Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Just Because We Can -- Period

#170- Draw a zipper

I like the woman, she does much good for the world and she produces an uplifting publication. That said, I was home after a hard day’s work at the bonsai nursery. A casserole was in the oven, so I relaxed with a fresh new copy of Oprah Winfrey’s magazine. I was reading an article on age appropriate dressing, and I agreed with most of it, until Oprah herself chimed in to share a pet peeve. She acknowledged that many employers in this day and age allow casual attire for the job. Evidently this fact is troubling enough, but what really distresses her is that women of a certain age are now wearing blue jeans to work. If they could only be honest with themselves, they would admit an older body cannot carry off this look, and it is so much kinder to those around you to dress attractively. In essence, just because women over 40 can wear jeans to work, doesn’t mean they should. Ever!

I had spent that day shoveling cinders, screening peat, hefting 50 lb. bags of fertilizer, and now I learn that all the while I had been subjecting my poor co-workers to the indelicate sight of my middle-aged behind in snug denim. Oh, the shame! I re-read the few lines of copy, surely there was some loophole? Some mention of “in the office” or “metropolitan” or “white-collar”, but there was none. I didn't bother to do the research, but there must be many women employed in agriculture, in construction, and driving trucks. I may be going out on a limb, here, but I think at least a few of them might be over the age of 40, and probably do not plow and hammer and toil in the designer corduroy and tweed slacks that “O” has blessed as appropriate work wear (none of which, by the way, cost under $300.00.) I know she had another type of woman in mind, but do the rest of us not exist? After giving the matter a lot of thought, I formulated an opinion of my own. Just because a media mogul can project her standards of dress onto the masses, doesn’t mean she should.

16 comments:

Peachtreeart said...

Great detail...inspires me to buy that book :)

Margaret Ann said...

Those jeans and zipper are awesome...wonderful intense work shown here...very well done! Your commentary is "right on " target! :)

Margaret McCarthy Hunt said...

Great jeans...really just great job...and i have to agree with you...maybe we need a national wear your jeans to work day if you are over 40...besides they are just trying to sell us expensive clothes!! NO $300 pants around kindergartners here!!:>

Pippa * Jeanne said...

Christie, thank you for stopping by and looking at my zipper attempt. After seeing this one of yours, I am speechless with wonder at how it SHOULD be done. Wow, wow, wow! Just know that your beautiful work of art is staying on my desktop for a while to inspire me, all the way on the opposite end of the world, in South Africa. I really admire your work and will roam your blog a while still.
Love,
Pippa

PNH said...

I really like your pen work, can't imagine you did it very quickly. Oprah should remember her roots.

Ann said...

Fantastic drawing! I enjoyed the commentary too. No $300 pants here either. I'll take the jeans thank you :)

Sandy said...

I cannot imagine denim being drawn with any better detail and depth and character than this - truly Awesome! and I am at work wearing jeans right now and I look as good as most of the 30 somethings here in demin - so there! (and I am a good bit over 40 in numbers anyway ;-) Great sketch and commentary! Oprah does not live in our world!

Andres said...

Great detail. And "spot on" commentary. A couple thoughts: true beauty, grace & dignity cannot be marketed or sold at $300 wth a designer label. And regardless of age, shape, height, etc when you are working outside you're there to work, not to look pretty.

thanks for visiting my blog.

Meredith said...

Oprah is the devil. And I said it.

Sherry Pierce Thurner said...

Your drawing of the jeans and zipper is simply marvelous! But I also liked what you wrote about women and how they dress. I worried about dressing up much more when I was teaching, but now that I am retired, spending my time gardening and doing artwork, nobody is going to tell me what to wear!

Rick said...

I like this one - simple, neat, appealing, nice. What more can I say? You've got talent.

http://organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

this is really good. cool drawing.

Parson's Daughter Studio said...

lovely art! I wholeheartedly agree with you about the narrow viewpoint of Oprah's comments.

Deb said...

Hilarious insights on the "o" article. I can assure you, see doesn't speak for me.

Your art is fantastic!!!! I'm sap green with envy!

Cheryl said...

Amen, sister!!! I love my jeans, and being over 40 I'm finally OK with my arse in them....so I WILL wear them!

Love Oprah too.....but in this case I'm in your camp completely. Lovely rendering too. Great detail with just pen and no color.

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Wow. Love this. Nce work here.