On HBO, I have just finished watching the third season of The Gilded Age. A series about the period of time in America when Mrs. Astor was the self proclaimed gatekeeper of high society. She decided who was IN and who was OUT. A very strange idea in modern American society. Especially out here on the West Coast, and even more so where I live. The highest echelon of people around here are in that category because of their character. You see, there are so few of us in my town, that you don't have very many people to be rude to or cheat in business before it gets around, if you know what I mean.

So watching that show has been just so ... weird to me. Who cares if Mrs. Astor doesn't think you are worthy to be in 'The 400' or whatever. However, this is part of our history.

But that's not really what I'm here to talk about.

The way that people dressed during that time period was fantastical to me. And the people making the program took the whole thing very seriously. There is NO skimping. They went all out. Here are some examples:

Amazing.

Anyway, I didn't realize how profoundly watching so much of this program had sort of insinuated itself into my psyche, until the other day when I was out and about in public. I was in a restaurant and rather immersed in my delicious food, in a lovely kind of reverie, and I glanced up to notice the people in the room. And I was suddenly shocked. It looked to me as if essentially people were walking around in their underwear. Compared to the people in this tv show, a man with cargo shorts and a t-shirt, is basically in his 'small clothes'! And of course the women are in the same boat so to speak. Including myself. [Even though I dress modestly.] At first it was jarring, but once I figured out why I was having that reaction, it became comical, which was followed closely by a kind of sadness. We could do so much better. *I * could do so much better at dressing myself.

Now I don't want to go around dressed like people from the 1800's, but my goodness, what are we thinking with some of our clothing choices these days?

Even the servants were dressed in very nice clothes!

Anyway, it's got me looking for clothes that are more.... I don't know.... beautiful and striking. With variety and color.

Watch the show if you can. It's really quite interesting. Plus it's a fashion parade of the highest order. A feast for the eyes.