[Bel]

It's nice to get a compliment on your outfit, but what about the person giving it doesn't exactly have a style you admire?
It seems to happen to be all the time. I have this art teacher who tries to be this quiky, artistic dresser, but it just ends up being so obvious and juvenile, today she was telling me she liked my sweatshirt and I was just like... is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Anybody else get a little paranoid when that happens, and start thinking you must look really bad?

[Diorling]

...When I read this thread I thought of the people who compliment me that are in Uggs...Then I wonder if Im doing something wrong...

God, that is SO elitist and SO bad...Bad Diorling.

[kanita]

Something happened to me the other day, I was in class (fashion school) and we had this 'assignment' that you had to observe someone in your class. So this girl had to read out what she had written about me, and my way of dressing. My teacher added that I was the only uniquely dressed person in my class.

This being fashion school, I'm not sure that’s a compliment.

[Zarina]

I don't mind if a person whose style I don't like gives me a compliment. Maybe the person is just giving it to be nice or he/she is able ignore that your style is not exactly what they admire, but they see that you have made a great outfit within your style. I also sometimes give compliments to people whose style I don't like, if I see they have dressed in an original way.

[kate_is_goddess]

^ditto

[Whitelinen]

I don't categorize the compliments I get, I take them all as positive. Even if the person complimenting you would not dress in a way you prefer, I don't think it necessarily tells anything about their taste. Maybe they actually would like a style that is something else than what they have, but don't dare because of the social pressure, because they think they'd thought to be vain or because they try too hard and hence fail in what they are trying to achieve.

[MulletProof]

I'm not bothered at all.. not even by forced compliments.. like when someone stares at your outfit and then notices that you noticed so they say something stupid like "..nice shoes", there was a girl in my classroom that used to do that all the time.. my favorite part was doing the same thing sans the last comment, I'd just finish the stare and then smile at her.

[bismarck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteLinen I don't categorize the compliments I get, I take them all as positive. Even if the person complimenting you would not dress in a way you prefer, I don't think it necessarily tells anything about their taste. Maybe they actually would like a style that is something else than what they have, but don't dare because of the social pressure, because they think they'd thought to be vain or because they try too hard and hence fail in what they are trying to achieve.

good point.

I only take a person's actions into account, because when someone says, "Nice [outfit/shoes/etc.]," they might just be noticing that it's new or out of the ordinary. If my significant other drinks me in (don't know exactly how to describe this, best I could get...) with his eyes, then I know I look hot. If my friends do the same, then I know I look good.

My dad will tell me that I look good when I cover up (wrists are too sexual!!! j/k, he's not that bad) and wearing baggy clothes. I don't dress skankily, and definitely am not half as exposed as my peers. Other than his weird compliments, I do take most compliments as positive signs, even if the person they're coming from is fashion questionable.

[Meg]

I totally categorize compliments and i don't think it's elitist. My mom wears what she wants and in her style which is completely different than my own and she tells me openly when she doesn't like things that I do like and because our styles are so different, when she does like someting i'm like ehh. Whereas if someone had style that i truly admired gave me a compliment, it would probably mean more. That doesn't mean someone can't appreciate something for what it is, but i think it IS a reflection on someone's taste and if I'm not a big fan of their taste well....it doesn't make the compliment mean less and i wouldn't dislike what i was wearing because of it, but i definately take it into account.

[HBoogie]

The worst is when someone fishes for compliments. When a friend or any other person asks if you like her bag or shoes or whatever and you really don't, but you end up saying you do just to be polite. Awkward.

I think in the future when this happens, I must remember to clarify. Saying "I like it for you" is a good way to be polite while avoiding being untrue to one's own taste.

[softgrey]

when someone who is really conservative compliments one of my more unusual pieces...
it just confuses me......

i believe they are being sincere...
but it just catches me off guard...
it seems the weirder i dress, the more conservative people compliment me...which generally just freaks me out!...

...
i will never understand that...

[Bel]

Softgrey, that happens to me too! I have this polyester track jacket that's orange, electric blue, yellow, silver, and red, and I've gotten compliments from our school's secretary on it. Our counselor asked me if I was wearing a bicyclist safety vest, I said no, then she said she liked it.

[HBoogie]

^Maybe they're trying to make an effort to be more open-minded. Can't fault them for that.

I tend towards cynicism, but I do think it's self-damaging to wonder if there's a veiled insult hidden inside a compliment. Instead we should be patting ourselves on the back when we get compliments from people who dress differently than we do. Good style should know no bounds, right? We wouldn't say that somebody who loves Mark Rothko or Frank Stella couldn't possibly appreciate the work of Caravaggio, now could we?

[it-boy's nature]

yeah i thought it was pretty shallow of me to be confused or upset when recieving compliments by "oddly dressed" people.

i have somewhat of a theory that when you REALLY look good, people won't compliment you as openly because they are kind of intimidated or wont admit how great you look,
but when you get compliments when you know your not having such an amazing day, then that means no one is paricularly floored by your outfit so they have no problem lifting your spirits with a compliment.

Anyone agree?....a little

[Bel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HBoogie I tend towards cynicism, but I do think it's self-damaging to wonder if there's a veiled insult hidden inside a compliment.

I didn't mean to say I think it's really an insult, I always take it as a sincere compliment. It's more of "If they like it, I must look bad." So instead of being self-damaging, I'm really being a snob.