Yesterday Mr. Hunting Creek took me out to lunch at our favorite Thai restaurant, THAI in Shirlington (Big Bowl Lunch Special $6.95!) before we did our Saturday chores. The weather was nice so we sat outside and watched the street scene. One thing became increasingly clear: Washington women (at least those in Shirlington and Alexandria) have no style. NONE.
They were wearing sweats in public, they were wearing baggy cargo shorts, they were wearing track shoes with shorts and men's' ripped up T shirts. I have seen Italian trash men that were better dressed. (One complaint to The Sartorialist was that he never shows women of Washington...based on what I saw yesterday, ladies, you need to step up your game)
I have had the good fortune to eat in cafes and observe the street scenes in many cities all over the world: Kyoto,Kuala Lumpur, Florence, Novara, Rome, Singapore, Vancouver, Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Montreal...to name a few. And in every single one of those places the women were dressed better than the women of Washington. Why do they dress so casually? Is it that they just can't be bothered to make any effort at all? How you dress makes a big difference in your attitude and happiness. My sister never goes out without makeup and looking nicely put together; neither does my daughter. We were brought up that way.
Why are New York women fashionable on the weekends, and Washington women so very NOT?
4 comments:
Ah yes, THAI restaurant in Shirlington . . . I know it and enjoy it well (live about half a mile away). I'm afraid I have to agree with you about the style of suburban Washington . . . it's not a pretty thing. I'm not sure why this is . . . the Washington area never seems as stylish as other major cities. I can understand that people get a bit relaxed on the weekend, but it is still possible to be comfortable and stylish if you give it just a little thought.
I can't comment on Washington women these days, but I can on how badly dressed Long Island women go out and about. I like to wear makeup and look put together it makes me feel good. Go to the movies these days and you'd think that the women were watching a video at home! My dd spent her junior year in Paris and it was always easy to tell the American tourists by exactly what you described. You'll notice that the sartorialist doesn't shoot people in any small towns?
Wait, wait, wait. You can't judge DC based on the suburbs. Especially not the suburbs that are in a different state. The suburbs of DC are totally different from DC itself. In DC proper, everyone is quite nicely dressed, as they mostly work on or near the Hill (that would be Capitol Hill, for those of you who aren't up with DC speech).
My thought is that DC has always been such a "man's" town that women tend to dress like men too, lest they be thought of as bimbos. Not just on weekends, but in their boring navy or gray work suits too. White House dinners, excepted, of course. ;-)
(Former DC area resident)
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