I’ve noticed over the past several years that the standards for attire for “straight” people at special occasions, such as weddings, has become suspiciously akin to dressing for work, the dog races or any other day that calls for casual, comfortable, and whatever springs forth first out of the closet.
A friend of mine was married in a late afternoon wedding. Nowhere on the invitation did it say “come as you are”, or “casual work clothing” required. Unfortunately, her circle of friends came from the high tech software industry. It has become very clear to me that the bright and independent minds of high tech are independently stubborn when it comes to dressing “up”. There is no “up”. I heard one fellow remark that he did not own any dress clothes or dress shoes. He said it proudly in a tone of deeply religious clothing beliefs. I glanced down at his Birkenstock sandals and noticed his wife was wearing a matching pair. They were a well-suited couple. I was surprised he didn’t go all out and wear shorts. I’ll bet he thought about it though.
At a wedding for my husband’s nephew, I saw a man (fortunately on the bride’s side of the aisle) in a light green polyester leisure suit, a plaid cowboy shirt, and a stick of beef jerky poking up out of his pocket. You don’t often see such a sight sitting in a church pew. I think the suit spoke to the man’s belief in never giving up on a good garment with a hard-to-find color (not found in nature) and the food was simply good planning in case it was a long ceremony whereupon he could grab a quick bite if he started feeling a might peckish.
I found it difficult to take my eyes off the man. It was just such a fascinating concept to find a person in church with a roll of beef jerky at the ready that…well, I just had to keep looking to make sure that’s what I was actually seeing.
As an aside to this particular wedding, the bride demanded that the minister change the wording in the vows as she did not like saying “obey” or maybe it was “honor”. Probably both. I don’t recall what she had him use as substitute words. Apparently after a short stint in this marriage, any words were not to her liking and they divorced.
A woman I worked with was married at a beautiful little church in San Francisco. It was an early afternoon ceremony with the reception at the yacht club. Off the top of my head, I considered that to be a dressy affair. It should have been don’t you think? Aside from the bride, groom, and wedding party who had to dress up for the wedding, my husband and I and two other men were the only ones who had obviously spent some time analyzing the degree of formality required for a wedding. The other two men were gay. And funny. And one was the most drop-dead-gorgeous-hunk I have ever seen in my life! Just thought I’d throw that in because I’ve never forgotten that man’s face. Woo-wee. I stuck to them like Spanx on fat legs just so I could ogle that man’s well-dressed body. No harm in looking. We all discussed the sad departure from dressing correctly for weddings. I love gay men. They know what style is all about by golly.
It’s no wonder the middle class is sinking. We don’t know how to dress up anymore.
Before leaving the house to go to a wedding in your Birkenstocks, untucked shirt, shorts, or casual work clothes, call a gay man…if not for advice, then just to give him some amusing anecdote for the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment