Paisley
I'll Lock Up
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Lady Day said:Consideration of other's reactions, how refreshing
LD
Yes. Dressing to please yourself only is overrated at the FL.
Lady Day said:Consideration of other's reactions, how refreshing
LD
kyda said:I have small children so for me I want to set a good example and try to keep the "girls" covered
Laura Chase said:I certainly do respect your views, but for me, things would look at bit different, and even though I would rather butt out of this thread, I feel there is a need to express a variety of opinions here. So this is certainly not just to oppose you, because I really do respect that this is your take on things. But:
It's difficult for me to understand why my breasts have to be covered in order to set a good example for my children (I don't have any, but I do have nieces and nephews who are just as dear to me). I think I can be a perfecly good role model even with clevage, or even with bare breasts, or hell, even naked.
Lady Day said:Ive wanted to do this thread for a while, because I do think it needs discussion. I know I can count on you ladies for enlightened and vigorous talk.
Now I know that standards of modesty have loosened over the decades, but what Im finding in todays world is not only have stilettos found their way into business and casual attire, but serious cleavage as well! I find it distracting seeing a woman in a lovely tailored business type suit at 11 in the morning showing cleavage down to her ribcage. I always assumed cleavage was left for after 5.
On the beach, sure, going to the opera, perhaps, but making a run to the grocery or hardware store, nah.
I dont want this to be a thread about how I hate modern dress, thats not the intent. What Im looking for is a culmination of thoughts on addressing cleavage in your vintage wear and how, if you go to a formal event do you show cleavage, or go backless, which Ive always felt was the cleavage of yesteryear
Id LOVE for ladies who have any vintage etiquette guidelines on the topic to post them, please! Any crazy 'contraptions' of the vintage era as well.
LD
crazydaisy said:What Jane is displaying is beyond cleavage. I mean, I was wondering what sort of occasion would that be suitable for!? Posing for a men's magazine would sure do. Or maybe it's a mammary competition and Sofia wasn't told. Either way is not that funny and I can see why Sofia pulls that face. What is even less funny is that she's the one getting the blame, judging by some reactions on this forum.
Now I had a boss who used to wear extremely revealing camisole tops at work and it was because she was an aggressive person who dressed in an aggressive manner. It was hard enough to deal with her personality let alone her tits.
But whether is a projection of someone's personality, confidence or insecurity, bad taste or ignorance of dress codes or of what suits one and what doesn't, I still don't want to have to deal with people's bosoms out on display no matter what, the same way I don't want to have to deal with guys whose trousers are half way down their legs so one can truly appreciate their buttocks or maybe the print of what should be their intimate wear! Sorry, but that puts me, the viewer, in the uncomfortable position of having to see what I don't want to! And the only way one can escape that this days is by staying at home all the time and making sure the television is not on and they don't approach any windows!
In Jane's case, maybe it was just a "faux pas" that accomplished what it was meant to and even more since it gets us talking even after decades -
it's all ok if it's just a publicity stunt, I think I've seen implied. But is it really? Is it all all right if it is just for the publicity, ultimately just for the money? I suppose it is why nowadays we are not shocked to see people selling their cancer stories to tabloids!
And I have to say I'm bored stiff with all this pretense of political correctness which says it is ok for one to display whatever they want but not for the other to flutter an expression, let alone express an opinion. Or if one does dare to commit such a thing, it's got to be sugared to death so it can be swallowed. No thanks. I might next time take the advice of smiling and ignoring altogether. At the end of the day it's a survivor' rule.
A lot of what's being said here is most likely in accordance with the amount of permissibility/non-permissibility that the particular person grew up with. At least, that's what's at the base of all the arguments seems to be to me, especially when the opinions veer to whether "I" would or not, which, obviously will end up in "to each her own".Lady Day said:Id LOVE for ladies who have any vintage etiquette guidelines on the topic to post them, please! Any crazy 'contraptions' of the vintage era as well.
LD
Laura Chase said:I certainly do respect your views, but for me, things would look at bit different, and even though I would rather butt out of this thread, I feel there is a need to express a variety of opinions here. So this is certainly not just to oppose you, because I really do respect that this is your take on things. But:
It's difficult for me to understand why my breasts have to be covered in order to set a good example for my children (I don't have any, but I do have nieces and nephews who are just as dear to me). I think I can be a perfecly good role model even with clevage, or even with bare breasts, or hell, even naked.
ScotchWhisky said:I guess my question in the context of the original intent of this tread is this: how can we argue that cleavage is improper but bullet bras, super-tight sweaters, pencil skirts fitted across the hips, bum and thighs or going braless [isn't]?
ScotchWhisky said:I seem to have a similar problem to many women here: I have a Veronica Lake body (literally! 4'11", 34-23-34) and it's hard to find bras that offer support without creating at least a modest cleavage. Sometimes that shows even in vintage or vintage-inspired looks.
kyda said:I have been reading this thread and have been giving my response a great deal of thought, cleavage is a very subjective item. Each one of us has a different way of looking at an item of clothing being worn and deciding if it shows to much cleavage or not and what would look good on us ( individually), there are times when I see women down the street who I think should not have worn a certain blouse,dress because it shows a bit of cleavage but they may think that I look frumpy.
I had a very large bust, but I was lucky enough to get it reduced, so I now can wear dress's and shirts that I would never have dreamt wearing before, but I think very carefully on what I pick. I have small children so for me I want to set a good example and try to keep the "girls" covered, or if there is a small amount of cleavage showing I make sure it is in the appropriate time slot and at the appropriate event/function, I also try to think how my husband would feel when there are other men staring at my chest.
Miss Sis said:Since this is meant to be a discussion regarding some historical info on the subject, I'm surprised no mention has been made regarding the impact of the Hays Code in 1930 for the film industry.
Miss Sis said:Other designs of the period of the early - mid 30s often covered the decolletage area with gauzy or sheer materials. This is not to say the designs weren't revealing in other ways (by being cut on the bias, for example, so as to cling to the body) but cleavage as we would understand it in a modern sense was not generally shown.
I'm sure somewhere there would be a picture to disagree with the above but most people would not have wished to expose themselves in what would have been thought an unseemly or imodest way.