I feel another attack of crotchety-ism coming on. Seems like that comes with the graying of the hair.
I pride myself on being progressive, politically and socially, but I find myself looking at our changing society and shaking my head in bewilderment, at least mentally, at what passes for custom in our country.
The latest example of my civic consternation and caterwauling happened the other day at the Intiman Theatre; we went to see Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth."
A brief plug for the Intiman, a Tony-winning theater, and all the terrific theaters in our city. If you haven't been to a play in some time, or perhaps never, you should give it a go.
We always get to the Intiman at least a half-hour early because, besides being a nationally recognized playhouse, they have a great little bar on the mezzanine, and we nearly always have a cocktail or two that have been specially created for the play currently in production - a most civilized idea for those of us enjoying the thespian arts.
Drinks in hand, and comfortably ensconced on a couple of the over-stuffed chairs in the lounge area to read the program notes, see who's in the cast, etc., I also engage in people watching, one of my favorite pastimes.
That's when I saw what's become an increasingly irksome ocular assault when we're out in public, particularly at events like the theater, or a wine dinner at a nice restaurant. I see men, and it's almost always men, dressed in decent slacks, a nice shirt, even a sports jacket, and wearing those appalling walking or jogging shoes, usually in a bright white color with an iridescent decoration on them.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that many of the attendees at these functions are dressed as if they just came from a game of sandlot baseball, in tattered blue jeans in dire need of visiting the inside of a Maytag, with shirts to match. It seems to be a sign of the times, but where did anyone get the idea that wearing dress slacks, a nice shirt and a jacket was improved by wearing a pair of Nike Air Cesium or Brooks Beast 9?
Maybe Andy Warhol in his heyday could pull this off by being an eccentric, but most of us look like complete doofuses dressed decently and wearing track shoes.
A side note about traveling and wearing these fashion-challenged globs of rubber for those who believe the world outside of Magnolia is peopled with criminals and gypsies lurking in the bushes to pick the pockets of tourists. If you're going to wear jogging shoes, and perhaps a baseball cap that says caterpillar tractors on it, you might as well carry a flashing neon sign around your neck that says TOURIST HERE. Look around at the locals the next time you're in Italy or France, and see how many are dressed like they just got off work in a lumberyard.
What the hell happened to having a little pride in the way you look? Has that gone by the wayside along with our civility, our respect for the rights of others and the politics of nonaggression?
One of the questions my wife and I ask ourselves frequently is whether these people own a full-length mirror at home. And if they do, do they stand in front of the mirror looking at themselves, saying something like, "Wow! Now that's the frumpy, street-person look I'm after!"
My wife and I just recently went to a wine dinner downtown, and while most of the 40-or-so participants dressed in what used to be called casual business attire, there were a couple of folks who looked as if they were going hunting after dinner.
Where does this come from? Did these people's parents raise them to look like they just crawled out from under their car?
One of the things we love about the Northwest is that we aren't faddish, as they are in California. We particularly love the wintertime when everyone wears a few more garments, the wide variety of garb ranging from a Bebe Belted Fur coat to a U.S. Army WWII mackinaw. It can be almost as entertaining as a circus.
But come on, people, there's a place for running gear, and it's on the street with your iPod, baggy shorts and sweaty T-shirt, not in the theater or in a nice restaurant.
If you're having trouble finding walking shoes that are comfortable and nice looking, let me know. They are available just about everywhere, except perhaps Super Jock & Jill.
Hey, if you're just popping over to the market, or to a local coffeeshop, it's OK to dress down, a little; but for an evening out, of any kind, not only will you feel better by looking better, but your partner will enjoy the night out more if they aren't spending it with Jed Clampett.
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