[Psylocke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeanPierreMATTEI According to me , it would be great to try to improve our world at all points of view ; i t would be great to manage ourselves to create beauty constantely, everywhere ! With everything, with clothings too, so....not to impress others, but to spread some kind of joy all around us. Plus ...didn't you notice we feel better when we are well dressed ?

I love this! And yes, I agree with all of your points.

I don't dress to impress others, either. But I also always make the effort to dress nicely, wear make up, make my hair look somewhat decent (this fails so often, though) and most important of all I make sure I smell nicely - it doesn't even have to be perfume necessarily but I always make sure I don't have bad breath from drinking too much coffee and always carry deodorant with me. That's important to me because it makes me feel good about myself and it surely improves my overall appearance, too. And I feel more confident and a tad less awkward when I know I don't look like a slob.
And yep, agreed with the others who have mentioned that keeping your home clean and tidy adds to that, too.

That said, although I appreciate the idea of "effortlessly chic" I really dislike when people don't make any effort at all. You can tell whether someone has put some thoughts into their outfits and their appearance as a whole and it does impress me. People who either wear ill-fitting ugly clothes or look like they don't take care of themselves automatically seem lazy and undisciplined to me. I know that may very often not be the case (could be just a bad hair day, being sick, no time for make-up due to oversleeping, etc.) but I still find it bothersome. I don't see any reason why one would want to let themselves go other than when you've given themselves up or lack any ambition to make the best out of your life.

[Sonnytsunami]

I usually dress very casual but I always feel the need to get my make up on whenever I leave my flat. It´s not that I want to impress anyone (I dont give a damn about that), it is basically about making myself feel better. I guess I got used to that since I was a teenie with acne problems and still have this horrible skin...

Also I am of the opinion that we all should be really selfish about these matters and do it all just for ourselves´sake! Who cares about impressing others anyway?

[mimo]

I agree that one should dress for themselves and not to impress any others. My mother always puts on lipstick as soon as she gets out of bed. Its not to impress anyone but its something that makes her cheer up.

I think there is a difference between dressing to impress and and being pulled together. I don't expect people to dress in suits and ball gowns but wearing something clean is always a do.

[fashionista-ta]

When I was a freshman in college, I'd get up every morning around 5-5:30 am and iron a pima cotton shirt, complete with ruffles. Makeup, curled hair, the works.

It didn't take me long to figure out that wasn't a good enough reason to get out of bed. I had an agreement with myself that the second I could afford to, I would never lift an iron again. (Everything I wear out of the house goes to the cleaners.) Then I got too curvy to wear those silly shirts--problem solved.

I still have minimum standards, but they no longer include eyeliner, and they can be seriously compromised for the CVS drive-through.

I often have a premonition when there's a need to be particularly well groomed, and I pay attention to that. Ultimately though nothing is going to come between you and your destiny--certainly not the lack of a little mascara.

Working at home really gives you a sense of the necessity of grooming. People think you can just sit around in your pajamas all day ... but there comes a time when you cannot wear pajamas for one more second.

There's also great value in a shower. I remember once when I had surgery the nurses kept nagging me to take a shower. I felt like I could barely move, but I did it ... and then immediately felt 10,000x better. Not to that same extent, but I can tell a difference on a daily basis in how I feel after taking one.

I agree that much of the value in grooming is how you yourself feel ... but I also find that as I've gotten older and felt more confident that less is more.

I would much rather see a beautiful, genuine smile on another person than any level of grooming whatsoever. That's how you bring joy to others ...

[YoninahAliza]

I am not one of those types of people that needs to be meticulously groomed and pressed 24-7 but I do like to look decent whenever I go out in public. It's an extension of 'treating others the way you would want to be treated', except for it applies to clothes. I don't think you should fully dress for other people, really it should be for yourself, however my philosophy is that no matter what you are wearing you shouldn't look like you rolled out of bed.

I think in certain situations you ought to think about others when picking out what to wear. In high school and in college I have noticed that so many people come to class wearing pj's, dirty clothes, or sweats. I've always had the frame of mind it's disrespectful those those teaching you to wear any of those items. And so, even though many of my friends have laughed at me and thought I was being silly because I refuse to wear sweatpants to class, I always wear a nice outfit (it doesn't have to be anything fancy either... jeans and nice shirt are staple items). I want my professor to know I respect them even if it's shown through something as simple as wearing a clean shirt. Whereas the rest of the time, what you wear should be all about you!

And Fashionista-ta, I totally agree about grooming and taking a shower. I know when I had my foot surgery I wasn't able to shower for a few days and I felt incredibly dirty and sick. But as soon as I took a shower I felt a bit better. I think being able to scrub myself clean really helped the healing process. It's a simple act of grooming yet it really can make a difference in how you look and feel (inside and out).

Part of the problem I have with this article is that many of these women quoted take the idea of "dressing to impress" to the extreme, not only because they expect that they will always look good but that others will too. Not everyone in life has the means to look polished all the time (nor would it be practical for them to do so in certain careers/lifestyles). But they shouldn't be looked down upon simply because they aren't dressed to the nines. And I get the feeling that some of these women care a bit too much about what other's think. It sounded all so cliquey worrying that other's will see you wearing your sweatpants going to and from the gym (like really???). I just think that if someone's going to judge you because you wore your sweatpants out of the gym then you really shouldn't be hanging out with them. All I really care about is that a person looks decent enough for the situation they are in, and that more importantly, that they are a good person rather then just someone who wears good clothing.

[Bgeltunsd]

I have two views on this: on the one hand, I love to feel good, and dressing well and being well groomed definitely contribute to that. I also completely understand the politeness thing, I recently apologized to a friend for looking like ****, when she only saw it as wearing no make up. It's a very subjective thing, and usually I don't think about people's reaction to the way I look (unless it's for say, a job interview), I think about my own opinion of myself.

On the other hand, sometimes I just really like to wear baggy jeans and a pair of sneakers, put my hair in a bun, and that's as far as styling will go. (I do wear a top then too ) What I'm saying with this look is "leave me alone" (I guess it depends on where you live, but sometimes I just can't stand men staring, it's just rude and annoying), or it's what I'll wear to go outside quickly like to take out the trash or buy bread, just can't be bothered to make an effort to look good.

As for romantic destiny: if a man can't be into me when I don't look my best, then he's not someone I'd be interested in anyway.

[Les_Sucettes]

I think it's all about context. I think you have the responsibility to look good in contexts where it is a sign of respect to others the fact you bothered to make an effort, to look polished. Whether be at work or simply a friend that invited you to their birthday. For the rest people should do as they please as long as they are clean, sometimes i dress in a way that i know will make me invisible, and i cherish that feeling. No make up, hair in a bun, a parka covering everything, glasses instead of lenses. And i'm ready to just walk around with no particular purpose. I find it quite liberating. But it does not mean at all i would feel comfortable always presenting myself like this, but to have that option is something we all should cherish.

[Feline]

What a lot of interesting views here. I don't agree with dressing to impress others. For a start, how would we know THEY would be impressed? We are all individuals and what would 'impress' one person would certainly not 'impress another. We should dress to please ourselves and what makes us feel good about ourselves in whatever situations we are in. As we all know, what is on the inside is far more important.

[softgrey]

i wish more people would care about how their appearance in public affects others...
ugly or ill-fitting clothes hurt my eyes...
...

sometimes i really have to avert my eyes from the ugly......
there is some horrifying stuff going on out there...


conversely-
i really appreciate someone who is well put together and happily tell them so...
i think we need to encourage the good and discourage the bad...

[cologne_rocks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by softgrey i wish more people would care about how their appearance in public affects others... ugly or ill-fitting clothes hurt my eyes... ... sometimes i really have to avert my eyes from the ugly...... there is some horrifying stuff going on out there... conversely- i really appreciate someone who is well put together and happily tell them so... i think we need to encourage the good and discourage the bad...

I think a certain absence of style can be interesting, too. I love for example seeing beautiful people being dressed not so fashionably. It's like an antithesis. You see them very rarely, though!

[fashionista-ta]

Fashion sense, or personal style, is like a sense of humor--not everyone has one. I feel really bad for people without a sense of humor--to me that is an incredibly serious handicap and missing survival skill. I think it should be covered under the ADA :p [Americans with Disabilities Act, for those who don't live here]

Lack of fashion sense I see as considerably less serious. Some people who don't have it never will, and that's just the way it is. I accept it. And I also accept that some people are prioritizing something else, and that's completely legitimate too. Fashion sense is also a luxury--it doesn't cost money, but it does have a cost in terms of time, thought, effort.

[MulletProof]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cologne_rocks I think a certain absence of style can be interesting, too. I love for example seeing beautiful people being dressed not so fashionably. It's like an antithesis. You see them very rarely, though!

One word: crusties. I'm inevitably attracted to them (hope it's not politically incorrect to call them that ).

[YoninahAliza]

That was very beautifully put Fashionista-ta. It's true, not everyone has a sense of style and that's okay. And you know, I'd never thought of fashion as a luxury but you are so right, it is. What I find interesting though is that sometimes it's the people who have all this money to spend on fashion who really lack a sense of style. But it's the person struggling to get by who has an innate sense of style. Maybe for some people who have less money they see more potential in an item of clothing because they have to be more creative with the things they own. Obviously this isn't always so but I've certainly seen it before.

I knew this older women who was an artist, she lived on a rundown farm and didn't have a lot of money, but she had some of the most amazing sense of style I've ever seen. Whenever I'd go to visit I always looked forward to seeing what she'd be wearing. She was an artist, so maybe this was part of it, but still, when she showed me her closet filled with gorgeous shoes and hats that she'd collected overtime I could tell that she treated each item with care. And I think that this is part of the issue with how people dress nowadays, they see clothing as disposable thus they don't care if it's wrinkled or stained because they can always get something new. They don't have a sense of respect for the garments they own. And I think it can translate into how people dress.

[mimo]

Its sad that nowdays looking like you haven't washed your clothing in ages is a type of style. I don't expect prim and proper 24/7 but using the iron isn't going to kill anyone. As a society we have become way too casual and egocentric. If I'm comfortable in pajama pants and a tank top than why should I care what others think?

As someone that worked in a second hand store I've always admired how people took their time to pick things out. I would see ladies turning dresses inside out to look at the lining and at tags for the materials.

[lucy92]

i wouldnt trust any of my peers that have bad taste in music (or no taste in music) or bad taste in art.

so why should bad taste in fashion be any different?