Summer in the Seventies.

WHEN  I started this blog I wrote about accessories. Scarves. Shoes. Bags. Hats.

Today I am writing about summer clothes. I am in a quandary. Being what is now termed a 3rd Ager (scary but at least avoids the P-ns---n-r word) I feel I fall between several sartorial stools. 

I still like long flowing 1970s dresses from the era when I was a teenager. I have yet not felt any desire to wear a white cardigan in the summer. But nothing seems to be right anymore. Summer frocks now seem to be exclusively sleeveless. My upper arms are neither toned, tanned or much to look at. Last night I sat in a restaurant with a kimono type top on over a tee shirt. It was a hot evening. It was even hotter under the kimono top. But like many other 'big' (I know. Euphemism) women the top stayed firmly on. I do not know whether I should be used to this by now or whether I am being punished for not dieting. (the latter obviously.)

I would live to hear from any other 60 somethings about how they feel about clothes…not just summer, but year round.

Is ours the generation that will never switch to being dressed differently?

Our mothers went from war time hats/gloves and full makeup, through to coordinating outfits by Berkertex or Jacques Vert. Evening dresses were long, cocktail frocks knee length and you would not wear trousers unless playing golf.

I still like and wear what I wore 40 years and always have done. Trousers/jeans/mid or floor length skirts or dressses. Working for a Uni helped as I never needed 'office clothes'. But now I sometimes see femmes d'un certain âge looking as if they have been in a time warp since the Isle of Wight Festival. (The proper ones in 69/70 obviously. Described by Wikipedia as a 'counterculture event'. Bless.)

So, as I do not think I look like that, there must have been some evolution in my personal style I suppose. Leggings for instance. They are wonderful. Those and a big tee shirt will get you a long way. Although I avoid tee shirts with ' Hendrix' or 'Summer of Love' or 'Woodstock' on them. (See femmes d'un certain âge.)

Leggings were only worn by ballet dancers in the 1970s. Leg warmers did make a brief appearance as 'fashion wear' in the late 70's, but came and went, thank goodness. I can't not include the confession that I had a matching set of gloves and legwarmers. In red, yellow and orange. Sorry for that mental storm.

I finally threw out all the ethnic patterned cotton long skirts with elasticated waists, as I looked like a sack with a string tied round it. Then they came back into fashion. But they are so long. Maybe I have always been short rather than overweight???

So will I ever move onto 'evening wear? I dressed 'up' for the restaurant, but that was baggy cotton trousers, tee shirt and kimono combo. 

Are there people who go out for dinner in elaborate frocks? 'Famous people seem to wear frocks made of as little as possible, preferably with a thigh split and side boob to the fore. Notable and chic exceptions to this are Helen Mirren and Dame Judi Dench. Those beaded coats Dame J wears.Covet. 

I hope to hear some feedback. Maybe there is a shop somewhere that I have not found yet. One that successfully straddles the fashion gaps between Primark/M&S/John Lewis and hunting on the web. Let's hope that there is a fashion fairy out there who knows…….