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Reading about some of you noticing fewer holiday lights this year made me wonder if any of you have noticed that nobody seems to be wearing holiday clothes? I have a lot of holiday vests, tees, sweatshirts, etc. from the years I attended so many parties. So, after Thanksgiving I start wearing these cheerful things. But I notice that I seem to be the only one. For instance, a friend and I were invited to a holiday open house. The host couple decorate over the top. We were the only two wearing holiday party clothes! The hostess was wearing an oversize tee with a team logo and jeans. One of the other gals wore jean shorts and tee. There wasn't one inch of that house that didn't have some sort of decoration; including a village on 3 tiers that took up half the family room and had 200+ buildings! But no festive clothing?

Last week a club I belong to had their holiday party with catered lunch and grab bag gift exchange. Again, only one other lady joined me wearing Christmas party clothing. Any hint of decorating oneself for the holidays might be earrings or a crocheted Santa that one of the members handed out.

And you girls are absolutely right - there are only 3 houses on my whole street with outside lights. I thought perhaps the younger folks are so tied up with their busy lives that there is no time left to decorate, but I live in a Senior community! I, too, remember going for a ride to look at the lights. In fact, that's how my parents got me out of the house for Santa's visit while we were gone. We always seemed to just miss catching him, but then, he's awfully fast. Sometimes we took our 3 boys out for the light ride, but we didn't need to because our neighborhood back east was completely decorated.

So, who wears all those fancy Christmas sweaters (not the ugly ones) and tees I see in the stores? I don't see them around town or at parties.

Pooker

I "dressed" for our party at the condo I live in. However, one other party I went to, a luncheon, it was such a warm day that there was no way I was going to get dressed in party clothes! lyn

Seems that unless it’s a designated “ugly sweater” party, very few dress Christmasy.
I do notice that it’s women of a particular age that still does this; both at my community center and at bowling.

It was Ugly Christmas Sweater day at the Nursing home. I just happened to have on my Christmas Cat t-shirt from last year. I didn't know it was sweater day but it was 75 so I wouldn't have worn a sweater. My sister gave me another Christmas Cat t-shirt this year and I wore it the other day. I don't think I have any Christmas sweaters and very few sweaters of any kind. I have to dig to even find long sleeve shirts.

Martha

I have a collection of Christmas tshirts and have worn one of them daily since Thanksgiving! I also have a Halloween tshirt collection for October. Happy problem is I will need to replace whole collection next year as all are quickly getting too big!
Velda

Maybe it's a regional thing or but I don't think of a shirt or a sweater with Christmas decorations on it as holiday clothes. To me holiday clothes would mean a nice dress or pants and dressy top, neither of which I own though oh I forgot, I did buy a summer dress last year, but haven't worn it.

Wow.

More Christmas traditions ending up in the dust heap.

I am active in my local gem and mineral society (aka "rock club") and we had our annual Holiday pot luck at a rented hall the other evening. I wore a black velour top with silver sparkles that I purchased at Walmart some years back (the patterns on it were painted on with glitter paint, I think) and gold brocade pants (have to see them to believe them!) that I have probably owned for at least fifteen years (had them so long I don't remember where I got them), but are both still like new because I only wear them for a day or two at the Holidays. I also wore thermal underwear, and two pairs of socks. I knew the hall would be cold, and it was.

I was one of the few (ok, one or two) to be dressed festively. Most of the other members came in jeans and sweatshirts - no condemnation from me - the night and the hall were cold. I am fine with people wearing what they are most comfortable in (having spent my working life in an office wearing uncomfortable clothes).

I do miss seeing Holiday finery, though. Growing up, Mom dressed us kids in our best for Holiday dinners, even when we had no guests and were spending the Holidays at home.

I guess this means that I am probably on the cusp of, or have already entered, Old Fartdom. I don't particularly think that things "back then" (which seem to me to be just last week) to have been better - just different.

I drove to another town nearby to attend the above-mentioned dinner, and the Holiday lights were few and far between even there. Growing up (Old Fartdom again!) I seem to remember that all of the houses on our block had at least a light string or two - this was long before the elaborate displays you see today.

[sigh]

On the other hand, last night a jeep went by, while I was out walking my dog after dark, that was totally decorated with winking/blinking colored Christmas Lights.

It was truly a sight to behold. The new way of doing things, perhaps.

Anne

On the other hand, my new village I recently moved to goes over the top with Christmas decorations and lights throughout. And most everyone can be seen in some kind of Christmas clothing and jewelry, especially at church and functions. So much so, that I had to go shopping for a couple of dressy tops to wear and a pair of dressier black slacks. Decided I can't get away with just one outfit for church any more, since I am no longer traveling on every week.

Liz, I think where you live now has taken over decorating for a lot of people. I like the golf cart Christmas parades. I'm sure there will be Christmas Parades in the campgrounds around here. Any time I have been camping for any holiday there is a parade. They like to throw Mardi Gras beads all the time.

I like Anne's Old Fartdom. I think that's were I live.

I spent a lot of time when I was growing up with my two Aunts in Dallas. Dallas was pretty full of it's self 60 or 70 years ago. My Aunts and I had quite a few fights about what they thought I should wear and what I wanted to wear.

Martha

When I was working I wore Christmas sweaters starting the Monday after Thanksgiving. One of my long time inmate employees would always laugh and say it's time for the annual parade of Pat's Christmas sweaters! They have been sitting in my closet unworn for that last two seasons! It did hurt my feelings when youngest son came over and wanted to borrow one for an ugly Christmas sweater party......he picked out my favorite! I find that I hope that we don't get invited to weddings or any other occasion where you have to dress up because it means I have to find something to wear. I basically live in jeans or flannel pajama pants and sweatshirts or t-shirts. I'm even to the point if going someplace requires putting on a bra....it's not going to happen! The one and only reason I like winter is that I can put on my parka and run to the grocery store or post office and no knows the difference!

I loathed Christmas clothes when I was a kid. They always scratched, and the grownups always yelled if they got dirty, and it was hard to play in those darned skirts!

I saw a woman yesterday in leggings that had Christmas lights painted on them, and she wore a necklace of flashing Christmas lights. Now, that I could wear!

my brother used to put up lots of lights lots the deer lights as well...he has stopped due
to cost to light up the house...wonder if that is a lot of it or if Christmas sorta crept up this year
and so not ready for it...don't know I did put up my tree indoor stuff even knowing I wouldn't see it much but still haven't gotten the light up outside and those I leave up all season...clear lights and solar at that..
I have a sweat shirt on that one would classify it as winter
sheila

I don’t have any Christmas clothes either. Do see people wearing some at the stores and restaurants, but I think most of us don’t, due to the climate here. It’s cold, it’s wintery and so we dress more for the weather than for fashion. I don’t go to parties or such, so can’t say what gets worn there. I do wear my red ski sweater on Christmas day as it’s design is wintery and it’s red.

I'm noticing a lack of lights and decorations outside too. But then I didn’t do lights this year either. Almost didn’t put anything out, but decided to do garland and bows on porch. Only about 3 houses in neighborhood with anything. Don’t drive at night, so maybe there’s more in town. There are so many “second homes” up here, nobody here, so the outlaying areas like where I am, don’t bother. The other and biggest factor here is everything gets covered in snow if you put it out there. My next door neighbor said same thing. As is, I have covers over my shrubs for winter and with the snow on top of them, can’t really see the bows and garland from the road hardly.

I went to the Christmas potluck here at Crystal River Village everybody let's say most of the women had cheerful Christmas clothes on of some sort... and again almost all the homes here have Christmas decorated lights and all that outside.... I didn't have much to decorate with but I took my rope lights from the RV and put them on the railing and the rest of my decorations inside such as my little trees you can see through the window....