2769  Gomina, other times

Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 15:48:20 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Gomina, other times

This is not related to tango but to Argentine customs. Should this topic be
of no interest to you please kindly press "Delete".

You may see the discussion about gomina at :
www.cyber-tango.com/art/gomina.html

Astrid thank you for bringing back some memories.

In these period of informal dressing the old milongueros preserve the formal
attire of former times at the milongas. In their days the custom of dressing
properly started early in life.

Reading the "gomina" notes, Dario Mendiguren brought back memories of the
years when we went to public Grammar School. (Not that long ago).:) My
mother would help me and my sister to get dressed, a white shirt with a
starchy collar, tie, shorts, long stockings up to below the knees, shiny
shoes and an immaculate white lab coat .The last touch was "gomina" to comb
the hair and a look at the nails to make sure they were clean.:))

The white coat,still used today is required so that ideally differences in
social or economical situation would go unnoticed.

We had to wear short pants till age 14. It was a great event when at that
age you were allowed to wear long pants. Everyone congratulated you and gave
you a present of some money. From that day on you had to wear long trousers,
shorts were only allowed at home, in the pool or at the beach, it was bad
manners to wear shorts in the street. :))

I remember two Canadians tourists wearing shorts in the street, being
addressed by a police officer:
"You should be ashamed to dress like that". In those days you could not go
to the movies without tie and jacket either. The Mar del Plata Casino
required after 6pm, black tie and long dresses.
Now everyone wears blue jeans,shorts and sneakers. What a change!

Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 13:25:07 -0400
From: John Gleeson <john.gleeson@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Gomina, other times

Sergio writes:

"The Mar del Plata Casino required after 6pm, black tie and
long dresses."

What did the women wear ?

John G.

(it's a joke! honestly . . .)