Can you judge a person by his/her clothing?

[LesYeux]

I think that no matter what, people are going to judge. It's human nature. And what would fashion be if we didn't judge? I mean, you obviously can't tell whether a person is a virgin or not by what they wear, but there are clues. What you're wearing is a reflection of your personality.

'Nuff said.

 

[softgrey]

in the words of George Michael...

'sometimes the clothes, do not make the man'....



...

 

[silk skin paws]

Sometimes it's about first impressions. I try to put my best foot forward whenever I step outside. My style reflects my personality. I understand not everyone dresses to reflect themselves in some cases it's more about "hey this shirt is clean let me put this on" and nothing else.

 

[ediewho]

Nah I do judge people about what they have to say... if there just style and no brains im over.
Im specially attracted to eccentrically minds so i don't think people who i relate to is average even when they can seem to.

so no... gimme a brain, gimme an sparkle and the world will keep shinning...

i have to confess that i find it boring when people dislikes to try to wear different..but i do never judge people by their clothes soooo that means i never let them judge me by mines...

 

[xFashionfollower]

^ You can't prevent someone from judging you by your outfit, not even when you yourself refrain from doing so.

I think sometimes the way people dress themselves can give you a little bit of information about their personality.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ It gives you quite a lot of information, actually ... but it's certainly not exhaustive. I think categorizing people can be interesting, but when you get done, you have to throw all the categories out and remember that anyone can be anything. The most uneducated person can make the most profound statement you'll never forget ... the most wrinkled face can be the most beautiful ... the 'beautiful' people can have souls that resemble raisins.

 

[ediewho]

^the thing is if they judge me i don't care... plus im enough smart to make them change up their mind while talking to me in case the catch me in one of those days when u say please i hate these clothes... usually if they are smart enough they change up their mind quicker...also no matter what i wear i have a sense of wear it that speaks louder than the clothes itself... if they are not enough smart is just funny.

 

[EvaIntl]

i think it's impossible not to judge people by their clothing at least a little bit. however, of course, judging people only by their clothing is not ok. it's easy to misinterpret people that way - different people have different attitudes to (the importance of) clothing.

 

[BerlinRocks]

i think the replies here seem very politicaly correct ... like 'ouh, not me ! never did, never will !'
perhaps because i'm french and in my country one judge a lot on the appearance (clothing being part of it !)


for me, it sincerely depends ...
but if i can be honest, i have to say i do judge sometimes ...
not necessarily if they have brain or something ...
but if i feel i can have something to say or even share with him/her ...
* that's weird, isn't it ? *

anyway, i'm shy so ... generaly i never do the first step !

 

[Les_Sucettes]

I think it's impossible not to judge someone by what they wear, first impressions are very important, but unless you belong to a very specific type of group, I think most of the times clothes, although they give you clues about the person they are not in any way conclusive.

I like clothes, models and everything that is looks related, but I spent half of life in stuffy dusty archives and libraries dealing with older people that couldn't care less about those things. I wouldn't be caught dead in a club and I avoid parties, gatherings, like the plague. Books are my life. And no one could or does figure that out just by looking at me.
If that's true for me, I think it's true for a LOT of people that I maybe judging probably totally incorrectly, because they prefer to wear certain things.

 

[papa_levante]

It gives you quite a lot of information, actually ...

Yup. I used it to "assume" that this person made an effort because they value themselves to look nice and feel good. Of course, someone could be having a down day and pimp the sweats when out to buy groceries. For the most part, a person who cares about their clothes is the same as a person who cares about personal hygiene.

I think it's impossible not to judge someone by what they wear, first impressions are very important, but unless you belong to a very specific type of group, I think most of the times clothes, although they give you clues about the person they are not in any way conclusive.

I like this statement. We all make judgments. It's just what we do. It won't reveal everything but we can get a good clue.

 

[ediewho]

You know what this is funy but people tend to tell me that i catch up kind of quickly the kind of person im talking with... and i do guess most of the times... they say im quite sensitive and i wouldnt include clothes on that...u forgot what is inside any clothe a person...so body language...voice, acting....u miss a lot of information if you only focus on clothes...

 

[Deleted member 1957]

there are things you can determine and some you can't which is why we should never immediately assume. You need to know their occupation, religion, cultural back ground, climatic conditions etc. But then again as much as i wont judge someone for the price tag of their clothes, an unkept person is another story...unless theres a cause like extreme working conditions or mayb wen one fails to make it home then it can warrant dirty clothes but if one wears un pressed or smelly clothes on a regular basis and theres no explanation, it indicates sloppiness

 

[Geostud]

I think fashion is a better indicator about one's personality than race, gender, etc... Fashion is a deliberate intention for one's own goals and self-worth!

 

[ediewho]

i think the key its how you wear it instead of what do you wear.

 

[jennifer~]

Of course there are certain things you can assume, but outfits change more often than people, and a quick glance or first introduction can't always give you a well-rounded idea of someone's overall style. By 'judge' I don't think anyone has room or right to make a harsh or negative judgement, except in extreme situations (like, I dunno, wearing a shirt with racial slurs on it ). But yes, there are a few things that can and will naturally be assumed. I wouldn't rely on them too strongly, however...

 

[Feline]

I think most people have been guilty at times of making assumptions about others because of what they are wearing. Sometimes they are correct, for instance band t-shirts give clues about their musical tastes. I do think it is wrong to judge people, especially strangers solely by their clothing as one can't know every context why they are dressed that way. For example, if you saw someone in a smart suit with classic shoes, you could make assumptions about them. However, they could be going to an interview, that could be their work clothing or they could be up in court. That same person could feel highly uncomfortable dressing for that occasion and feel more 'themselves' in ripped jeans & a leather jacket. It is all to easy to judge, but we really shouldn't.

 

[tigerrouge]

There are plenty of asset-rich people who walk around dressed like farmhands because they have more important things to do than fold a Hermes hankerchief into their top pocket. And because credit is easy to come by (in comparison to previous decades) many people can dress like they have money to burn, when they really own nothing at all, apart from four credit cards in the red.

I walk a lot, and when I do so, I dress to fit in or to deflect attention so I can go about my business. At those times, my clothing isn't a direct display of my personal style, but more of a practicality. When I look at other people, I tend to think that what someone wears on the outside isn't that much of a reflection of the person they are inside their heads. Their outfit today is a choice they've made according to a range of factors, and who can tell what they are without getting to know that person? So even supposedly badly-dressed people can tell an interesting tale about what they're wearing.

 

[666tubeamp]

This is an interesting thread and it caught my eye because I’ve been thinking a lot about what I wear lately and what others think.

The context is I’m a guy, mid 30's, happily married, fairly good looking, in good shape, and - here it comes - I love wearing leather pants. I think they’re the best kept secret in the clothing world: they’re super comfortable, they form fit to one’s body and I don’t care what “Joey and Chandler” think, they look damned good when they’re accessorized well - if you can see past the stereotypes. But that’s the problem right there isn’t it? Those accursed, and very deeply rooted, stereotypes.

With the generally greater acceptance of alternative lifestyles, lesser degree of race issues, etc in our society [i.e. we’re far from perfect, but we have made improvements], I had this fantasy that people just might have moved beyond passing judgement based merely on an article of clothing. I also figured that if I were careful in how I wore the pants, and if I bought ones that were really high quality [Versace, Gucci], then just maybe all of the enlightened people in our wonderful society would see past the stereotyped images - even for just a moment - and think “you know...that’s not too bad”. Well...save for a very few exceptions, it sure hasn’t happened.

For a long time, my confidence to wear leather pants was bolstered by the occasional positive comment [“you look really good today”, “you pull it off well” or “you know, now that I’ve let that look settle in for a moment, you really do look good”]. Also, I loved the feeling of being unique, because all my life, I’ve been fed this lie that individuality means something and I guess I must have believed it. Sadly, I’ve come to realize that adults, young or old, have pretty much the same attitudes that they had in junior high: if you’re in any way different - any way at all - you’re an object of ridicule. Adults just hide it better and wait for you to leave rather than make fun of you to your face. That’s the only difference. For a while I didn’t care, but over time, the long, sideways looks kind of erode at the confidence.

Anyway, my point, I guess, is that if you chose to dress in anything other than what is universally accepted for each context [dockers to work, sweats or shorts on the weekend, jeans when it’s cooler outside], you WILL be judged. Expect it - it will happen. If you have the confidence to let it wash off your back, then I salute you. But don’t expect too many others to do so.

 

[softgrey]

i think that very often you can tell a lot about a person by the way they choose to dress...

i met a guy and i noticed that he always wore chunky shoes with a heavy sole...
i commented to him that all his shoes have a heavy sole...
and he said - 'i have a heavy soul...'

* and i think that might be true...
and there you have it...
a huge insight into this person's psyche...
simply based on his choice of footwear...