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“What a strange power there is in clothing.”

My windows have been opened to bring inside the sweetness of spring and to rid the house of the closed smell of winter. Through those opened windows I get to hear the birds and be serenaded by their songs, sounds muted in the house during winter. This morning I was awake at dawn for a bit and could hear the mighty chorus of birds greeting the day; however, with the temperature going down to the 40’s tonight, I’ll have no choice but to shut the windows as the day starts to close and the sun dips behind the trees.

A long missing sock has returned home. It is red and one half of a favorite pair. The other red sock sat on the dryer all this time so I’d know where it was just in case its mate returned, but I admit I wasn’t hopeful. I went to get a sweatshirt this morning and pulled out one I haven’t worn in a while, a favorite sweatshirt, a Doctor Who sweatshirt. When I put it on, the sock popped out of the hood. Now I have a reunited pair of favorite socks.

When I was a kid, I didn’t really care if my socks matched. I just wanted one for each foot and just about any socks would do. I didn’t have fashion sense. It never even occurred to me there was a method to choosing clothes. I’d wear my girl jeans forever as they were comfortable and warm. Girl jeans were the ones with the zipper in the pocket. Back then that wasn’t the only difference between girls’ and boys’ clothes. Girls never wore shirts but rather blouses which always looked like shirts to me so I was a bit baffled. I know girls’ shirts have buttons on the left side while boys’ have buttons on the right. I looked it up just now and found that the reason dated back at least a century. Because men dressed themselves and most were right -handed, that’s where the buttons went, but servants dress the women and stood in front to button the frocks so left-side buttons made for easy buttoning. Sneakers too were different. Boys had high tops while my sneakers were low tops but both were usually Keds. I never wore a jersey, but my brother often did. His looked like Beaver Cleaver’s, usually long sleeve and striped. I did have one summer advantage, sleeve-less blouses.

Fashion has changed dramatically, and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t have to wear classic old lady clothes. They don’t exist anymore. Come to think of it, neither do old ladies.

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19 Comments on ““What a strange power there is in clothing.””

  1. Hedley's avatar Hedley Says:

    May 8, 2015 at 12:56 pm

    Gal at Tardis – Hot !

  2. Caryn's avatar Caryn Says:

    May 8, 2015 at 2:52 pm

    Hi Kat,
    Non-matching socks is somewhat of a fashion statement now. Especially if one knits one’s own socks. One doesn’t always like to knit the second sock of a pair right away because it’s repetitive. Not that I would know anything about that. 😉

    Because women’s shirts that look like men’s shirts are called women’s blouses, it costs twice as much to have them cleaned. No one has given me a rational explanation for that discrepancy except everyone says it has nothing to do with gender bias.

    I’m so happy I don’t have to wear old lady clothes. I can’t even begin to picture myself in my grandmother’s clothing. Flowered dress with buttons down the front, belted, stockings and black Red Cross sensible shoes with 2 inch chunky heel. Nope. Can’t see that on me.

    Today is beautiful. It was warm but has dropped down to 51ºF. I had to close the front porch windows because the breeze has a nip in it.

    Enjoy the day.

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      May 8, 2015 at 5:41 pm

      Hi Caryn,
      I really need to match my socks except for those hand knit ones you mention where matching doesn’t matter.

      I haven’t ever understood the cleaner’s prices either. Maybe it has to do with the construction of the machinery and the way it handles buttons.

      My grandmothers’ clothes were so ugly and uninspired. I am also so glad they aren’t expected for women of certain ages. I don’t believe either of my grandmothers ever wore pants the whole of their lives.

      Beautiful here too, but it is also starting to get chilly. I lowered the window here and upstairs.

      Have a great evening!

  3. Christer.'s avatar olof1 Says:

    May 8, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    I have Sune the sock thief here so I do have problems finding a matching pair now days. He must have lots of them stashed away somewhere and I just can’t find where that is 🙂 🙂 🙂 Every now and again he brings out one and place it in my bed, why I have no idea though 🙂

    Windy here but sunny today. It was very warm where the wind didn’t reach thoughI’ve just come home from the road assoiciation meeting and it was just as bad as I had feared but still better 🙂 I’ll write about it tomorrow.

    I had one bright red jersey that I really liked and wore until it fell to pieces, after that no other jersey has been as good so I never use them 🙂

    have a great day!

    Christer.

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      May 8, 2015 at 5:45 pm

      Christer,
      That is so funny that Sune has a stash of socks. How kind of him to bring one out for you every now and then. It seems to be his private joke.

      I suspect there must have been some screaming at your meeting. That is what you have been expecting.

      The wind makes it feel so much cooler. We also had a warm, lovely day today. I got a new dump sticker at $138.00 and then went to the dump.

      I had a shirt I loved until it got to worn to wear!

      Have a great evening!!

      • Christer.'s avatar olof1 Says:

        May 8, 2015 at 11:21 pm

        I think I pay much the same for them to pick up my garbage here at home. We can’t chose to go by ourselves here so I guess since they pick it up at all homes here we do get it a bit cheaper.

      • katry's avatar katry Says:

        May 9, 2015 at 9:57 am

        Christer,
        There is no town pick-up here. If you want trash pick-up, you hire a private company. I don’t think there is separating for recycle with those companies, but there are recycle stations at the dump. The house beside me, the rental, has a Saturday pick-up. Once I sneaked my bag of trash there!

  4. Bob's avatar Bob Says:

    May 8, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    I have always had only two kinds of socks. Black dress socks for work and white crew socks with athletic shoes. Life is in perfect balance when you wear black socks and dress shoes for work and white crew socks with athletic shoes for recreation. Your feet are never confused as to what they are doing each day. I always buy the exact same brand and type of socks so that they are completely interchangeable. Black worn with lace up shoes for work and white socks with New Balance for play.

    My brother in law wears argyle socks which require that all the pairs have to be matched up. Lose one sock or wear a hole and you are stuck with an odd sock which is worthless. He’s an art teacher in a Charter High School so no one takes him seriously except himself. Wearing argyle socks in a professional situation, such as on the job, makes you look like a clown. Who would take anyone seriously who wears argyle socks. I never wear brown shoes and socks because black goes with everything.

    Thanks for the explanation about the left and right button issue. I never understood the reason. I’m amazed that this archaic convention still persists since almost all woman today dress themselves. Of course the British still drive on the wrong side of the road from the wrong side of the car and don’t wear swords while riding horses. In the 1950s Sweden switched to driving on the right like the rest of Europe. I wonder how many accidents they had on the day they switched. Culture is difficult to change but it can be done.

    Last night a squal line of thunderstorms raced across the Metroplex and dropped a couple of tornados, hail and torrential rain.

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      May 8, 2015 at 8:39 pm

      Bob,
      Where have you been? You were missed.

      Different hand knit socks are a trend. I see them in catalogues, and they cost big bucks. I’d wear them.

      I like to match my socks to what I’m wearing. I also have socks for all the holidays. I don’t even own a pair of white socks. Black ones I have.

      Art teachers are a breed unto themselves. One at my school art teachers favored Hawaiian shirts. In the old days male teachers wore shirts and ties and many wore jackets as well, but that has been gone a long time. Now most of them dress for comfort like your brother-in-law. They even wear jeans.

      In the 1970’s Ghana switched from the left side of the road to the right, and there were no problems. There were jingles on the radio, lots of advertising and even TV ads. The change was seamless so I have to think the same about Sweden.

      I think the British would say we drive on the wrong side of the road. It is all in the perspective.

      Rotten and scary weather!

      • Bob's avatar Bob Says:

        May 8, 2015 at 9:14 pm

        Some days even my feet don’t match. 🙂

      • katry's avatar katry Says:

        May 8, 2015 at 9:29 pm

        Bob,
        MY expectations for my wardrobe aren’t all that fashionable unless I have special place to go, but I think younger people are less judgmental. I figure they chalk up our choices to old age. I find that a sense of freedom.

  5. Coleen's avatar Coleen Says:

    May 8, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    Your conversation with Bob has given me the giggles…

    I am missing several socks that meed a mate…they will turn up (I hope)…

    Once in a while I inadvertently wear mismatched socks…especially if it’s early in the morning and I am not paying attention… 🙂

    Did not know about the origin of the left and right button…ya learn something new every day, don’t ya?

    Enjoy your weekend.

    Waving,

    Coleen

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      May 8, 2015 at 9:49 pm

      Coleen,
      I swear those odd socks hide until we go a bit crazy then they appear. It is the sock witness protection program.

      How often do people really see our socks? I bet most would’t even notice the mismatch.

      I can’t imagine just black and white stockings though ti does take the guess work out of matching colors.

      Have a great weekend!

      Waving,
      Kat


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