Yes, Niefern, that's just what I said. It seems I get the general picture, without noticing the details.

But the details are important to the person dressing him/herself, because you can't really give the impression of being well put-together, or at least of belonging to a certain style tribe, without getting the details right.

OOOH, I love this topic. Clothes to me are one of those areas that cross all boundaries - function, fashion, art, status, money, creativity, self-perception. I live in a place where no one is judged by what they wear, which is simultaneously a relief and a bit demoralizing. It's entirely a function of the climate - who can wear stilettos and pretty flowy dresses in the snow? And what kind of formalwear is suitable for -10? On the other hand, we are having our annual cocktail party tomorrow and I guarantee people will be jumping at the chance to get dressed up and show off a bit.

I would say I notice what people are wearing only as a matter of curiosity - things like lack of PPL or frumpiness will catch my eye, but it makes almost no difference to me in terms of how I perceive them as an individual, unless it is excessively slutty or dirty or otherwise inappropriate. It's not that I don't enjoy visually pleasing sights and style but that I can't let it impair my judgment in my particular environment.

I think it can depend on the situation, because I've had moments like you're describing too. For me, when I'm in a situation where I'm meeting a lot of new people and there is a lot of social interaction it can be like a sensory overload. So I probably wouldn't remember anything about anyone's outfit either because I'm too focused on saying the right things and whatnot. But day to day I do notice if people I see regularly are well dressed and I hope to look presentable and well dressed too.

I find clothing quite important, because I enjoy it, much like how I find sports extremely unimportant, because I could care less.

To me, clothing is part of an entire package or presentation and I always notice it. Recently I met a lovely woman who felt perfectly comfortable wearing a stained t-shirt with, shall we say, extremely large, long, and unfettered bosoms. My discomfort with this grew until I could barely pay attention to what she was saying. I don't remember her face very well, although I stared at it with the desperation of the damned. Just the stain and the screaming desire to IMMEDIATELY find her a very supportive bra - or go curl in a corner clutching my own sweet girls promising that nothing like that would EVER happen to them.

Now, I'm sure I seemed very stupid to this nice and very bright lady, who was perfectly happy swinging stained and free. We could have had an interesting conversation if I hadn't been so horrified by gravity. And, if I had suggested a shopping trip, I am 100% positive she would have been totally uninterested, because to her, obviously, clothing was not important AT ALL.

So. To each their own.

Ik, I totally agree! My old boss used to come to work on weekends in ratty tees with holes and food stains, and it was SO distracting! I always hated having to meet with him on weekends.

i always notice clothes. I think they say a lot about a person. However, I dont base my opinion on what somebody is wearing. If I enjoy the conversation, clothing becomes less important.

There's definitely a level of clothing-related inappropriateness that is noticeable and negatively distracting--think extremely stained or torn/hole-y clothing, or over-exposed skin for the context, to give two common examples. And I think this is true for most reasonably observant people, whether or not they are into clothes/fashion.

As for clothes in general, I notice, and based on comments I get, people around me notice, too. And this is NOT at all limited to women who are interested in fashion, or people who know me. I get comments from the boys in my lab, both positive and negative, and I get comments from strangers, too (all positive, and this time mostly from females) --so it's clear that people *do* notice, in all sorts of contexts. I would say that the "meeting tons of people" at parties context is objectively different, since it's sort of person overload.

And yes, face is the most important/most memorable thing. But I find I notice people's clothing, the way they dress/carry themselves, etc. a LOT more now than I did in high school, where it seemed like *all* I noticed was how pretty a person's face was.

I only find *extreme* overdressing equivalent to *extreme* underdressing--in general, I prefer moderate overdressing to moderate underdressing, because it is more visually interesting. From the point of view of people watching, I find American street life distinctly more boring than Indian or Spanish street life, since the women in those countries dress with more flair than most American women do.

Would you have noticed someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt to a dressy event? I'm sure you would have. Clothes do matter because it's the first impression of you that someone notices. You can gather a lot from someone though their clothes: their personality. Of course one can't truly judge the person until you meet them but clothes sometimes speak louder than words.

What an interesting thread, thanks for starting this! I find when I am bored or just have more time, or are around unfamiliar people I notice the clothes more than in situations when I am occupied.

Citygirl, what you say is all true, and I have made the same observations before. Of course we size people up based on what they are wearing! But what surprised me at these Christmas parties was how little I noticed clothes when I was engaged in talking to unfamiliar people.

I saw a stranger crossing the street as I waited at a red light yesterday. She was so fashionable that I still remember admiring her outfit, although I couldn't tell you exactly what she was wearing. Something animal print and a long brown coat, I think. Maybe boots? I don't remember, but I know she looked FAB! Maybe I am just shallow but I always notice what people are wearing, although I might or might not specifically remember the clothes later.

I do think clothes matter. A lot. And I don't think it's shallow to think that way.

How I dress not only results in others perceptions of me but also affects my own mood. If I dress in a put together manner, I feel more confident and just happier.

I like fashion. Not necessarily being "fashionable" but I enjoy getting new clothes, dressing what I feel is nicely, etc. It's fun and it makes me feel good. I also appreciate care in presentation of other things and I feel much happier in my own home when my house looks good (a constant work in progress. I live with a carpenter, and similar to the cobbler, his children have no base or trim...), when the yard is kept (sadly my "gardener" said she does not like cold rainy weather and generally tries to pretend we don't have a yard until it's warm out - I'm the gardener) etc. It helps me feel more "together" and confident. And honestly, I have found it does affect how people treat me. I remember one time years ago I was flying somewhere and had made an effort to look nice, wear makeup and such before it was generally my habit to do so. What a difference! It was an eye opener. I don't think people do it on purpose either, it's just that associative learning that all mammals do, I'm quite sure.

I enjoy when other people dress nicely but exactly how much I pay attention depends on context. I notice at work, often. If not specifics, certainly over-all impressions. I notice at dog shows for sure and honestly I at least internally can be a little snobby about it. I think the SHOW in dog show is important and there is a huge lack of fashionability for no real reason as I see it. I love to people watch at the coffee shop, out eating and such too.

However I do often find, particularly at very busy social functions, that I do not notice the specifics of what people wear. If you asked me, I could not tell you unless what someone was wearing struck me as particularly nice or not so nice. I tend to challenge my environmental norm because it just doesn't appeal. Seriously dog trainers, it's okay not to wear ball caps and polar fleece all the time.

Part of the purpose of fasion, IMO, is to dress in a way that is inspiring to yourself and that boosts your confidence, but not to get in the way of being you. In other words, the very best outfits, whether they are understated or OTT, are the ones that make you notice the person and not the clothing. Like the expression goes, you need to wear the clothes and not have the clothes wear you. If the most memorable thing about a person was his/her outfit (after having had a chance to speak with the person and get to know them, that is), then IMO they were dressed in a way they probably should not have been.

Even when it comes to celebrities and fashion bloggers, I tend to identify them by overall style. Few outfits stand out to me because most of them fit with the person's overall aesthetic. So Helena Bonham-Carter may dress in a flamboyant manner, but it matches who she is so it is never overpowering on her. Tilda Swinton dresses in a way almost no one else could pull off, and yet things almost always work for her because she owns the look.

Like someone else mentioned, it is much more memorable when people dress in a grossly inappropriate manner or when they dress in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable about themselves. That is much more memorable and identifiable than a person wearing a character-appropriate, event-appropriate outfit, no matter how fabulous it is.