Even though the daybreak temperatures here at present engender purple knees, I have made the seasonal switch to wearing shorts. It saves changing clothes when the day warms up a couple of hours later.
Shorts are my second best preferred garb; shorts with generous pockets that can hold all manner of tools (tape measure, pair of pliers, pocket knife), dog treats, nose wipes, bandaids, random nails and screws, pencil stub, packets of seeds…
You can't get any of that into leggings even if they do have something that passes for pockets.
My boiler suit (overalls) are the item of clothing I'd choose to live in if someone said leave now and take one item of clothing in your luggage. They are better than sunscreen (even if they are just as greasy at times), have useful pockets, are airy on hot days, and allow for layers underneath on cold ones, and they are fairly shapeless (forgiving is another word that some women use to describe such friendly garments).
Photographs of purple knees have been banned from this blog. Along with evidence that I already have a sock line where leg colour does not blend gradually into milk white ankles and feet. Thick woollen socks and boots are also excellent sunscreen.
Kiwis (the human kind) who plunder about in the bush have a fashion statement in wearing their shorts even in winter with their brightly coloured long-johns (thermal underwear) underneath - and therefore 'on show'.
Guilty as charged your honour - i even dyed mine purple and put a colourful waistband on them for just that eventuality. My pure merino wool long-johns have been with me since I started work in the Forest Service 47 years ago, but to be fair they did only see the inside of storage a few of the winters I lived in the northern hemisphere. Homes, offices and public transport are all over-heated there and when cycling I succumbed to a more sophistocated fashion ensemble than shorts over thermal underwear.
When you think about it however long-johns are just leggings, so the shorts are merely a modesty layer to spare the world the details.
I didn't sit down to write this topic - it just sort of happened. 🤔 Perhaps normal service will resume tomorrow.
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I haven't worn shorts of any description for about 20 years now. At first it was because of my rather unattractive knees and legs but, since having a large melanoma removed from my shin 4 years ago, I now cover up every inch of skin. Even here in the cold and wet north west!
ReplyDeletewhen I was a teenager I rented for a while in a very dingy old house in Owaka. My flatmate and I decided to paint the kitchen and I was balanced on top of the very old fridge painting top cupboards when the phone rang. I slipped getting down and the fridge door handle tore a very big hole in my right shin - blood, grabbed a teatowel and wrapped it round to hold my leg together and stupidly answered to phone to say "can't talk i have to call emergency services". Must have scared the wits out of the caller. Stitches - lots. Still have the scar. Don't care, never did. Strangely the numb patch it created where all the nerves were torn away seems to have fixed itself over the years as if the nerves grew back. Battle scars - wear them with pride (or at least indifference).
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteExactly, leggings Long Johns are. And I have many pairs! To wear as is, or beneath other layers of leg wear. Practicality first, I say! YAM xx
And a most interesting topic!
ReplyDeleteFickle weather here too...start the morning needing gilet AND coat....go out, by lunchtime don't need either, or the leggings under the jeans....and people in town are in t-shirts and shorts....and by late afternoon you need everything back on and the heating is on for the first time 😳
As you strip off layers, so we don them. It's draughty here today, though dry at present, so layers are required.
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