https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:52:56 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1770602 Sat, 21 Jan 2017 12:57:00 +0000 Summer 1770602@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In my own case, yes it does.&nbsp; I live in the country, have a large garden, and have dogs that need walking in all weathers.&nbsp; Often, it's muddy out there! So, for my everyday life, I need really practical, warm gear-type clothing.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm usually in jeans and sweater plus boots and waterproof coat, despite the fact that my preferred style leans much more towards smart/dressy casual.<br />&nbsp; <br />In a different environment and with other circumstances - let's say, living in&nbsp; town, working from home, or as a stay-at-home mum (or Gran!) I might well choose to wear more skirts and dresses, but, for now, I tend to reserve them for going out.</p> <p>Of course, I <i>could</i> just wear whatever I want, but I'm quite driven by the need for practicality, and the desire to be appropriately dressed for the activity at hand, and&nbsp; I'm happy to go along with that.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1770582 Sat, 21 Jan 2017 07:45:27 +0000 minimalist 1770582@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Beyond weather, workplace, and so on, it might be worth keeping in mind that some "casual lifestyles" are because of restrictions such as chronic pain, or taking public transportation through high-crime areas, or any number of un-buck-able (or only at too high a price) constraints. </p> <p>Having the freedom, safety, and resources to dress as one likes isn't as common as one might think, just from reading a forum like this one. Much of the population is just trying to get through the day and feed their kids.</p> <p>Sarah, those boots sound delightful! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1770546 Sat, 21 Jan 2017 02:16:48 +0000 Penny 1770546@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great points raised on this thread. &nbsp;</p> <p>For me, working from home signifies freedom from considering the perspective of your peers and profession. &nbsp;As an attorney who loves dresses and who aims to project authority in a professional setting, I'm more likely to select a dry-clean-only sheath dress and sharp blazer for days at the office, and to wear a casual machine-washable dress when working from home.&nbsp;</p> <p>It seems to me that a lifestyle without an express or implied dress code can be casual - or formal - depending on your practical needs and personal preferences, and dresses can fall on either end of the spectrum. &nbsp;</p> <p>Although we still account for social norms in the absence of professional norms, I agree that friends and family tend to adjust to your style, and thus we have a good deal of flexibility to be as casual or dressy as we like. &nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1770295 Fri, 20 Jan 2017 06:40:32 +0000 MovingFashionForward 1770295@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oooh, Suz, thanks for the tip! Any idea where I can find a post or posts by Caro on that subject?&nbsp;</p> <p>Cynthia, ahhh, Texas! Happy memories for me!</p> <p>Sarah </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769908 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:15:16 +0000 cindysmith 1769908@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sarah and Suz, <br />yes. So much wilt. I live in Texas, which is bad enough on its own. Add in the fact that every year is "the warmest year on record" and I'm stuck in a recipe for ever-increasing wilt. Which is hard to dress for sometimes, even when it's just life here in Texas.</p> <p>I used to put on shorts and short sleeves the minute temperatures rose above 60-65 or so. Now, I don't put on shorts (at least in public) until the temperature reaches 100 (which means the heat index is well in excess, near 110). I've gotten acclimated to insanely hot weather, and don't feel like I'm going to die of heatstroke in a pair of dress trousers in that sort of heat. I've also gotten good at picking things that seem to breathe well, which helps. During summer, I'm reading headlines out of northern cities about people not washing their clothes in NYC because "It's too hot" in the 90s and I'm standing there ironing my clothes with the thermometer reading 110 outside. </p> <p>I've learned not to laugh, though. Because when it drops below 65 or so here in Texas, I am a meat popsicle and I'm convinced I will die of hypothermia even though I am wearing every single sweater in my wardrobe + a wool overcoat, and there you guys are enduring subzero days and still looking fashionable. I can't seem to crack the "stylish meat popsicle" formula. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769865 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 13:21:33 +0000 Suz 1769865@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, <b>Sarah</b> -- I feel for you on that! I think <b>Caro</b> is one who finally managed to crack it; I think I'd wilt in a minute. It's funny that in both extremes people tend to revert to gear-type clothing -- yet also understandable from a practical perspective.&nbsp;</p> <p>It is so true that what is perfectly bearable for a few weeks on occasion is a different matter for "regular" life. I travel sometimes to the mountains for a month at a time. The clothing I need on those trips is (even) more casual and sportier. But I enjoy it and find it a fun change -- the pleasures of learning are great and take away from any fashion disappointments. Perhaps that is the true secret -- to be engaged in other ways! :)&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769831 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 08:59:27 +0000 MovingFashionForward 1769831@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Suz, my own choice of footwear for winter conditions similar to yours (I do a lot of walking around ski resorts, for example, and am sometimes in Ontario in the winter too) has so far been my flatform deep-snow boots covered in long-haired black fur, which I bought some years back when I was doing a lot of snow-shoe hiking in deep winter in a rural area 3 hours north of Montreal. Super practical! Don't know what I'll do when they need to be replaced -- I do find most snow boots very ugly.</p> <p>I still get compliments on them every time I wear them (people find them fun-looking), and I've even worn them with a dress a few times (with several layers of merino leggings, admittedly!). Perhaps I would not feel this way if I had to spend the entire (lonnng) winter in Ontario every year, but having worked on my 'deep winter' style for a while, I now actually enjoy wearing my very different (from my style in other seasons) 'deep winter' style in the ski season or when I'm in snow-bound Ontario. I quite like the change. It's fun. But again, I might not feel the same way if I had no choice but to spend the entire winter every winter in your neck of the woods.</p> <p>Now I just need to work more on my 'insanely hot summer' style, which is my own most miserable season. Getting there, but the fact that I still feel as though I can't be outside except in the early morning and after dark when I'm in hot places should be a clue that I haven't altogether cracked it WRT my 'insanely hot summer' style!</p> <p>Sarah </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769756 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 22:59:37 +0000 Janet 1769756@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gaylene, yes!&nbsp;</p> <p>One of the wonderful things about working in an unconventional environment/field is that I don't need to meet anyone else's expectations when it comes to dressing. I really do dress how I want to every day, and that is a blessing. I wore office attire and uniforms enough years in my life to truly appreciate that freedom.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769748 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 22:26:55 +0000 Gaylene 1769748@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Short answer, NO, a casual lifestyle doesn't require a particular style of dress as most of the above YLFers have pointed out.</p> <p>I think the more important distinction is between those who prefer to adopt a more functional style when living outside of environments where a certain type of dress is expected, as compared to those who choose to put other aesthetic or personal aspects ahead of functionality in the same situation. I also suspect, for most people, the preference varies instead of being set in stone. Sometimes I'll wear a cloth coat in the rain because I can cope with the conditions with a smile on my face, while at other times I need to put functionality above anything else to feel happy. Sometimes I'm happier blending in with my neighbors instead trying to move against the norm; other times I'm happier going my own way. </p> <p>What a casual lifestyle does offer is more oppportunities for me to choose when and where functionality comes to the top of my style priorities.</p> <p>I also think most people could care less about what I wear, unless what I'm wearing is wildly outside their norm. Most people are too wrapped up in their own lives to care about whether or not I'm in a dress or a pair of jeans. Asking me why I'm "dressed up" is often just the equivalent of asking me how I am--neither requires an response other than a "just fine" or a "thank you". </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769733 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 21:20:54 +0000 Suz 1769733@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Cynthia, that's the attitude!! :)&nbsp;</p> <p>Truly, I do agree completely with Sarah's main point, which is that if we persist in wearing what we like to wear (within the bounds of possibility, that is) people will eventually stop asking us why we are so "dressed up," and that often, a dress or wool trousers are just as easy to wear, as comfortable, and as practical as a pair of faded jeans. I spent my entire undergrad years wearing skirts and for the first year or two my classmates rolled their eyes at me and then they just got used to it...it's how I dressed back then and that was that!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769732 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 21:12:35 +0000 cindysmith 1769732@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Suz, things like the actual environment are a big part of why I've adopted the very tight color palette in my closet. If it is already tan/brown/grey/dingy/dirty looking, then I don't have to be as worried about getting a little bit of dirt stain on something, because it likely isn't going to show up.</p> <p>That said, there are a couple of garments that I just don't wear as often as I would like (like stilettos) because I don't feel like wearing my yard on the heel of my shoe, and my winter white wool coat that only gets worn from house to car and car to venue and never outside. I can't justify getting rid of the coat, since there is nothing wrong with it and I can't afford to buy another coat just because the color isn't practical So yeah, actual physical environment is a factor sometimes. I try real hard not to think about the loss, and just focus instead on how nice my coat still looks in spite of my country fried life LOL </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769714 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 20:40:22 +0000 Suz 1769714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No offence taken at all, <b>Sarah</b>! It's an interesting conversation. I am impressed with your sister's determination to enjoy her own style! </p> <p>As for me, on the whole I enjoy juxtapositions so combining jeans (for instance) with a jacket or silk shirt, or wearing a knit skirt (as per Maneera) &nbsp;is quite a happy balance. Even so, I do at times feel a sense of loss or at least regret about my choices, particularly when it comes to footwear. The thing is, I don't dress casually to meet the environmental norm (i.e. the social expectations of others); I dress casually to meet the <b>environment.</b> I live in a cold, changeable climate and I walk a lot. Today, for instance, it is raining ice pellets. If I went out in my pretty (and slightly dressier) wool coat I would be splashed by dirty, salty slush. So I wear my more casual puffer which goes in the washer. Of course I could wear the wool coat and accept that it would be quickly ruined or accept my higher cleaning costs...but it is very hard to justify that, especially since I know I would be feeling distinctly unfab for half the day, walking around in a stained item! When it comes to footwear, it's not just a question of wearing flats (which can be dressy looking for sure); I need special ice grippers on my boots. In short, living where I live constrains my style but not because I worry about what others will think.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769685 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 18:15:52 +0000 cindysmith 1769685@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Bucking the regional/environmental norm is, apparently, a specialty of mine. At university in Shreveport Louisiana everybody thought I was sooooooo "dressed up" because I wore trousers and tops/blouses with high heels. Really, fairly casual outfits but definitely not the pyjamas and sweats that many wore to class. Just because my shoes had high heels does not make them dressy....the fact that they were wedge platform sandals with rope wrapping the heels &amp; platforms makes them a very casual sort of summer sandal; but because many many many students wore nothing but rubber flip-flops to class, I was dressed up in my summery wedge sandals, jeans, and draped knit top. </p> <p><b><br /> </b>There are also more aspects to dressy vs casual than just "business vs<br /> non-business" attire. Something that is appropriately dressy for<br /> business is not necessarily going to be appropriately dressy for a<br /> social event.<b></p> <p></b>My first stagehand job, my employer did a lot of audio production for the historic theatre in town, so we wore clothes appropriate to the venue (trousers and nice shirts and nice shoes rather than the usual stagehand getup of black jeans and black tshirt with steel toed boots). While we were certainly "dressed up" by stagehand standards, we were fairly casually dressed by theatre standards; the patrons were often in full suits and cocktail dresses, which is definitely more "dressy" than a pair of trousers and a cashmere sweater. </p> <p>I also think that some people who aren't "into fashion" think certain designers/brands are "dressy" based on perceptions and misperceptions. Like, around here where I live, they would probably consider <i><b>anything</b></i> with the Armani or Ralph Lauren or Michael Kors name on it to be very dressy, very expensive, and very exclusive; even though each of those guys make stuff in a range of formality levels, prices, and distribution channels. People who follow this stuff understand that each of those designers has different lines that appeal to different demographics and are appropriate for different situations. Armani's Prive gowns that we see on the red carpet are definitely a different animal than Armani Exchange jeans, but some people just don't follow fashion and so don't know that Armani Prive is not the same as Armani Exchange, just like Michael Kors clothing is not the same as Michael by Michael Kors.</p> <p>So it's definitely a complex sort of topic, with a lot of subtleties, and I am thoroughly enjoying the discussion.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769683 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 18:08:51 +0000 rachylou 1769683@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, I enjoyed plucking chickens in my Laura Ashley back in the day... but that was on a tropical island. Now, in the megalopolis of No. California, I just feel soooooo cold all the time. And then going out on the streets... I don't know. I just feel more comfortable in a long puffy and combat boots. Things that won't make you cry when you sit on chewing gum on public transportation. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769675 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 17:54:36 +0000 Janet 1769675@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I wore dressier clothes for my very casual, self-employed life, a few years ago, just as I was discovering YLF and other fashion blogs, but as time went on and I settled into not only my more casual existence but also my style preferences. For me, dresses and skirts are a hard fit. I have an awful time finding dresses that fit me and appeal to me. I do like casual knit dresses and skirts in the summertime (no worries about hosiery), so when I can finally find some that meet my requirements (length, flattery, style, etc), I like having that option in warm weather. But in cooler seasons, jeans are SO MUCH easier, even though I'm not an easy fit in them either. It's easier to deal with four dogs, working on a cattle ranch, myriad rental management responsibilities, home tasks, disk jockeying, and making art while dressed in jeans and casual, easily-laundered tops than in any dress or skirt that I own. So, to your point, dressing the way I do makes me happy. I like skirts and am drawn to them when I see them in stores, but I know that it's just not what I prefer to wear when I open my closet door in the morning -- they make me feel like I'll have to limit what I choose to do during that day. </p> <p>But for those who are comfortable making their own style into a casual style, I say rock on! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769664 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 17:32:16 +0000 MovingFashionForward 1769664@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Fascinating replies, everyone! JFTR, my sister's style is definitely not boho, nor&nbsp;office-formal,&nbsp;it is dressy and modern. She only wears heels for special events, as, living in London, she walks a lot, and she is tall so tends to prefer low or flat heels for that reason too. She definitely wears her dresses hard: we once both bought the same (different colours but the same otherwise) silk-lined wool dress (yes, dry clean only), and a year later when I suggested she wear that dress to an event we were attending, she said that unfortunately she'd worn it into the ground and had to let it go. Mine is still looking good as new, some years later.</p> <p>Actually, Suz, although your post reminded me of this issue, the posts I had in mind were on a fashion blog somewhere a while back, and the writer of the main post really did seem to feel a sense of loss thinking that she could no longer wear the clothes she loves and in which she feels comfortable. That does not seem to be how you feel, and of course I in no way intended to suggest that there is anything wrong with dressing in a casual style if that is what the wearer prefers. I just really felt for that poster and some of those commenting who shared that sense of loss, and I just wanted to encourage everyone to dress in their own preferred style, whatever that may be.&nbsp;</p> <p>To those who would like to be more dressy but they live somewhere where everyone dresses in an ultra-casual way, such that deviating from that norm would attract unwanted attention or make them feel otherwise self-conscious, I should like to suggest that instead of just continuing to conform to that casual cultural norm, you might want to consider running a series of 'experiments' over an extended period.&nbsp;</p> <p>I myself once experienced something like that when spending an extended period in a rural part of America (very different from London!), and I did feel as though people disapproved of my more dressy, fashionable style, but I'd feel a complete idiot dressing the way everyone there dressed, so that was not going to happen! But years later, I now know that that self-consciousness I felt must have been all in my own mind, because nowadays I dress exactly how I myself want to wherever I am, and I don't have any problem violating even the ultra casual dress code of parts of the world where I spend time.&nbsp;</p> <p>So all I am saying is: IF you are a person who dresses one way but would rather dress another way, try dressing the way you want instead, and give it a really good try, not just for a week, but for, say, a whole season, before concluding that if you're in Casual City, California, say, You Must Wear Casual Jeans/Shorts Outfits or look out of place. And before you conclude that a casual lifestyle requires casual clothes, well, no one would describe my sister's dress as casual, but she definitely has a casual lifestyle, so IF you are a person who would really rather be wearing a more dressy look but you think you can't because your lifestyle is casual, consider trying harder to bring your style into line with your preferences rather than dressing in a way you aren't happy with.&nbsp;</p> <p>Just a suggestion.</p> <p>Sarah </p> <p>P.S. My sister even bicycles in her dresses (with opaque leg-wear). She has not yet adopted the midi-length trend, preferring above-the-knee dresses.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769651 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 16:32:13 +0000 Ginger 1769651@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>More noodling on the skirt/dress = dressy and pants = casual dichotomy.</p> <p>I think this is something that's gone back and forth through the decades ever since women's trousers were introduced in the 1920s. At first they were both very avant-garde and casual, worn in resort and hostess situations. Quickly adapted for practicality (Sears catalogs show them for sale throughout the 30s, both stylish and hardworking varieties). Relegated to working and casual wear in the 40s, mostly among younger people. Not until the 50s did they once again become fashionable, and then steadily more useable and acceptable through the 60s and 70s. Throughout, however, skirts and dresses are normal wear, and trousers = casual.</p> <p>The progression continued, however, up until the point when I started developing an interest in fashion. Jeans and trousers were so ubiquitous by that point that skirts and dresses for non-formal wear were actually rare, outside of a few instances. Bitty short strappy dresses worn by skinny teenagers, and suits and sheaths worn by<br /> business women and lady church-goers.&nbsp; The focus had shifted: trousers are normal wear, and it's skirts = formal.</p> <p>This undoubtedly had a lot to do with my personal slowness to get into fashion at all; very little either interested or suited me. In college, I mostly stuck to a rotation of skirts in defiance of fashion. Jeans were too hot and uncomfortable and hard to fit. It was a very large campus, and I stood out so much! Just wearing a plain button-front top (not button down), faded a-line denim skirt, and flat leather sandals, I got asked roughly once a week where I was going. If I'd been wearing jeans or shorts, I would never have been asked.</p> <p>Shortly after I graduated, skirts and dresses really started coming back in to mainstream fashion. I think the perception has rolled back, and so many young people don't think twice about wearing a skirt or dress.&nbsp; But for the rest of us, we're indoctrinated that skirt = dressy. It's hard to break free of that.</p> <p>That got long! :p </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769643 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 16:15:12 +0000 Ginger 1769643@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Perhaps the distinction isn't "dressed up" vs. "casual."&nbsp; What I'm specifically hearing is more "Business" vs. "Not Business." Whether that's business formal or business casual, in most cases it has a distinct vibe that doesn't cross over into other kinds of casual. Pencil skirts, heels, fitted jackets, sheath dresses, and crisp button down shirts seem to typify this style of dressing that is not business.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769635 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:56:57 +0000 Diana 1769635@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So to me the epitome of casual is an easy jersey dress, because that's what I prefer to wear as loungewear when I'm at home, doing things around the house, and just lounging. (I wear pants as loungewear only when it's too cold for bare legs.)</p> <p>ETA: I definitely have a casual lifestyle with a very casually dressed workplace. But I consider that freedom to wear whatever the heck I feel like without worrying about dress codes. I get comments a lot about being "dressed up" even though I'm wearing jeans. It's all relative. I do also find opportunities (like dinner at a nice restaurant, or going to the symphony, neither of which in this town really require dressing up) to get a bit more drsssed up because I enjoy doing so. The one thing I hardly ever do is "business" dress. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769633 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:53:41 +0000 cindysmith 1769633@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, for me, my lifestyle is very casual--homesteading. It's often a rather dirty lifestyle. Now, I've had people comment on how "dressed up" or "pretty" I look because I'm wearing a sweater dress with faux suede leggings, and yet I feel like it isn't "dressed up" because of the rather oversized feeling of the sweater dress and lack of "businesslike" or "formal" details, if that makes sense.</p> <p>I am also one of those folks that will wear a silk top to work at my produce stand job in summer, and yet I feel very casual in it because I have paired it with jeans and lace up ankle boots. </p> <p>Just because my lifestyle is VERY casual and often really dirty definitely doesn't mean that I have to give up what makes me feel good about myself. I think suz is on to something, in that cuts and fabrics can take a dressier garment and help it feel more casual or take a more casual garment and make it feel dressier. I'm guessing that part of the reason people think I'm so dressed up is that I'm not wearing the environmental norm for my geographic area, which is very rural Texas and filled with a lot of stuff one would expect to see in an area filled with farmers and ranchers (very practical garments for working outdoors). then there's me, wearing a sweater dress and faux suede leggings as I feed the chickens and such. It's a casual outfit by urban/metropolitan or fashion industry standards, but it's a dressy outfit by local standards. Which means that, even though most of us here would agree that my sweater dress/leggings outfit was casual, "dressy" is definitely not a black/white type of objective issue but rather a subjective one. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769625 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:29:59 +0000 Angie 1769625@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sarah, you're dead right and power to your dress wearing, Sis. I'm also nodding along with everything Astrid and Suz said.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769589 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 13:50:48 +0000 Astrid 1769589@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I didn't mean to divide the issue into skirt vs trousers. I totally agree that wearing one or the other has nothing to do with the level of dressiness your style has. My friend who always wears skirts has a very casual style. I understood the original post more as a challenge to the idea that a casual lifestyle always had to result into a style of jeans, a tee and sneakers. Of course there are some items that probably won't work well in a casual life (the heels, sheath dress, whatever), but that doesn't mean you can't change your style into a more casual (and maybe practical) version of itself. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769573 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 12:58:56 +0000 Suz 1769573@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>ETA -- I guess another way of looking at it -- in my opinion, just because something is a dress doesn't mean it is dressy.&nbsp;</p> <p>And just because something is trousers doesn't make it casual.&nbsp;</p> <p>So that isn't the distinction. It's about fabrications, cuts, level of refinement and so on.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769572 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 12:57:17 +0000 Suz 1769572@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am one of the posters you might be referring to. My apologies for whinging. ;)&nbsp;</p> <p>I think there are three key elements to consider. One is finding clothing that is practical for the life one is living. Of course in theory a persn who lives a "casual life" can wear silks and fitted pencil skirts and jackets all the time -- but in practice, as Maneera and April said, these items can be expensive to clean and uncomfortable or downright unsuited for the activities one is actually doing if one works from home and/ or is chasing small children or dogs. So at minimum, the person will be looking for items that are washable, less restrictive, and more durable.&nbsp;</p> <p>As a matter of fact, I do enjoy wearing silk woven tops in summer; I will cover with an apron for kitchen work, etc. But there are limits to this. I also adore wearing skirts and dresses, but finding those in fabrications that won't get ruined and that work in my climate (which is very cold for half the year) is more of a challenge.&nbsp;</p> <p>Second, also related to practicality -- is that where I live at least -- working from home also means spending much more time outdoors than one might spend if working in an office. This in turn requires different clothing. Especially if the area is more of a country or even small town area. The delicate footwear is tricky, the coats need to be more substantial, etc. And clothing needs to work for the weather.&nbsp;</p> <p>Finally, there is the environmental norm and how willing one is to buck it. Some people are perfectly fine wearing their preferred style no matter what others are wearing; others feel uncomfortable or ostentatious doing that. This is very personal and may also depend to some degree on the larger community's values.&nbsp;</p> <p>There is also the question of personal style. For someone whose style is a bit boho and who lives in a temperate climate, for example, it might be possible to wear dresses or skirts all the time -- from easy "day" looks to fancier nighttime looks. Ditto for someone who likes to wear 50s retro style -- though that person might have to sew up some of her beauties. But if a person's style is more on the modern end, or goes toward edgy avant garde, it is a bit harder to find dresses that are both practical and fairly rugged or hard-wearing in fabrication and modern in cut. Not impossible -- it is absolutely "do-able." But it will often take a lot more time and consideration and ultimately, these would not look as dressy as the clothes the person might be replacing.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769569 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 12:42:18 +0000 April 1769569@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>"Skirts" and "dresses" are such a world of options that it's hard to know what's being described without getting more details.</p> <p>I taught preschool for many years and very often wore skirts and dresses. &nbsp;But pencil skirts? &nbsp;Never. &nbsp;Sheath dresses? &nbsp;Never. &nbsp;Dry-clean only anything? &nbsp;Never. &nbsp;Heels? &nbsp;Please.</p> <p>Longer, fuller, and washable. &nbsp;Why? &nbsp;Because much of the day was spent sitting on the floor, sitting on the ground outdoors, sitting on tiny chairs meant for 3-year-olds, going down slides, swinging on swings, being in the proximity of small people covered in fingerpaint, messy food, or tears and the other substances that accompany tears. &nbsp;Heels would have downright irresponsible.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769561 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 11:55:01 +0000 Astrid 1769561@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I also don't get why you shouldn't wear skirts or dresses (or anything else really), when you live a casual life. Obviously if you aren't required to dress up for the job you don't need to, but why not do it if you still want to? I get why some items might not be practical for the life you're living, like April's example with the blazer. But that doesn't mean you have to change up your whole style. It just means you might need to take the time to look for pieces that are machine washable and that allow you to move. I wear a lot of skirts and I have never felt they kept me from doing anything.<br /> I have a friend who never wears trousers. As long as I've know her she<br /> has worn skirts and from time to time dresses to do everything in - from<br /> moving house to ice skating to hiking or whatever.</p> <p>Going forward I plan to build my wardrobe more around skirts and dresses, with the odd skinny jeans thrown in. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769560 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 11:50:15 +0000 Maneera 1769560@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with April. I have a 'casual' lifestyle. I once loved *dressier* clothes. Here, by dressy, I mean:</p> <p>Clothing one would often wear to an office. Fitted pencil skirts that are part of a suit, blazers, dresses that are obviously meant as office wear in not just shape but also fabric. These clothes (and they did include trousers) required heels, were constricting, needed belts more often than not and were simply not COMFORTABLE for a work-from-home lifestyle. </p> <p>I still love dresses and skirts, like your sister. I don't wear jeans often myself. These days I prefer knits - especially in dresses. And even skirts. My dressing style is still not overtly casual (on most days) but everything I wear is stretchy, easy to wash at home and allows me to sit on the floor, cuddle with my dogs, work at my desk for hours and be able to cook dinner in the same outfit without fear it'll be ruined, and still look presentable if I must step out of the house to buy groceries. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769559 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 11:45:04 +0000 Sisi 1769559@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No, I don't think so. I think it is a matter of personal preferences, &nbsp;as evidenced by the case of your sister.&nbsp;I think that&nbsp;if someone is happy doing gardening&nbsp;in high heels, why not? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769557 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 11:39:42 +0000 April 1769557@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>"Casual lifestyle" is often code for one of two things. &nbsp;"I'm no longer going to a job that requires me to dress a certain way," or "I now spend my time doing things that are a bit messy and might put my clothing in harm's way."</p> <p>What would qualify here -- well, let's see. &nbsp;If you went from an office job to being a stay-at-home mom, depending on the age of your children, you might find that you were no longer willing to spend your days in dry-clean-only clothing. &nbsp;Even if you still preferred dresses, you might switch to the sort of dress that could be tossed in the washer. &nbsp;</p> <p>When I made this switch, I found that jackets (blazers) no longer fit very easily into my days. &nbsp;They were fitted and constricting and they had to be dry-cleaned as soon as I splashed something on them while cooking. &nbsp;Instantly, my style became far more casual as I switched to knits that could be washed. &nbsp;</p> <p>My job had required me to dress up; my new life required me to figure out a way to be practical while not living in gear (which I refused and still refuse to do, even though it was the norm where I was living.) &nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-a-casual-lifestyle-really-require-any-particular-style-of-dress#post-1769549 Tue, 17 Jan 2017 11:22:19 +0000 MovingFashionForward 1769549@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>When I read posts saying perhaps wistfully that the poster now has a 'casual lifestyle' so can no longer wear the dressy style she would otherwise prefer, I find myself wondering if it is really true that a casual lifestyle requires one to wear obviously casual clothes such as jeans, if one would really rather wear silk shirts and dresses.</p> <p>I have literally never seen my sister in jeans or trousers of any kind -- she wears dresses -- and she has always worn dresses, including when her child was young and messy. She works from home, and has different categories of dresses for different occasions, including 'casual' ones, but they all look dressy compared to denim. She would never wear my Alexa Chung denim dress, for example, let alone scruffy jeans. Yet I am quite sure she would describe her lifestyle as 'casual' too. So is it really true that if you have a casual lifestyle, you must give up the style you love? I don't think it is. I've seen my sister wearing a nice dress whilst doing some very dirty jobs. Presumably she picks the washable ones for such jobs?!</p> <p>This is not to say that anyone should wear dresses or anything else, merely to suggest that if your heart prefers a dressy style, you might want to question the idea that you should be dressing in a more casual style.</p> <p>Sarah </p>