Thoreau said, "What I am must make you forget what I wear." When I first read that, I knew in a flash that we would have been good friends, sharing the same opinions on fashion, or the lack thereof. My first inclinations were confirmed when I found this quote, "Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes." What a soul mate! Couple that with a shared love of nature and we could have tramped unselfconsciously around Waldon Pond together- both with our out- of- date hairdos and wearing whatever we wanted, regardless of its age or condition.
Do clothes "make the man?" I truly don't think so. I must admit that if I were a size 10 or smaller, and could wear anything without taking into consideration all the criteria each garment must pass in order for me to feel presentable in it, you might think that I have adopted this passion for old and comfy stuff because the new and stylish stuff doesn't do a thing for me. I beg to differ. My too big blue and white pinstriped shirt, splattered in paint (I am an artist), washed to an incredible soft state, and perfectly suited to match any pair of old pants, does something for me. When I put it on, I feel empowered to deal with the task at hand, however messy, however genteel.
Whether I'm digging in dirt, or napping in my bed, that shirt fits the bill. I now wear it to the grocery, not caring, as in years past, what others may think. I feel productive in it, at least I look like I have accomplished a whale of a lot of stuff while I had it on.
I'm thrilled to have found that many others hold the same opinion as I. I have included some really wonderful quotes to substantiate my claims. Old clothes, a simple pleasure that I am ever grateful for.
A few great quotes
"Most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture; let us be more ashamed of shabby ides and shoddy philosophies. It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside." Albert Einstein
"People seldom notice old clothes when you wear a smile." Mildon
"If honor be your clothing, the suit will last a lifetime, but if clothing is your honor, it will soon be threadbare." Arnot
and remember: "Never wear anything that panics the cat." O'Rourk
No comments:
Post a Comment