To wonder why there are so many scruffy people these days

[Quirrelsotherface]

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?

Seriously would you go out in just a pair of tights? There's really not much difference with what you can see through them. I do judge, everybody judges. As the old saying goes "you only have one chance to make a first impression"

Usually people don’t tend to analyse their own bums very

Well they should. Not for size but for decency. Nobody would think it appropriate to go around with your skirt tucked into your knickers, why is this any different?

Does something awful happen to you when you inadvertently see someone’s pants? Does your head fly off? Do your eyes flop out of your face? Does it ruin your whole day? Do you feel sexually assaulted by it?

@PookieDo you are being ridiculous, underwear is not for flashing to the poor public, I don't care if you're a size 6 or a 26 - nobody wants to see your knickers

Do your comments also apply to manners PookieDo? Is it fine for people to not say please and thank you and excuse me because at the end of the day it doesn’t really do us any harm if they don’t?

Remember quite a few years back it was trendy to wear low waisted jeans with thongs/g string sticking out the back of them, just vile. Even worse when they stopped and bent over

Oh and before I'm jumped on the men's "builders bum" look is equally revolting

It is not physically or mentally hurting you in any way shape or form you just do not like it. You cannot make out like it is a crime when it actually isn’t. It isn’t illegal it is not ‘flashing’, it is not a sex crime or public indecency.

You are comparing someone walking down the street who has no interaction with you with using manners when they do? How are they in any way the same thing?

They do have interaction with me. They are putting their knickers in my eyeline. And I don’t like it, just as I don’t like people not saying please. It is the same.

I'm just glad we get to be comfortable these days

The women in their cotton dresses in the 50s look perfectly comfortable to me. They also look happy and self confident. Comfort isn’t a 21st century invention.

Because clothes are in general badly made and untailored.

Plus it's just not normal anymore - you'd look a bit weird going for Sunday lunch in a full suit or to a bar in a hat, gloves and hoop skirt.

Plus people look better in grainy photos and I can't be arsed to coif my hair. Back then I wouldn't have been working a 50 hour week + doing a qualification.

..... a great believer in "keeping things for best..
My 90+ mum is exactly the same, cupboards and wardrobes full of barely worn clothes and I was brought up thinking the same until recently when I realised it was a total waste of money, clothing and enjoyment from wearing 'nice' things.
I dress reasonably neatly, make sure that my clothes are clean and more importantly comfortable.

@LemonPrism it's not about wearing old fashions, it's wearing today's clothes appropriately and making an effort with yourself

They do have interaction with me. They are putting their knickers in my eyeline. And I don’t like it, just as I don’t like people not saying please. It is the same.

It is so far from being the same.

The fact that we're genuinely seeing arguments that someone having zero interaction with you, creating no nuisance in your life, owes you something and should doctor things about their appearance they are personally comfortable with, because they are "in your eyeline", says an awful lot. It's incredibly self important.

What if I didn't like your face, should you have plastic surgery because it's in my eyeline?

you can buy cheap jeans etc in Asda/Primark for about £8, there really is no excuse for see through leggings imo

What if the jeans don't fit, its much easier to find leggings to fit than jeans (i speak as someone petite who can barely ever find jeans to fit!) ...and you don't always know leggings are see through til you get home and try them.
Its interesting as i have read on previous threads about women complaining their husband criticised their weight/clothes/hairstyle etc and people are appalled and think she should dress to suit herself. Now theres a whole thread on dressing to please someone you stand in front of on an escalator or pass in the street!!

This has moved so far from its OP. It’s not about what other people think it’s about taking a bit of pride in yourself. How you look has an impact on self esteem. Look at impact Smart Works has on unemployed women and their success in finding work, it goes far beyond supplying them with clothes.

Someone walking in front of you has no meaningful or intentional interaction with you.

If you would like to live in a country where women’s clothing is heavily regulated/ censored then the Middle East is that way >>>>>>
I am sure you will fit in just fine

@Alsohuman

We have to look at the reasons though, like organisations like Smart Works. People on very low incomes, who have very low confidence and/or mental health problems are more likely to take less pride in their appearance. It is a combination of issues not simply they may not care. Perhaps they do care, but they do not know how to change things or can’t afford to. How about we help one another to boost the confidence of each other, help and support instead of staring and tutting at peoples bums on escalators?

That was kind of the point I was making about Smart Works, I didn’t think it was necessary to go into a detailed explanation.

Nothing has moved away from the original thread. People are just questioning why you feel that people cannot take pride in themselves unless they subscribe to certain standards set by you.

If they turned around in their ugg boots and slightly see through leggings (the horror) and said "I'm proud of the way I look" would you think "great I'm happy for you" or would you be thinking "well I don't like the way you look so you shouldn't be proud."

If it's the latter, then you want them to dress that way for your sake, plain and simple.

I judge, passively, but I look and notice and I draw conclusions (almost certainly unfounded, of course) about everyone I see and pass outside the house. If our paths cross while out walking dogs, I'll smile and wish you good day; on a wet day, I've been known to shrug and say "only us mad folk out today". I would not share my opinion, except on an anonymous forum. I don't think about the labels you attach to yourself or your preference for comfort, only your self-respect or your eyesight if you look unkempt in public space. In a supermarket, I'd glance into your trolley, and you might glance at mine. We experience the world first via our eyes and ears, and we make some assumptions. Those may be confirmed or contradicted by further information or a conversation; it's rarely the whole story.

@AE18, you disagree with me on principle. It’s pointless to engage. Have a nice afternoon.

@Alsohuman haha I wasn't even particularly talking to you but amen.

I hate to see scruffy people, dont get me wrong i can be as scruffy as the next in my own home ( leggings, t shirt and jumper) but if i am going out even just to the village shop i will change, if i have to see the Doctor i will shower and change into trousers and top. I have seen women in nightwear in tesco !