Wardrobe Change

This post is a follow-up to Cleaning Out Your Closets. While I donated most of my business attire, I retained the “old guy” clothes I have added to my wardrobe as I have matured beyond wearing t-shirts when going out. Not that I am against wearing t-shirts, I wear them almost every day now, it’s that something in my brain started telling me I should dress a little nicer when going out. Of course my wife has been telling me that for years, so maybe my guy brain just caught up to her.

Now I find myself purposely grabbing some of the shirts I don’t wear as much since Covid has limited our ability to go out. I get some funny looks from my wife when she sees me in one of my softball shirts, or a button-down shirt with my sweatpants while sitting at home. I have never been a slave to fashion and, fear not, I’m not becoming one now, it’s just that after several months of t-shirts, it feels good to wear something else, even if for no other reason than to pull something different out of the closet.

Back to the “old guy” clothes. I define those as the short sleeve button-down shirts that men of a certain age wear to picnics, ball games, etc. instead of a golf shirt or t-shirt. I officially entered that age group when I started adding such shirts to my collection. Not the Hawaiian shirt variety, though I have a few, but the summery-colored ones. Going to the Florida Keys for the last 10 years, I added a few fishing / hiking shirts too. Before reaching that certain age, those categories would have been covered by t-shirts, and until a few years ago, it was the old guys wearing those shirts that prompted my term for them. I have to admit, those shirts are really comfortable and better at wicking away moisture and blocking sun than those t-shirts I had been wearing.

We just returned from our annual trip to the Florida Keys – yes, we travelled – and I was that old guy. Before any reader blows a gasket, we followed all travel and local protocols, and I self-quarantined for a week after returning home. We were also careful to avoid crowds down there and stuck with outside dining. End of disclaimer. For the first time EVER I did not pack a single t-shirt. I did however pack a button down shirt for virtually every day, even when just hanging out on the property. I did feel a little self-conscious but I have to say they were much more comfortable than expected – and they all had a pocket for my glasses (another acquisition made at a certain age).

I’m not about to give up my t-shirt habit - I bought one and a long sleeve brightly colored sun shirt to use for bike riding from Florida Keys Brewing while enjoying a few pints in their beer garden – but in this crazy semi-lockdown time, it feels good to grab something a little nicer from the closet once in a while. A mental lift above the hone-everyday rut that so many of us are stuck in right now. So take a look in your closet and see if there’s a shirt (or blouse) in there that’s just been hanging around; take it out and wear it even if for just a bit. I can’t guarantee it will change anything, but I bet it’ll make you feel a littlet better for a while. And that’s a big deal right now.