Thursday, April 2, 2009

Why I Don't Wear Leggings....Anymore

I've been reading "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging Your House to Sell", and yes, it is riveting.

I expected it to tell me to put the pet dishes away for every showing. What I didn't expect was that I'd run across a fashion question I've wondered about for years - what not to wear, or when to throw it out. Discussing decluttering your home, here's what the book had to say about outdated clothing:

'If you wore the fad the first time - you can't wear it the second. We all want to be young and hip, but in fashion, if you wore something trendy 'back in the day' you are not of an appropriate age to wear it the second time around. It doesn't matter if leggings and a ripped sweatshirt (a la' Flashdance) are destined to come back in style - if you wore it when the style was originally popular, you can't wear it again without looking foolish. Give the leggings away."

So no tube tops for me, or leggings, or stirrup pants, or shirts that tie at the waist after you pass the ties through that little plastic circle, or so many other styles that come to mind. I've been guilty a few times, I've even been called to task by my daughters a few times.

Now, by golly, I've got it - no fashion faux pas for me, hopefully ever again. I hereby promise never to mow the front lawn while wearing a tube top, never, ever again. But seriously, could someone please tell Paula Abdul? I guess she's never had to stage her house, or she'd be tossing half her wardrobe in the Goodwill pile about now.

10 comments:

Barb said...

Shoot! What am I supposed to do with all my stirrup pants!

I'm sure she's as sweet as she can be, but someone needs to tell Paula she's not 15 any more. She seriously looked like she was on her way to the prom Wednesday night. Combined with the fact that she struggles to speak coherently, I just feel sorry for her.

It struck me as very ironic that she and the other judges criticized Allison for dressing inappropriately.

Toss the old clothes. It's unbelievably liberating. :-)

Susanne said...

Well, I guess I'll have to purge the hot pants out of the closet too. LOL.

Ah yes Paula. A lesson in how not to dress for your age, for sure. But then the rich and famous never want to be their age so I guess that a dilemma for them. I wouldn't know. LOL.

Girl Raised in the South said...

I told Don when Paula walked out in that red or pink dress thingy that she looked like a Barbie wannabe or someone who didnt get asked to the dance and went and got herself a dress anyway. Seriously - who picks that woman's clothes?

Dianne said...

Well this clarifies things for me because I usually miss all the current fashions (okay I was into the sailor collars/dresses of the 80's because they were highly approved of at the convent (i.e. bible college!) So it looks like I have a green light for most fashions that come around again!! w

elizabeth said...

Well who knew? So much for my mini skirts and go-go boots... ;)

Sarah said...

What a great rule! "If you wore it the first time around, you're too old to wear it again!" I'm going to remember that :)

Linda said...

Good one Bev!! I live in absolute dread of looking like an old lady trying to look like a teenager. That is a great rule to live by.

Beck said...

Throwing my neon jelly shoes out RIGHT NOW! :)

Gretchen said...

Everytime I walk by the pinchy toed grey skimmers at Target, I think back to my first date with my hubby. In 1984. It is time to move on. They weren't that comfortable then, and won't be now, either.

And Paula? I chortled at Barb's comment "Combined with the fact that she struggles to speak coherently..." So true. If you can bear to listen and wait her out, occasionally, she surprises you about how she really does know her music. But...man...

She's got a beautiful, authentic spirit. LOL

Dianne - Bunny Trails said...

I think it's hysterical that this fashion info is in a book about selling your house!

I totally get the wisdom in that. Not sure if I ever fell into that trap - I sure hope not!

I definitely do NOT wear hip-huggers (low-rise jeans today) any longer! I think of some that I used to wear - OH MY GOSH!!! My fav? Bell bottoms that were black and purple or black and green paisley!! HA! HA! :D

Thanks for this!