There has been a discussion
concerning the items purchased from this establishment.
It centers on the proposition that while it may be that
"clothes make the man", and they most
vehemently do not, neither does or can the fancy garb of
yesteryear or even today make a lady out of someone who
is not. Just because one is biologically and
anatomically female does not mean that they are a even a
woman, much less a lady. And the same goes double for the
men. I refer to these latter as "biofemmes"
and "biohommes". And that means precisely what
you think it does. We saw it in my day, if you will
excuse the dip into the past, "The only way that you
can prove that you are a "man" is to "kill
a rabbit"". Does anyone remember that?? I
detest the very thought.
Although
it may be a little off the subject, to give you a clue as
to my way of thinking, let us consider first the saying,
"Honesty is the best policy". We have all heard
it. I would offer the opinion that it is an untrue
statement. A policy is something which can be changed.
For example "This shop is open from 10-5 Saturdays".
But that policy can be changed at necessity or whim. I
would offer the statement this way, "Honesty, true
honesty, is not a policy, it is a way of life."
Just
so, genuine class, genuine femininity and/or masculinity can
be found in a sack dress with no accoutrements, or a pair
of jeans and scruffy old tennies. What ever
happened to those concepts which were represented by
words like: Demure. Humble. Graceful. Shy.Self-effacing.
This
is the disagreement which I have with the feminists
in this country. They want to toss out the whole
concept of femininity in the name of being "women",
in the name of being "equal". Why did
they want to lower themselves. There is nothing of
which I am currently minded which can hold itself above a
true lady or gentleman. I am not sure whether they just
detest the feminity genre or whether they, not being able
to achieve it, want to cause it to cease existence for
the sake of their own peace of mind and soul. I saw
a lot of girls back when I was younger. They were taught
how to act and how to dress. I have spoken with
women who are a good deal more than my age who wonder why
girls have such problems with inappropriate behavior by
those around them. These women knew how to
make it clear, without making a scene, that such conduct
was less than unwelcome in their presence. And such
conduct just did not happen because the guys around her made
sure that it didn't . No discussion. No problem. It
just was!! And the girls whom I knew who had this concept
instilled in them and lived it had the better boys, the
"gentlemen in training" if you will, falling
all over themselves to please her. A lady with genuine
class can get any guy, even a skid row bum, to
spread his coat over the puddle for her. And she would
thank him graciously for having done so.
The
same goes for "sleepwear". The stuff out today
is pretty much "in your face" in its attitude.
Which is translated as "Okay, here it is, deal with
it fella!" I have had women in photo sessions,
boudoir photography, who were planning on wearing
something which they had brought with them that had so
many holes in inappropriate places in them that it seemed
a waste of time to put them on. When I showed them
some of the typical sleepwear from the fifties and
sixties, a ruched baby doll nightgown with empire
waist for example, many decided to try it. And when
the pictures came back, some of them actually cried when
they beheld the difference that those outfits made. Not
"in your face, here it is, deal with it," but a
more demure "I'm a woman, come closer."
Just
so a girl/woman putting on the circle skirts, crinolines,
clear up to what I once considered the "seven foot
circumference prom dress", knew that these clothes
required a certain code of conduct. And the
intelligent girls lived it.You can't just ruck around in
such finery without looking totally out of place. There
was a way in which you carried yourself. You don't
"clomp around" in a full skirt which is
supported by two or three "haystacks" oh,
excuse me, "crinolines". (sorry, but back then,
when I had the paper route and went collecting on
Saturday mornings, I would see those very "haystacks"
which had just been laundered in Woolite in the
bathtub, sitting in the middle of the living room floor
to dry). There was a code of conduct which went
with such outfits. And the really worthwhile and
intelligent girls lived that code of conduct even
when they were in their jeans and scruffies. They
never, ever went out with their hair in curlers.
This is less of a problem now than it was then because of
advances in hair care products and equipment, however the
concept remains.
Yes,
the concept remains, but unfortunately, I fear, the art
has been lost somewhere in the push for "equality"
"justice" and "self fulfillment",
whatever they are. What is so wrong with being what
one is. What is so wrong with being the best that one can
be for one's own sake and not to "prove"
something to someone who probably does'nt deserve to have
it explained anyway. And how can one allow oneself to get
into such finery and then act "like a scullery maid
in a bar room brawl?"
As it
was once wisely said, "If you understand this, no
explanation is necessary. If you do not understand this,
then no explanation is possible."
I would write further on this, and if you so desire, I
shall.
I
would invite any who read this to return comment to me.
I
respectfully thank you for listening.
vurdraak@pacbell.net
Opinion Piece # 2
THE CASE FOR MANNERS AND RESPECT IN A
MANNERLESS AND DISRESPECTFUL AGE
Click to Read
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