Who Do You Dress Up For?

[sammix3]

How rude of him to ask that! I dress up for me, myself and I =) And my bf too hehe

[nycfashionlvr]

First would be to make myself feel good I wear what I want when I want. Secondly for my bf, thirdly to look presentable for general public.

[HauteMama]

People around here dress VERY casually. I kind of fell into that habit for a while, too, until I realized that if I dressed like I didn't care, I really DIDN'T care. My clothing affects my attitude quite a bit, and if I feel like I look nice I feel more confident in everything I do. It also affects how other people respond to you.

[plr16]

As far as school goes, I came from a high school with a strict dress code and as a college student I can't bear to go to class in sweats/shorts. I feel that it shows a lack of respect for your teachers/professors if you dress down, imo.

[PANda_USC]

hm..provocative question..I had to wear a uniform in school K-12th grade since I went to an all girl, Catholic school...this problem was null and void then..life was simple back then...

In college, I wasn't a PJ wearer, but I definitely dressed casually for class..wore flats, hoodies, tanks, shorts. It is hot in L.A.!, and well..I didn't feel that comfortable wearing really nice or flashy clothes to class because I find them to be fussy and difficult to maintain....plus I'm flat-footed so wearing heels is a real pain for me.

That being said, I definitely dress now to look more formal and not as "kiddish"..unfortunately people still ask me if I'm even 18..-__-. Working in downtown SF, I have to present myself in a more formal, appropriate manner. My style is NOT business casual.I guess you could say I dress for others when I'm working...

If my dbf and I go out to a nice place for dinner, I will dress up to match the occasion and the dress code of the restaurant/lounge etc. It's not to impress him or others. There seems to be a level of expected appropriateness and attire depending on the time and place.

[Vintage Leather]

PANda - I completely agree with you! Situations and places require different looks.

When I started working, I was 20-40 years younger than my coworkers. I dressed nicely so that they would take me seriously. Likewise, when I started my business, I had to convince clients that I was competent, and that I could deliver on the promises I was making.

I feel better when I look professional, or even just put together. Clothes give a message to everyone - they say how you think about yourself.

[indi3r4]

Originally Posted by Jeneen

I do it to make myself feel good as the #1 reason - and secondary gain is to look nice in public, attractive to my boyfriend, and fashionable to other women/people into fashion.

ITA!

[HandbagLuvr]

What was he exactly trying to imply? Sounds like he was picking on the stylish girl in class. I had a professor once had a macro economics prof pick on a girl for being religious just because she would quietly read her bible before class. I find it strange that for whatever reason the fact that you like to dress nicely bothered him to the point that he had to make your appearance the object of discussion. I wonder if he would ask someone who comes to class in rumpled stained clothing the same question?

I suppose I am dressing for whoever might be looking at me. I am unemployed right now, so I wear a sweatshirt and jeans around the house if I am not going anywhere. My husband wears the same around the house. If I am leaving the house then I like to dress up nice (even if it is nice jeans, top, and cute shoes), do my hair and makeup, even if it's grocery shopping.

[oscarcat729]

I think everyone is taking this a bit too seriously. Social psychology is about pushing the boundaries and discovering why we do what we do. I think the question was asked in curiosity, not malevolence.
For example, most of us say we dress for ourselves, because it makes us feel good. But why does it make us feel good? It's not often for comfort (high heels, anyone?). It's because we want to portray ourselves in a certain way to others.

[burberryprncess]

Originally Posted by oscarcat729

I think everyone is taking this a bit too seriously. Social psychology is about pushing the boundaries and discovering why we do what we do. I think the question was asked in curiosity, not malevolence. For example, most of us say we dress for ourselves, because it makes us feel good. But why does it make us feel good? It's not often for comfort (high heels, anyone?). It's because we want to portray ourselves in a certain way to others.

You have a good point there. Hmmmmm,......this makes me think.....truly sometimes I don't even know why I dress the way I do. For work, I wear pantsuit for a professional look because I meet up with clients. I portrait myself as a professional. I don't have to, but wearing pantsuit takes the thinking out of my daily routine too. I hate thinking about what to wear to work each day. For weekends, I'm a classic casual dresser, so it's more to dress timelessly so I don't have to keep buying pieces.

[lilflobowl]

For the most part I dress for myself, but I have to admit that I do factor in the impression I would leave on others when choosing what to wear. For e.g. for a nice dinner with my bf I'd want to dress up a bit more for him.

[meganfm]

Originally Posted by canada's

i definitely dress well for myself. i wear quality things that are not flashy, so i'm hardly doing it to show off. i have lived in incredibly unglamorous places and still wore designer shoes to run errands because those are the shoes i choose to own, so i must wear them. i went through a phase of censoring my fashion because i felt i was overdressed in so many situations (i.e. i dress up daily, but my husband's family does not...i'll be in a dress coat, dress, tights, GZs, polished makeup for a random dinner out, while they're all in parkas, jeans and snow boots [though it's not snowing out ), but i got over it. i'd always rather be overdressed than underdressed. if people have something snarky to say, that's their business.

I know what you mean. A couple of my friends complain that they feel the need to "dress up more" when they go out with me (I don't go all out, but I don't dress super casual either-usually a nice top, dark skinnies, and flats or boots). My boyfriend gets mad because I "turn my nose up" at certain kinds of dress, for example girls who wear yoga pants...I have nothing against them, but I refuse to wear them myself-it's just not how I choose to present myself. And sometimes I get called pretentious for that.

I will admit though, i don't dress entirely for myself. It sounds silly, but I was bullied a lot in elementary and high school....and so now I'm a lot more conscious of how I portray myself to the world. It's not that I like to blend in, I enjoy dressing edgy, but I'm really conscious of making people think "wow" instead of "eew".

[KristyDarling]

First, me.
Second, my husband.

If I feel like I look nice, it puts a pep in my step and is a great mood booster. Funny how "superficial" things like dressing and grooming well can make such a difference in your overall mood and confidence level! It's worth the effort, in my opinion.

[flashy.stems]

gotta impress the boy, and cater to urself!

[olialm1]

Honestly, most of the time I roll out of bed. BUT when I do get 'dressed up' or brush my hair (some days I don't get to it ) it's for me! Sometimes it's for my boyfriend too though. I even wore my Herve Leger dress for our anniversary just because I wanted to look extra nice for him. Otherwise I don't care!