https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:54:47 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-349140 Fri, 13 May 2011 16:39:17 +0000 Michelle 349140@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>YIKES!! This is what happens when political correctness and excessive analysis run amuk -- we're left questioning our every word, no matter how well intentioned! I think we can trust to the obvious consensus on this question and praise people's outfits without reserve. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-349108 Fri, 13 May 2011 15:43:24 +0000 Debora 349108@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Angie, I would take it as a compliment and assume that the person meant well. </p> <p>I had to chuckle, though, about the *today* part. A girlfriend and I found this plate when we were shopping in Germany. We had a good laugh over it, hoping that we were special EVERY day and just not TODAY. We each bought one, and I bring mine out on birthdays in honor of whichever family member is celebrating their birthday. It's a family tradition now and the birthday honoree always has a good laugh when they find the plate at their place setting. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-349039 Fri, 13 May 2011 12:53:16 +0000 Cilleena 349039@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think it's a straight compliment, to read more into it is to overanalyze the giver's meaning and frame of mine. I've said this same thing many, many times and never intended that the person didn't usually look nice. As someone else said, to me it just means the person looks ESPECIALLY NICE. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348958 Fri, 13 May 2011 05:23:56 +0000 Refugee 348958@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>To me , it's a compliment. But it's more than that. It's code for 'I enjoy style and you look like someone who does too. Can we chat about it?' </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348838 Fri, 13 May 2011 02:46:55 +0000 Anonymous 348838@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This thread reminds me of being told never to say something like: "You look nice in that dress," which could be taken as a backhanded compliment. Instead the dress always has to "look nice on you." </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348817 Fri, 13 May 2011 02:30:14 +0000 yublocka 348817@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'd say 99% of the time its a compliment.</p> <p>I can imagine a few situations where it wouldn't be though: e.g. said in a sarcastic voice when I've woken up with makeup smeared on my face and still wearing my pajamas at 4pm (yes it happens sadly!!!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348801 Fri, 13 May 2011 02:18:42 +0000 Angie 348801@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Phew! Thanks, ladies. </p> <p>I NEVER thought of this compliment as negative in any way - until it's other possible meaning was pointed out to me. Now, and it's *very* unfortunate, I hold both meanings in my head as a frame of reference. I wish I didn't :(. But 90% of the time, I think that the intention of this compliment is positive. </p> <p>I do think that staying "you look nice!" is a better message. Now I make a million percent sure that I leave the *today* part off just in case. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348793 Fri, 13 May 2011 02:09:12 +0000 Kristine 348793@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Definitely a compliment, unless it's said with a sense of surprise. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348782 Fri, 13 May 2011 01:58:05 +0000 Medicechic 348782@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I never thought about it either, but it is totally something I would say too!</p> <p>I think it depends on the situation and who it is coming from. I'd say compliment though.</p> <p>Now once, I dressed up as an angel/devil for Halloween and had a co-worker tell me wow you look really pretty with make up on, and then stumble all over themselves to say I should wear it more often and oh not that I don't look pretty without it, etc... I thought I'd used a heavy hand for Halloween, as I don't wear much normally and had on fake eyelashes and tons of eye makeup and lipstick. LOL </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348755 Fri, 13 May 2011 01:15:57 +0000 Aida 348755@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>(Mary and Marlene, me too! But I don't think I'll change because I'm not catty and mean it simply as a genuine compliment, so I've no problem with it.) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment/page/2#post-348732 Fri, 13 May 2011 00:30:17 +0000 Aziraphale 348732@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It's probably a genuine compliment, unless the giver is someone with a track record of being catty. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348724 Fri, 13 May 2011 00:26:25 +0000 Anonymous 348724@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh dear. I say this to people all the time. I had no idea it could be taken in any other way than how I mean it...as a complement. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348718 Fri, 13 May 2011 00:19:40 +0000 Michelle 348718@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nope, in my book this is a straight, unalloyed complement. I interpret this to mean that your outfit is particularly striking on a given day, not that you look dreadful the rest of the time.<br /> Interesting point, though. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348712 Fri, 13 May 2011 00:16:17 +0000 MsMary 348712@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>*sigh*</p> <p>This is totally something I would say, and now I'm gonna be scarred for life... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348710 Fri, 13 May 2011 00:15:01 +0000 Kari 348710@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No, I'd say it's a genuine compliment. Though when I say something like that, I often catch myself and say something like "Not that I don't think you look nice *normally* - I'm just especially loving what you're wearing right now!" </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348655 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:03:38 +0000 Steph 348655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would definitely take it as a compliment--not rude in the least. Now, if they said "you look nice...TODAY," that would be a different story. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348615 Thu, 12 May 2011 21:30:41 +0000 Beth 348615@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm going with 100% compliment unless the tone said otherwise. I usually just assume that a particular look really caught someone's attention. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348610 Thu, 12 May 2011 21:16:56 +0000 Kappy 348610@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would call it just a plain old compliment. But, yes, probably the better thing to say would be "You look nice" instead. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348601 Thu, 12 May 2011 21:07:03 +0000 Polly (thunalata) 348601@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What San said. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348567 Thu, 12 May 2011 19:50:22 +0000 san 348567@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would take it as a compliment. I would feel that the sayer was just a little more in tune with what I had going that day, as if she would have chosen the outift or hairstyle for herself. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348566 Thu, 12 May 2011 19:37:23 +0000 Anonymous 348566@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Honestly, running through my mind would be "Don't I look nice every day?" Hmmmm.......it's so hard to know what other people are thinking, often what is NOT said is more telling than what IS said.</p> <p>Angie- Are people actually saying these things to you? How many rude people live in your city anyway????? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348558 Thu, 12 May 2011 19:19:14 +0000 RandomThoughts (Andrea) 348558@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>100% compliment. I would do as others, and say thank you with a smile. Like MaryK, I think you would have to be incredibly thin skinned to take it any other way. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348532 Thu, 12 May 2011 18:19:06 +0000 Scarlet 348532@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think taking this as a cutting compliment would be way over-thinking things. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348516 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:55:06 +0000 Aida 348516@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nothing to consider here, I would grin and say thanks :)<br /> (Maya your story is great ^^) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348498 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:27:10 +0000 LoP 348498@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't know what is a compliment if this isn't. Plain and simple. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348497 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:26:48 +0000 Lynne 348497@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>:) compliment from where i sit, unless you can add some more detail about the context, Angie? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348495 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:22:19 +0000 Maya 348495@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ha, I have a friend who used to say that to me regularly, and I always spin it by saying "oh, so I don't look nice/pretty/cute/etc every other day?" Drove him bananas, but he knew I was just teasing. Yes, of course it's a compliment. </p> <p>FWIW, he now says "you look EVEN MORE NICE/PRETTY/CUTE/ETC today than every other day." I have trained him well. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348492 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:18:55 +0000 lynne 348492@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Again, it depends on the tone of voice and who it is that's speaking. If it's said with surprise by someone you see frequently, not a compliment. Otherwise it probably is. Either way a smile and "Thank you" is enough. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348477 Thu, 12 May 2011 16:46:48 +0000 Auburn 348477@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree--this is nothing but positive in my book. The "today" part, to me, just means "I like what you're wearing right now...today." Reading more into it seems silly. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/is-this-a-cutting-compliment#post-348476 Thu, 12 May 2011 16:45:57 +0000 Niki Lea 348476@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Depends on the tone of voice. When said with sarcasm, that could be a cutting complement. But if said with sincerity, the person could also genuinely mean that you look nice today. Or it could also mean that every other day, compared to this one, is not so great.</p> <p>But I think many people are so busy with with their lives they don't often observe how nice other people look. Sometimes people slow down enough to actually notice the people around them. So I think I would be flattered regardless. </p>