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What I want to wear but Life is messy

Lana

(website)

Veteran

I’m loving lighter colors lately but my life consists of living in a very casual town, gardening, hiking and working at home. Here’s a fantasy outfit that I could wear on a night out but I would still be the most dressed up person in the room. I need to work on my casual at home outfits but at heart I crave dressy casual.

What about you? Do you dress up more even if everyone around you is extremely casual?

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39 replies

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

Great outfit! Yes, I tend to be among the dressier people in the room — I’ve always been that way, even as a high school and college student. I feel very uncomfortable if I’m underdressed but have rarely felt bad if I’m overdressed.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

KILLER look. Beautiful palette with your hair!

WEAR THE OUTFIT!! If not now - when? Your style - your rules. Your authenticity, Lana

kellygirl

Veteran

Yes. Despite being super casual already - I'm usually always one of the most dressed up. I think a lot of that is how I was raised though and expectations of how one should look in public. I enjoy it though. It's hard to be overdressed where I live-- relative to my lifestyle though.Agreeing that you should just wear what you like!

Joy

Veteran

What Angie said. Wear the outfit now while you can.

cat2

Veteran

Cute outfit! Can you get out a bit more? Brunch in a dressier town or a fun dinner? From our cabin in the middle of nowhere, we “go to town” in a couple of small cities.

Lesley

Veteran

White jeans are the epitome of my "what I want to wear but life is messy"! It's really one thing in particular: dogs.

CarolS

Veteran

You look fabulous and what's the downside of being the most well put together person in the room? Maybe you'll inspire others to up their game... The less bold might be yearning for permission to take that first step.

I get that you also want to feel comfortable in your surroundings, but I think you should be free to enjoy your wardrobe and look as good as you want to look.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Yes! Wear it!!
I spent years being the most "dressed up" one in the room, and I never regretted it.

Anonymous

I just can't resist the urge to feel at least a little dressed up if I'm going out. But it's funny sometimes what people consider "dressed up." I've been in groups where simply ironing your clothes is considered dressy! I think at the end of the day you just have to please yourself and feel good about what you're wearing.

SW Ann

Veteran

Yep...I am almost always the most "dressed up" anywhere I go. Appropriate, but more dressy than most. I tried to change to more casual when I moved from a midwestern city to Arizona, but I never felt good. Authenticity wins. Now that I've lived here 20+ years, people accept that this is how I look and dress.

slim cat

Veteran

It's all gorgeous on you - wear and enjoy it!
I wish I could do dressier outfits when off work - but so far just casual and super casual .

Aquamarine

Veteran

I love your fantasy outfit! I’m with you…casual life, casual town, work from home…but opportunities to “dress up” (lol, put on real pants) are coming up and the warmer weather presents more opportunities to be out and about and wear those clothes, regardless of what others wear.

Lana

(website)

Veteran

Thanks Janet, Joy, Angie, Cat, Carol, Chewy, Slimcat, Ann, Aquamarine and Kelly, I agree with you, underdressed is much worse to me. I will definitely wear this, I just need to create some opportunities. Sunday Brunch is a brilliant idea.

Lesley, yes dogs! We have one of our own and I forgot to mention we dog-sit through Rover.com, so lots of dirty paws and I love it.

Xtabay, I’m in a art journaling group and most people wear workout wear. I dress casually but not in sweats.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

LOL yes, dogs are a big factor for me too! It was one thing when we had two little pugs, but our big retired rambunctious ranch dogs are a whole other story.

Mirjana

Veteran

Lana, you look wonderful, love your light blue jacket. I'm with Angie, wear it for sure. I like dressier outfits and wear them, don't care, it's my style. Wear and enjoy.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Yes ,l agree,just wear it.It’s nit as if you are wearing high heels and a ball gown.If this is how you want to dress go for it!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I wear what I want, which is often a skirt or dress, which people often find dressy. Shrug. If they can’t cope with that, they aren’t for me.

You look great!

Peri

Veteran

Love it! See, I'd be all over that blouse...one of the soft florals of which I've put myself on a no-buy for now...but you've added just the hint-of-edge I want with that jacket. (Except I'm hot natured and for me the season for jackets has already passed!). But, this is why I love your style.

Style Fan

Veteran

You look fabulous in your outfit. I stay away from white jeans because dirt seems to find me the minute I put them on. Also, I have a dog.
I live in a tourist destination. People wear very casual clothing, designer outfits and everything in between. I am usually on the simple end of dressy.

Lana

(website)

Veteran

Peri that jacket is a lightweight linen. I live in North Carolina and it gets so hot here but I plan to wear it as much as I can even if it’s inside with air conditioning.

SF I am the same, it never fails I am wearing white when eating spaghetti with red sauce or BBQ.

DonnaF

Veteran

I probably dress up more than most people, but that's because the U.S. has gone so uber casual and not that I've changed so much. Based on feedback I've received (from strangers no less!), I think others appreciate it when one has made an effort. For example, yesterday I was about to meet with a church friend at a coffee shop. A few months ago folks here mentioned they would wear a blazer with jeans to meet a friend for coffee. I subsequently bought my first blazer in decades -- for my aspirational life. I think I wore it twice, but then thought I better wear it to meet with that friend. Got a shout out complimenting my look from a young woman waiting in line at the UPS store next door. I had to mention to my friend that I wore my sparkly combat boots (below) so as not to be mistaken for one of our Worship Associates who stand in front of the congregation to give a reflection or reading. Combat boots would be plainer for that.

I think making an effort shows respect for whomever one deals with. But I don't include within *dressing up* looking like one is going clubbing -- simply because I don't do that and I never did that so that was never what I owned.

Umm, but what I wear to work skews a bit casual. I have never worked in Big Law, not a litigator so never appear in court, so could always dress a half step or full step below Business Formal. The world has gone more casual since then and so have I. What are they going to do to me? Fire me? Nope.

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merwoman

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Lana this outfit looks so good on you, go for it! And maybe the white jeans feel dressier because you’re not used to wearing them…but they’re just jeans that happen to be white.
Stains…I am the messiest spilliest person around. I don’t think I’ve had any stains that weren’t removed by pre treating with either New Dawn dish soap or an oxycleaner stick. Go for it!

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

It would be hard to overstate how casual my neighborhood in LA is. If you're not wearing leggings or sweatpants, you're likely the most dressed-up person in the vicinity. It's funny, though, because as far as environmental norms go, the kind of dressed-up matters. A tulle skirt and a sparkly top would look much less out-of-place here than dark wash jeans and a blazer.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Oooh.....love the mix of textures, the balance of flowy fabrics and structure in the jacket. The colors are soft and springlike, but really grownup. When I dress like this on a day I'm not working, it usually means I'm wearing the outfit for only part of a day, changing into gardening or workout clothes after coming back from looking fabulous at the post office and Home Depot.

(And I have the same bootcuts in blue denim LOVE them)

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Gorgeous outfit! And to your question - yes. I live in an extremely casual atmosphere and wear what I want, which is casual but more dressy than many people around me (there is actually a lot of variety in dressing styles around me, which makes it easier).

Brooklyn

Veteran

Spectacular! You should wear that outfit ASAP.

I guess I am more dressed up than my environmental norm for everyday wear. But as long as I am wearing something practical for the activity and conditions (walking, sun, dogs etc) I’m ok with it.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That's a fab outfit and you look great! Wear it, regardless, I say. the great thing about denim is it goes in the wash. I wear white denim in summer despite my casual lifestyle -- and if things get really bad, it gets a bit of bleach.

My preference is dressier than my lifestyle permits, for sure. But I'm all for looking for creative ways to subvert the environmental norm without becoming impractical or precious.

rachylou

Veteran

Very pretty!

I dress up more than anyone around me for ‘occasions’ - like community theatre and family dinners. But those occasions are pretty rare these days and I don’t dress up for oh say, brunch with my best friend. Which is not to say I show up in leggings, but I don’t, oh, break out the cute shoes much. Not even ballet flats. Everywhere is a hike! Haven’t sashayed around an office skyscraper in years, which in my opinion is the easiest place to wear cute shoes.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Rachylou, speak for yourself My cutest shoes (I think) are Oxford style & ankle boots. The former work in offices, I guess, but the latter are harder to wear there. Or maybe I don’t understand from “cute”. Very possible!

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