"B" string clothes - YouLookFab Forum

I often hear ladies here talk about clothes that they demote from one task to another because of age or signs of wear.

I totally get demoting an office button down to weekend wear with jeans and the sleeves rolled, or a pair of jeans that used to be dressy casual to casual. That would be "b" string for me.

However, I just can't seem to demote clothes to "C" string. I call all my "C" string clothing "lake clothes." Those are the clothes that I wear to the high mountain lakes to hike around, get dog mud on me, get fish guts on, do home and yard projects in, ect. (I do keep separate clothes for painting, gluing and bleaching and those are usually old oversize free t's and shorts/sweats).

Despite the fact that I wear mostly midrise bootcut jeans, I still can't get myself to wear the worn through pairs to the lake or in the garden. When I am doing serious dirty work, I like a higher looser fit in a sturdier all-cotton fabric.

When I am really working I like to protect myself from sun and bugs with higher necklines and longer sleeves. I would much rather pay 3-5 bucks for a comfortable plain men's crewneck longsleeve T (that is if I can't bum one off a male relative) and 15 for a pair of carpenter's jeans than work in my old clothes.

Maybe it is because I have had too many pairs of old jeans rip in the behind when I am lifting bags of potting soil or slide on a trail. Or maybe it is because I worked in maintenance, construction, painting, and landscaping.

I know some ladies wear old clothes for housecleaning in case someone knocks on the door. I wear my C-string clothes in public and I feel more comfortable in clothing in better shape and care less about flattery and frump.

Anybody else feel this way? What determines what you wear for dirty tasks?

14 years ago

Sparky

Veteran

I've been known to fish stuff out of the "donate" bag to wear for a big, messy cleaning job or yard work.

My strategy is pretty simple. I wear clothes that I don't mind getting dirty for dirty tasks, with the exception of kitchen work (doing dishes and cooking) when I just put on an apron.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Good question, Elly. I am more like you that I prefer to have certain kinds of clothes for literal dirty work - sturdy, lots of pockets, easy to wash, and easy to move in, and most of the clothes I would downgrade would not qualify. Some of my t-shirts overlap between weekend casual wear and things like gardening or cleaning the house. If I lived in a different place or had a different lifestyle, like my parents do who have 8 acres to mow and take care of, I would definitely have a whole wardrobe of gardening, outdoor, working on the cars, what-have-you clothes. As it is, I don't do it enough to justify more than a couple t-shirts and a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and sneaks borrowed from my gear wardrobe.

To answer your larger question, I don't really 'downgrade' that much like others seem to do - I wear things for their original purpose until they're worn out or don't suit me anymore. I like my lounging clothes/PJs to be looser than anything I would wear out in public so I can't swap those either.

I have been mulling over making myself a half-apron for sewing; I'd like to sew more often in smaller bursts, but I often find annoyed by whatever I happen to have on that day, because it doesn't have pockets or whatever.

I should add that 95% of my wardrobe is wash & dry as a policy, so I don't mind cooking or pulling a few weeds or tidying up the garage in most of my clothes. If I wore dry clean only suits I'm sure I would approach things differently.

Race giveaway t shirts and sweats or knit shorts are great for C string chores. I also just started putting B string or lounge category stuff in a drawer rather than hung up, so it is separate from my normal wear. Even the skirts and dresses are folded and put away in said drawer. Keeps them separated from everyday wear

cjh

I agree in the respect that there aren't many items I wear to work that can be downgraded to other purposes. For instance, I can't wear a black knit skirt or a satin tunic blouse to paint or clean the garage. So though I do save a couple pr. of old shorts or jeans and my least favorite race shirts for those type of chores, I also would rather have more dedicated items for any purpose.

Work clothes are work clothes until they are worn out or outdated or decline in wear-desireability. Casual/social clothes remain that until they become less fitting, shabby or I get something that I like more. Then those things are put on the donate pile to make room in the closet.

Elly

Thanks to those who have replied. Everyone had some good points.

Like CJH and rhubarbgirl I tend to wear my clothes for their original purpose until they no longer fit that purpose. The exception would be crossover items-- things that I wear both to work and dressy casual might get demoted after they loose their crispness to dressy casual/casual pieces depending on the fabrication.

Mo-- good idea keeping things separate!

Laura! I agree with your need for pockets. I also am their with you-- I don't mind doing a little work in most of my clothes just because I consider that daily living and I don't have a job where I need a suit. I live in a small town on the main drag and everyone in town can see me in our yard, so I really don't like having to change into lounge clothes to do small daily chores because then I have to change again to walk the dog every 3 hours or to get the mail. No fun!

Queen Mum

I'd agree that most things that you buy as "nice" wear won't translate to camping or gardening status... that is a separate capsule of clothing type I would think.
The things that would be demoted to "C team" status would be clothes that were originally purchase for casual "B team" wear in the first place.

Anonymous

I prefer to have seperate clothes for "C level" activities since downgraded items wouldn't be appropriate. I spend enough time camping, hiking, scouting, etc that I actually have a complete wardrobe for those activities. I USED to use downgraded items but they were not comfortable and didn't function properly. I may downgrade from A level to B level but C leve requires a completely different wardrobe. I do have a nice set of "lounge" clothes that I wear around the house and are quite appropriate if someone knocks on the door but even those are not downgraded items. I guess I would rather get nice, well-fitting items rather than put up with something frumpy in all my wardrobe capsules.

MsMary

I am such a princess that I outsource almost all the dirty work. LOL But I have a couple of specific outfits for "level C" jobs like painting or trimming the hedges.

And Hubby has a specific ensemble that is reserved solely for crawling under the house!

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