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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder why there are so many scruffy people these days

648 replies

Quirrelsotherface · 02/09/2019 18:06

I've been looking through old photographs lately, from the 20's through to 60's probably, my grandparents era. What I absolutely couldn't get over was the amount of people who were so well dressed back then! There were group photos, photos of streets with lots of people in the background and to be honest, I couldn't really pick a scruffy looking one out of any of them. Not particularly affluent areas, just everyday public. The clothes, though, look expensive and well cut, the men in hats and the women with beautiful haircuts. Beautiful coats and shoes.

Why then, these days do we not have this pride in appearance that they had back then? Walk out now in any town and smart people are really in the minority.

AIBU to wonder why this is?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Walkamileinmyshoes · 02/09/2019 22:33

move on, not in to our bodies Blush

PoffleWaffleWoo · 02/09/2019 22:33

I'll be in jeans and converse til the day I die and I really couldn't give a single solitary fuck what you or anyone else thinks, OP. You only get one life, and I intend to spend mine comfortable and happy, thanks very much.

mindproject · 02/09/2019 22:36

People smoked and there was less nice food, which meant they were thinner. Being thinner often changes the way people dress. Now people dress for comfort. People probably smell much nicer now as they don't stink of cigarettes and week old body odour. I would rather be around a chubby person that smells good and doesn't blow smoke over me.

Idontwanttotalk · 02/09/2019 22:43

I agree. Lots of people are walking around shopping and do look scruffy. People dress up for some churches (e.g. CofE) but very much dress down in spiritualist churches.

Sometimes I dress down deliberately as I don't want to look out of place.

My GP were working class yet were always very smartly dressed. My nan wore a dress and hat and my GF wore either a suit or trousers and tweed jacket, often with a waistcoat. People took pride in keeping their clothes nice and my GF wore a tan overall over his clothes when gardening.

I think they were too formal but things have gone too much the other way now. I don't mean things like ripped jeans - they are fine, that's just fashion.

feelingverylazytoday · 02/09/2019 22:43

People dress for comfort now, not for show. No one cares. Move on.

FishCanFly · 02/09/2019 22:43

You're looking at different demographics. Alongside all those scruffy sloppy fat fucks, you have a generation of Instagram dolls

AngryFeminist · 02/09/2019 22:45

I'm genuinely surprised so many people feel badly about the rise of more comfortable clothes - I don't see it as a shame or disrespectful if someone doesn't look 'put together' and I flippin' love being able to exist in athleisure/not worry about appearance in order to free up brainspace for more interesting things. Have zero desire to return to an era of corsetry, itchy fabrics, having my hair 'set' every bloody week and worrying about what the neighbours might think if I didn't wear a hat. What a bore!

expat101 · 02/09/2019 23:00

Standards have been allowed to slip, and if you say anything about the way someone presents, you are accused of picking on someone with a disability'/condition, and therefore it's not their fault.

In the Country where I live you should read the excuses people make for going to the supermarket in their pjs.

I think if you can be bothered to get up and out to buy a case of beer, you can certainly manage to get changed first.

Alsohuman · 02/09/2019 23:04

Comfort’s fine. I’m all for it. But it doesn’t have to equate to scruffiness. Since I stopped work I don’t need business clothes. I wear casual clothes all the time with flat shoes. I colour coordinate, iron my shirts, wear make up and do my hair. I was brought up to take a pride in my appearance and I can’t lose the habits of a life time.

By the way, it’s a myth that women who didn’t work outside the home arranging flowers. Housework was hard physical work in those days and most women did their own. They carried all the good shopping home on foot. They weren’t lotus eaters but they still managed to look groomed.

Alsohuman · 02/09/2019 23:05

Spent their time arranging flowers, dammit!

Lyingonthesofainthedark · 02/09/2019 23:07

I wear a real mix of casual and less casual. But I hate ripped jeans with a vengeance, and never buy them. DC do, though.

Venger · 02/09/2019 23:07

if you say anything about the way someone presents, you are accused of picking on someone with a disability'/condition, and therefore it's not their fault.

Page 11 and the disabilism begins.

Some people dressed in a "scruffy" way possibly do have a disability or condition.

Why does it matter to you how people are dressed and why would you think it is your place to say something about it?

amandacarnet · 02/09/2019 23:07

Yes I know they stil worked hard. But I am glad women can wear what they want

Alsohuman · 02/09/2019 23:11

I’m glad women can wear what they want too. I just wish so many didn’t look so unkempt.

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 02/09/2019 23:13

@NewAccount270219 unfortunately the "uniform" for the school run in my area in Devon is see through leggings, cheap ugg boots and cold shoulder tops 🙈

amandacarnet · 02/09/2019 23:15

Shesaidnofuckthat which I don't think looks good. But they probably would not like how I dress either.
If people are not wearing things with offensive slogans, stinking or showing their nipples or genitals, then I really don't care.
Although I do hate men being topless.

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 02/09/2019 23:15

@AngryFeminist you've completely missed the Ops point, it's not about bygone fashion, it's about not looking like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards!

bigfatmoggy · 02/09/2019 23:16

I think there is a difference between wearing clean and tidy jeans and converse (or whatever) and being a scruffy slob. No-one thinks we should wear hats and gloves, and I live in jeans for almost every occasion, much to DH's dismay. BUT - I do think lots of people now go out looking slobby or inappropriately dressed, and I hate it.

I hate to see stretched, see through leggings with flesh bulging, and wish people would wear long tops to cover their camel toes. But mostly I'm not fussed about clothing. What I do hate to see is the state of so many people's shoes! It takes very little time to clean and polish leather shoes, but nobody seems to bother these days! I clean my DCs primary school shoes every Sunday night (or aim to...Grin) because they get so scuffed and tatty over a school week. But I am aware that only one other parent of the 30+ in the class, ever does the same. Even for plays and concerts no-one bothers. Why?? Shoes last much longer if cleaned occasionally (although I know children probably outgrow them first) but even most adults never seem to bother. I'm not even that old - but it makes me cringe.......

And whoever it was who mentioned slips earlier - I have two, one short and one knee length, because some of these man-made fabrics stick to tights and are really annoying! You can still buy them.....Grin.

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 02/09/2019 23:17

@amandacarnet my reply was in response to @NewAccount270219 regarding me saying that if you turn up in a dress people want to know what you're all dressed up, she said it wasn't this way in her area so I was giving comparison

AE18 · 02/09/2019 23:21

@SheSaidNoFuckThat

unfortunately the "uniform" for the school run in my area in Devon is see through leggings, cheap ugg boots and cold shoulder tops 🙈

The word cheap stands out there. Why does it bother you that other people don't spend their money on expensive shoes? You do realise that the see through leggings are usually also the cheap ones, it's significantly more expensive to get a good opaque pair especially if you are not skinny. These people either can't afford the expensive clothes you deem acceptable to your Ugg hating eyes or they are having to prioritise the money elsewhere because having expensive shoes on their school run is not that important to them. Either way, you're judging them for it.

amandacarnet · 02/09/2019 23:24

Bigfatmoggy I still polish shoes, and mend seams and replace buttons. I always remember a thread on mn where a woman wanted to take shoes back to the shoe shop because they had got scuffed. I suggested she just polished them and got mocked.

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 02/09/2019 23:26

@AE18 they can manage Botox and microbladed scouse brows, am sure they can manage some decent trousers. Cheap ugh boots are awful, they go saggy after a week - especially when worn in the rain. I know these people, it's choice not necessity

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 02/09/2019 23:27

@AE18 everybody is judging on this post, everybody judges in real life, some just don't admit to it

BrightYellowDaffodil · 02/09/2019 23:29

I love vintage clothing. It’s not uncommon for me to have the full on dress, stockings, heels, eyeliner, lipstick, victory rolls - the whole shebang. And I love it. Some of my clothes are originals from the 40s and 50s and they’re extremely well made...but a lot weren’t. That’s why they didn’t survive.

And when I’m not in that get up - and trust me, it takes quite a while to do all that so I don’t do it all that often - I’m scuffing about in shorts and Coverse. Or breeches and a polo shirt with my hair styled by holding it off my face with sunglasses.

I have a choice nowadays and fuck me, I’m glad of it. I can’t think of anything worse - sartorially speaking - than being told that I HAVE to doll myself up just to set foot outside my front door. It’s perfectly possible to look good whilst not being “smart”.

AE18 · 02/09/2019 23:37

@SheSaidNoFuckThat

No not everybody is judging on this post. Some are judging on this post, and others are asking why they feel the need to judge.

I might like certain clothes more than others but I find it very weird to be at all bothered about whether other people wear them unless what they wear in any way impacts my day (like if they smell).