It used to just mortify me to death when I was a teenager. I felt like a wierdo because after service, we'd stop for lunch at the mall and then walk around shopping. All the girls my age in the mall wore cool jeans but I was a dork in a 1950's get up. It wasn't appropriate for a mall, but we were supposedly winning people over without a word. Not.
Here's what I really didn't get: OK, so females had to wear skirts/dresses at the Hall or out in disservice to show honor to Jehovah. Well, didn't he see us all the time? But it was fine to change into jeans and t-shirt right away when I got home. Somehow jeans were fine at school and around town or at home. Jehovah didn't mind. But we had to rock the 1950's uniform when doing Witness activities, to show we were different from the world. Boy, we sure were and not in a way that impressed anybody like the JW's were hoping. Instead, people thought we were strange. Nobody ran in droves to the KH because of our Lucy and Ethel outfits. We just looked like religious freaks, kind of like the way people snickered at the Moonies.
I see the Witness ladies are still wearing the skirts and dresses, even though community standards have changed. I think they turn more people off with their oddities than they impress. I can't figure how they convince today's career woman to dress submissive and old fashioned for the Hall after a day supervising employees or having responsibilities.