What Are Seventyish Women in Maine Wearing During the Pandemic?
By: Jean Anne Feldeisen
Tags: Style, Women, Fashion, Aging, Family

What Are Seventyish Women in Maine Wearing During the Pandemic?

Unusual considerations in planning your wardrobe

Photo courtesy of the author.

As I get older, I’m changing how I dress, where I buy clothes, and what I am willing to endure in order to be dressed. Little things take on more importance, and lately I’ve been trying to turn my wardrobe into something different, something more meaningful and memorable, (and comfortable). I keep thinking about my mother-in-law’s blue-flowered housecoat.

A classy older woman

Elsie Feldeisen was my husband’s mother. She was a petite brunette with handsome features. Many years ago, she was given a beautiful full-length quilted house coat with a zipper up the front. It had a white top with long sleeves attached to a long skirt with an empire waist. There were stylized pictures of flowers, I think, on a cheery blue background. I believe she wore that upon waking every morning for about thirty years.

I picture her opening presents on Christmas morning, or making pancakes for the kids, or sitting at the table eating a piece of toast with jelly while she read the newspaper, wearing that garment. It represents her, exemplifies her personal style.

Her robe was the kind of thing that was comfortable, yet presentable, covered plenty of sins, and always looked neat and, well, classy. My mother in law, Elsie was a class act. Always appeared to have it all together. The house coat was a gift from her daughter, Margie. It probably cost more than she would ever have paid herself, but served her well for many years. I associate her with that piece of clothing, among a few others.

As far as clothes go, I want to be like Elsie. Though she died at the age of 94, she lived fully, and fashionably. right up until the year before, when her husband, Paul, died. By that time, after years of looking after him -- and the family and the garden and the lawn and the cooking and sewing and shopping and canning and freezing and baking and painting and housecleaning -- she had used up her considerable stamina and energy and told me she would die soon. She passed about a year later of cancer.

She had certain things that she wore that worked for her, and they were still there when she died, neatly pressed and hung and cared for. I had the greatest admiration for her.

Changing the way I dress

Now that I have passed seventy, I have begun to sense that though the end is not yet here, it is certainly closer than it used to be, I have begun to think about my clothes purchases differently, to make careful decisions. I want my clothes to reflect who I am now -- dignified, respected, an elder of my tribe. That’s a lot to expect of clothes, I know.

Part of the change is that I am working from home now, online, and don’t need to have such a variety of outfits. But I do care about how I look, and as this always closely parallels how I feel, I try to keep my mood up (and look more lively in that little picture up in the corner of the phone) by dressing in colorful things.

I have also become interested in buying from small interesting-sounding companies who advertise online. I am interested in how they package their products, where they source materials and their commitment to the environment and fair treatment of workers. I used to order clothes from Amazon or a big-name retailer. Now I am paying more attention.

I have never been one to follow fashion. But I notice what others are wearing that I like, I know what looks good on me and what doesn’t, and I have made some accommodations for comfort and easy care as well. So I decided to talk about what I am wearing these days. Maybe it will give you permission to make some “accommodations” to your own needs.

Underwear

First, underwear. I am still wearing underpants. But, I have mostly given up bras. Hallelujah!!! I am home most of the time. If I am going out and only wearing one layer, I might put one on for a day, but I am getting less able to tolerate something that feels like a prison to my breasts, hot and itchy and uncomfortable. I keep trying bras that say they are comfortable but find that the best bra is no bra. So as long as I can get away with it, just say no.

The lower level

I have always enjoyed wearing jeans, maybe it’s about my name, but ”Jeans” are part of my identity and I have several pairs that fit well and I usually wear them. But this year I tried a pair of tights and, glory be, those are nice. They feel like you are naked, when you first put them on, yet I can easily get used to that feeling of no constriction on my legs. Wonderful. The ones I bought are made of merino wool. They are warm, wash easily and don’t hold odors. I will probably get another pair soon.

The upper level

I recently bought a merino wool tee shirt from Woolx. Mine has short sleeves and I wore it in the summer when it was starting to get cooler. It is form fitting so with my braless manifesto it’s better worn under another shirt. Unlike a cotton tee or turtleneck, it provides a degree of warmth, so I plan to get a few with long sleeves for winter.

I also just bought two organic cotton flannel shirts in a tunic length. So, imagine wool tights, a wool tee shirt and nice flannel shirt over all. I can mix the shirts up so there are different color combinations and add earrings to match and be completely loose and free and warm enough all day with no one the wiser.

I continue to wear the clothes I already own, of course, though I am starting to weed out the constricting button-front shirts and suits. There are several merino wool sweaters I like that go over shirts and T-shirts. I have a cool red patterned vest. I find that as I get older I am cold more often, especially if I’m sitting around writing or reading. Something with a little wool in it makes a big difference. I also have a few down vests that pump up the warmth when I need them.

Outerwear

What I need next is a really lightweight down jacket for winter. I have a ”nice” wool coat with toggle buttons that feels so heavy and restrictive. I’ll keep it for now, but I avoid wearing it, and don’t think I put it on at all last winter.

I also have the necessary apparel for surviving in a Maine blizzard. You know, when you have to walk down to the big house through the snow and wind and cold half a mile. It’s an ankle length down coat with hood that came from LL Beans years ago. I call it “Big Blue”. When you need a lot of coat, that one is perfect, and it will never wear out.

Shoes

I also own two pairs of those merino wool shoes selling on the internet. They are great. They are comfortable, warm, and washable. I haven’t tried them in the winter yet, but they will likely be fine inside. I may need to switch to heavier sneakers in the snow and ice. My husband plans to buy me a pair of boots to match his, glory be. Then I can keep going on our long walks all winter.

Socks

Since I moved to Maine and began knitting seriously, I wear wool socks that I knit myself until it is sandal weather. There’s nothing on earth like the feel of hand knit wool socks. I refuse to give them up.. No one can make me.

Photo courtesy of the author

Nightwear

I have also upped my nightwear game. I find I am sitting around awhile in the morning drinking coffee, reading and writing and wanting to be warm but to look decent. I am tired of my current ”dingy fleece- over- flannel-pajamas” look. It does not represent me, not does it exemplify my style. I do not want to be remembered this way, even by myself.

Instead, I want to look like a woman of class who has her act together. So this season I bought myself two fancy pairs of cotton knit pajamas, sage green and lavender. The knit fabric is more comfortable and makes it easier to move around in bed than flannel. But, as a treat, I bought myself a pale gray robe with a hood and tie sash in a cashmere-cotton mixture that is light and warm and classy looking. I hope it will last a while. May my grandchildren fondly recall me, sitting in it eating a piece of toast with jam as I read Medium on my phone.

Maybe it will give you permission to make some “accommodations” to your own needs.

Photo courtesy of the author

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Jean Anne Feldeisen is a writer, cook. and cookbook reader. She writes about cooking, food, books and aging well. Jean has been reading and writing poetry since age 5. The memoir Dear Milly is her first book. She is seventy plus years old and just getting started.