Middle Aged Mama

Blogging about my Midlife Adventures

Whatever Happened to Dressing Up?

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Recently I shared my photos from going to see “Grease” at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC – including showing off the new blouse I bought specially for the occasion. Because in my mind, surely such a special outing deserved a special outfit! (I’ve daydreamed before here on the blog about what to wear to a night at the theatre …)

silver taffeta blouse

I was quite chuffed to find my new blouse on the half price sale rack at Noni B for $49. It’s a lovely silvery grey crushed taffeta (no ironing – wooo!), with a ruffle around the neckline, and I teamed it with a pair of plain black pants and black patent high heels. It was just the piece for the classic and elegant look I was hoping to achieve; dressy without being over the top.

When I bought it, I thought it would be a good investment – just the ticket for any occasion that called for a bit of dressing up, such as a night at the theatre. (And as an almost empty-nester, going out and about will hopefully be increasingly on my agenda!)

Whatever Happened to Dressing Up?

But … I was disappointed to see that not many people dressed up for the occasion; in fact a lot wore jeans.

Night at the Theatre 2

Obviously I haven’t gone out much in recent times (okay, the last 20 years!), and so haven’t had a chance to observe and take note of the changing dress code. And here I’d been worrying that I didn’t have anything suitable to wear!

I remember it being a big deal to wear your “Sunday best” to church back when I was a kid (horrible scratchy church clothes – I hated them!). These days (at my church anyway!) you can pretty much rock up in whatever, and yes, I’ve been known to wear jeans although usually my style is more “smart casual”.

I’m glad we don’t have to wear gloves, hats and pantihose to do the grocery shopping nowadays. But it does seem a real shame to me that we no longer enjoy or celebrate a chance to get a bit glammed up occasionally. It’s one of the fun things in life!

So I’m left wondering – what do people get dressed up for these days? Weddings, formals, and (you fill in the space)?

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  1. I can tell you that dressing up still exists. I went out for dinner and drinks in the city on a Saturday night earlier in the year with a gaggle of my twenty-something work colleagues, and man! They went to town with their outfits in a way I NEVER would have at their age. They were all in frocks and heels – I was in jeans, although I wore a pair if heels to dress it up. When I was their age I would never have got that dressed up for dinner and drinks – my friends would have been all: Who is she trying to impress? What a try-hard! But maybe that was just my social set?
    So anyway, never fear, the dressing up is still put there – maybe it is just that the priority is on different occasions?
    PS that blouse is gorgeous and I think your outfit sounds PERFECT for a night at the theatre

    • Good to know it’s still alive and well amongst the young ‘uns anyways!

  2. Totally agree with you, it’s become almost like a nerdy thing to actually get dressed up for things these days. Call me an old nana but I often can’t believe how daggy young people get about, the look seems to be old and scruffy. I know you don’t have to leave the house everyday looking like a glamour but the theatre should be somewhere people are dressed up nicely. I like looking at people dressed up in gorgeous clothes, but it seems to be becoming a rare thing to spot a person in anything but shorts, t-shirts, track suit pants or jeans.

    • LOL Mark, you sound like my hubster. I was stressing no make that thinking! about what to wear for days beforehand. Hubs just grabbed the nearest clean shirt 5 minutes before we left 🙂

  4. I’m guilty of jeans to the theatre Janet. Maybe I’ll get back to dressing up when the kids are a bit bigger. I’m actually agonising over an outfit today. I’m off to the Pink concert tonight and can’t decide what to wear! 😛

  5. I was shocked a couple of years ago to have breakfast at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne surrounded by an entire dining room of casually dressed people – thongs, jeans and all! I felt like I was at the food court of the local mall and not at one of Melbourne’s fancy icons!
    It’s a shame people don’t seem to try too hard anymore.
    You do look lovely though and hopefully made some of the more casual think twice!

  6. I usually get dressed up for the theatre, and for most restaurants. I get dressed up to go into town (which I didn’t when I was working, ironically.) But I don’t care if others do. There’s a woman at the opera sometimes that wears an Opera Cape. I think that’s such a shame that went out of style….looks unreal.

    • At first I felt a smidge uncomfortable and overdressed – and then I thought, you know what, THE HECK WITH IT! I’m feeling mighty fine so I’m gonna enjoy being dressed up and they can all be jealous!

  7. I dress up for everything, I have always believed that its better to be overdressed than underdressed. I agree, that dress standards are slipping everywhere. We were recently at a funeral and most of the Men were wearing jeans, I think this is appalling! I am actively teaching our children the how to dress for all occasions as well. If we don’t keep the standard in our home, I worry it will slip all together.

    • The young girls who wear short shorts for a day in the city – now THAT really gets me. At the beach – SURE. City? No. Just no!!!!

  8. When we go out, we go dressed up! That is part of the fun of going to the theatre, ballet or whatever! Thankfully my teens love pretty things, makeup, way to high heels and gorgeous hair, and love being able to actually wear all this goodness. 🙂

  9. I definitely get dressed up for the races and weddings, but not dinner or church 🙂 Things are very casual in North Queensland. I still see old ladies with stockings, heels and hats at the shopping centre occasionally. So sweet!

    • I think you’re right Pinky, the hotter it gets, the less inclination to go all out with dressing up.

  12. I think it’s a shame less people dress up these days. I’m the kind of being a bit gypsy and just wear jeans on everyday basis but, if I go out, I like to put on nice clothes and wear something a bit different and special.

  13. I love this post. I also love getting dressed up and I have been told I look too dressed up for soccer as if I should wear trackies. I wear pretty clothes as much as I can.

  14. Here, here!! I wholeheartedly agree with you!! Anyone who’s come within thirty feet of me has undoubtedly heard me say this very thing over the last few years.

    As someone who frequently wears 1950s dress with huge crinolines underneath “just because”, and who works from home but still wears heels, pearls, and a swingy dress every day, it is so nice to know I’m not alone in dressing up!

    Dressing up shows respect for the people you’re around, respect for yourself, and respect for the place or event that you’re going to. The way I see it, life is too short to wear average clothes!

    Blessings,
    Katrina