Lyn, I see only one problem with you:

YOU NEVER LOOK BAD.

Stop it.

You look terrific and yet it's a very simple outfit -- it's the very best look to wear! Just elegant. What you really need is a nice long vacation in Paris or Milan where dressing well is the norm.

It is amazing how quickly our society has changed; you look at picture from a few decades ago and people were dressed up all time yet they had only a few items! Now people have closets the size of small rooms and they look like slobs. Guess our prestige now comes from the cars we drive or our houses. Oh-oh, sorry for wandering off-topic...

Oh, Lyn, I'm so sorry you had to be the recipient of such a rude remark. Trust me, it's him...definitely not you. Remember, you're the girl who gets recognized on the street for your fabness!

I must say, some of the recommended comments have had me laughing out loud!

Lyn, you look casual and smart and fabulous, as always, and HE is a dork!!!!

Let me guess...what's he going to specialize in? Is he an osteopod? (apologies to anyone who might be offended!)

Well, he's obviously well on his way to earning his "worst bedside manner" award. I weep for his patients. Anyway, you look great and, for some reason, that really BOTHERS this man. Smile and laugh. And then use MaryK's "final answer":

*trilling laugh* "Oh, honey, this IS casual!" Then you squeeze his arm, lean towards him conspiratorily, and whisper, "Now let's talk about what's wrong with YOU!"

OMG, Kappy! You have made my final answer a million times better by stopping where you stopped! I LOVE IT!!!!

GEN. I. OUS.

Don't worry Lyn. When you're competing for the same positions you'll have the definite edge. You look great, don't mind him.

That's definitely a casual outfit in my books and a very cute one at that, you looked GREAT!!!
Love all the suggestions for comebacks : )

I'm sitting here giggling at so many GREAT comments! However, his comment was dumb, so flick the negativity off of your shoulder like a little bug.

You look great!!!

I like to think you are making up the difference for the rest of North America who has taken casual to abominable levels of slovenliness! I think I might be caught speechless, too, but would soon after ask pointedly, "and why do you care, exactly?"

Pff, boys :p I used get this from my husband, too (well the "why don't you dress casually" thing, starting that comment out with "what's wrong with you" seems incredibly tactless, as boys often are esp. about fashion ); he's finally picked up that my casual and his casual aren't the same, and happily that's OK. I totally agree with what Rae said: your clothing is making an impression, and is clearly making him notice that you dress a notch above those around you. A Good Thing.

Onto your outfit! Totally cute, and totally appropriate. I love you in red+gray <3

Chuckling @ Kappy.

Oh, Lyn. How I wish those boys appreciated your style as much as we do. You carry on bulldozing your environmental norm. I'll expect a ball gown for a $30 burger.

Boys are stupid. :p

Darn, Bella posted my comment before I could get here. . .

But I'll second it -- Boys are Dumb!!!!

(coming from a Mom of two boys that seem to get that Mommy really likes to dress nice and they appreciate it, so far. . .)

lyn, I hope it was not THAT boy...
Just curious - what they were wearing? t-shirts and baggy jeans? It is amazing how some people interpret "casual" - like "I don't care how I look"?
I think you looked appropriate enough for the occasion (and very nice too!) Now if you were wearing a gold lame dress with 5" sparkling stilettos to a burger place that question may have been justified (but still rude)...
I wonder how popular that boy is with the girls - maybe he does not have any practice to be around them at all...

Oh; all the guys wear their big name brands all the time. Like jeans with rhinestone on the ass spelling ARMANI... >__> *facepalm* ... they really like their brands!

I don't actually remember what the rude guy was wearing - but he's really into style and things. At least he knows what red soles means I dunno if his intention was to be rude, but I didn't feel very good about it after. Haven't talked to him at all today, so dunno if he had any follow-up comments.

Most of the guys in my class dress okay. Sometimes they ask me how they look, and I give them an honest critique, then they say, "How can this shirt look bad on me? It's CK!" ... >__> I don't care what brand it is! It's not flattering FOR YOU. They don't really get that yet!

Thanks so much for the support!
Love,
Lyn

Lyn I think its all been said. But just wanted to add that your outfit was fab and he clearly has something going on. Id love to but I just can't top Mary's list of possible responses! Thanks Mary I have had my hearty laugh for the day.

Lyn I feel like men have fewer body variations than women, and that's why our having to take into account so many fit specifics doesn't quite register with them. Though I suppose there are many women who think along the lines of that "How can this shirt look bad on me? It's CK!" unfortunately. Never you mind them, you always look great and appropriate

Grrrrrr. You take no notice!!! You always look wonderful and fun and polished and cute and and wonderful and fun and polished !!!!

I do so hope he gets dysentery soon!!!

Lyn I LOVE the outfit Very fitting for the outing in my opinion

You looked great...appropriate and not too dressy. It's interesting that what you wear registers with him. Most boys wouldn't even notice. Could he be thinking of you as the competition!?

Sometimes people say something that is contrary to what they mean. Once it is out, trying to correct it only makes it worse.

Your outfit looks great - but you always look great.

I would have said "I think it is worth the few minutes it takes to look appropriate for the venue.

Good grief. Seriously, what did he even mean by that?! Since I have to wear ultra-casual for my work environment (jeans and shapeless tee shirts and Nikes because I work in a back room and move boxes all day and do retail merchandising), when I'm NOT at work is when I dress up. I had to pop into the store the other day, dressed nicely, and my manager asked me why I was SO dressed up. I just told him, "It's nice to feel like a woman when I can!"

I think your outfit was super cute, NOT over-dressed, and maybe he was just intimidated by someone who has the confidence in herself to dress NICELY and not have to be obsessed with having brand names plastered all over every item of clothing they own.

Shoot and Grove - thanks for your reply; it just brought up a thought about a conversation I had with a friend the other day. I was trying to convince her to buy the handbag WITHOUT the huge branding on the side. She looks at me, "I'm not spending this much on a bag without people knowing that it is Gucci!" ... lol; ah; we all dress up for different reasons, I guess!

My goodness, you poor thing! You looked lovely and perfectly appropriate. The most annoying thing is, that I bet he hasn't even thought any more about the comment as soon as it left his mouth. Promise us that if he dares to say anything even remotely like this in the future, you will defend yourself.

On that note, I love all of MaryK's comments!

I think in the same situation, the only thing I'd be able to do is fix him with a stern look and say "Excuse me, *what* did you just say?!"

I'd then put him in time out for five minutes for being rude. Oh wait, sorry, for a second I forgot he was a grown up - I kept thinking we were talking about a child...

Lyn, bless you for consistently being a shining example of grace. I'm certain you'll make the boys and girls around you raise their standards eventually (even if you can't convince them to let go of the sequin-ass jeans....LOL)

Lyn, you are too cool to hang out with this guy. Sometimes you just need to think about de-friending a few. Maybe he's too geeky for you. Unless he's underneath a great guy and this was the exception in behavior rather than the rule. Then you need to forgive him.

I never think you look over-dressed, BTW. You do casual dresses extremely well. Not easy I know. I've been trying to wear a few more dresses lately as relief from the heat and it's much easier to look casual in jeans, lol!

wow, how rude.

I think your outfit is a great casual look. It's not too dressy to me at all.
I get these types of comments all the time.
At work I wear heels and dresses while 90% of the other women wear jeans and t-shirts. I dress for ME. It makes me feel confident and powerful.
On the weekends I dress the same way, I usually always wear a dress and heels, it's just me. It's comfortable for ME. I only own 2 pairs of shorts.

When we hang out with friends I always get comments about being dresses up. Many times it always comes from the men in the group.

Men will say, "do you always wear a dress", " do you ever NOT dress up".

From women I get, "well, I don't dress up to come to Gringo's to drink", or I dress up all week, now I just want to be casual"

I just reply, well I've been in the dress since 7am, I don't dress up to just come here either.

oh well, can't please everyone, but I can please MYSELF!!!!!!