A few weeks ago, a reader left a comment that made me think about the things we wear every day and why we wear them. She was asking for advice on what to do when people ask “why are YOU so dressed up?” As if wearing something cute that makes you feel good is a “strange” thing to do!
That comment got me thinking about dressing up and what that means.
Since when did it become an unusual thing to put effort into what you wear and have fun with fashion? Since when is anyone not wearing sweatpants and a hoodie breaking unwritten social rules? Why should “dressing up” be reserved for special occasions only?
I was immediately inspired to create this list. I firmly believe in “dressing up” every day of your life, and I think you should too!
So why dress up? Here are 25 good reasons.
1. Because life’s too short to blend in. Don’t settle for average.
2. Because you’re only young once. You’re way more gorgeous than you know and have a fabulous body you’ll one day look back on and wish you had! Take advantage now and show off how fabulous you can be.
3. Because fashion is a method of self expression. What are you trying to say?
4. Because you never know who you’ll run into. Brad Pitt at the grocery store? Hey, stranger things have happened.
5. Because it obviously annoys closed-minded people (like the guy who asks why YOU are so dressed up). The fact that it annoys them so much is all the more reason to keep doing it. They don’t get to control YOU.
6. Because you never know, there’s always a chance you could get snapped by The Sartorialist!
7. Because you deserve to look your best at all times if you want to.
8. Because you’ll never improve your sense of style if your default look is “I give up”. Yes, that was a Seinfeld reference. But it’s true! If fashion is important to you, make it a priority in your life.
9. Because dressing up helps you weed out friends who don’t love you for you. If they have a problem with the way you dress, they’re not the kind of friends you want around.
10. Because cute clothes and accessories are a great conversation starter. Wear something fabulous and people will ask you where you got it.
11. Because parties aren’t the only time to celebrate.
12. Because that fabulous party dress in your closet cost too much to only be worn once. Remember cost per wear?
13. Because it’s fun and can boost your mood!
14. Because even if you live in an “unstylish” city and are scared to dress up, cities don’t become stylish without someone going first. I know it sounds cheesy, but be the change you want to see in the world. Everyone else can follow your fabulous lead.
15. Because dressing up helps you make fashion mistakes and get past them. Mistakes happen to everyone and that’s how you learn what not to do – get them out of the way now!
16. Because it’s a test of your confidence. Dressing unconventionally forces you to develop the self-assurance necessary to stand out from everyone else.
17. Because fashion is one of the rare instances where art comes alive. What artistic statement do you want to make?
18. Because if you’ve got it (great style, killer confidence, amazing legs), it’s just wrong not to flaunt it.
19. Because someday when you have a 9-5 corporate job and are required to wear business suits, you’re going to miss the freedom of dress you had in college. Experiment now! There’s no better time.
20. Because glamour isn’t only reserved for the rich and famous, even though maybe they’d like you to believe it is.
21. Because if conspiracy theorists are to be believed, the world might end any day now. Don’t spend your theoretical final days in sweats.
22. Because Carrie Bradshaw would not approve of your sweatpants and UGG boots. You can do better than that. And deep down, you know I’m right.
23. Because dressing well means you don’t have to do your hair at all – you’ll have that ultra fabulous, slightly disheveled Kate Moss look.
24. Because nothing beats the rush you feel when you look in the mirror and LOVE what you see.
25. Because you want to. That’s the only reason that matters.
Why do YOU dress up?
What do you think? Do you make an effort to dress up every day? What inspires you to put effort into your look? Tell me what you think by leaving a comment.
Love this post! Its so true, you know who you’ll bump into….
i can back it up! i used to dress up when i was younger but once i got busy in my life i lost the time! now i have extra time i’d love to go back to the spunky self…
also i passed brad pitt on the street twice and both times looked like shit in boring shorts and a tank… you never know who you’ll see
“because u deserve to look best at all times”
this is simple, but meaningful.
great.
dressing up is reserved for a time when the way i look holds some kind of importance…i.e. like a job interview, or when i need to make a good impression, but most of the time i have other things of importance on my mind.
appearance isn’t everything.
why i dress up? well u actually made me think. i think i like dressing up because it makes me happy. i feel confident, pretty, when I dress up. I love fashion thats why I dress up. when i go out without makeup and fashionable clothes i dont have that confidence but when i dress up i feel on cloud nine.
I love getting dressed up because it gives me confidence. I’ve had people come up to me saying “Oh! I love that dress!” And you’ll look back and be amazed how great of a body you had.
I think there should be a post about what kind of accesories are in.
Thank you, Zephyr! This article is probably my favorite out of all the ones that you’ve written so far. You give us gals the inspiration to keep dressing the way we want to regardless of insensitive comments from others. =D
@ Angelica (BerryLuscious)
wow! I thought I was the only one thinking and feeling this way, but what you described is exactly like my situation. I believe that we CAN get through it though! Carpe Diem! 🙂
This is such a great, refreshing post! Makes you really ponder how non-shallow fashion can be. I agree with Julie in that everyone’s definition of “dressing up” is a little different, but as long as it makes you feel good, and helps you express your inner creativity, you’ll always look good! 🙂
I don’t get why people think you need designers or a ton of clothes to be fashionable… fashion is expression and expression requires creativity. Also, you can get creative if you can’t afford many clothes. Buy things you can wear in a lot of different ways, go to vintage/flee markets (I’ve found so many pieces I love at my local vintage stores).
Also, whenever I clean out my closet to add my new pieces, I donate almost all my clothes (some dresses I do sell to consignments) to those who need them.
Also consider the fact when you look for jobs and go to interviews, your potential employer judges you the moment you walk in based on what you are wearing. They are gonna be more impressed with someone who took the time to dress up over someone who wears jeans and a hoodie.
This is a FABULOUS post! I’ll keep this in mind whenever I’m getting ready for my day 🙂
Well I dress up every once in a while simply because when I was younger I was not a t-shirt kind of girl (I’m talking middle school and high school) – I just thought they were too casual and it kind of always stuck with me. I own tons of t-shirts now, especially a bunch that I got over the years in college, but I still manage to look nice even when I wear them (go accessories!) Plus I know I’m more on the plus-size so it’s nice to get complimented a lot of the time on still looking nice.
And I remember reading your cost-per-wear thing when you wrote it (that was over a year ago, wasn’t it?) and it *still* comes to mind every single time I think about buying clothes (or anything for that matter). Thanks!
The timing of this post could not have been more perfect! I dress up because it gives me confidence, because I KNOW I have style…and so I can show the world (ok, my peers) that even a nerdy science student (we have a bad rep) can look and feel fabulous at all times.
Because I’m cute!
Zephyr, somewhere long ago we must be related. I agree with this post wholeheartedly, and I get the “dressed up” question a lot, especially about my (extensive) high-heeled-shoe collection that I parade all over campus in, no matter the season, and only occasionally stymied by the weather. I used to be a supporter of an “off day” every now and then, but, while I would never criticize another person for taking a day off from style, I have tried my best to give it up and always look as put-together as I can. Even a simple swipe of foundation and mascara, a cute pair of flats, and a cardi look better than no makeup, flip-flops, and a swetashirt. Z, rock on!!
…because it’s a creative challenge: how good can you look by wearing affordable pieces?
This is one of my reasons (the one that you didn’t mention). I was never interested in fashion prior to college, but now it’s what I do on my breaks (e.g. peruse affordable shopping sites, peruse blogs such as this one, etc.). I’m a girl who loves a deal and as goofy as it sounds, coming up with creative outfits that are budget-friendly is a source of inspiration to me.
Great post! I absolutely agree 100% with everything you said. I always make the effort to dress up no matter where it is I’m going. I do sometimes get asked why I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go though. I also love playing with make-up and wearing bright colored eyeshadow and nail polish. I often get looked at for not wearing the same natural eyeshadow colors and red or pink nails that all the other girls are sporting. But the way I see it is, if people are actually looking at me and talking about my style (even if there comments aren’t necessarily positive) then I must be doing something right for them to notice me over everyone else. I like to be different and stand out from the crowd. I’m also an artist and love express my creativity in any way that I can.
Another reason I put so much effort into my look is because one career option I’m considering is becoming a stylist. If I’m going to be trusted to style other people, I need to start with myself. And who’s going to hire a stylist that wears nothing but sweats and sneakers everyday?
Also, I’m a fashion student and I feel I need to look the part (and yes, even many girls in my fashion classes sport the typical “sweats and sneakers uniform” of a college student). Even when I’m not in school, if I meet someone new and tell them about my major, I want them to see that I truly am passionate about it. The person I’m talking to could end up being a future employer or client of mine. Hey, you never know. As you said, stranger things have happened.
I don’t mean to insult anyone who does wear sweats and sneakers often though. Just wanted to state why I prefer not to.