aren’t t shirts, and a few current jeans (as opposed to my older, lower rise daily-wear jeans) for when I go somewhere other than the grocery store or my kids’ houses. I had a wedding this month - first since Covid - so I had to shop for a dress. It was painful. I’m slim and everything fits … but I don’t like much on myself. I ended up with a great dress for the wedding, plus a sundress & a church-or-event-like-shower dress. I guess I’m set for another few years. I do wear makeup when I go out (and eyeliner pencil daily), but I prefer a natural makeup look. I don’t get manicures or pedicures, and I rarely wear nail polish. I go to a very good stylist, getting 2-3 haircuts/year & bang trims every 5 weeks … but I air dry my hair & don’t mess with my natural wave. I grew up the only girl with four brothers, and I guess that may have contributed to me not being especially “girly.”

3 Likes