There are brands I like, but I don’t care which store I buy them from. I do view Gap and Old Navy as disposable clothes. They are good for one season. Now kids are older I don’t remember the last time I was there.
Today D2 and her BF came to visit me. I didn’t tell them what we were doing except maybe go to a local restaurant for lunch. D2 wore a pair of white jeans with black silk top and the BF wore a black shirt with jeans. The way they dressed we could have gone to a burger joint or a nicer seafood restaurant. Since the BF liked oysters, we opted for the seafood restaurant.
There is a difference in quality depending on brands, even within the same brand they have different labels to meet various markets. It’s in the cut and fabric.
I buy both disposable and higher end clothes. They can compliment each other. I would wear an inexpensive Zara jacket with a more expensive dress.
I’ll admit to being quite casual. But casual doesn’t have to be sloppy! What I’m wearing right now is pretty typical for me in the summer. For home and for running around town (not ACTUAL running - I have other clothes for that…)
My clothing is casual, but it is in very good shape. It coordinates. I’m wearing a lightweight light blue Life Is Good T-Shirt with a pair of LL Bean sport shorts (so, exercise type shorts, but not shorty shorts) in grey and a pair of grey and teal TEVA lightweight sneakers. I wore this to drop my daughter at work, make a stop at my community garden to do a little maintenance and then to do a full-on grocery store trip. I’m fully comfortable, covered decently, appropriate for the weather and moveable and breathable for the activities. When I’m home, I dress like this most of the time.
Yesterday I went to college orientation with my daughter. Wow, lots of variety there, even among the parents! From slouchy jeans to sun dresses. I wore a khaki skort, a black women’s fit “dressier” t-shirt and a pair of TOMS. I felt comfortable, casual but respectable. Works for me!
So I think casual is ok. Old Navy is Ok. BUT your choices - how you put it together, how it fits you, what occasions you choose to wear things - that can make a difference.
I bought my first one last Friday, after hearing good news from my son. I got it at Marshall’s , $13.00 I do recall visiting the first store in Cambridge. It’s a fun to sleep in shirt. I also wore it on a 2 hour drive home.
When my son was in elementary school, I liked ON for their shorts, which were light weight and had elastic waistband. He outgrew every year, so I would donate them to his school.
@abasket, would you wear the outfit you have on today to a casual neighborhood restaurant?
There’s no reason to wthink that the kid in the OP’s story wasn’t wearing exactly what @abasket described. Sounds pretty casual but not outside the realm of what some people might wear to a casual neighborhood restaurant, especially kids.
You know, if I was going to a local small town casual but popular restaurant (not fast food, but casual) I would. I also might wear the outfit I wore to orientation. But as long as it was clean, not sweaty and casual but matched, I’d wear it sometimes. If I was dressing specifically for the restaurant I might not wear the sport shorts, but if someone last minute said “let’s go!” - I wouldn’t think twice about it.
Wow, just read the OP story. I wouldn’t think twice about a kid wearing that out to dinner with us at a casual restaurant as described. Again, as long as it’s clean, not sloppy (overly big or tight or ratty) and assuming her flip flop feet are clean and her hair is kept. But I’m a casual person and I’ll say, overall, our part of the world is overall nicely casual.
Old Navy is poor quality. I work for an industry leading retail company and have traveled a lot with our merchants and listen to their discussions. It’s simply a fact. Doesn’t mean you can’t get some cute, comfy things there- but don’t pretend it’s quality. Our stores sold some $12.99 flannel shirts last holiday season and our CEO was showing me what made them really good quality ( and a steal). I bought a bunch for Christmas gifts!
@acollegestudent , TJ Maxx. Nice selection of LIG t-shirts for under $15. My current favorite: yellow with a small picture of a couple of sketched trees in a forest that says, “optimistic by nature” - totally describes me!!!
I don’t a know the Thai restaurant referred to, but I do know the one in Cambridge. It was fairly fancy, meaning the excellent service and white table cloths, etc. we had an excellent meal, but over $60 without drinks. When my son passed a milestone, I would tell him to go to this place, on her credit. We definitely thought of it as a NICE place. At my local Thai places, in SE FL, any kind of shorts would be fine.
Her shorts could be similar to abasket’s, but just based on the popular Nike shorts and the style they generally I don’t believe they are the same shorts.
OP said that the young lady wore the shorts on the plane. There’s no way shorts like the one in Niquii’s link are comfy for a plane flight - they have a built in brief that is pretty tight. I know - I used to run in those. I see young ladies on planes wear what idad calls gangsta shorts - men’s 9" short. Those don’t come with any butt compression device inside.
The situation reminded me of a scene from a stupid movie I saw when I was younger. A lady gets invited to a masquerade, the invitation says “costume ball.” When her name is announced, she starts walking down a long staircase wearing some crazy contraption, and the crowd, all wearing ball gowns and holding little masks on a stick first gasps in horror and then starts laughing.
“You really thought that ON quality was the best there was?”
No, of course not. But for everyday? Sure, ON seems perfectly fine. D’s jeans don’t seem to fall apart, and my capris last long enough, and they fit right, too. But I’m hardly the same person I was even 5 years ago. I don’t feel the need to spend gobs of money on something I’m not going to be wearing for decades. In fact, I can’t even imagine doing so.
As I shopped today, I was thinking, if I met up with some here, I’d be nervous the entire time. Would I be judged for wearing “throwaway” clothes to the wrong place? Would my brands be good enough? My shoes cute enough? And if my family came along, would THEY pass muster? What if my son had to meet us right from work in WORK BOOTS? Or my SIL in her SCRUBS? Or my D in her “throwaway” clothes or even the WRONG SHORTS?
Life is too damn short to be that worried about who’s wearing what where. Off to a “really casual” neighborhood restaurant. Of course, now I won’t be able to NOT look at what everyone is wearing.
Betcha you will not see any gangsta shorts at Wild Ginger.
" Or my SIL in her SCRUBS"
She better leave those scrubs at the hospital. I really mean it. You would not see me wearing my lab coat outside the lab, because there is a chance some nasty stuff could be on it, like traces of DCC. It does not matter if the lab coat is pristinely clean - if I wear it outside the lab, I will get a talk with our safety officer. There is a simple policy reason why hospital clothes should NOT be worn outside the hospital - when I am at TJ’s and see a nurse in scrubs, how would I supposed to know if those scrubs have not just come in contact with a person infected with some nasty bug?
My Old Navy shorts lasted for years. Not all their stuff does, but I love their shorts! When the shorts were done, I bought an almost identical pair that I love!
When I am not wearing a skirt or dress, my casual go-to is very similar to abasket: navy Old Navy Bermuda shorts, a t-shirt (I love interesting or unique ones, like right now I am wearing one with a pterosaur outline) or dressier top, depending on how I feel, and my Teva sandals.
There’s a couple hospital and medical centers on my campus and I aways wonder that! Like…why are you wearing that outside? I see men and women just walking about around campus or running to get something to eat.
I have no issues with contractors wearing their work clothes on the bus or in other public places. Ditto restaurant workers. Medical personnel and lab workers should know better!
