My writing prompt of-the-day booklet had a great question for today:
Do you belong in this day and age? Do you feel comfortable being a citizen of the 21st-century? If you do, explain why - and if you don't, when in human history would you rather be?
Although living in another time might be interesting, I'm pretty immersed in modern conveniences. Specifically I can't imagine living without:
Vehicles and easy transportation. I'm not sure that our reliance on cars is a good thing, in terms of environment. But I also can't imagine the hassle of trying to get from point A to point B when it involved horses or trains. I feel like you would spend half your life just trying to get someplace.
Modern medicine. Especially surgery, which back in the day seemed pretty hit or miss in terms of survival. We also seem to be making continual progress in reducing the stigma associated with illness. Years ago, cancer was the c-word and people just didn't talk about it. Of course, mental health continues to be an area where we need to have more awareness but campaigns like Let's Talk are helping change the conversation.
Freedom. Other times in history have not been so great for women. I'm able to work outside the home, drive myself where I please, have my own financial freedom, and pursue any studies I want. I could not go back to a time where I had limitations on personal development.
However...I've envied some of the fashion from other eras. I know I wouldn't want to have to wear those clothes on a daily basis, but there were some incredible styles. Some of my favourite fashion times:
Do you belong in this day and age? Do you feel comfortable being a citizen of the 21st-century? If you do, explain why - and if you don't, when in human history would you rather be?
Although living in another time might be interesting, I'm pretty immersed in modern conveniences. Specifically I can't imagine living without:
Vehicles and easy transportation. I'm not sure that our reliance on cars is a good thing, in terms of environment. But I also can't imagine the hassle of trying to get from point A to point B when it involved horses or trains. I feel like you would spend half your life just trying to get someplace.
Modern medicine. Especially surgery, which back in the day seemed pretty hit or miss in terms of survival. We also seem to be making continual progress in reducing the stigma associated with illness. Years ago, cancer was the c-word and people just didn't talk about it. Of course, mental health continues to be an area where we need to have more awareness but campaigns like Let's Talk are helping change the conversation.
Freedom. Other times in history have not been so great for women. I'm able to work outside the home, drive myself where I please, have my own financial freedom, and pursue any studies I want. I could not go back to a time where I had limitations on personal development.
However...I've envied some of the fashion from other eras. I know I wouldn't want to have to wear those clothes on a daily basis, but there were some incredible styles. Some of my favourite fashion times:
Gone with the Wind. I loved this movie (and the book) not only for the love story but also for the incredible gowns. Oh, the petticoats and the hoops! Obviously designed for a time when women had to do little but pose graciously on couches and ring for servants. (If, of course, you were fortunate enough to be white and rich. Otherwise there probably wasn't a lot of couch-sitting and bell-ringing for you.)
Of course, the downsides would be many. Corsets, for one. While they created a beautiful waistline, they also squished organs and sometimes drew blood. I'm all for suffering a bit for fashion, but not to the point where your liver becomes a different shape. Given the fact running water and washing machines weren't yet in existence, I'm also not sure how these clothes smelled. Especially during the hot months of the year. I guess everyone would be used to it but given our modern standards of hygiene, I don't think I could do it.
Of course, the downsides would be many. Corsets, for one. While they created a beautiful waistline, they also squished organs and sometimes drew blood. I'm all for suffering a bit for fashion, but not to the point where your liver becomes a different shape. Given the fact running water and washing machines weren't yet in existence, I'm also not sure how these clothes smelled. Especially during the hot months of the year. I guess everyone would be used to it but given our modern standards of hygiene, I don't think I could do it.
Downton Abbey. Aside from the addictive plot lines, the best thing about Downton Abbey is the clothes. Specifically the clothes of the family, not the servants. (Again, this would only be a fun fashion time to live in if you were rich.) The beading, the fabrics, the multiple outfits per day - stunning but in reality probably a little exhausting. I do love the gloves, which of course have completely gone out of fashion now (except winter ones to stave off frostbite). This was also an era of the corset, so same problems would apply in terms of misshapen organs and such. But fewer layers (no petticoats really) and hoop-free meant that at least the clothing would be a little easier to move in. But let's be honest - this isn't meant to be athletic wear. The only sport it would be good for is catching an aristocratic husband.
I Love Lucy. Fashion from the 1950s has it all - comfort and style. Many of the pieces from that time are still pretty wearable today. If I had to live in any other fashion time, this would be the one I would pick. No corsets, just lots of nice dresses. (While still allowing for slacks for casual wear.) Dresses are pretty much a staple of my wardrobe, so I think I would fit into this time quite well. The only thing I would have to get used to is not having the volume of clothing that I do - people seemed to have a few dresses that they would rotate through. I, on the other hand, have an embarrassing number of items in my wardrobe.
One of the things I loved about the 50s fashion was that it was stylish and feminine without being obvious. It could be that I'm turning into an old fuddy-duddy but honestly, people today wear some disturbing things. I sometimes wonder if I missed a memo - have we agreed that we no longer need to wear pants in public? That we're okay letting our asses hang out for the world to see?! Because I certainly am not okay with that. I don't think anyone wants to see my butt cheeks while they're going about their business, and I certainly don't need to see crack when I'm out getting groceries. Just because your underwear is pretty, that doesn't mean that it should be on display.
Everything in life seems to circle around eventually. Given that right now people are wearing micro-shorts and tube tops, I think in the next 10 years we'll progress to pasties and a thong, and then it will go back to petticoats, hoop skirts and enormous puffed sleeves!
One of the things I loved about the 50s fashion was that it was stylish and feminine without being obvious. It could be that I'm turning into an old fuddy-duddy but honestly, people today wear some disturbing things. I sometimes wonder if I missed a memo - have we agreed that we no longer need to wear pants in public? That we're okay letting our asses hang out for the world to see?! Because I certainly am not okay with that. I don't think anyone wants to see my butt cheeks while they're going about their business, and I certainly don't need to see crack when I'm out getting groceries. Just because your underwear is pretty, that doesn't mean that it should be on display.
Everything in life seems to circle around eventually. Given that right now people are wearing micro-shorts and tube tops, I think in the next 10 years we'll progress to pasties and a thong, and then it will go back to petticoats, hoop skirts and enormous puffed sleeves!