My dear Papa who lives in the Netherlands and is in his late 70’s has little interest in fashion. But my Dad has a great appreciation for good quality and also believes that “het oog will ook wat”. This directly translated from Dutch means that “the eye wants something too”. So Papa humoured my late Mum and dressed in exactly what she told him to wear. And now that my Mum has passed on, my Papa humours me and wears exactly what I tell him to wear. So for my sake more than for his own, my Papa is well tuned out and keeps his style in good shape.

Even though my Papa has no interest in fashion, I really enjoy hearing what he thinks about fashion in general because his perspective is entertaining and quite refreshing. For example, my Papa doesn’t get why women want to wear jeans and pants most of the time. He’d love to see more women in skirts and dresses. He loves the equestrian look (tucking jeans and leggings into knee-high boots) probably because we were an equestrian family growing up and it’s close to his heart. He enjoys brightly coloured clothing and loves boots, tailored blazers, leather jackets, pearls and pretty red shoes.

One thing my Dad cannot get his head around is layering. He still reminds me to tuck my shirt in if I’ve left it hanging out and peeking through from under a jacket. He also doesn’t understand why people wear flip flops in the city, or why his daughter matches dressy blouses with jeans. And leggings are dance attire so why would you wear them if you’re not dancing? These are just a few examples.

Of course, my Papa is really respectful and sweet when we discuss fashion. He never makes me feel bad about my fashion choices even if he doesn’t understand them. In fact Papa is always full of lovely compliments and that’s one of the things I love about him.

So over to you. Do you have stories to share about how generations other than your own view fashion?