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.
Awkward grinnellian posed the question “Would you really rather be known for your legs than for your ideas?” but who says you can’t be known for both? I have a ton of respect for well rounded people, who balance their academics, arts, and social activities, and when they dress well on top of that, it shows that they’re really in control of their life. I have a friend who is an athlete, deans list student, president of her sorority, and a public service scholar, and she’s always well dressed. We all wonder how she does it. I think the way she dresses has a lot to do with our respect for her, as a uniform of sweats would give off the impression that she’s frazzled and that her activities have left her with little sleep or energy.
FANTASTIC post! I know that both me and my roommate (slash one of my best friends) LOVE to dress up for no reason at all and this just gives me even more motivation to get my style-on!
I recently started doing this, it’s so much fun! I feel better about myself when I’ve put a bit more effort into my outfit.
I’m heading from an all-girls high school with a uniform to a co-ed college where I can wear whatever I want, so I’m just starting to get into fashion. I haven’t been asked why I’m dressed up (yet), but I have been worried about feeling self-conscious about what I’m wearing. Thanks for the article, and your whole blog really. It’s been a great help in developing my college style!
Wonderful post 😀
I dress up because I LOVE to be unique (and to be honest, I also love the attention I get).
Where I live, everyone dresses in tanktops, shorts and flip flops. Its really plain and more importantly its not me.
I love to wear bright colours, tutus, Doc Martens, high-waisted skirts and other things ppl here don’t usually wear on a “normal” day. And when I dress in simple clothing such as Tees and skinny jeans, I usually dress it up with bright heels or a sparkly hat.
I think many of the trouble between fashion lovers and people who don’t think of it is a great misunderstanding. I think the question “why to dress up” is not that offencive, i think of it as genuene interest. It is like two different worlds, i try to convert to the fashion love site, and therefore i find it hard when you think of it as a question that was ment to provoke. How about saying “because i like to look my best”, that is the often the trouth, so why try to justify with all these reasons
Fashion is social! Sometimes your friends want permission to relax and not worry about how they look, but if you look fabulous, it’s pressure for other women to try harder. The list above includes “life is too short” but my life is too short to spend extra time and money searching for unusual clothes and time every day putting them together. Find some cute cheap tops, jeans or slacks, done! If you feel you don’t have money for [vacation, great gift for mom, student loans, charity] try skipping all unnecessary clothes/accessories purchases for a couple of months. You won’t care about those fabulous earings when you’re on a beach [or when your mom is, or someone has food who otherwise wouldnt, etc].
Definitely agree! Life is only one, dress up every day and enjoy your style!
This post will be a classic.
+ 26. Because wearing something you love can uplift you when you’re not feeling like yourself!
I love that i just stumbled upon this just now… I’m currently finishing up a series on my blog, where i focused on dressing up every day to keep myself from getting depressed, despite being home all the time lately. I hoped it would help me a little, but i’m truly surprised just how much better it made me feel in comparison to how i’ve been feeling the last few months.
All of these points are great!
?Alissa, https://StoryBehindTheCloth.com
Because it makes me feel empowered, to express myself through cuts, colors, and garment choice…and getting up in the morning to put on my CP’s or boosts feels amazing and it never gets old. I’ve been through a lot of break ups and dressing up helps me get through the day with my lonesome self 🙂
This is an incredible article!! Thank you so much for writing this much needed piece. I wish all girls would read this. I don’t know how many times I see girls wearing sweatpants and whatnot every day. I was one of them however until I woke up and finally realized that life really is too short, it was near death awakening but still it did wake me up, I am a cancer survivor. I use to wear frumpy dresses and skirts at one time and ladies, that is not dressing up, believe me. lol. I now dress up every day with style and class and will soon start wearing more stylish dresses this time as well. Thank you for writing this article, it is so inspirational, I have posted it to my desktop so it will be always available for me to read over, the comments are very helpful as well.
great thoughts you share here
But if Brad Pitt were at the grocery store, he would be dressed as a hobo
I’m a straight male, and I just stumbled upon this article after the exact thing happened to me. I was even at a jewelry store looking at nice watches and she asked, “why are you all dressed up? Going to a wedding?” And first of all, I would never wear what I was wearing to a wedding. But why the heck do I need a reason to dress well and be proud of how I look? Thanks for the boost today. Nice to know I’m not the only one.
I go to college classes everyday in a dress and often heels! How boring to wear sweatpants and jeans everyday.