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Sandra Kessler's avatar

I love your concept here, Josh. Not sure that one needs to go back to the 1950s, though. I was born in the early 1950s, so I am more than familiar with how fashion morphed every decade or so for the past 70 years! In fact, my teen years, the second half of the 60s, was the era of miniskirts and psychedelic. Then my college years from 1968 to 1972 saw bell bottoms and eventually midi skirts! Perhaps my taste in clothes was always some sort of mix between classic and boho, and I’m glad to say that even at 71 I get unsolicited compliments on my “style”. From 20-something young women, to older gay men who happen to be Black. Seriously. A couple of weeks ago I was in Florida for a leadership workshop and get together for an organization I am very active with. Coming back to NYC on Jet Blue I was wearing a pair of soft loose slacks with a linen tunic with hand embroidery and a floppy straw hat (I must wear brimmed hats outdoors because my eyes are overly sensitive to sun and bright lights), with a pretty silk scarf around the base. As I walked down the aisle to exit at JFK, one of the flight attendants, who was herself a rather beautiful tall red headed woman (yes an actual woman) who was standing at the plane door wishing passengers a good day, smile at me and said, “I really love your style!”. Yes, that felt really good. I happen to live not that far from JFK on a major bus line and it just so happens that many airline people who are stationed in NYC live in my neighborhood. As I was wheeling my bag down endless corridors toward where I pick up the bus, the flight attendants from my flight actually caught up with me. The same elegant attendant who complimented my style called out to me “Hi, again! I so love your style”. Two weeks later I’m still smiling at the memory.

Aside from trotting my own horn, which I don’t do a lot, my point is that there are many ways to looks put together and stylish at any age and for any body type (me, petite but womanly). Does not have to be a cinch-waisted 1950s dress (for a woman) but something that expresses who you are without being extreme or trashy. Or mousy and drab, either. You might even be 71 and get compliments that are completely freely given. What a treat!

Final observation: we all clothe and adorn ourselves in ways to say: here I am, or I want to fade into the woodwork and not be noticed. Anyone who denies that doesn’t understand human nature and the biological art of “signaling”. Prof. Gad Saad probably has a lot to say about this.

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Samantha Gluck's avatar

Agreed! We raised all of our kids with this classic sense of style. It’s so important and so very freeing!

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