Anonymous wrote:Full disclosure, I'm a WASP from Chevy Chase and I grew up with a lot of fashion and etiquette rules that the rest of the country had dropped at least a generation before. Even now, if I showed up wearing a white dress to lunch with my 80 year old father in, say, October there is a 100% chance he'd make a comment about it. I still follow a lot of these rules for my own personal style, but I have lots of friends who dress totally differently and I love that for them. I'm 42 and a stay at home mom.
-I love black tights and wear them all the time in fall/winter. I also like colored tights sometimes. I do actually wear pantyhose but only to church when it's chilly outside, like today. Most people at my church are over 60 anyway.
-I don't wear diamond jewelry in general. I prefer solid gold pieces.
-I don't mix metals. All gold (usually) or all silver tone. This includes handbag hardware. If I'm wearing colored pieces then they should coordinate with the rest of the outfit. For nicer occasions I'd also make sure my nails coordinate.
-Nails are short and should be polished only in light pinks, nudes, coral, red, or burgundy. I might do fuchsia for vacation. No brightly colored eyeshadow or flashy makeup. My grandmother is long dead but she strongly disapproved of red or burgundy lips or nails.
-I don't wear white after Labor Day. I do wear winter white frequently but winter white is a different color than true white.
-I don't mix brown and black. To be fair, I rarely wear brown anything.
-Foundation garments are crucial to looking put together. I wouldn't leave the house without a proper bra and I am evangelical about proper bra fitting. No visible bra straps or lace peeking through a thin shirt. No VPL. Slipshorts are great for under dresses to prevent VPL and for modesty if there is a sudden gust of wind.
-Sneakers should be worn for athletic activity or with athletic clothes. Skirts and dresses should be paired with a proper shoe or a sandal in the summer or spring. Sandals require pedicured toes so I don't wear them very often.
-I don't care about having styled hair. My hair is straight and I don't think it makes much of a difference if I blow dry it or air dry it. I don't dye it but I probably will when I start getting gray hairs.
-Synthetic sweaters are yuck. Real wool (merino, cashmere, etc) only. I would not wear fake leather shoes or bags. Of course cloth or woven shoes and bags are fine.
Writing this has kind of made me realize I might need some therapy.
This is amazing, and I adore you.
I'm not a WASP, but I'm 55, so I'll weigh in from an old lady perspective.
Traditional rules I follow
I don't wear white before Memorial Day or after Labor Day, unless it's winter white.
I don't mix silver and gold jewelry (though I don't wear much jewelry).
I don't mix brown and black clothing.
If I wear a tight top, I'll wear a looser bottom, and vice versa.
Traditional rules I break
I don't care if my bag and shoes don't match.
I'll wear athletic shoes with dresses & skirts (LOVE this trend).
I'd wear diamond studs during the day if the opportunity arose.
I'll mix red and pink.
I've got bitten nails well below the quick, and I don't care how it looks (poorly-kept nails).
I'm not sure where this would fit in, but I've stopped coloring my hair. It's been 6 months since I last dyed my hair, and it's coming in 100% gray/white.