The lost art of dressing for the occasion

[rene_writer]

Well, home ec isn't taught any more.

Home ec was actually canceled in my highschool the year I was going to take it (2007 ish). I did not need the class as my household was very hands-on growing up, but i figured that it would be an easy A. There were plenty of boys and girls who really did need those courses, though. The school board had decided to cancel the classes because it was considered insulting to women.

Um... what? I'm all for sensible feminism, but that was ridiculous. The classes were open to both male and female students with more males than females enrolled at the time of cancelation. It is not "feminist" to believe that nobody will ever have to cook, clean, or run the household books. It's ridiculous.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"We've come so far."

 

[Shangas]

I mean no offense to any of the fine women and young ladies who populate this board (and I would not say that if I thought it untrue), but feminism confuses the hell out of me sometimes.

I'll leave it at that.

Home Ec. I'm surprised there are schools that still teach it. I've heard some of my friends from other schools had classes like that, but they were called something else which I don't recall.

Home Ecc. is a pretty interesting class...It's not one that I ever took, but I can see why it would be important, for boys and girls. There are some basic household skills that you just need to know.

 

[LizzieMaine]

True feminism is about self-sufficiency. There is nothing more self-sufficient than a woman who can prepare her own food, maintain her own home, and sew her own clothing. Or for that matter, a man who can do the same thing. Any concept of feminism that claims there's something inappropriate about teaching these skills isn't feminism at all. It's utter, absolute bunk, and those who teach it shouldn't be allowed within fifty feet of any schoolroom.

 

[vitanola]

All that you say is true, Miss Maine, but I think that most of the posters here have been too polite to mention one of the other possible reasons for the ascendance of the "Ripped" look in modern culture. In the 1970's there was in some circles a vogue for a certain hypermasculine working class appearance, perhaps as antidote to the then common perception of the members of those circles, which was generally anything but masculine.

The ideal appearance was the nearest approximation to the rough, muscular working man of fantasy which could be created. A sort of Marlboro Man" image. At this time some of these men discovered what women have known for centuries, that an unexpected show of flesh was extremely alluring. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, with the increasing sexualisation of every aspect of fashion the ripped look began to go mainstream, and some fashion designers, who were presumably familiar with this subculture, brought the look to the runway on both male and female models. Ripped clothing apparently retains its allure to many, else it would have been but a short-lived fad.

 

[sheeplady]

Um... what? I'm all for sensible feminism, but that was ridiculous. The classes were open to both male and female students with more males than females enrolled at the time of cancelation. It is not "feminist" to believe that nobody will ever have to cook, clean, or run the household books. It's ridiculous.

In my home economic class (required, boys and girls in grade 7- about 12 years old), we were put in teams for cooking. My team was 3 boys who weren't the academically ambitious type of students The first thought that occurred to me was that "I'm going to have to do all the work." Which, absolutely was stereotypical and sexist of me, but I was also 12. Although I knew that men could cook, but I figured they'd pin all the work on me because I was female and the only person in the group (regardless of sex) who probably cared about getting a grade at all.

I think I washed one dish in 5 weeks. Literally, the boys let me do nothing and I wasn't interested in fighting with them to do the stirring or wash the dishes. I did get some really good free cookies though. One of the guys had this idea to modify the peanut butter cookies recipe and they were to die for.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The ideal appearance was the nearest approximation to the rough, muscular working man of fantasy which could be created. A sort of Marlboro Man" image. At this time some of these men discovered what women have known for centuries, that an unexpected show of flesh was extremely alluring. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, with the increasing sexualisation of every aspect of fashion the ripped look began to go mainstream, and some fashion designers, who were presumably familiar with this subculture, brought the look to the runway on both male and female models. Ripped clothing apparently retains its allure to many, else it would have been but a short-lived fad.

I had no idea that sci-fi fanboys were that influential. Fascinating.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I think they replaced most of the "useful skills" with how to take tests or classes that will get you into college. They don't teach home ec, they don't teach nutrition, they don't teach finance, and they don't even teach shop or business classes anymore. But every student should take calculus because it's so important.

I can tell you I cook, work with finances, and manage my home every day of my life. I haven't used calculus since I took my final exam in Calculus 201. I've taught advanced statistics at the doctorate level (to non-statistics students), but still, never ever used a single piece of calculus.

The main application of calculus is in engineering and the hard sciences but the problem is that we produce so few engineers and scientists these days. And what's really bizarre is that one of the reasons why many kids in this country have little or no interest in math or science is because... get ready...

they perceive it as some sort of "Asian thing." :doh:

 

[vitanola]

I had no idea that sci-fi fanboys were that influential. Fascinating.

:eeek:



:eusa_doh:

 

[sheeplady]

The main application of calculus is in engineering and the sciences but the problem is that we produce so few engineers and scientists these days. And what's really bizarre is that one of the reasons why many kids in this country have little or no interest in math or science is because... get ready...

they perceive it as an"Asian thing." :doh:

I'm not disputing that it isn't useful, it just hasn't been useful to me (I work in IT/ Technology). They've been trying to get more students into STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for decades now, and the increased pressure to have students take calculus in high school certainly doesn't seem to increase the numbers of students going into these areas.

 

[reetpleat]

And it doesn't even look authentic.

Around here, teenage girls wear carefully and precisely ripped clothes, jeans in particular. The tears are done on patterns that I have never had occur to any of my jeans in all the years I've been doing auto and motorcycle repairs, and home and commercial construction.

And speaking of which, tears in blue jeans are nothing but an inconvenience when working 50 stories above the street carrying heavy materials or working with a circular saw. Every time you bend your leg and part of you gets caught up in the hole of the tear, and you do this over and over again all day long, it becomes pretty darn annoying, and you go home and toss those pants out and wear others the next day with no damage.

I guess if your idea of physical activity is walking in the mall, torn jeans are just fine.

However, you might be interested to know that part of the vintage jeans industry involves very old jeans in worn, torn, stained, and patched condition being sold to designers who design jeans that are to be stressed, sanded, carefully dyed and otherwise altered to replicate an authentic worn vintage pair. Not saying it is or is not silly, but at least those expensive jeans do replicated actual wear. Of course, the cheaper knocks off likely do not.

Of course, that is nothing new. There is a comic strip that still runs in some papers called Travels with Farley. It was started in the 70s, and involved a bearded young man who was a reporter in San Francisco. As I recall, his source of income was wearing out jeans. He would get new jeans, wear them for a few months, then pass them on to his employer to sell. Obviously, this was a joked based on the trend of distressed denim that rose in the era.

 

[LizzieMaine]

They'll Do It Every Time.

 

[Rathdown]

I reckon it's a combination of both, now that you mention it. But because I'm biased, I'll say rap.

Actually, it is spelled "crap". The "C" is silent in the spoken word.

 

[scottyrocks]

They'll Do It Every Time.

Exactly. Paying more money for stuff that my mom would've sewn or ironed patches on, or thrown out if really bad, than the new new-looking stuff. Ridiculous.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I'm close to 29 years in an aerospace company. There's no way on God's green earth that my son will go into Engineering. He's 26 years old and is working full time at a bank, while getting his Accounting Degree. He remembers us discussing getting laid off his whole life which is why he won't be an engineer. Both cities I've worked in are laying off a lot of engineers these days. I'm not sure why everyone wants to get people in Engineering, there aren't that many jobs.

Later

 

[Shangas]

Actually, it is spelled "crap". The "C" is silent in the spoken word.

I do apologise, Rathdown! You are of course, absolutely correct. A spelling-mistake on my part

 

[Feraud]

They'll Do It Every Time.

Back in the 80s my youngest brother bought a pair of jeans pre-ripped in all the right places. My mom did the washing, saw these ripped jeans, and promptly sewed 'em up. We had a good laugh when my brother went looking for his jeans, "the ones with the holes in them" and my mother explained how she fixed them!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Hi

I'm close to 29 years in an aerospace company. There's no way on God's green earth that my son will go into Engineering. He's 26 years old and is working full time at a bank, while getting his Accounting Degree. He remembers us discussing getting laid off his whole life which is why he won't be an engineer. Both cities I've worked in are laying off a lot of engineers these days. I'm not sure why everyone wants to get people in Engineering, there aren't that many jobs.

Later

The rationale is that "we're falling behind the rest of the world in science and technology, so we need more engineers and scientists to catch up." Well, that and stop shipping all our science and tech jobs overseas so the stockholders can have a bigger dividend.

If I had kids, my career advice to them would be simple: become farmers. Because when the house of cards finally collapses, at least you won't go hungry.

 

[Wally_Hood]

The rationale is that "we're falling behind the rest of the world in science and technology, so we need more engineers and scientists to catch up." Well, that and stop shipping all our science and tech jobs overseas so the stockholders can have a bigger dividend.

If I had kids, my career advice to them would be simple: become farmers. Because when the house of cards finally collapses, at least you won't go hungry.

Again, you score a bull's eye.

 

[reetpleat]

Oh, here in Seaattle, there are plenty of science and tech jobs paying very good money. They are mostly filled with Indians and Chinese, and the occasional Russians on HB1 visas. It isn't like they will work for less. They are commanding salaries that would have many Americans salivating. I know guys in their mid 20s earning over $100K a year.

How many farmers make that year after year, plus benefits? Nothing against farmers, but it is not always that profitable, so I understand.

My dad, who used to be a farmer tells the old story of a guy standing on the corner selling hammers for 2 dollars that he bought at the hardware store for $3. When asked why he would do that, he says, "it beats farmin'"