Is it better to be overdressed or underdressed in general?

I do not know if it is “better” or not. I know that I am almost always overdressed for everything. I did not own a pair of jeans until I was over 60 years old.

I am most comfortable in a suit, though the buttons needn’t be fastened :-), but I also grew up in more formal times. I was almost 30 years old when it was considered acceptable for a woman to wear pants to work instead of a skirt.

And I have boxes of hats, most of which belonged to my mother, who wore one every day, though I do not do so now. As you may surmise, I derived my “dressed up” taste primarily from her. She worked most of her life in downtown San Francisco, when it was a very formal city. We were not allowed to go into “the City” without wearing gloves, even as small children. As we grew older, hats were added.

Now I am in my 70s, and I stay in pajamas until about noon. After that, I dress nicely, even if I’m going nowhere. I may not put a jacket on, but it’s handy by the door. And trust me, almost no one else in Santa Fe, New Mexico dresses up in any way whatsoever. But I do. A certain formality has become “me”.

Thanks for the question.