The Decline of the Well Put Together Lady

[Lady Day]

Its across the board. I work the fornt desk of a hostel, and I am always overdressed (tho not hard to do, mind you). Im always wearing a skirt, or dress, or nice cardie or a flower in my hair. I feel comfortable, but Im sure Im overdressed. I dont care tho, I feel good wearing these clothes and even tho they may not be super comfortable all the time, they feel like me.

LD

[miss noir]

I work in the legal industry also, but over here it seems it is the men letting the side down in shabby shirts, shoes, and suits that have seen better days! The majority of the women lawyers and staff are very well coutured

I feel overdressed most of the time too, but why not! life's too short to dress like all the other mall bunnies, and its an added bonus to get compliments here and there as well AND have doors held open for you

Today im wearing a grey wiggle dress with cream satin trim, a girdle to tame the wobbly bits, seamed stockings and pearl white ballet flats with little black bows.

ps. For anyone else in NZ/Australia, Portmans have a great selection of cheap & really gorgeous ballet flats at the moment

[kirawoidan]

The other day at the grocery store, a lady came up to me and asked my why I "dressed like that". I was wearing a pencil skirt and a cardigan, I wasn't dressed up by any means, but I did have my hair done. She said she thought it was cute, but I thought it was a little rude to outwardly ask that! (by the way, she was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt)

[Lady Day]

Oh i got something like that at the post office (not rude tho). I was wearing black hose, kitten heels, a black jewled cardie (buttoned up), a nice circle skirt, and a red flower in my hair.

She commented that most girls just dont dress like a lady anymore. That made me feel good. If girls only knew that dressing the part makes you feel the part.

Clothes make the lady as well.

LD

[Grace]

Hi, ladies!

I'm new here, and I saw this thread and couldn't help but comment.

People don't know how to dress anymore! Plain and simple. I've seen my share of poorly dressed people in the court room, but I'm apalled at hearing how legal professionals dress.
You should see how people dress for weddings in these parts! Jeans! Flip flops! The horror! How terribly disrespectful to show up to a wedding in jeans and rubber shoes.

Women leaving the house with no make up, bed head, and sweat pants. Going out to dinner in an oversize sweatshirt and greasy hair. What is wrong with everyone? Is it not common decency to atleast look presentable when going in public?

One night my husband and I got a little gussied up (I was in a vintage cocktail dress, him in a casual suit) and we went out to eat. We were seated at our table, and when the waiter came to greet us, he asked if it was prom.

I wear heels mostly every day. It's so foreign to people any more! I get bombarded with a millions questions, like "How do you wear those?" "Do they hurt your feet?" "Can you drive in them?" etc. etc.

It seems as though I'm surrouned by incredibly well dressed people on these boards, and boy am I glad for that!

[crystalface]

Since I work in a retail store in a mall, I see this stuff ALL the time. Granted it's a mall, but I see some very ridiculous looking people. Today I was coming back to my store from a break, and I was walking behind a woman in a jumper-style bubble dress. It was zebra print! She looked like she was wearing a zebra striped drawstring bag.

It makes me feel confident and good about myself that I "dress up." I'm glad I started dressing well because I actually feel like an adult. And look like one.

[RetroMom]

I think when people criticize us for being "well dressed", they are really criticizing themselves because they know they just threw themselves together and probably know they look like slobs.

The "Casual Friday's" in the office, really started a bad trend as to how to people come to work. flip flops, microminini's and short shorts. How gross. I don't know why people don't get the difference between being casual and being sloppy!

I personally feel like I'm on a one woman campaign in my town to end sloppiness! It drives me crazy to see women who have the time and $$ going around with baseball caps and old sweats, I went to my kid's religious ed function at church and there was a woman, who came in a belly shirt and low slung pants! I mean, did she really think this was appropriate for a religious function?

OK, I'm done ranting......

[RetroModelSari]

The bad dressed people are about everywhere... I remember seeing those court-television shows that they broadcast here thinking I´d never show up like that in a court (They´d say I´m guilty of bad grooming;-) ) and every morning I see people on their way to work that just look like they stumbled out of bed. Now I don´t style up every day, but at least I wear decent clothes and look clean.

[Elaina]

I always thought "Casual Friday" meant that you wore slacks, a cardigan set and could get away with flats, or pressed, CLEAN AND UNTORN jeans, and a polo shirt with loafers if you were a guy.

I was asked yesterday when I had to go to the dollar store (I lead a sheltered life) very rudely why I was out trying to hook up "wit our men". Uh, okay. Have to tell my husband about this. I was in, for me, casual: non-retro skirt that borders on sporty, peasant blouse, minimal makeup, matching flip flops (I know, they're awful, but I have a pedicure. And they match). Chika, was to be nice, dressed like she was of the nightly pursuits of a paid profession.

Fact is, women don't care anymore and consequently, the men don't either. I've never had the problem of doors being opened for me, I generally get treated like an adult by other adults, and other then women being snippy, I don't generally get a lot of trouble. Probably doesn't hurt that I'm not nice when people are rude either. But I remember being taught atschool as a young woman the women's lib hoopla about how men were unimportant, etc, and frankly, this attitude of dress is IMHO a product of that.

[Miss Dottie]

Just think of it like this ladies--every time you leave the house well dressed and with make up on you are striking out against slovenliness.

Remember a revolution starts with one person!

Now let's go out there and wow them all!