Posted on 06/08/2004 4:13:51 PM PDT by ambrose
June 9, 2004
THE REAGAN LEGACY Mourning decorum's death
To say that California casual was the dress code among those paying last respects to Ronald Reagan is to put it charitably.
By Booth Moore, Times Staff Writer
A president was lying in repose, but the occasion could just as well have been a Saturday afternoon at Universal CityWalk, judging from the polo shirts, shorts, Harley-Davidson T-shirts, tank tops, flip-flops and dirty white sneakers with pulled-up tube socks.
For some people these days, there is nothing they will dress up for ? not a concert at Disney Hall, a graduation, not even to pay their respects to a former head of state.
When Americans went to see John F. Kennedy's flag-draped coffin at the U.S. Capitol in 1963, women wore dresses and high heels and men donned suits.
But during Monday's procession through the Reagan library in Simi Valley, many men did not even remove their baseball caps as they paid tribute to a man who was never in the Oval Office without a coat and tie.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Maybe, just maybe, Reagan the man may have had such thoughts.
Reagan, the Heaven bound soul, I doubt would fuss much.
Please, tell us about your relationship with him. It must have been an intimate one for you to profess to know what his thoughts would have been.
I've read pretty much the entire thread, and I'm with you on this one. These people are going far out of their way, both in terms of time and distance, to honor Reagan. Given the wait-time and the temperatures, I'd say 95% of them are dressed acceptably. [I did see one older man dressed in white shorts, white socks and sandals-- pretty silly looking.] I think Mr. Reagan would appreciate them sincerely.
Good grief .. what is wrong with you people ..??
I cannot believe you think everyone owns slacks and a tie. Some people don't - if you've never met any - I'm sorry. I've watched a TV show - "What Not to Wear" and they have guys on there all the time who do not own slacks, a jacket or ties.
I still say .. Reagan's favorite dress was a shirt with jeans. I cannot imagine he would be offended if someone else wore them to view his casket.
THIS WAS NOT A "FUNERAL". The formal funeral at the church in Washington is an entirely different matter.
But this is not a funeral, it's a viewing.
Some folks only have windows installed in their homes to make it easier to view and be offended by things from the comfort of their living rooms.
I saw plenty of those. Disgraceful. NO excuse for not removing the hats!
"Reagan was from a different generation. Were he here to see it, he might refrain from saying anything unkind, but he'd be thinking it."
I'm sure. Nancy's been watching this on TV, bet she's thinking the same. She and Ron, are from my parents generation and no matter how little anyone had, they always had one outfit for solemn occasions.
Many times, mainly in summer, for a wedding or funeral, my mother would say, "It sure is hot but we'll have to dress up for that...." (funeral, wedding, whatever.) I'm not talking about yesteryear. I'm talking about right into the 1990's!
Even though they're all gone now, I still follow suit in what I was taught.
I'm surprised Kerry didn't become the recipient of a giant and powerful ZOT! right then and there.
Hey! She's a fashion writer. She's dressed appropriately, we're all slobs.
Also, her friend needs a breast reduction.
Heck, I know men from my own generation who have made those comments and refuse to dress down for nice occasions.
A 1000 years from now, when we are all dead and lounging on our clouds, this thread is going to look pretty petty.
People buy jeans and shorts at fifty/sixty bucks a pop and
boast about it.
Sorry THAT is just NOT credible.
c- it's California.
fwiw.
Respect isn't a manner of dress. It is an attitude from within. IMO, the simple fact that these people chose to stand in line for hours in the heat says more about their respect than their dress does. Some on here have bemoaned that people couldn't be inconvenienced by dressing up. I would say that standing in line for hours in the heat is more an inconvenience. It is very easy to sit at home and watch it all on television and complain about the ones who do go not dressing appropriately isn't it?
I think a lot of very good conservatives never wear ties. I might depend on where someone lives, the age group they belong to and other factors. I think some very die-hard Conservatives might only own jeans.
Actually, having seen how people behave at funerals in churches these days...laughing, visiting loudly, etc...I was struck with how well 95% of the viewing public behaved in very crowded, difficult conditions.
For those who were stuck in those lines, did you have the foresight to bring food and water along before setting out? I worried about those with children when I heard of the 8-10 hr. wait.
Still I was very proud of every person who made the effort...except Kerry who was doing it for publicity.
People spend more on thier "play clothes" than I spend on my dressy clothes.
http://www.ponyexpress.net/~special/goodstuff/0217fashion.htm
THE DOCTOR SAYS: It’s simple. Men should remove their hats indoors, such as in theaters, offices, private homes and places of worship — unless religious observance requires a head covering, of course. Men need not remove their hats in shopping malls, lobbies or public transportation, which are considered "outdoors."
This rule applies to all types of hats — your fedora, as well as baseball caps, straw hats and cowboy hats.
Dr. Fashion does not want to hear from Texas transplants who insist that a cowboy never takes off his hat. Maybe a cowboy doesn’t, but a gentleman does.
All of this aside, I take my hat off when indoors because my mother told me to.
Ya know, God has a more "special" place for those mourners who sit in the pews and rattle on about what all the other mourners are wearing!
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