No this pic is not even close to the people I have witnessed at Walmart. Try young woman in what appears to be swim attire, complete with exposed thong up the rear..and she's pg!
My dental hygienist once had a booger in her nose while she cleaned my teeth. This was before COVID so she wasn't wearing a mask. I had to look at that booger the whole time she cleaned my teeth. When she breathed in, it would flutter. When she breathed out, it would flutter. It was all I could do not to LOL. I couldn't tell her because my mouth was full of fingers and tools. When she finished, I didn't want to embarrass her, so I didn't say anything.
Ken is right, to a point. There are only four places we don't feel self-conscious about wearing our hats and western clothing are: two local country-western nightclub/restaurant, in Las Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo, to Colorado Springs for the Pro Rodeo Hall of Weekend and, obviously, to a rodeo. I can get a few "looks" when I wear my hat/western attire to Walmart or out to dinner, but then again, where we currently live, any kind of western wear/lifestyle really doesn't exist. Now, when my wife wears her hat, she can get numerous "looks", due to no women here wear cowboy hats, not even in either of the country-western nightclub/restaurants we've gone to. And, especially a 74 year old lady. However, she has got some nice compliments from older Senior ladies we've talked to. We have also noticed some mighty looking, how should I say it, "weird looking" employees at Walmart. But, some of that "look" is now drifting into local restaurants and grocery stores. I also notice what is written on baseball caps and t-shirts/sweatshirts. Many people aren't as observant as I am, but I definitely am. There are those, and I met a few, that don't care what others think of them wearing western wear. I met an older/Senior guy at the Walmart Pharmacy that felt exactly like that. He was wearing full ranch clothes, minus the chaps. Cowboy hat and the rest. He works a very small ranch/farm outside the city where some Texas Longhorns are raised.
The town I live in has progressed from a farming community to a bedroom community for cities around. I remember being in a grocery store long ago and a couple came in, he in a dark suit and tie and she in a very nice dress. Boy! were they out of place. It happens more and more often, now. But most are very casual. Jeans and t-shirts. You dress up for dressy ocassions not the grocery store, feed store or Walmart. I was told no one wears nylons any more to weddings or anything. You go to get a mani pedi and wear open toed shoes. I am so glad I have a friend who knows these things, just in case. I don't get mani pedis so people probably look at my toes in disgust. My feet are actually quite nice. The last time I wore a skirt, my neighbor said he hadn't even realized I had legs! I don't have a belt buckle but I have a mauve suede Aussie hat that I show up in ocassionally. It is really cool and people look and compliment me on in. I often wear it so my hubby can find me in a crowd. I think I stopped being self conscious at 40yo. I don't hang with any 'beautiful people'.
I would have been cringing when she exhaled. My hygienist has worn a face shield thing while working for over 20 years; I don't remember her ever cleaning my teeth without it.
Now that you mentioned it... I moved south from the DC area to this very rural part of the state. I've always had to wear a suit & tie to work, even after I moved here. Up north it was more common to see folks in professional office gear than it was to see them in jeans, especially around work hours. I would get snooty looks there if I were in my comfortable clothes. When I moved south, I would get snooty looks if I were in my office clothes...other than that cluster of government contractors in that one office complex, there were no employers within a 50 mile radius that required such attire. I would especially notice it if I had a doctor's appointment during work hours. Up north everyone in the waiting area would be dressed like me. Down here, no one in the waiting area would be dressed like me. I pretty much got shunned as though I were a lawyer or an IRS agent.
Jeans and a t-shirt in the doctors offices here. Even the docs seldom wear coats, but many wear ties just so people know they are important.
I found it interesting that the looks of derision are pretty much the same: Well Dressed>>Blue Collar Blue Collar>>Well Dressed I guess everyone's got an ego to feed. eta: I worked in the computer industry in the early days and rubbed elbows with a couple of the pioneers. Hal Ashley of Ashton-Tate dBase fame dressed like a homeless guy and looked like he lived in a dumpster. Don't know why that just occurred to me.
They had no need to compete with clothes; no need to impress. Back before the French Revolution, the royalty and the court showed their importance with clothes--layers and layers of expensive lace, velvet, silk... After the revolution and some decapitation, women wore 'empire' waisted dresses, slimmed down simple clothes.
I spent years working in jeans in warehouse work, but for a couple of companies, I had a full uniform to wear. Then, at my last job, I wore casual dress, IOW, Docker slacks, descent shirt and dress shoes/loafers. At this job, I had my own office (finally) and had to look somewhat professional, just like the Buyer did. I was working in the Purchasing Department as a Materials Coordinator.........basically the best job I'd ever had and the most money I'd ever made. I absolutely loved the job I had! Heck, I remember an electronics company I worked for, a Manufacturing Manager was hired to be over the Stockroom, where I was a Supervisor, Shipping/Receiving and Production. He got approval to change the company dress policy to "collars only" for shirts/polo shirts. No more t-shirts or anything that didn't have a collar. The Shipping/Receiving Clerk didn't like the new policy but was told "you have your choice, follow it or be terminated". This was in 1988. My wife has always had to dress "professionally", working in an Accounting Department.
I'm mostly self conscious about my hair. I'm getting a receding hair line and spend a great deal of time (and hairspray) disguising it when I leave the house. I don't worry about it at home.