Thursday, December 14, 2006

The Uniform

Today i was at my volunteer job, and there was a crew of people there wrapping presents for the adopt-a-family program (bless them.)

They all left at once, it was six little old ladies. Every single one of them was wearing a holiday sweatshirt. Rudolph with a red pom-pom nose, glittery gold and silver stars, a snowman with rolling eyes, a Christmas tree with beaded ornaments, a jolly Santa with a funny red nose and the last one had a wrapped present with a real ribbon adorning the sweatshirt. They were so damned cute. I wish i had stopped them to take a picture.

I felt ill-dressed in my t-shirt and sweater.

Awww. There is a uniform when you get to be that age. I can't wait.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm about ten years away from possibly being considered a "little old lady". Guess what? I ain't gonna wear that uniform LOL

Peace,

~Chani

Girlplustwo said...

dude...those sweaters...

i can't handle them at all.

i just can't.

Anonymous said...

When I picked my parents up at the airport yesterday, my mother had a really nice blazer made from different seasonal fabrics with a tree, bell, snowflake, and stocking appliqued on it. It was quite nice really, not tacky. Of course she would have the right thing to wear to look like Mrs. Claus for the grandkids.

She's been home 24 hours and she's already been brusque and rude. Sigh. Happy Holidays.

lu said...

Let me guess, retired elementary school teachers?

QT said...

Christmas is my favorite time of the year but I just can't dress like Christmas....

karmic said...

I ways away from getting to that age, not sure what I will do then.
You getting a lot of that storm in the North West?
If so stay safe.

Lynnea said...

I once swore I would never wear something like that. But then, I also swore I would never call music too loud or go to be early. Heh. I fear my aged future.

Lynnea said...

Ok, that was supposed to read 'go to bed early'

Thank you,

Senior Typo Engineer

Bob said...

yeah, but my old man uniform involves pants pulled up to my tits and hair growing out of my ears. which I still prefer over the holiday themed sweatshirts.

sari said...

Were they purple and red? My friend and I always laugh, we were trampled by a group of Purple Hat Ladies once at Ikea, dragging their oxygen tanks.

They left us in a cloud of red feathers on the side of the aisle in cookware.

SUEB0B said...

I am on the verge. I wore a red and green Fair Isle sweater with a Christmas tree pin on it last night.

Josephine said...

Senior women pretty much kick ass. Major tail. I totally adore them. I have painted several holiday themed sweatshirts for my grandmother. She still wears them all.

Mona Buonanotte said...

I'm SO glad they changed the uniform...I was certain it was gonna be my grandmother's housecoats...reindeer sweatshirts I can take....

Anonymous said...

My mom has one like that. I used to hate it with a purple passion. Now i kind of expect her to wear it ! I wish she had passed on her enthusiasm for all things X-mas onto me. Sadly,for me, it's one of the most difficult periods of the year. Maybe I should get one of those sweatshirts...

Gretchen said...

There's something about "old" people - they dress to leave the house. I'm usually content to whip my hair back in a pony tail and go out in a t-shirt and jeans... Oh no... These women get their hair set weekly and take care in their appearance. There's a certain pride in that.

Platypus said...

I wonder if there's something about ageing that means by the time we get there we will consider themed jumpers to be cool?! In any case, I'll just admire those that do but sit it out for a few years! They sounds like lovely people though for doing their charity stuff.

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize that my mom, aunts, and sister were volunteering this holiday season....as usual I'm the last to know and find out by reading your blog.

Tink said...

Don't feel bad for being underdressed. It wouldn't have looked nearly so cute on a young person. ;)

Andrea Frazer said...

I agree with the uniform thing at an older age. However, if you ever become one of those Red Hat Society ladies I will come down to Seattle and kill you with a shot gun or a cup of their hot java, hereby making two points: A) Those outfits are whack, and B) Even if you believe you have a right to kill yourself, I will do it for you, thereby getting the last word (And then I will sell your hat on Ebay for a profit)

sari said...

Meno, are you ok up there in winter storm land?? I've been worried you all lost power.

Mother of Invention said...

Aw man, had I only known! Having been in teaching for a long time I have so many holiday vests, sweaters, sweatshirts and earrings, I could have easily lent you some!

urban-urchin said...

one year when I was about 21 my aunt (who is now a retired schoolteacher- ha!) bought me, my mother and her matching christmas sweatshirts which I of course wore because I love her- but mom and i came close to staging a fashion intervention. fortunately that was just a brief dark moment and now she's back to being one of the most stylish retirees I have ever seen.

Ginnie said...

I got a kick out of your blog and especially the comments. I have to agree with Chani...I am 73 and would cut off my right arm before I would be caught dead in those "uniforms"...especially the ones with all the cutesy attachments. (I guess I won't ever be the typical Granny.)

Lucia said...

Oh, oh, I find those sweatshirts positively creepy. Thank goodness Chani and Ginnie have confirmed that it's not mandatory!

When I taught elementary school, it seems like all the other teachers would wear stuff like this or with little apples and chalkboards and stuff when it wasn't some holiday.

Ortizzle said...

I don't think there's an age minimum for that. I think you're either a Christmas sweater person or not. I am emphatically not. Especially now, since it would really put me dangerously close to the little old lady category.

That said, more power to the Little Old Ladies who do enjoy wearing them. And God bless them for their good works.

meno said...

chani, yeah, me either. But they really were cute!

jen, i'm so with you on this. It just isn't me.

de, i'm sorry. Do what i do and try to drink a lot.

lu, ha ha! maybe, i don't really know.

qt, i might wear a Bah! Humbug! sweatshirt, but probably not. Christmas is not my favorite time of the year.

sanjay, thanks for the good wishes, all is fine here.

maggie, i've seen you in antlers, you are doomed.

bob, and don't forget the white shoes!!!

sari, they were all green or red. Great purple hat story!

suebob, and so it begins.....

josephine, they have a lovely air of freedom about them.

mona, what? no fuzzy slippers with that housecoat?

meno said...

caro, i don't think a sweatshirt will help, sadly. My mom wears the sweatshirts too. ick!

gretchen, i read this thing in the paper about a "makeover" for a 70 yo woman. Her goal was to "not look like a Q-tip." You know, the old lady with the short curly white hair. I am still giglling ovet the q-tip image.

sparklie, it really made me smile to see them all, to a woman, wearing basically the same thing.

platypus, i dunno, i just can't see myself in that sort of outfit ever, but time will tell.

patches, they asked me not to tell you. :)

tink, thank you for that! :) I'm much closer to the holiday themed sweatshirt crowd age than i can believe.

mamap, No jury would convict you, and i would thank you for it too!

sari, we are ok. Thank you for your concern. :)

MOI, gee, um, thanks, but, no, really. I don't want to deprive you.

u-u, i think that matching sweatshirts with my mother would have sent me right over the nearest cliff. But having said that, i hope you took pictures.

ginnie, i get a kick out of these people too! And i just can't ever see myself going to the dark side either.

lucia, those sweatshirts express a personality that i do not possess. There seems to be some concensus that teachers are a leader in this fashion crime. Hmmm.

ortizzle, i agree with you totally. I am grateful to them for their work, but i can't help but poke a little fun at the uniform.

Mother of Invention said...

Guess I've been an old lady since I was 28! That's okay, I often dress with the kids in mind when at school and usually they like to see that kind of thing. (My husband thinks it's dumb too!)