Nope, not affected whatsoever. My own visceral reactions are probably too strong. And not affected the other way, either. Doesn't matter how many people look great in an item or style that I don't want for myself. For example, "perfect" pants length or Is an item a 10? hold no allure for me. As for a pleated sleeve, I'm decidedly not a pear shape and am slightly IT. But I love shoulders so I wear shoulder pads when I want to and like emphasizing shoulders and drawing the eye up. And I hate nude shoes, for good measure.

Mostly I have strong opinions and am not easily swayed. However, if someone I respect has a very different opinion, then I know I need to reconsider carefully.

The only one whose negative opinion might influence me is DH's, and I can't remember a time when he's offered an opinion on his own. If I ask, it is because I'm on the fence. And should he offer an unsolicited opinion, it must be REALLY bad!

If there is a lot of enthusiasm for a look on YLF or if there is something you've featured, I am likely to at least consider it even if I ultimately reject it. I know from experience that my proportions and fit considerations vary just enough such that *YLF lemmingwear* is not likely to fit or flatter me.

Absolutely not, as far as my own choices go! Reading some things can make me refrain from commenting, though. For instance, I've been compelled more than once to write about the boyfriend jeans, but since I already know they have a gospel status around here, I decided against being hated since day one and decided not to post.

I haven't read through that thread yet so this might be uninformed, but two things.

One, I think strong visceral reactions could be informed by past history, on oneself or others. Maybe there is something about 80's blazers with puff sleeves or little girl party dresses that hits a personal trigger. So I really don't like the look of bell-bottom pants, and I know it's because my mom dressed me in thrift store bell-bottoms from the 70s in the 80s and I was taunted for it at school. No big mystery, and I can reconsider my bias now if I want, understanding where my emotional reaction comes from.

Two, I think people often can't or out of tact and kindness chose not explain their poison eye for something. I posted a WIW involving a short-sleeved puff sleeved jacket, which I found innocuous with my build if not exactly exciting or current, and got many polite responses that 'poison eye' prevented commenting, but when I asked, no explanation of why the poison eye. So it didn't necessarily put me off wearing the jacket, but it probably was enough to give me pause from posting the jacket in a WIW again, unless I thought it was an integral part of a really great outfit.

I have two recently bought tees with somewhat puffed/pleated sleeves and I'm kind of intrigued by the look. I might post them in WIW's or might not. I will say that forum visceral opinion can help me consider a look more positively than before, but doesn't often have the opposite effect. I think because my primary audience is in a hipster neighborhood/city, where no one is going to bat an eye if I wear something not conventionally flattering, and where guidelines like 'no leggings as pants and no gear or lounge wear outside walking around the city' would be met with an eyeroll of disbelief.

Actually this audience (the friends, family, neighborhood) does put me off trying some of the looks the forum applauds. I would feel horribly self-conscious wearing an obvious high-priced designer bag for example (assuming I found one at a good price), even if I sometimes aesthetically appreciate them from afar or enjoy them as part of another's look.

Not really swayed too much - I value the input and opinions of others but I still tend to like what I like. Sometimes if I DO try a trend that I didn't think was me I end up regretting the purchase. Ex: I tried pointy toe flats but they just aren't me despite how on trend or flattering they might be.

angie, if i'm on the fence about something, a strong reaction either way will have an impact on me, but i come in with a set opinion (either love or leave), it wouldn't change it.

I'm afraid that I am able to be swayed, but that is mostly because I doubt my own judgement and still worry a lot whether I'm looking dated or clueless. I can like something but if a lot of people tell me it is "wrong" I will feel less secure.

Recent case in point...early this winter I posted pictures of my Joie tunic with ponte bootcut pants. I was just coming to experiment with longer and looser, after purging a whole lot of my winter clothes. I really liked the look and thought my pants were sleek enough to be okay with the tunic style top, but very many members...ones whose style I seriously admire...responded that tunics of that type only looked good with skinnies or leggings. They were quite sure of it. And I really dislike skinnies and don't have the right shoes for them.

After a lot of doubt, I kept the sweater and wore it with boot cuts and bought many other sweaters of the same style and was happy all winter. And also got a lot of compliments when I posted the look again. And now similar looks are considered just fine.

So, if I had more confidence I never would have doubted. I wasn't clueless, I was actually a little fashion forward. But still, if a lot of people criticize something it does take away my confidence in my own judgment. And yet, if I'm the one having the negative reaction towards something (skinnies, beach looking maxi dresses), nothing can sway me towards liking them. Odd...I quite trust what I don't like, but feel insecure about what I do like. Odd.

WOW. This thread has exploded. Thanks for your insightful comments. You all make sense.

I can't type individual responses because of my arms and wrists, and I have to run too. I forgot to say that there is nothing wrong with being swayed. You aren't better just because you aren't swayed. I'm interested in exploring the behavior and what triggers it. There is no right or wrong here. I want you to wear what you love, and love what you wear.

I also forgot to say that the only person who will successfully sway me against a look when I love it is Greg - although I do wear things he is not in love with too.

I always read and appreciate others point of view both positive and negative but I have and always will march to the beat of my own drum

That's an interesting question... I would not be swayed by immediate reactions to "confrontation with the puff," but over time... a comment dropped here and there, that would probably colour my feelings. I already started having allergic reactions to bows, ruffles, and puff sleeves a few years back now. Mostly, these things do seem sweet to me, and I feel I've passed the sugar-and-spice, neo-natal stage of life.

On the other hand, I ponder how old ladies in, oh say, Marie Antoinette's time wore all that frippery and it looked the height of fashion and sophistication.

Just to make sure I understood and answered accurately:

I am swayed by MY OWN visceral reaction. If I love it, I am hard to deter. If I detest it, not much is going to convince me to wear it myself.

I am not as swayed by the visceral reaction of others. But I am influenced by rational explanation of why something doesn't work for me, which is why I love YLF.

I haven't read the other comments yet. But my first reaction was no. If something looks good on me, it wouldn't bother me if someone else likes it or not.

I'm like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof....... "On the one hand.......On the other hand...." I can be swayed this way and that, back and forth, until I take a breath and decide to make a decision. My recent colorblocked cardi was an example. Some forum members liked it, but others weren't so sure. I went back into my closet and paired it with my taupe suede booties and BFs and wore the sucker. I realized that it is a bit of an outlier in colors, but I still enjoyed wearing it!

Oh my, I am like an out of control pendulum on steroids with people's opinions. I believe this is why I have an out of control buy and return cycle.
I think I am in preschool when it comes to fashion so with that in mind most people's opinions are more highly valued than my own (in my opinion). I am still in the phase of buying what I think looks good on others.

Angie, I was one of the vehement "no" votes. I was being flip (I'm in a goofy mood today, because I've had my nose to the grindstone for several weeks running and I haven't had much sleep). I hope I didn't offend anyone, but you ask an excellent question and I'd like to weigh in.

So, my aversion to puff sleeves has no rational basis that I can explain. I just really don't like the look of a real puff sleeve on a jacket -- pleated or not -- on anyone. I do recognize that on some figures, it's figure-balancing. I just do. not. like. it. It's the exact same reason that I dislike magenta. It's simply too magenta. It's like trying to explain why I don't like the flavour of liver. How do you explain why you don't like liver? Well, because it tastes too much like, uh, liver.

So I'm not going to dig myself deeper by trying to take it back, but maybe I can soften what I said. Because I have no good reason for disliking puff sleeves, or magenta, or liver, I have no reason to think that people who DO like those things are somehow "wrong". I would never suggest to anyone that their preference is wrong. It's a preference. How can it be wrong?

I hope, by writing this, that it's clear that my preferences and aversions are just that: my own.

ETA: for the record, sometimes I am swayed by others, and sometimes I'm not. It depends how fervently I like something in the first place. No one's ever gonna change my opinion about, say, my black Libby Smith calf boots with red buttons -- those are RAD and always will be -- but I have been swayed before, in both directions. I initially didn't like skinny jeans, and was brought over to the dark side after a season or two. And in the other direction, my husband's disparaging comments regarding my blingy wedge sandals definitely diminished my enthusiasm for them!

I will not be swayed because I know they do not look good on me. They also look too fussy for my taste.

ETA - OK, now that I reread the original post I can add that on some things I can be swayed, sometimes just not for a year or so. (hanging head, shuffling foot, whispering - boyfriend jeans)

To rabbit's point: if someone has posted a WIW and it involves something I have a poison eye for, I don't comment. Or I comment about other aspects of the outfit and just don't mention the part I have a poison eye for. Because I know those opinions aren't totally rational, and thus I'm biased.

There aren't many things I have a real poison eye for, though.

(I'm pretty sure other people do this too. When I posted pictures of my unquestionably ugly, gigantic skull ring, very few people commented. I'm sure that's because most people find that type of jewellery, well, ugly. I still love it, though. Which is what counts )

I agree with Una's comments. My OWN visceral reactions sway my decisions (of course), but the reactions of others really don't very much. If I love something, I tend to be over the moon for it even if others think it is ridiculous.

If I am really on the fence about something or a particular trend or look, then the reactions of others may influence me to try it or not try it. But "visceral reactions" don't really play into that as much.

I had a visceral negative reaction when I saw this morning's topic was about puff sleeve jackets. However, I wanted to know Angie's opinion of them so I carefully read the post. As a result, my opinion was actually swayed by the writing in the post, to the point that I would now be willing to try certain types of puff sleeve jackets.

That being said, if I posted a WIW with a puff sleeve jacket and received negative forum feedback, I probably wouldn't keep the jacket. So I guess I can be swayed either way!

Angie--as a keyboard musician, I'm very aware of the risk of repetitive motion injury to my hands, wrists, and arms, and I've noticed you've mentioned a few times lately that you are needing to rest yours. I hope that you are working with a good doctor or motion specialist who can help you find solutions. Please take good care of yourself!

If I LOVE something I don't usually change my mind because of a person's personal aversion - rational reasons like fit or colour are different & may sway me.

If my initial reaction is one of dislike but then I see someone style the offending item really well it does make me reconsider. I love the fact that we all have different opinions & hope fabbers won't stop telling me about their poison-eye for anything I may wear - like my Birkies for instance

Wow.

Thanks, Windchime (thought provoking response to my question too). My RSI is under control - going on 8 years now - and I have EVERTHING that you can possibly think of in place to make sure I am taking care of myself. I know exactly what to do - rest. A few times a year I get very, very hectic - work, prepping for trips, helping clients, dinner parties, fashion week - it all takes its toll on my RSI. I need to rest up - hence less typing.

Aziraphale, you are totally within your right to have poison eye for things, I have four poison eyes on my own list. I try very hard to keep my poison eyes to an absolute minimum though. To Rabbit's point, its tactful to admit your poison eye for something upfront because it "excuses" you if you know what I mean.

Great thoughts, Rabbit, Peri, Caro and Suz.

Love that you kept that card, Beth Ann.

Una, yes, you answered my question.

There have been so many times the forum has attempted to steer me away from an item. I finally realized I need to make me happy.
I didn't comment on the original post because well I could easily wear this trend & probably look good in it, but it doesn't speak to me. So I'm going to pass.

This thread is such an interesting read. and now I will need to go back and check out the comments on the puff sleeve jacket post too! I am medium in the visceral reaction area. I am willing to consider trying a lot of things and there isnt a lot of "I love it, I know I love it, I dont care what anyone says" in my wardrobe, although as I have experimented more with various styles I am starting to get there more and more. I suppose I could search out the puff sleeve jacket that would have a narrower shoulder seam and let my broader shoulders fill out the jacket and whatnot but currently the style doesnt tug at me so I probably wont hunt that perfect figure flattering one out.

I love what Rachylou said. That girl is SMART!!!

I'm pretty sensitive but no, not really swayed. I'm more affected, ironically, by a wave of positive feedback if it starts to feel like overkill on a fad. It's not that I'd go out and buy the faddish item based on that, but it just somehow feels uncomfortable for me.

I see some snark online about a line I like and wear a lot -- it's not one of the cool kid brands -- and I guess I do feel defensive in part because I think the snark is inaccurate. But at the end of the day, whatever. I see style as self-expression, and I love it like I love art, architecture, texture, and form. I can't express anyone else's self, anymore than anyone else can make me like pumps, slip on sneakers, overalls, twin sets, or jean jackets. I just kind of do my own thing.

Just to clarify, I completely didn't feel hurt or uncertain or anything by getting 'poison eye' comments without clarification. I appreciated the feedback and took it in the spirit in which it was offered. I completely agree with what Aziraphale posted about tastes just being tastes and hard to rationally explain, and what Angie said about how it's just being upfront about biases and excusing yourself. It's actually a pretty elegant social convention for how to do this.

I would definitely be swayed ... I'm not a fashion-risk-taker at all, and if I liked something trendy but lots of people had a negative reaction to it, I wouldn't go there. I don't feel this is a matter of confidence particularly; I'd just rather go with the flow on these things. On other issues I am happy to stand against the crowd.

That said, there will always be someone who doesn't like what I'm wearing! C'est la vie I guess!

If I like something but see a lot of negative comments about the thing on the forum, I will sometimes be swayed toward disliking the item, but it appears to be temporary for me.

Not long ago, there were quite a few comments about ruffled tops being dated. I have a couple of ruffled tops from Loft and love them and think they look good on me (I'm pretty flat-chested). After reading all the negative comments, I started to feel insecure, even though the comments were in general and not about me or my tops in particular.

I will say that I do not have a history of being a secure person. I was always picked on at home and in school, so I can be very sensitive to other people's opinions. But it is something that I am aware of and try to watch, to make sure that I do what I feel is best for me and not just conform to others' opinions out of weakness.

Not long after the said forum discussion, I decided to wear one of my ruffled tops for the day. I put it on and looked in the mirror and was so happy! It looked great, especially with what I had it paired with (coated skinnies), and it made me feel so fab! And at that moment I thought, this is something that makes me happy. This isn't about trends but is about expressing my inner self. So at that moment I solidified my love for ruffles and other feminine detailing. And I actually ordered more ruffled tops that should arrive in the mail this week. :^)

From others? Definitely not. (Although if EVERYBODY hates something viscerally I might reconsider). Anyway, I like what I like. In that vein though, I can't discount my own visceral reactions.

I'm pretty cognizant of my poison eyes though so I try to preface comments about items on others that trigger them with a statement to that point.