Dressed to the 9s

M0nica

RosiesMaw2 You should go to France, I do not know where the French get their reputation for being 'chic' from. I think it is limited to one or two very expensive arrondissements in Paris, and one or two haute bourgeouise in every town.

Whenever I go round any of our local supermarkets in Normandy, I always think how better turned out the women in your average British supermarket are in comparison.

Blimey M0nica, that's saying something. Apart from Waitrose (naturally!) it's not that unusual to see women in pyjamas in our local Asda or Aldi.

I’m with RosiesMaw in believing yiu can spot a British person abroad by the way they dress - usually very badly.

RosiesMaw2 You should go to France, I do not know where the French get their reputation for being 'chic' from. I think it is limited to one or two very expensive arrondissements in Paris, and one or two haute bourgeouise in every town.

Whenever I go round any of our local supermarkets in Normandy, I always think how better turned out the women in your average British supermarket are in comparison.

I think it’s lovely when people dress up to go out.
I remember how the ladies in Princes Street tearooms would wear a suit (called a “costume”) and hat and if we were going to a Edinburgh Mum always made us put on our best.
I still have that vestigial reaction when going into Central London, just can’t do it in jeans!
I think people dress much too casually on the whole - not smart casual just scruffy.. I was stuck at the station when the trains to London were cancelled recently with lots of opportunity for people watching, and frankly shocked at what many people were wearing - big bellied men in shorts or those awful baggy cargo pants, some seriously supersized women in far too tight skimpy t shirts and also often shorts or baggy T shirts and sweat pants. The only young women who looked consistently lovely were the Asian girls- usually slim and beautifully turned out.
As a nation I don’t think we dress nearly as well as other European countries. I have nothing against casual - but not scruffy.

I think a lot of WI groups go to garden centres for lunch or a cream tea and dress up a bit! When I go I wear comfortable clothes, although occasionally I’ll pop in for some compost etc. dressed in gardening clothes!

Perhaps the ladies were part of a group and had come from or were going to an event later? Like the Royal Garden party?

GrannyGravy13

I have wardrobes full of clothes, love clothes, footwear, bags and fragrances enjoy wearing them, so that is what I am doing nowadays.

Moi aussi!

You do not have to dress up to look nice. I dress exactly the same whether I am having a day at home or I am out for part of the day. I choose my clothes carefully, all of them are comfortable to wear and I keep them in good order.

I feel by making sure I am always well turned out is a way of keeping one's self respect. However well turned out does not mean being dressed to the nines, just having clothes one is comfortable and I feel at ease wearing and are appropriate for the situation you happen to be in.

Thanks Jackiest
I had a vague idea it something to do with nine pins but clearly I was wrong.

From Wikipedia

The phrase is said to be Scots in origin. The earliest written example of the phrase is from the 1719 Epistle to Ramsay by the Scottish poet William Hamilton:

The bonny Lines therein thou sent me,
How to the nines they did content me.

Robert Burns' "Poem on Pastoral Poetry", published in 1791, also uses the phrase:

Thou paints auld nature to the nines,
In thy sweet Caledonian lines.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (New and Revised edition. 1981) states that the phrase is "perhaps a corruption of 'then eyne' (to the eyes)"

The phrase may have originally been associated with the Nine Worthies or the nine Muses. A poem from a 17th century collection of works by John Rawlet contains the following lines:

The learned tribe whose works the World do bless,
Finish those works in some recess;
Both the Philosopher and Divine,
And Poets most who still make their address
In private to the Nine.

It's nice to see senior citezens looking smart and that they have made an effort with their appearance and no doubt it will make them feel good too. Not everyone wants to go out in casual clothes and it could have been a special occasion they were celebrating. Each to his own. LIve and let live.

Sorry to digress (again) but does anyone know where the expression "Dressed to the 9s" comes from? It is a very known saying and we all know exactly what it means but where did it come from?

I don't think, personally, I ever get beyond being dressed to the 6s and that's on a good day.

Dressing up and wearing make up and jewellery isn't posh. It's just dressing up and wearing make up and jewellery.
Wear what you want.

I m far, far, far from posh but I never leave the house without earrings something round my neck a bracelet, watch and light make up on
I don’t party much now so I like to look smart when out and about and always make an effort

I enjoy dressing casually normally fairly smart shorts and top if I’m in the GC in summer and jeans and top winter if I’m meeting friends. I always manage to get a bit grubby though as after a coffee etc I like to rummage around the plants reading labels and often lifting a big bag of compost so definitely don’t dress in my Sunday best!!
I don’t really notice what people wear. I rarely wear jewellery.

I have a drawer of "grot gear" that is purely for wearing at home or in the garden, I'd never go out in any of it. When I meet up with friends for coffee or lunch or whatever, I always wear something nice, light makeup including eyes and lips and a spritz of my favourite scent. I think it's great to see these groups of older ladies (sez she, a few weeks off her 79th birthday!) looking so beautifully turned out - having something to dress up for is so good for the soul.

Our craft group holds a tea party every summer for the older ladies. It is guaranteed that all the ladies in their 90s turn up looking very glamourous with their hair done and matching suits. They are such treasures and totally lovely.

It is nice to dress up for lunch when meeting friends. Most people I know do that even when we meet at our ladies group, never seen anyone in jeans. Of course it is an individual thing and if people feel more comfortable in casual clothes that is fine too. I dress casually at home and for comfort so it is great to dress up a little more when going out. Each to their own!

I really can't bring myself to care what they wear.

MissAdventure

Well, of course Angela is the exception.

I honestly think that Angela should have a stylist and so should many other politicians and so called celebs. Many of them would not know what style is if it kicked them in the face.

petra

Kircubbin2000
I’m very impressed that you can recognise designer outfits. How did you know they were wearing All their jewellery.

This.
Glad you're impressed.

Kircubbin2000
I’m very impressed that you can recognise designer outfits. How did you know they were wearing All their jewellery.

paddyann54

I don’t put the bin out without makeup,always try to look my best,surely that’s not a sin in the 21st century.I buy new clothes most weeks and I like to wear them ,even to a garden centre.We were just saying how different it was from when we met 50 years ago,people always got dressed to go shopping now it’s shocking what a mess some folk look,my OH says maybe they don’t have a mirror

I don’t put the bin out without makeup
😮

Oh, I don't wear makeup at home.
Just a touch when I go out, although less is more these days.

I can't do glamorous, it's never been me.

I wore a cream lacy top the other day and said to DH "I feel like an old Granny in this top".
He said "Well, I hate to tell you, but you are an old Granny".

I'm not eighty yet!

I called into our garden centre this morning - not for plants, but not dressed up as I was going on for a walk after. There were very few people buying plants but the large cafeteria was rammed, as it usually is. And yes, many groups of ladies, who were nicely turned out. Good job there was no room at the inn - I would have felt like a bag lady! I honestly think that without a decent cafeteria, and a gift section, most garden centres would not survive.