WWJD

I'm not sure when things changed, but as far as I can tell, people used to dress a lot more thoughtfully than they do now. It seems like these days people are far more concerned with comfort than style - hello, girdles! - than they were in the 50's. Don't get me wrong, I love to be comfortable as much as the next girl, and I'd be lying if I said there weren't some days when I don modified pajamas from morning until evening because, let's face it, I often end up with upchucked Gerber as an accessory. One of the things that fascinates me most about 50's housewives is that they always seemed to be able to get things done while looking fab. I mean, let's be real - these women dusted in pearls!

From what I gather, it's not just women who were to be meticulous in their clothing and appearance. Amy Vanderbilt has plenty to say about menswear and what was appropriate or not for a man to wear to the office. Her advice to men everywhere? Be prepared.

It is safer to be dressed for any business occasion that might occur than to go to the office in clothes that might be out of place if an important client should turn up or a vital meeting be called. The beloved rainy-day suit looks shabby when the sun comes out at noon, the old tweed jacket throws a man off stride if he's suddenly precipitated into a group of men wearing directors' jackets...(p. 141).

I love how she describes this dressing up in terms of being safe. I don't think many men today (or women, for that matter) would consider their choice of wardrobe based on a very important event that might take place that day. Back then, a jacket and tie was standard attire for a working man. Obviously, there are certain professions today in which men still dress up (some even wear suits every day), but I think we are trending toward comfort and less emphasis is placed on the way we present ourselves to others.

Right out of college, I was taught that when going to a job interview, a person should wear a suit and dress not for the position they are interviewing for, but for the boss' position. But then the first day on the job, they come in dressed "business casual" (define it how you wish), and look nothing like the polished person they interviewed. I confess I have done this very thing, and it's only now that it amuses me. What I mean to say is it seems like our society is heading towards doing just the bare minimum when it comes to making appearances (and they are not, as they say, everything), rather than making an assertive statement with our clothing and appearance day in and day out. I know I probably walk and carry myself differently when I'm wearing a suit or a cocktail dress than I do when I'm bumming around in pajamas. I imagine I'm not the only one.

There's nothing worse than walking into a place where you think the dress code is _______ (insert how you are currently dressed here) and finding out it is really _______ (insert 6 times nicer than you are dressed here). My sister recently regaled me with a horrific story (well, she was horrified) of attending a cocktail party hosted by new friends one evening. She walked in the door, cute as can be in a long sweater, jeans, and fun boots. Only when she walked in the door, there was not a pair of jeans to be seen. Everywhere she looked, there were ladies in cocktail dresses, men in suits - people were dressed to the nines. She told me the story the next day in church and said, in a mortified whisper, "Cathleen, I showed up in jeggings!"

While I'm quite sure my sister was still the belle of the ball, I think most of us can relate to the feeling of..."Uh-oh... I wish someone had told me this was a fancy party," or even, "How did I miss the memo?" And I think Amy's point is just that. You won't miss the memo if are always dressed up. I don't think this means prancing around the house in heels (at least, I haven't read that chapter yet!), but I do think it means dressing up a bit more than we're used to and taking a bit more pride in the way we present ourselves to the world. For me, it will mean thinking: "What am I going to wear?," then choosing an outfit and asking: "WWJD?" What would June do?