Approximate Fashion (What Are You Wearing)

Now that many Baby Boomers are retired, the younger folks are working out of their homes and so many others are in the hospital or in quarantine, there's not much need to dress up anymore. As a result many of us have experienced our bodies going through yet another  pivotal passage. We're no longer off the rack and we ain't interested in tailors. Our clothes begin to fit approximately.

The zentih of approximate clothing is sweat pants. Stylistically we tend to top them off either with sweat shirts or unbuttoned flannel shirts with a tee shirt underneath and showing. Pajamas also serve a function as home office day time wear but not as formal as sweatpants.

I have five pair of sweat pants. I have two formal pair...they are both black and pretty much fit the height of my legs. I'll even throw on black socks on occasion if we're headed to Birkdale, especially when Birkdale isn't a ghost town.

I have two informal sweat pants...one is gray and the other is blue. They are not as form fitting as the formal. They work well with white socks and either my gray or black slip on shoes. They are great for walks around Vermillion.

When I want to relax but not go as far as pajamas, I have a gray pair that is truly approximate. I have to wear suspenders to keep them up but that's a hassle so I only wear them indoors so when they begin to slip down the only one that can be irritated by the slippage is Lynn whose clothes fit much better. 

In most cases I resemble an unmade bed.

The last time I tried to wear a suitcoat and slacks, I resemble the profile of the gill man in the Creature Walks Among Us and experience similar alienation. Ten pounds of potatoes in a five pound sack trying to maintain enough equilibrium to avoid falling on the hard concrete.

When summer comes around I slip into the second best level of approximation, baggy shorts. I have five pair of those two of which are sane enough to wear into the pool when the heat and sun become too much.

Perhaps this momentum is part of a revolution or maybe it's just a development. We're all evolving while our styles are dissolving. William Bendix as Chester A. Riley might have described the whole thing to his neighbor Jim Gillis as a revolting development as they observed this trend while wearing their trousers held up with belts and their Cunnigham aircraft work shirts. Ralph Kramden would be far less outraged than Ed Norton who was waay ahead of his time in his attire.

At this moment I am enjoying some creative informality with my blue, gray and black flannel shirt over a light blue tee shirt, white sox and no shoes. Let's face it, nobody is going to text me to ask me what I'm wearing.

I even have a formal sweatshirt...blue with Full Filler written in gold.

Mary made it for me and I love it when I need to get dressed up. It goes beautifully with my black sweats and socks. On such formal occasions, I seldom wear a hat even though most of them have a fitting buckle in the back.