Dress Code...

Portland is a very casual city. I say this having grown up in Albuquerque where we all had our regular jeans and our dress jeans. Portland is even more casual than that. No dress jeans needed. I bet nobody here has ever even ironed a crease into their Levis.

Super casual.

No matter where you are going the odds are strong you will see someone in what you are pretty sure is their pajamas. It took a long time for me to get used to.

And I still don't go with it, though I've loosened up over the years. Growing up there were certain places where you dressed nicely. Church, of course, but even more dressy were plays or musicals. If you were going downtown to see a live show you put on your nice clothes. I tend to still hold to that. With weather exceptions. If it's too hot, too cold, or dumping rain, then wear whatever works for that. But if not, I tend to wear a dress. Brent generally dresses to match whatever level I've decided on.

Saturday night we went to the symphony. Portland has a really talented symphony orchestra and they put on a wide variety of shows. Saturday was Rachmaninoff and Copland (intermission between to give them the separation that they need), they had a guest pianist (Alessio Bax) that was incredible. Really enjoyable, as always.

Now, the symphony for me is one that gets an outfit upgrade. And it's also one of the spaces where you see the widest variety of outfits. There are men in suits and men in sweatpants. Women in sequined gowns and women in political statement t-shirts. And everything in between. It's the whole shebang.

Waiting for the elevator in the parking garage on the way in there was a group (I think probably parents and daughter but with a "cool" mom) who were talking and the mom says "I figured we'd see people dressed like they were going to the prom, I didn't." Which no, she absolutely didn't. I don't think I was the target of the prom comment since I was just in a simple dress, but I still thought it was funny to say outloud where the more dressed up people could hear her. But I did like the embroidery on her jeans and told her so. I guess I could have just said it to Brent and seen if she understood the difference between talking about someone and talking to someone...

But then she went on to a rant about the prom which stuck in my head so much I had to open my phone, dim the light, and take a few notes at the beginning of the show so I wouldn't forget her and also so I could get it down on "paper" and enjoy the rest of the show without it replaying in my head. She is totally becoming a character in a story at some point. All is forgiven if you can be interesting enough, or say something wacky enough, to become a story character.

(As an aside before you think me terribly rude for opening my phone, the theater wasn't completely dark so the phone brightness didn't stick out, my phone was muted so there were no noises from the typing, not really a way to bother anyone, except maybe Brent who might have wondered what was so important I needed to make a note right then)

Also, as a last note, if you are ever in Portland and you want to see the widest variety of outfits go to the symphony Christmas shows. The dressiest of dress up and the most casual of casual wear all in one place. It's pretty amazing. Brent and I felt both underdressed and overdressed depending on who we were standing next to!