An age old debate. The topic of who we dress for has been discussed in the likes of Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, you name it –they said it. But no matter how many journalism degrees one has or how many crowns you are away from the royal throne of Wintour – somehow the debate is still on – and this one we may fight to the death. Move over Katniss – let the hunger games of fashion begin, I kid.
Betsey Johnson once said: “Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves and, of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys they’d just walk around naked at all time.”
Well if that was the case, we may be overrun with eating disorders, fast food joints would become a men’s only club and no Dove ad campaign could teach the preying eyes of women’s critical gene to let up. We are hard wired to measure everything even ourselves against the rest of the world – think about your job, grades, salaries, house size – there is competition in the market place – but the better question is when it comes to dressing for success who are we trying to beat?
Honest moment: Yes, we do source our friends to help pick out outfits for the evening – and we all know who our true friends are that tell us – “I like the first outfit better.” Keep those girls around ladies – they don’t appear often! But for the most part what gets us going for day out or night out is how we feel when we walk out the door. Nothing prepares a girl for a good day/night out in an outfit she knows she looks good in and according to Cosmo – when a man notices a woman the way she dresses barely makes the top ten! How a woman is put together comes in at #9 right after whether or not he notices what’s fake first (#8) boobs, eyelashes, extensions etc. – Can we really say we’re surprised?
So what’s your profile:
YOU – Dressing for numero uno.
There comes once in a blue moon the epiphany where you’re standing in the shower and after you have just finished Carly Jepsen’s shower singing “Call me Maybe” set for the night it and it comes to you like a paddle brush to the head: the perfect outfit. Getting dressed you’re like a catwalk concept board and making the walkway to your front door becomes your runway bitch. We hate to say we’re selfish but you’re the type of girl where confidence means more than compliments you know your rocking what you’re wearing and no one can tell you different.
THEM – Crowd sourcing the jury.
Yes, there is the micro-chasm of the world where women and gay men like to talk, swatches, labels, who wore it best and who fashion flopped. Monday night’s Met Gala was the fashion show of the spring and though everyone marveled at Beyoncé’s tumbling trussed gown – it was a fashion flop! Sorry ladies but showing off your post pregnancy body in a sheer gown? Pull a Heidi Klum first – hire Billy Blanks. We dress to be judged and the most fashionable judge back. It isn’t all girl fights and catty slaps but rather picking apart the art of how to dress for life’s most fashionable moments.
HIM – Put your tongue back in your mouth sparky!
We all know a nod from your man when you come down the stairs or out the door for a night out is the ultimate in satisfaction. After two hours of work we are fishing for compliments and though you say were trying to out dress the “competition” sometimes we just want to look good for you and feel confident ourselves. That don’t want to keep my hands off of you feeling but I have to for the sake of not looking like a handsy gorilla in public when we are dressed to the nines – bingo! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
So the final verdict – We dress for a little bit of everyone – but ultimately it leads back to ourselves and how we feel. That’s why we have our staples and our go to favorite pieces in our closet. So in the event of a fashion emergency for your go to – then rock it!
