<p>“I need to get back to work anyway, even though I’m wearing white pants (after Labor Day!) that have a stain on them (horrors!) because the tomato in my sandwich dripped a bit during lunch.”</p>
<p>Oh, get a grip. The rule on white pants after Labor Day isn’t hard and fast anymore, especially with things like white jeans, and none of us are fanning ourselves with horror that people get small stains from food on occasion. It happens. We are talking about the bulk of the time, not getting “outraged” over a crumb on a shirt.</p>
<p>This thread reminds me of the time I flew on the Concorde back in 1990. My H won 2 tickets to London and we were offered the opportunity to go over on the Concorde because of our original 747 flight was cancelled for some reason. Anyway, we showed up at the airport dressed nicely. I was wearing a tucked in blouse and belted denim slacks (not jeans) and H was wearing a short-sleeved collared shirt and dark slacks. Anyway, at check-in, the gate agent looked at our tickets and asked how we happened to get this free ride on the Concorde. He seemed personally put out that we didn’t pay thousands of dollars for the privilege. When my H told him that we won the tickets, he told us that we would not be able to board the plane dressed as we were, as there was a “dress code”. We had to retrieve our luggage, to open it to find a suit for him and a dress, heels and stockings for me and change clothes inside a tiny bathroom stall. Only then were we suitable to fly with the rich folk.</p>
<p>The punch line is that after we boarded and got seated, we watched the people who boarded after us. Some were dressed up, but not all. In fact, one woman was wearing sweats! Granted, they were expensive sweats, more like a velour running suit (remember, this was 1990), but still…</p>
<p>That’s different. What they’re essentially doing was trying to preserve a “safe haven” to avoid pressures from prevailing upper-middle class fashionista/dressing up norms common in mainstream US society during their 4-years of college. While I felt they were a bit over-the-top and acting hypocritically in some ways…I understand where they were coming from. </p>
<p>Moreover, most fashionista/those who prefer folks be “dressed up” college applicants knew enough about Oberlin’s rep at the time to prefer applying elsewhere. </p>
<p>Granted, I don’t think it’s as over-the-top now as it was when I attended in the mid-late '90s judging by what I’ve heard from more recent graduates. Seems like “dressing hipstery” is now in.</p>
<p>And, of course, this thread has never been about “dressing up” -as the proverbial sweater, jeans and cute flats (shout-out to the flats) is not “dressed up” since it’s still casual everyday wear.</p>
<p>Oldfort said "Gyms have locker rooms so people could change and take a shower. "</p>
<p>Actually, there is a gym near my house that has neither a locker room nor a shower. They have cubbies-but if I wanted to change, I’d need to do it in the bathroom. When I had a free pass there, I simply wore my workout clothing there and home. </p>
<p>And of the community centers that I use for workout classes and where D takes occassional classes, some have lockers rooms, most do not. They don’t usually have showers. So people of all ages arrive and leave in sweats, dance clothes or yoga wear all the time. Some are right near grocery stores and we’ve often run into people in the class we just left picking up items for the run back home. THAT, exactly, is why I put not knowing if people are going to and from gyms in my post. </p>
<p>You really wear street clothes just to take an elevator ride? I am SO glad I’ve never had that level of concern for my appearance. I’ve got better things to do with my time.</p>
<p>"That’s different. What they’re essentially doing was trying to preserve a “safe haven” to avoid pressures from prevailing upper-middle class fashionista/dressing up norms common in mainstream US society during their 4-years of college. "</p>
<p>Only in the land of the slob is what I’m describing “fashionista” or “dressed up.” we are not talking about designer or moneyed looks, and we are not talking about being dressed up. </p>
<p>And no, cobrat, it’s not different at all. What you describe - “a safe haven as long as you look like me” - is about as conformist as it gets. There is NO difference between social-pressure-to-look-grungy and social-pressure-to-look-hipster or bohemian or sweater sets and pearls. None. Indee, if what you describe is true (I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt), they cared much more about dress norms than did the average “upper middle class college student.”</p>
<p>Patsmom-thanks for that story. My former neighbor worked at Boeing helping to build the Concorde in her day and when the Seattle Museum of Flight got a Concorde for its collection, she was offered a chance to ride it from Europe to its final home. She told me she declined because at her age she didn’t see the point of getting all dressed up and all. Now I understand what she was talking about.</p>
<p>Seems like it would be better to run or bicycle to the gym, or use the stairs in the hotel to get to the hotel gym, to get more of a workout, in which case dressing up may be counterproductive.</p>
<p>Have not read all 47+ pages of this post - but from what I have seen (on guys and gals) on colleges campuses…I would be THRILLED to have students wearing sweats!!!</p>
You did notice that I said spa not gym, right? (I don’t work out, so I don’t even own work out clothes). People would wear their bath robes or with very little clothing (not sweats) in the elevator.</p>
<p>I think the norms at my college in the '90s was anything goes and “live and let live” unless it was high fashion clothes or corporate formal wear. Only exception to this were Con students because they were required to dress up formally for recitals and performances. </p>
<p>And yes, there was a sense of conformity that from what I see…is mainly a militant reaction to the upper-middle class suburban/upper-east sider norms that they rejected. </p>
<p>Some of it is also heavily political…and yes, PC was prevalent to the point even those who otherwise embraced campus norms had serious concerns about it. </p>
<p>Granted, all of the above is in the past as from all the younger alums, the level of PC-ism/militancy has mellowed out considerably and in terms of dress…campus has gone hipster according to recent graduates.</p>
<p>True confession: I wear workout attire to and from my cardiac rehab classes. I also stop off at the grocery store on the way afterwards. Noone has shrieked in horror yet.</p>
<p>I was at Nordstrom Rack today (where I scored a pair of NYDJ jeans for $39!) and a LOT of the women were in sweats or gym clothes. Found that data point amusing, given this discussion!</p>
<p>When I fly to/from the US, I have to deal with a 14 hour flight. So I usually board the plane in pants/jeans and then change into yoga pants once aboard. Sometimes I change back into jeans/pants when I de-plane. Sometimes I don’t. And frankly - after 14 hours…I just don’t care! ;)</p>
<p>I just took a flight to Tokyo yesterday (where I am now). I had a pair of pants that are kind of like yoga pants, long sleeved t shirt, and a jacket that is actually made out of sweatshirt material but is cut like a blazer, with walking shoes. I was in business class. Also wore less makeup than I normally would since I’d be sleeping anyway, and just a cheap pair of earrings (in case they get lost). Overseas business flights, I think comfort does come first, and I undoubtedly didn’t look as polished as I would on a normal day. I looked even worse at customs after 12 hours oldfort, more power to you, but that’s where I draw my line.</p>
<p>"And yes, there was a sense of conformity that from what I see…is mainly a militant reaction to the upper-middle class suburban/upper-east sider norms that they rejected. "</p>
<p>Whatever, it’s still conformity. “militant” is an over the top word, as usual.</p>
oldfort, more power to you, but that’s where I draw my line.</p>