Money!

AnnaG, you want to dress like a lunatic...? Or you think people will think you ARE one?

Anna Piaggi never let that stop her.
https://www.google.com/search?.....ial&c

I just thought it was funny. Besides everybody already knows I dress weird.

Time and money! Reading through other people's responses, I think I will be adding age factor to these pretty soon.

Given my fantasy outfit is wearing a tux in Paris my main obstacles are:

• My beachy lifestyle - I think I would be slightly overdressed given that most people around here wear jeans or shorts & trainers :
• Daytime - need the moon on the cobblestones & the clubs & bars need to be open
• Hangovers

My fantasy life style is really just an exaggeration of my style -- I'm not really far off, but I'll never really be there. Practicality is one reason -- lots of walking, dealing with dogs and household chores, etc. Oh, and tromping around in junkyards or sunflower fields, like I did today.

But, like Elizabeth, I admit that my body type definitely holds me back. Leggy, slim-hipped models look amazing in leather skinnies. Alas, I do not.

Calvinist midwestern guilt?

I don't think I posted on the other thread although I read some of it; I'm not sure what my fantasy look would be - I mean a recurring theme, not just a one-off 'oh, wouldn't it be nice to be a starlet with a stylist and a makeup artist and a hairdresser and Harry Winston to loan me a million dollars in diamonds' sort of thing, which would only be novel the first time and after that probably get a little tedious.

I suppose, aside from budget, laziness and body type are the big things. That and the convenience of being a practical sort of person that people don't gawk over. I'm a lot more high-maintenance than I used to be and I'm still not as high-maintenance as a lot of people. I like being unfussy, being able to do things without worrying about my clothes, having pockets to put things in....

I can't get the sheep up the elevator into my cube...

Climate.
Body type. My fantasy me is a slim rectangle with long legs.
Profession
Budget

I am afraid to challenge the social norms around here, aka small-town life.

Real Life lol.

Not really. Budget plays a role. I simply cannot afford a wardrobe full of Rick Owens But generally I feel I dress exactly as I like. Certain social and cultural norms do come into play but my recent ponderings about separating my work and play wardrobes a little might just sort that.

My challenges are work and kids--trying to dress in work-appropriate clothes and to play at the park, often in the same day.
I am trying to work on Steampunk for Work and MOTG (as funny as that sounds!) for the Fantasy You challenge, but I think I have come up with some ideas! It's tough to incorporate corsets into everyday life!

For my last work I had to dress very formal, only suits. When I changed, it was difficult to adapt to a very casual dress code. It took me a long time, but now I'm letting my style persona come out more!

20 pounds(or more) and some money:-)

Jasmine & Rosie are missing from my fantasy life.

I don't know what my fantasy style would really be, but I'm sure it wouldn't be the way I am dressing right now. Pondering what it could be. Knowing the Libra in me I would probably have several, not just one style.

So what is preventing me from dressing this way?

Planning and organization - if I had a fantasy style, I'd hope I would be more organized and my outfits would go together easier than now (no standing around looking at the closet wondering what to wear - hey, it's a fantasy, right?)
Budget
Body type - I'm heavier than I'd like and true designer duds stop well before my double digit size
Lifestyle - I love heels but my urban walking lifestyle has really curbed their usage in the last few years
Small kids - need I say more?

Because my life isn't a Gatsby party?! But, this has got me thinking that maybe a dropped waist, beaded and sequinned dress might belong in my dressy capsule?

Some of these responses have me laughing out loud at my computer. I'd say my primary hindrance is not embarrassing my kids. Oh, and then there's the fact that I am NOT urban, nor am I a warrior. Indeed, I am a bit too soft around the edges for my fantasy overall. *sigh*

A couple of inches, fussy feet, and the fact that I have to spend money on things like food instead of clothes.

Mine is basically clothes that look good standing on old cobblestone streets in some European city. I'm leaning toward Italy, maybe Florence. Which, as fantasy dressing styles go, isn't absurdly incompatible with my climate, lifestyle, and looks.

So what's stopping me? Mostly laziness/time constraints and body type, which keep me wearing the same old reliable brands and cuts instead of casting a wide net for things that fit the fantasy. And budget to an extent, but I could maybe get around that if I were easier to fit or had more time to track down the perfect thing. Ironically, if I didn't also eat like my fantasy Italian self (who obviously has an amazing metabolism), I'd at least be thinner (albeit still really short), which would give me more options for dressing like her.

Oh, and my outfits would involve lots of cream cashmere sweaters and silk dresses and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, which I'd probably ruin right away if I wore them in real life.

Hmm. For me, it would probably be

1. Climate. It's too cold here for about five months out of the year to wear anything stylish.

2. Money. I don't have enough money to afford things that I really want, so I have to wait until something similar is offered at a lower price point. But I don't give up.

3. Health. It takes too much energy to do my hair AND do my nails AND put on makeup AND put on a good outfit (which is why I focus on the last).

4. Self-consciousness. It is hard to dress up in something quite different from what people are used to seeing me in. However, I do take small steps in this direction toward my fantasy style, and maybe someday I will get there.

5. Life events. Part of the fantasy me would involve dressing up in wear that is good for parties and other social events, but my health situations prevent me from going to such places. C'est la vie!

I try to at least keep a feeling of my fantasy life as much as possible even if my fantasy life is idealized. I'm unhappy if I get to far away from my personal concept of an guitar slinging, motorcycle riding badass but I understand that even my inner badass has to walk the dog.

What's stopping me?
Money - An ultra cool unlimited wardrobe isn't cheap
Availability - So much of what I imaging just doesn't exist in my size

Country living/dressing for my environment
Age
Job
Climate

In that order. My life is so boring compared to the jet-setting Bohemian artistic person I am in my head. And I'm old-ish. And I'm in food service for god's sake. And it's usually hot.

At the moment the most limiting factor is budget. This goes for dress style and life style.
Nevertheless I tried many things that came from my fantasy "me", and many of them caught on. This happened when realized that I am trying to please everyone too often with my appearance, therefore becoming invisible and frumpy. I am exaggerating here, but after I began to let go, I started receiving compliments about unfolding my true style personality. I still dress with respect to situation I am in, but I feel more confident with showing some of who I am in my head.

By the way here we have enough cobblestone streets, they are a pain to walk on in heels

Joana, that's too bad! Although maybe it would work out, since I'd be taller in my fantasy life, so flats would be just fine for everything except all the fancy restaurants and chic cocktail parties I'd be going to.