I've always liked putting together a nice outfit. But, unlike some people, these outfits aren't limited to only "nice" outings. For example, while it's perfectly acceptable to wear, well, basically anything to a day at the mall or on an international flight—I would rather put together a whole look for those occasions. Don't get me wrong; I like yoga pants (minus the actual doing yoga part) and T-shirts as much as the next girl, and I'd be lying if I said that I don't rock the "cute gym clothes, but not going to the gym at all today" look once or twice a week. In general, though, I prefer a nice outfit. My style may not be in tune with everyone else's, of course, but I like the feeling of confidence I get from putting together my version of a killer, "dressed up" outfit.
"Dressed up" very rarely means designer or expensive for me; it just means an outfit that makes me feel like I can take on the world. In middle school, that meant wearing polo shirts to the local mall with the collar popped (dark, dark days). Today, it means more like a leather jacket and a pair of statement earrings. Whatever the case—me dressing up has always seemed to cause discussion amongst my friends and family. The typical scenario? I'm "dressed up" and my friends/family aren't, and there's always one person who chimes in, "Hey, Olivia, are you going somewhere tonight?" or, while laughing, "Olivia's dressed like she's going on a date and I'm dressed like a total bum." Whether critical or self-deprecating, I've never understood why people feel uncomfortable when I'm dressed up and they're not. So if you've ever found yourself around a friend who dresses up more than you do, here's what not to say.
1. "Where Are YOU Going Tonight?"
Does there need to be an excuse or special event to wear a midi skirt? I mean, come on; sometimes it's just fun to twirl around in the middle of your apartment and feel like a superstar. Obviously.
2. "Oh my gosh, look at you! And I'm dressed like SUCH a bum."
Look, me wearing something nice doesn't mean that it affects how you are dressed. Me getting dressed up is simply what made me feel confident that day; and if gym shorts made you feel confident, then that's great. I've never understand why a "fancier" outfit in a non-fancy setting makes people feel intimidated or self-conscious. Wear what you like and rock it...regardless of what I'm wearing.
3. "How do you even have time to get dressed up?"
This one is particularly annoying—implying that I have nothing better to do than sit around at home planning outfits. Granted, sometimes a good outfit does take a bit of brainstorming, but more often than not, it's not exactly an all-day affair.
4. "Woah, you're SO fancy right now."
WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING FANCY SOMETIMES, GUYS?!
5. "Isn't that ___, like, super uncomfortable?"
Whether it's a pair of heels, a tight dress or basically just anything over than your typical jeans and/or sweatpants + T-shirt combination, for some reason people always associate less casual outfits with being uncomfortable. It's true that sometimes a leather mini skirt isn't going to feel quite the same as a pair of fleece-lined sweatpants, but when you love fashion, and you love dressing up, it's not that big of a deal. You feel great anyway, and you aren't tempted to take a nap constantly; it works.
6. "I could never spend that much time/money on an outfit."
This kind of goes back to #3, but again—when did taking the time (or money) to make yourself look and, much more importantly, feel confident and beautiful become a total waste of time? And when did everyone start thinking that throwing on some bright lipstick and a nice dress takes hours? As a society that spends the majority of our time watching Netflix, how I "waste" time or money getting dressed in the morning shouldn't be of concern to anyone, am I right?
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