"I no longer care about clothes, and it's a glorious, liberating feeling"

I get worn out just doing basic body maintenance. If it's not the dry skin, it's the eczema, the toe nails or the finger nails, not to mention the dry hair.

I've managed to assemble a wardrobe of clothes that I can basically wear anywhere, from shopping, baby sitting, through to the occasional evening out.

For the evening out I add nice earrings puff my hair up and polish my shoes. Oh and I've got a smaller handbag for the evenings.

Luckily people don't dress up much nowadays. Went to the ballet and everyone was casual except for one person who was looking glamorous but slightly daft because she was the only one.

I'm with harrigran's DH! I loathed dressing in the corporate image in the 80s and 90s and after I retired told myself I'd never dress up again except for special occasions. Then a combination of arthritis and plantar fasciitis put me in trainers so smart shoes were no longer a sensible or comfortable choice. And you dress for what you're doing. If you lunch in smart places, you dress accordingly. loopylou how can you tell if they're pyjamas? They label things I'd call nightwear as 'relaxation'.

I shall change back when I get home because these are scratchy. Eurgh!

I have actually just changed out of my black joggers to nip into town. Into a pair of M and S elasticated waist straight legged pull-ons.

My look is 'casual chic' (without the chic).

I do think that a person can go too far with the "not caring" look.
I know someone who used to wear any old thing to funerals, when previously she cared what she wore, to a certain extent.

I think that the problem was, she had begun to stop caring about life in general, and her life in particular.
She has however, got through that phase of her life now.

I couldn't believe my eyes earlier when a middle-aged woman with two daughters (I presumed they were in their 20's) were wandering around the supermarket with a fleece pulled on over their pyjamas!

I love them around the house and garden but just prefer not to go out in them. God knows what the next step would be. Carpet slippers?

Who said that?

If you're over 70, you're invisible anyway. So why not wear what's comfortable as long as it's clean.?

DH wears jogging bottoms all the time because for almost 50 years he had to wear a suit with a shirt and tie. I wear them around the house for comfort but always change before going out.

And they are very forgiving around the waist.

But perhaps that's a bad thing!

No one bats an eyelid about straight leg jogging trousers. How are they any different from any other trousers, apart from the fact they are warm?

Like Rockgran's DH, mine has a wardrobe full of ties he never wears but will not part with, despite my best efforts, mostly representing every military unit he has ever served with but also from when he worked. He did suggest wearing one when we went to lunch with a friend on Friday, but then changed his mind. I am ashamed to say that since I retired, I spend very little on clothes, but have thought recently that I ought to stop slopping around in trousers and start wearing skirts - which means I will have to go out and buy new ones as the ones I am hanging onto no longer fit me. I had on a pair of straight leg jogging type trousers yesterday and only realised when I got to GS's school that I had forgotten to change them. I couldn't have felt worse if I'd been wearing pyjamas and couldn't wait to get back to the car!

I have got into wearing jogging bottoms, and old jerseys when I am around the house. Only very rarely do I dash out to a local shop for a forgotten food item wearing such garments.

The odd trip to the tip in my gardening trousers I see as fair game. The muddy kneed trousers and wellies are a badge of authenticity.

My mum never helped me with regard to any inherited dress sense but that's another story. Several years ago I decided I really needed to up my game with regard to what I wore and I started to make sure I looked reasonably smart even when I went out on the supermarket run.

rockgran I have the same problem convincing OH that apart from weddings and funerals, that tie wearing is just not done these days.

I hate the feel of jeans. Round the house I wear black 'joggers' but not the ones that go in at the ankle. Smart looking ones.

I can't get the article. I have used up my free allowance.

I like to look decent as an every day thing. It's good for the spirit. For going out, I like to look good.

I have two wardrobes full of mainly 'smart' clothes and since last September I've lost my way clothes-wise, no longer have a job requiring presenting a corporate image.
I wear the top/jeans/fleece combo most days, but make an effort if I go out.
I'd love someone to go through my wardrobe and sort me out! I seem to have lost the oomph and skills to look at dressing differently , clothes really no longer interest me.

What is wrong in liking clothes and dressing well? There seems to be certain 'holier than thou' attitude about those claiming not to be interested in clothes anymore.

I love dressing and looking nice, which does not mean that my life is obsessed by either fashion or shopping, in fact I find shopping, even for clothes, very boring. I can get all the clothes I possess into one wardrobe and one chest of drawers.

Twice a year after a month of browsing through the colour supplements that come with the Sunday papers I will look at my clothes, assess what needs to go out and what needs replacing and spend an afternoon at my local shopping centre filling the gaps in my wardrobe and that's that.

Most people's wardrobe changes with their life circumstances. Before I retired I wore smart clothes to work, suits and the like. Now I am retired my clothes are more relaxed, jeans, leggings, sweaters, but I buy all my casual clothes with the same eye for colour, style and design that I exercised when I was buying suits and dresses for work.

I cannot imagine a time when I will be indifferent to what I am wearing.

I think I would be more offended by the state of this man toenails than his clothes!
I'm sure it is liberating but its not for everyone. I enjoy clothes and being well turned out and would be hugely uncomfortable in sports wear other than for sport. I had quite enough of second hand clothes as a child so I'm not going there. We are not particularly fashionable but clean clothes daily, matching underwear and good grooming are very important to DH and I. That is not to say we don't have days at home in jeans and t shirts doing jobs or hanging around the house but I wouldn't go out like it. I don't shop a lot preferring the internet so I can try things on at home but a day with one of my girls in the frock shops is a delight occasionally.

DH wore suits for most of his working ( for other people) life, now he has a wide range of jeans and interesting jumpers.
His suits are now in lighter colours and a more modern cut.

For me clothes were an issue, when I was young. My mother preferred to buy for herself and although my clothes were good quality and well presented I had very few.

When I earnt my own money it was a real pleasure to choose, make and buy my own clothes. I still have an interest in fashion, although I know there are more worthy things to think about! x

My DH loves not having to wear a tie these days but try to get him to throw one out......! His wardrobe consists of many items bought before we were married (18 years). He really resists any attempts to smarten up around the house and wears whatever is at the top of the drawer or shelf. The concept of "worn out" seems lost on him. He will make an effort if we go out but only because he knows I'll give him grief if he shows me up! (I'm quite fond of him though.)

I wonder, whether in his case, he has spent so many years trying re fashion, that he is fed up, and tired.

I agree ffinn.

For anyone eating breakfast don't look, there's a disgusting photo of a fungal-infected toenail sticking out of a holey sock!

I beg to differ. I think the article screams 'look at me'. The article shows that NL still cares about his clothes - mentioning at length the lasting quality and love of shoes/boots/jumpers and trousers. It's just that he now cares about different types of clothing and how and why they're worn.

Just think he's being a tad disingenuous, that's all.