I’m going to have to go against the majority here and say…. Yes! I do compromise somewhat on what I wear to make others more comfortable. I used to get many comments; particularly at work, along the lines of “how can you be so dressed up?!” And “but how can you be bothered?!” Of course I get my share of compliments too… but still….it eventually made me a little uncomfortable to be honest, in the sense that I am introverted and didn’t like to always have that conversation in front of everyone….
Perhaps this is more of an Australian issue, but females here sometimes have a tendency to talk unkindly about other females who they feel are “trying too hard” to show off or be what is perceived as “fancy” relative to their surroundings.
I’m not saying it’s right, not at all, but it is a factor here….
Conformity of dress seems to be valued.

Tricky question! On the one hand, I dress primarily for myself and my mood but, on the other hand, there are tons of constraints that I deal with including weather, planned activities, and the aforementioned mood. So I might in principle want to wear my most interesting outfits every day but when you get down to it I may wake up without the mood to actually put together something interesting. I don't dress to blend in, which is pretty ingrained, but am aware of my situation and how certain things might be perceived (particularly if they associated with certain sub-groups). So is it, as Jenni asks, just semantics? Still mulling it over.

I should add I do try to still be at least somewhat true to myself and my own preferences…. Eg with black jeans and a black puffer coat at my children’s frequent sporting commitments I will also add my blue doc marten boots to jazz things up a bit, but still feel like I “fit in”. It’s a very interesting topic.
And like others have said, practical and weather constraints are huge. La Peds and Suz’s advice to think carefully about what you need in a practical sense across all areas of your life; and then make sure you are kitted out for them in a way that makes you happy is gold. And where I have come undone at times to be honest. It’s that old “purchasing clothing for a fantasy life” thing.

I have thought about this more. I don’t *think* that I deliberately change my outfits. I do get the occasional reaction from others that I look “dressed up” though. One from my own son just the other day. It was a day off and his Dad and I had been to the mall. Nothing special, and to a sort of variety store. But I had on earrings and a fairly nice jacket. He said “Are you going out? You look quite dressed up”. ( He is 26 and dresses casually). I said no, I had already been out. It didn’t bother me, I was just slightly surprised as I didn’t feel I dressed up any more than I ever do leaving the house unless just for a neighbourhood walk? But that was his perception, and it has been said by others at times. I dress fairly similarly for work and weekends as I am not sporty and don’t wear athleisure.

PS to Jussie, when he was young and playing football I wore fancy gumboots on the soccer fields that had poinsettias all over them!

I am a blender in most environments. After the itinerant childhood and I cant really remember how many schools, some military, some local schools, on a couple of continents, it struck me early that protective coloration was a thing.
That was self preservation. May I suggest that some others found being beautifully dressed, or uniquely dressed, also served a protective function?
I know it did for my mum, who had been raised by very strict standards of what is due to an occasion.
Interestingly, when in an environment that allows and rewards creativity, I love flowing and luxurious fabrics. And much brighter colour.
Currently, at one with LaPed.

Jussie, I too am introverted, and don’t enjoy being called out about what I choose to wear, so I’m sure that’s contributed to my need to want to blend in more, and as Olive Green mentioned, it can be a protective measure but when were given a definite environment to dress up in, then we will run with that too.

I have compromised my dressing for work situations, dressing more conservatively to fit a role, particularly in my younger years when my work dress codes were very strict. How I treated that was that I had work clothes that were my work uniform and my social clothes that were more interesting and reflected how I liked to dress. It did not bother me too much at all.

Currently, I don't feel that I compromise how I dress and feel very comfortable to be a bit more dressed up than others. I feel that by dressing well, you are showing respect to those around you.

No I don't compromise to blend in. And please, wear what you want! Proudly! Who knows who will be inspired!

I both miss and don't miss the days when people dressed up more. It came with a lot of expectations and conformity and judgment. Growing up in the fifties, and having to wear skirts and dresses all the time, the right colors at the right time of year, hats and gloves, that kind of thing. It all changed completely in 1968 and I associate clothes with self-expression I think because of that timeline that I lived through. But the pendulum has really swung all the way over now to casual, so it's always nice to see people who make a bit more of an effort than wearing what looks like pajamas!

What happened in 1968 judy? Was that Swinging London, Mary Quant, David Bailey photographing Jean Shrimpton in New York sort of time? ( I was only 7 years old down here at the bottom of the world and so don’t remember?!)

In my younger years, I used to really want to fit in. Lately, I’m focused on being authentic to me and what I want to wear. DH likes casual and won’t dress up if it is in any way uncomfortable (and I think any dress up is uncomfortable to him ). So, recently we were out with friends—he had on jeans and a tee shirt and I wore a fancy dress. I was joking with our friends, asking them if DH and I were on a first date if they thought we would make it as a couple. They laughed and said “no way.”

Dee -- I totally get that you're coming at the question from a social perspective. My sense is that, when people dress down, there's often a pragmatic or environmental reason. I dress up when I can (usually this means an all-day event, something happening on a day off, or something I was able to plan for in advance). But most of the time, if I go out, it's after a day of work and I'm going to be wearing my "outdoor educator" clothes. There's no way around it; my house is in the opposite direction from most of my area's social/cultural activities, so it's impractical to go home to dress up, do hair/makeup, etc. I'm sure many folks are in a similar position. For special occasions like weddings or holiday parties, I'll absolutely meet the dress code and then some, but for a Friday night dinner/concert/whatever, I figure it's implicitly "come as you are". I'm rarely the most casual person in the room, and rarely the most dressed up. I also don't have any strong urge to compare myself to others or judge people by what they wear. It doesn't bother me one bit if my friends are in their yoga clothes and I'm wearing a cute dress (or vice versa). Their day was different from mine, no big deal.

LaPed yes I agree. In our busy lives it’s hard to dress up if we are moving from occasions that require very little time to change clothes. I have met people for coffee or lunch and I had just come from yoga so do get your point.
Also some people are not that focused on clothes and I guess we need to understand that. That doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy the whole dressing up process even if they are more dressed up than others.

Sally, LaPed you both make really good points that I hadn’t really considered much.
Judy, I think it is better that strict dress codes aren’t such an issue these days. A lot more freedom now for better or worse.

Jenni NZ...I have no idea what made the change! But it seemed to happen what felt like overnight, to a much freer society. And so good to my teenage self!

My attitude is to dress for the dressiest thing I have to do that day