"What Should I Wear for House-Cleaning?"
"What should I wear for house-cleaning?
I could recommend all kinds of household wear. To begin with, it should be protective and attractive. I like skirts that have plenty of knee action without being too full . . .
Bandannas are wonderful if worn with style. Have a wardrobe of household kerchiefs to go with what you're wearing. Try a bright calico wrap-and-tie dress with a fetching kerchief to look as sprightly as Brigitte Bardot . . .
For really heavy household chores, wear dungarees with a neat cotton shirt and maybe a bandanna. I don't like dungarees for casual wear, but since they're the best thing for messy jobs, wear them with authority.
Don't look like a steam-fitter or a garage mechanic when what you are is, purely and simply, a wife."
--Anne Fogarty, Wife-Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife (1959, 2008)
9 comments:
"...wear them with authority." I love it! How very nice to be encouraged to dress purposefully as a wife!
Lovely and sound advice!
Excellent to read. It's easy to forget to try to look attractive and tidy at home for your husband and children, and to put all your wardrobe effort into what you wear when out in public. :) Great reminder!
I wish there was a picture to go with that description!
How inspiring though. Thanks for sharing, Anna.
I came across your blog and I loved looking at your pictures and the beautiful regency dresses.
I am sorry about your grandmother. I lost my maternal grandmother on Thanksgiving Day 2007, and then my paternal grandmother a couple of months ago. I know the sadness you feel.
Anyway, just wanted to say hello.
Lynn
Ugh. I confess that I am very glad to have been born when I was in this case! To be expected to clean in a dress and heels too, I'm sure! Yuck!
Besides, when I do clean I get INTO my cleaning!
Amanda
Hi, Anna,
Good tip! I have a complete outfit for yardwork myself: shoes, jeans, long-sleeved collared shirt (sun protection), and huge-brimmed hat, also for sun protection (my wife says I look like Puddleglum from Narnia). It takes a few minutes to get it all together, but it sure saves time trying to clean grass stains out of nice clothes!
I'm also writing to tell you about a project I'm working on. It's a collection of Thank You Stories, to be published in a book titled I Never Got to Thank You.
I would love to include one of your Thank You Stories.
You can read about the project on my post:
http://lovingherbeautiful.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-never-got-to-thank-you.html.
If you like what you read, I would also be very grateful if you would pass on my link to anyone else you're comfortable with -- even if you don't write a Story yourself. My goal is to collect 100 Stories by March 31st, but that date is certainly not a cut-off. Everyone is welcome to contribute a Story -- or more than one!
Thank you for reading.
Blessings to you!
BILL
How delightful! Thanks for sharing!
I love it when they use the word "fetching". Too funny!
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