It doesn’t matter how old you are, no one likes to be bored at work. And it doesn’t matter if you are a worker drone or the business owner, boredom is tedious.
It seems it doesn’t matter how old you are, either.
When 31-year-old Reef Chang noticed how bored his elderly grandparents were at their place of business, he came up with an idea.
The Answer to Boredom
For nearly 70 years, Hsu Sho-Er, 84, and her husband, Chang Wan Ji, 83, of the city of Taichung, Taiwan, have been running a laundromat. And since Taichung is a large city of just under 3 million people, they probably run a robust business.
But I’m guessing watching people do their laundry is about as much fun as watching paint dry.
So their grandson came up with an idea and shared it with them.
And their reaction was less than positive.
Wan Ji shared it with CNN.
“It was my grandson’s idea. I don’t know if my reaction was positive at first,” he told them, adding, “Will anybody want to look at this?”
The grandson’s goal was twofold. He wanted something that would relieve his grandparents of some of their boredom, but he told CNN that he was also looking for a way to send a message. That age isn’t, and should never be, a barrier to people having fun with fashion.
I think he achieved both goals.
They look like they’re enjoying themselves, don’t they? And after nearly 70 years on business, I bet there’s been a lot of clothes left behind.
You see, that’s where their modeling wardrobes come from. They aren’t sharing their typical fashion choices with their Instagram followers, they are picking and choosing from a vast pool of clothes that have been lost and forgotten. Some of them had been sitting there for years, awaiting the return of their owners.
The English translation of a post on their Instagram account says that the grandson,
“… ask them to reinterpret fashion.”
I think they are doing an incredible job at it! They’ve managed to repurpose these forgotten items into some very fashion-forward outfits.
And the internet loves them.
Since their first posts just 4 weeks ago, they have gained more than half a million followers to their @WantShowAsYoung account.
And what’s not to love? These two are so cute together, and the clothes just add to that. And looking at some of their poses, you’d think they’d had some industry training on how to model.
This is despite the fact the clothes they are donning aren’t anywhere near their usual style.
Regarding his grandfather, Chang says,
“Grandpa loves wearing a suit because he wants people to see that he washes and irons clothes properly,” he said. “He thinks that if we are running a laundromat but look dirty, then no one will come in. He thinks it shows his professionalism, so he insists on wearing an ironed suit.”
That makes perfect sense, right? And what about grandma?
“When my grandma was young, she was a fashionable girl,” Chang adds. “There are two wardrobes full of her old clothes, and the style is similar to that of the female stars of her generation. But now, she is more concerned that the clothes are comfortable.”
So from high-tops on their feet to bucket hats on their heads, they’ve unleashed their imaginations using a mishmash of items. And they do it so well!
The couple has been astounded at the reaction. They have taken the time to express their gratitude on their page, thanking their followers.
As mentioned above, Wan Ji had his reservations.
“I didn’t think people would like it,” he said.
And Sho-Er shared the sweetest sentiment.
“Knowing that people still like me makes it feel like I have more grandsons and granddaughters.”
Who can resist that?
When they were initially featured on a Facebook page called the Idea King, the South China Morning Post shared some of the comments.
“They dress more hip than I do,” wrote one Facebook user.
“Living their best life in their 80s!! Now THAT’S #couplegoals,” wrote another.
They look pretty happy, don’t they? I think they’ve moved past the boredom, making use of all those forgotten items of clothing and accessories. But they do share a friendly reminder…
“Don’t forget to pick up your laundry.”
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