As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. That proved true this week when a Wordless Wednesday blog post inspired a lengthy discussion about why dressing up to go out seems to be a thing of the past.
Welcome to the 52nd edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a decluttering challenge for the week. In addition to thoughts on dressing up to go out, this week’s edition discusses making fillable PDFs, the brain benefits of exercise, and the value of e-waste. Plus, closet decluttering continues.
On my mind this week: Do you miss dressing up to go out?
Earlier this week, Hugh from Hugh’s Views and News put up a Wordless Wednesday post entitled “When was the last time you dressed up for a night out?” It was an old black and white picture of a nicely-dressed couple.
It really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture, and the subsequent conversation that Hugh and I enjoyed in the comments, sparked so many memories. It prompted me to look through some old photos and take a trip down memory lane.
When I was young, I remember my parents often got dressed up and went out to dances and parties. The photo below is from the 1950s—before I was born. I’m not sure where they were going, but Dad looks very dapper in his suit and Mum was lovely as always. When I picture my parents together, that’s how I remember them.
For better or worse, the world is more casual these days
Over the years, our world has become more casual. Dressing up to go out to dinner, the theatre, and even for church, seems to be a thing of the past. Now I definitely don’t miss wearing suits, dresses and blazers for work every day. But I do miss getting dressed up for a night out.
As Hugh and I exchanged comments on his blog post, I recalled going for dinner at Ed’s Warehouse in Toronto in the 1980s. In those days, men had to wear a jacket and tie to eat there. The restaurant kept a supply of ties on hand in case any of the gentlemen showed up without one.
And New Year’s Eve was always an occasion to put on our glad rags. This photo of me and my two besties was taken on New Year’s Eve 1987 at Ruby’s—a nightclub at the Waterloo Motor Inn. (I’m in the middle.)
Like most of the places I frequented in my youth, Ed’s Warehouse, Ruby’s and the Waterloo Motor Inn are long gone. Consistent with the trend these days, new condo towers will soon rise where those establishments once stood.
These days, I rarely dress up for a night out. Other than weddings, I think the last times I really dressed up for were for formal nights on the Disney Cruises my family and I went on in 2011 and 2018. We made the effort to dress for the occasion, but many others didn’t bother.
Times change, but it would be nice to get dressed up and go out again. Do you agree?
Thank you, Hugh, for inspiring this trip down memory lane! If you don’t follow Hugh’s blog, I encourage you to drop by and check it out. https://hughsviewsandnews.com
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Three highlights of the week
It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:
- My mum and sister came to visit on Sunday. We had a good catch up!
- On Friday, I went out for breakfast with some friends. I had a delicious Mediterranean omelette, made all the better with good company.
- My daughter Colleen arrived home safely from Prince Edward Island on Friday evening. It’s nice to have her home for a few days.
Three things I learned this week
Here are three things I learned this week:
How to make a fillable PDF
As I prepare to deliver the pilot of my Second Life Vision workshop, I needed to find a way to make the PDF worksheets I created fillable so they can be completed online. This week I learned how to do that using DocHub. Thanks YouTube!
The brain benefits of exercise
The benefits of exercise on physical and mental health are well documented. But did you know exercise actually increases the size of your brain? Regular exercise increases the size of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This can help reduce or delay cognitive decline as we age. (Source: CNBC)
What has more gold than gold?
I was surprised to learn this week that one ton of e-waste contains 100 times more gold than one ton of gold ore. Humans generate 63 million tons of e-waste every year, yet we recycle only 17% of it. That’s a lot of gold going to waste! (Source: Earth 911)
This week’s decluttering challenge – Tops
In 2024, I’ve been revisiting the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge I completed in 2021. This week’s task was tops—shirts, blouses, and sweaters. I wear all the tops I own so I decluttered just one item. You can find the details, along with my tips and learnings, in this week’s decluttering post.
If you’d like to join the challenge, visit this post to download your free checklists and jump right in with this week’s task.
I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
Thanks so much for linking to my recent Wordless Wednesday post, Michelle. I’m always delighted when somebody tells me that a blog post I published inspired them to write. I’m glad my post got you taking a trip down memory lane.
Your photos are great. Good to see you and the family dressing up, too. I can not remember the last time I wore a suit and tie, but next time I go out for a special occasion, I’m going to make the effort.
Thank you, Hugh. It was fun looking through old pictures. My husband has a suit that he only wears for weddings and funerals…and cruise formal nights, although I’m not sure how many of those we’ll be going to.
I don’t dress up very often, though I know my wife likes to, so I do if we’re going to a more formal event. I find it surprising how casually some people dress at a wedding or funeral.
Yes, times definitely have changed when it comes to wedding and funeral attire. My father-in-law hated wearing a suit and always said he didn’t want anyone wearing a suit for his funeral. He passed away during the pandemic so we were only able to have a small, graveside service. It was close to 100 degrees out that day so we were all very grateful to be given a pass to dress more casually.
Great reflections on how our culture has changed in terms of why we dress up. I personally didn’t have the chance to dress up often when I was younger, so now I enjoy dressing up when I’m going out, say, for dinner with friends. ❤️
Thanks Layla. It’s interesting how our perspective on dressing up is different based on our experiences growing up.
I don’t miss dressing up though I like very elegant clothes. I hate paying attention for instance at not making food or drinks stains on my clothes. I also don’t like the fact that I feel stiff, my movements are not easy enough. But above all, I hate wearing high heels shoes! Beautiful photos Michelle!
Thanks! I feel the same way about spills. I just donated a white blazer for that very reason. White and I do NOT get along. And, I think the consensus is a thumbs-down on the high heel shoes.
Me, too! Love the pics…and those memories of cruises and ‘formal nights’. Oy. I did it but it was never my jam. Give me pizza and beer and skip the fancy duds and sparkles. I made my dad nuts when he wanted to take us to fancy places now and then as youngsters. I’d do it but felt uncomfortable the whole time. All of that to say – I’m with Deb and Erin! 🥰😜🥰
I admit I’m more that way myself these days. When I see celebrities walking the red carpet, my first thought is usually “That looks really uncomfortable!” And don’t get me started on high heels! Why did we do that to ourselves?
Such a great question. And now I have heel pain to remind me of how stupid I was. I bet you’ve shared some tips with your girls…I know I have with Delaney. Not worth the pain that may arrive later. (And thank goodness she’s more of a Doc Martens girl – a good look with anything!) xo! 🥰
Right! I’m very grateful my girls aren’t fashionistas. Laura buys all her clothes at thrift stores. Colleen rocked a pair of silver sneakers with her grade 8 graduation dress. As I watched the other girls teetering around in their stilettos, I knew who the smart one was!
Love every bit of that! 🥰
Well first, love the family pics!!
My memories of childhood include the era when girls still had to wear dresses to school. I loathed dresses so for me “dressing up” has negative associations as it often means the same standards are needing to be enforced. I think the last time I had a dress on was at my sons wedding in 2013! I don’t even own nicer pants anymore- decluttered those some time back as they simply hung in the closet with no where to go. Granted, I can see the draw of those special events or evenings away from the every day but it just isn’t practical for me personally to own clothing I can’t wear everyday. I suppose that means that if I ever go on a cruise I will be eating in my room, not at the fancy dinners 😉
Based on the cruises we went on, anything goes. Some of the guests’ idea of formalwear included jeans, shorts and t-shirts.
I remember when we came to Canada, it was a novelty for me to wear pants to school. In England, we always wore dresses. Times definitely have changed.
Such an interesting conversation, and lovely photos of all! I don’t dress up outside of attending weddings and maybe a holiday work party. For those of us who don’t dress up regularly, the clothes, shoes, handbag, makeup, and hair costs add up! I try to choose flattering, timeless outfits and wear them over and over.
That’s an interesting point, Erin. It really drives home how our culture of consumption has changed things. People in previous generations owned far fewer clothes and still managed to dress up and go out. I’m pretty sure my mom didn’t have a closet full of dresses. In fact, I always picture her in the same dress. It’s interesting how our mindset has shifted to needing to spend money.