1. Long, scraggly hair.
2. Crusty, dry feet in “comfy” sandals.
3. Tee-shirts with slogans, worn outside the pants and past the butt.
4. Bad posture and ill-fitting undergarments.
5. Pleated pants. On anyone. Ever.
6. 1990’s short hair (RAMPANT among liberal religious clergy).
7. Oversized, droopy suits with dragging or pooling hems.
8. Scraggly facial hair.
9. Caftan or tunic-type tops with wide cotton pants with elastic waists.
10. Sneakers. Unless they’re a style choice like Chuck’s or you’re a hipster or you’re on the way to the gym to work out.
11. *BONUS!* Blotchy skin with dark circles around the eyes, red nose and/or invisible lips.
Hmm, I’m a little worried about #6. Can you show us some examples. Or, perhaps even better, can you show us some examples of short hair for the middle-aged women set?
I echo Molly’s concerns – please would you post some examples?
Me too — could you please give us photos to compare 1990’s frumpy short hair with 2010’s hip short hair. My hair is beyond thick and heavy. I’ve tried everything, have consulted numerous hairdressers, but longer hair makes me look frumpy. I’m going to let it go gray, and am in search of a short, savvy ‘do.
I will work on this!
Yes! My mother has had the same haircut for 25 years. I know she won’t go for longer hair, but an updated version would be awesome. She isn’t clergy, but is (overly) concerned with what is “proper”.
I have the same question about what constitutes 1990s short hair. Looking forward to those pics…
Piling on here: I have short hair that I’m allowing to grey naturally and need to know what frumpy 1990’s looks like!
Oh, thank heavens other people are asking about the 1990s short hair!
Wearing sneakers here. They are black suede, and I’m wearing pants that are either dark blue or black, not too short. Best I can do, Babe. My feet can’t stand GA. I do have some shoe cuteness for evening, though…
I have 1980s short hair, which makes me fashionable now –just kidding. Although my hair is only slightly longer than it was in the 80s the style is very different.
I was expecting to see capris on your list! I wish I could find summer pants that I like and are flattering.
[Oh honey, I ranted about big, floppy capris in the next post! – PB]
About the t-shirts: With an abundant, er um, embrace, and short torso, I keep my tees out and wear them long to lengthen me. I do wear them lightly (or more fitted). Do I get a pass?
And, 9) sounds like a number of African or hijab-appropriate clothing I’ve picked up all over the world and wear for stylish modesty and comfort. Hmmm.
I think I’ve had pretty much the same short hairdo for my thick, wavy-to-curly hair for 20 years, but looking at photos, I can see that it actually changes. This is because even at the cheapo hair salons I usually go to, the stylists change their approach subtly over time. (Great Clips is across the street from my church, and I get more compliments on my cut than I did when I paid three times the price at a proper salon, so I’m sticking with them. There, my secret is out.)
This is a good reminder, though, that I might need to change the photo on my church website, which is the one you see here as my profile. It is about 7 years old and, again, while I think I am getting pretty much the same cut, it has changed shape a little, and I suspect the old ‘do is looking dated, as they do.
Can you clarify about the pleated pants? To my eye, this
http://www.openingceremony.us/pimg/48935_1.jpg
is frumpapalooza (even if the leg were lengthened), while this
http://www.openingceremony.us/pimg/64689_ss12_ocuk_chloeimg_9831.jpg
is very chic. [You got it. The day that most ministers I know have an eye for styling for their body type, I will fold up shop and go home. In general, pleated pants are NO-NO. However, when worn by a gaminesque, slouchy model in a gorgeous drapey fabric in a $400 or so pair of awesome trousers, they’re just fine. – PB]