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?

I was just waiting for the inevitable comments about the Middle East. So predictable!

Fine if you are happy for people to show their underwear in public. I think it’s pretty grim and of course I have no issue with hair, wrists, ankles etc but we have to draw the line somewhere and for me it is knickers on show in the street (as opposed to on the beach/at the swimming pool etc). I presume you are in favour of full nudity in all contexts including court, parliament, funerals etc?

No, I don’t want it to be a criminal offence to show your pants, but nothing wrong with society expecting a bit of basic decency.

Won't lower myself to your level, suffice to say I have a lovely life, thanks.

I can't imagine anyone with a lovely life actually sparing the energy to give a fuck about what other people wear.

I have seen women in nightwear in tesco !

Good heavens above, I hope you informed the church elders.

The Brits are very scruffy. I travel in Europe a lot and we are the scruffiest. Everywhere else people generally seem to take a certain pride in their appearance. They look "well groomed", smart clothes, slimmer, healthier. Whether you're bothered by it is a different matter.

Because you had to 'keep up appearances'' in front of other people , they cared more about what other people thought then anything else . I was born in 1960 and my Dad was a stickler when it came to how we looked or acted in public
Its such a waste of energy , trying to impress others

I am a scruff because I can't get nice clothes to fit me well. I have a large bust and haven't worn a dress since my wedding - and that was bespoke. Manufacturers (generally) churn out cheap clothes that fit few people well, so I gave up about 40 years ago and wear what is comfortable. I have a couple of 'best' outfits but the rest of the time it's cheap and cheerful. However I have this weird thing inherited from my mother presumably - that I have to be colour co ordinated. I won't wear a blue skirt and green top, or a red blouse and turquoise trousers, I have to go by the colour wheel

Its such a waste of energy , trying to impress others

That's as maybe, but is it a waste of energy trying not to offend others? By that I mean keeping clean and not wearing nightclothes out and about. I mentioned upthread the smelly cinema-goers. Ds was saying this morning that he can't face the advance screenings any more due to the smell and appearance of a lot of the other customers.

Manufacturers (generally) churn out cheap clothes that fit few people well,

It’s more that they churn out cheap clothes that fit the majority. Their sales wouldn’t stack up if they were churning out clothes that ‘fit few people well’!

I learned dress making in high school. I don't make my own clothes now, but the ability to do my own alterations makes a huge difference to the appearance of my outfits, dresses in particular.

he Brits are very scruffy. I travel in Europe a lot and we are the scruffiest. Everywhere else people generally seem to take a certain pride in their appearance. They look "well groomed", smart clothes, slimmer, healthier. Whether you're bothered by it is a different matter.
This true. Particularly in Italy.

I can see why you might want to dress smartly for yourself to avoid being negatively judged but I can't see how anyone can justify judging other people negatively for being lazy with their own appearance. What possible moral conclusion can you draw from the fact someone doesn't care what they look like? Perhaps they have 1001 other priorities, perhaps they have none and still CBA but I really can't see why you choose this issue to get depressed about.

I think some people get disappointed by general scruffiness if they had expectations that somewhere would be more dressy .

I have never been on a cruise, but some friends enjoy them - or rather they did. They said that now, instead of people wearing nice clothes to dinner, they are slopping in in t-shirts and trackies, and have to be told to wear a shirt/dress/slacks (is slacks still a term?!) in certain restaurants.

Similarly we went out to dinner for dd's birthday the other day. It was a smart (expensive - ouch) restaurant, and at the next table was a family wearing jeans and anoraks. People on this thread would argue that what has what they were wearing to do with us, but it kind of was as we were buying into the experience of the restaurant, not just buying a plate of food.

I know it’s really hard to get your head around the concept that not everyone is utterly repulsed by other people’s bodies or clothing. I am usually not paying close attention to other people’s choices in such detail.

I also don’t judge people on one small snapshot of their life. What do you gain from that. Possibly people have more on their mind/plate than what they put on on that day you saw them. Perhaps illness, money problems, perhaps they are just pleased they managed to get out of the house that day. Maybe they just got back from holiday and everything was in the wash. Maybe they were in a rush. Maybe they ran out of black pants that day. Maybe they don’t value going to Tesco’s as as much of a social outing as other people do

They didn't have much then but they were decent and they cared how they looked and what people thought - up to a point. Now people are wearing denim to weddings. The lower dress standards go hand in hand with the increase in cursing from old and young alike. Just a general disrespect, contempt, of everything, and everybody. It's hurting us all. YANBU !!

This is probably the most snobby post I've ever read!
A lot of people can't afford many nice clothes and will wear what they can afford.
Sorry that upsets the snobs 😂

@IrmaFayLear

I can honestly say on my child’s birthday this year I was too busy talking with my child and family to spend any time looking at who was sitting on a table next to me. It also has no impact on the quality of the food or the service of the staff. Which is what is important to me when I go somewhere. I will try the new way of looking to see whether other diners jeans ruin my dining experience and let you know

*I don’t see anyone bitching about what MEN look like on the school run

Or actually much about men at all

It’s all about women’s clothes and women’s make up. It’s a really nasty thread*

Women are women's worst enemies not the patriarchy. Men generally don't care what we wear. We are judged more by other women and that's sad.

I think there's a world of difference between dressing smartly and being clean and tidy. We've got three big dogs and do lots of long walks over the moors (lucky enough to be in the Peak District) so am most often in walking trousers and boots. At home, or nipping to the shops it'll be jeans and a shirt or sweatshirt. It's not about having money or no money but I am fed up of seeing all the blokes of my age; yes I am of a certain vintage 😁, wearing shorts which barely cover their bits and their skinny varicose veiny legs on display. Enormous women in overstretched leggings that have worn thin so you can see all their dimpled cellulite poking through and crop tops with rolls of flab hanging out. Don't get me started on the four breasts brigade or the extra breasts under the armpits, ugghh! Add in the orange faces, dead slugs over the eyes and dead spiders attached to their eyelids and I long to see my mum in her 1950s pretty summer cotton dresses with just a dab of nivea cream on her face. Not in her 'best' but just clean and tidy.

AIBU to wonder why people in general are so incredibly mean and judgemental and quick to make decisions about things they couldn't possibly know? This post is a bit silly and very sad. People washed less, had less clothes, less toiletries and less money years ago, if you think they all looked so much better after looking at a few family photos you are bonkers, the fact you came to MN to find like minded people is triple bonkers. Join a book club, take up running, vonlunteer but think like this less.

People don't iron a lot, clothes are washed beyond belief and we want a huge amount of them. Imagine going out at weekends with the choice of about 3 outfits. Some folk need a new one every week. Clothes were made from more robust fabrics, were more tailored and had to stand up to the rigours of walking in all weathers and public transport. Going out , even just shopping was more of an event than nowadays. And people did take pride in what they looked like. There wasn't nearly so much advertising and maketing to con us into thinking we have to look like x,y or z. No oversized body with leggings stretched beyond belief trying to look like the latest ridiculously made/up dressed celebrity.

I honestly don’t give a shit what people wear. As long as their genitals aren’t hanging out then it’s no skin off my nose. Yes it’s nice to make an effort but if people are comfy and happy does it really matter in the big scheme of things?

I think the thread just proves to me appearances can be very deceiving. Behind every lovely pressed Boden linen dress can be a shallow judgmental ugly on the inside type of person.

Photography was expensive in the 1920’s so people looked their best if they were having a photo taken. The poorest people probably never had their photo taken, apart from perhaps their wedding day. Dress codes were more formal, men did wear jacket and tie and women dresses and hats for every day wear. What you probably don’t notice in the photos is the darns and fraying- people made their clothes last. What you also don’t notice from a photo that people probably smelled pretty rank - imagine going cycling in a Harris tweed suit! What you also don’t get from a photo is how uncomfortable much of the clothing was - can you imagine a starched hard collar around your neck all day? And the smart looking ladies - you don’t see the boned underwear, girdles, slips, suspenders and stockings that they would have had to pile on underneath. I would prefer to be a ‘slob’ any day, but able to move comfortably. I know what’s appropriate of course and obviously dress differently for an interview or funeral or suchlike.

I think it's generational and we're in the era of disposable fashion: back then most clothes were tailor made and made to last.

There wasn't so much disposable income and money wasn't "wasted" on clothing. You made do and mended.

Also, fashion changes.

Hahaha. To take photos back then was a huge event - people were pulling the best clothes out. Nowadays we even take photos in a bath , toilet, work, etc.