I walk into the dining hall, starving for my first meal of the day and discombobulated as I scan the crowded tables for my friends. When I finally locate them, I rush to get my heavy coat off and get in line for some chicken nuggets, but before I can get a word out I hear, “You did not wear that to class, did you?!” I look down at my outfit, curious as to what is so astonishing. Did I spill coffee on myself? Is my bra showing? Please don’t tell me anything ripped…
Yet, to my surprise, I see nothing wrong with my outfit: a simple blouse, blazer, skirt, tights, and riding boots. Although nothing was out of the norm in my eyes, it appears that this simple outfit is now socially deemed as, “peculiar,” for a college girl to wear to class.
When did dressing down become the norm and why is it now frowned upon to dress your best? Personally, I believe fashion is a reflection of ourselves. I don’t dress to impress anyone but myself, and I don’t think that is a reason to tease me or anyone else with these beliefs either. What is so wrong with dressing for success? We all idolize celebrities that look flawless, even when pumping gas or grocery shopping, yet no one strives to set the bar that high for themselves.
Ladies, I believe we need to stop looking at fashion as a hassle and instead look at it as a privilege. We need to look at dressing up as a chance to show the people around us who we are and that we can do anything and look good doing it. Dressing your best is not just about “looking cute,” it is so much more than that.
1. Represent yourself.
What you wear is an extension of who you are and therefore serves as the absolute first impression of you. Don’t you want to make it a good one? Think about meeting your significant others’ parents for the first time; you want to show them that you are the perfect fit for their son/daughter, and looking the part will certainly give you a leg up. Fashion, as a way to represent yourself, is also vital in interviews for jobs and internships. Yes, dressing to the occasion may seem quite obvious in this situation, but without everyday practice, it is harder to be confident in that pencil skirt and heels.
2. Represent our generation.
Helloooooo! Do we really want to be known as the time period where everyone got lazy? NO! We want to be looked at the way we look at the glitz and glam of the 20’s or the beauty of the 50’s by our grandchildren. As a young girl, I am sure many of us played dress up with our mom’s old dresses or grandmother’s silk gloves, imagining the day we would grow up and get to dress just like them. Yet, somewhere along the lines, the magic of class and elegance has dwindled from our childhood minds. I don’t know about you, but I want my future daughter to be able to play dress up in my old skirts and dresses, not leggings and UGG boots.
3. Dress for success.
Maybe this is just me, but when I dress nice, I feel a billion times better and feel like I can take on the world. Just think of your prom; when you were dressed to the nines you probably felt like the queen of the world. Now, I’m not saying that you should wear your prom dress to class by any means, but you can still have a sliver of that feeling any day by dressing up a little bit.
Dressing your best is not that difficult; in fact, slipping on a skirt is easier than putting on sweatpants one leg at a time. So tomorrow when you are getting ready for class, staring at that pile of hoodies on the floor, I challenge you to try something nicer instead. And when your friends stop you on your way to class or in the dining hall to ask what you are wearing, just give them a twirl and flaunt the best looking you.
Featured image via Barcelona · Three Looks on Flickr
