# Does anyone else not care at all about clothes and shoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 13, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134 "2013-10-13T11:53:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/41 "2013-10-16T05:26:04Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > - Cue chorus of Dopers insisting that not only don’t they care about clothes and shoes, they don’t pay any attention to celebrities or pop music and that they paid 28 cents for their weddings. Gawd, I love the Dope sometimes. 😛 I don’t care about clothes or shoes, but I have an excuse - being raised as a nudist. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/42 "2013-10-16T09:35:35Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > “I base my fashion sense on what doesn’t itch.” - Katherine Hepburn > > I love high fashion, to look at. But 99% of my time is spent in comfortable cotton clothing and a pair of Crocs. I may spring for the [leather Crocs](http://www.crocs.com/crocs-womens-chelea-work-shoe/12936,default,pd.html?cid=23K&cgid=women-footwear-sneakers) but I’m not going to walk around in something that hurts my feet. > > Poor Celtling. Love that Katherine Hepburn quote! 😃 I know that ‘Crocs’ are comfortable but, _ **DAMN** _ if they aren’t the most butt-ugly shoes, I can think of. ☹ > [@MandaJo](#): > > I care very much what people think of me. Some of that is pride, but more of it is that I feel more secure if I know what people think of me, I know that it is positive, and I know how I can use that to get what I need. Clothes are part of that. … > … On this, I have to agree. Personally, I usually have on decent jeans, clean (read, no holes) t-shirts and heavy leather boots. It’s not very wise to ride a motorcycle in anything less. If I’m in my truck, I try to dress comfortably and neatly. First impressions can make a world of difference in how people percieve you and interact with you. 😉 > [@gaffa](#): > > I don’t care about clothes or shoes, but I have an excuse - being raised as a nudist. So… you don’t (or rarely) wear anything at all? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/43 "2013-10-16T13:08:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Does anyone else not care at all about clothes and shoes? I care about buying clothing without supporting to sweatshop conditions or child labor. Other than that, I spend the minimum that I can get away with and ignore style and fashion. My job requires me to wear slacks, dress shoes, dress shirt and neck tie, so I have to buy those things. I’ll get them from Goodwill or other thrift stores when I can. Yard sales and flea markets are also good sources. Regarding shoes, I buy my dress shoes from [The San Antonio Shoe Company](http://www.sasshoes.com). Their shoes cost about $200 per pair, but are worth it because they last forever and are extremely comfortable. I’ve found that with El Cheapo dress shoes, my feet hurt by the end of the day and the shoes fall apart after a year or two. Outside of work, I’m okay wearing almost anything. When going out of the house, I’ll at least avoid clothing that’s stained or has visible holes in it. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/44 "2013-10-16T14:04:48Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > I know that ‘Crocs’ are comfortable but, _ **DAMN** _ if they aren’t the most butt-ugly shoes, I can think of. ☹ A friend of mine is of the opinion that anybody who is seen wearing Crocs in public should be equally publicly flogged. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/45 "2013-10-16T15:47:03Z")
I’m fat. So if I don’t work against the slob stereotype, people will assume I am one. Perceived slobs are treated poorly, or ignored entirely. Plus, I work at a bank now, so I have to dress up 5 days a week anyway. I bum around the house in no-name sweatpants and tank tops, but I stopped wearing PJ pants in public and I’ve been happier for it. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/46 "2013-10-16T16:33:53Z")
I cared when I worked in an office, not so much anymore. I like comfortable shoes and comfortable clothes. I probably do look like a slob most of the time, but if all I am doing is running out to walk a dog and scoop some kitty litter, well I’m not dressing up for that. If I’m going out it’s different but even then I prefer comfort to fashion. I blame my mother. She lives for expensive clothes, looking elegant and making an entrance. When we were going to my uncle’s funeral she kept changing her clothes to the point where I thought we would be late. She sniffed and put her little nose in the air and said, ‘People always tell me I look elegant and I have an image to maintain’. She has enough vanity for the both of us. Between that attitude and being dragged from store to store my entire childhood while she tried on dozens of outfits, it’s no wonder I don’t give a crap about clothes. Maybe I’m still rebelling against her trying to make me over in her image. ---
**Author:** ![silvermist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@silvermist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silvermist)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/47 "2013-10-16T16:47:54Z")
I don’t dress high fashion, comfort is important to me now. I only need a good pair of walking shoes so my feet don’t hurt. It’s nice to look neat and clean with color coordination and maybe earrings to dress things up, but expensive isn’t important to me. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/48 "2013-10-17T16:00:58Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > A friend of mine is of the opinion that anybody who is seen wearing Crocs in public should be equally publicly flogged. 😃 Flogging would be a little extreme, IMO. (Just a little, though.) 😉 Public ridicule? Oh, HELL YEAH! ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/49 "2013-10-17T17:50:58Z")
> [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](#): > > Or is it just me? > > I wear crappy ones, unless I’m around good ones and then I might throw them on just because they’re clean that day. OP, what is your gender? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/50 "2013-10-17T18:19:03Z")
Do I dress head to toe Armani? No. But I generally look put together. And I don’t mind dressing up a bit for work or wearing a suit when the occasion calls for it. And I reason if I’m going to wear a suit, I might as well wear a nice one. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/51 "2013-10-17T18:32:30Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > One other thing I have never understood is when a PNG is either driving TO work in the morning, or FROM work at the end of the day, why do they (still) have their stupid hangman’s noose on? Well, if you buy your shirts with necks that actually fit right, and tie your ties correctly, they’re not particularly uncomfortable. However, if the neck is too tight, or you tighten up your tie too much, then yeah, things get uncomfortable, which is why I personally think that 99% of men bitching about wearing shirts and ties are actually bitching about. So if it’s not uncomfortable, then it’s usually easier to put your tie on at home where there’s usually a better mirror and better lighting than in the bathroom at work, and most just probably forget about it on the way home. The part I don’t get at all is the suit jacket. In my experience 90% of men only manage to wear it from their car to their desk (few drive to work wearing it), where they put it on the back of their chair or on a coat rack/coat hanger and go around in shirtsleeves until it’s time to leave, at which point they put it back on, go to their car, take it off and drive home. It seems like a massive waste of time, and is a pain when it comes to controlling one’s personal climate- they’re hot and worthless in summer, and not warm in winter, and what’s worse, make you wear really expensive overcoats that you have to wear scarves with when it’s really cold. I get it at job interviews, weddings and funerals, but it doesn’t make a lot of day-to-day sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Came_in_like_a_Wrecking_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/52 "2013-10-17T21:45:46Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > OP, what is your gender? Male. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/53 "2013-10-19T07:47:19Z")
> [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](#): > > Or is it just me? > > I wear crappy ones, unless I’m around good ones and then I might throw them on just because they’re clean that day. Oh, person of my heart, I think you’re so fine! Seriously, I haven’t worn anything but the cheapest I can find, usually from an op shop, for decades, and I’ll wear clothes till they literally wear out; like I had trousers for over 10 years that were second hand to start with. I only stopped wearing them when the knees got holes in them. My attitude is that if someone is such a snob that they think my clothes are more important than “me”, f them. Luckily though, for most of my working life I wore uniforms at work. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/54 "2013-10-19T07:50:48Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > I care very much what people think of me. Some of that is pride, but more of it is that I feel more secure if I know what people think of me, I know that it is positive, and I know how I can use that to get what I need. Clothes are part of that. > > I also find cheap shoes to be the absolute opposite of comfortable, so I reject part of your premise. I mean, there are plenty of expensive uncomfortable shoes, but there are also expensive comfortable shoes. There are few to no truly inexpensive (\<$15) truly comfortable shoes (or, if there are, they wear out in a week or two). Other than at work, or if digging holes or such like ( when I’d wear boots ) I have worn flip flops or sandals for most of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/55 "2013-10-19T07:52:24Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Fashion disgusts me. > > That being said, I have recently discovered how superficial people are. If I’m wearing nice clothes, they act differently around me. I tested this theory by buying a few Ralph Lauren shirts. I’m thinking about buying a huge rolex-looking watch just to see what happens. There should be a “like” function on the forum for posts like yours. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/56 "2013-10-19T08:03:03Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Best username/thread title combo I’ve seen in a while! Am I seriously the only one to have noticed this? > > To answer the question on behalf of the one who came in on the wrecking ball – Shoes are necessary. Clothes? Feh. Who needs them? > > [Just in case you’ve been living in a cave on Mars with your eyes shut and your fingers in your ears:\* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8) (NSFW, especially if you work on a construction site. At least put on a hard hat, honey!)] > > - Cue chorus of Dopers insisting that not only don’t they care about clothes and shoes, they don’t pay any attention to celebrities or pop music and that they paid 28 cents for their weddings. Gawd, I love the Dope sometimes. 😛 Hmmmm. I really don’t care about clothes, I haven’t worn shoes since I retired 3 years ago ( and only at work before that ) I despise the celeb culture with a vengeance, don’t listen to pop music made since the 80s, and I think I paid about $10 for my marriage registration. Is that good enough to qualify? ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/57 "2013-10-19T13:22:18Z")
For those so actively unconcerned about appearance, are you going truly for comfort or to actively show you don’t care or possibly a combination? I can totally sympathize with the former notion, but the latter is honestly a little beyond me; if people only see what’s on the outside, is the expectation that others would look at you and say, “Hey, there’s someone who’s bucking convention. Good for them!”? At the risk of being virtually yelled at, if you’re going out of your way to show you don’t care about fashion, you seem to care what people think about you, but in this case seem to actively want them to notice your outfit so you can snub them for their perceived materialism. That or a really extended social experiment. Or maybe trying to save money? I don’t know - having trouble understanding. Can someone enlighten me? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/58 "2013-10-19T13:36:03Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > For those so actively unconcerned about appearance, are you going truly for comfort or to actively show you don’t care or possibly a combination? > I can totally sympathize with the former notion, but the latter is honestly a little beyond me; if people only see what’s on the outside, is the expectation that others would look at you and say, “Hey, there’s someone who’s bucking convention. Good for them!”? > > At the risk of being virtually yelled at, if you’re going out of your way to show you don’t care about fashion, you seem to care what people think about you, but in this case seem to actively want them to notice your outfit so you can snub them for their perceived materialism. That or a really extended social experiment. Or maybe trying to save money? I don’t know - having trouble understanding. Can someone enlighten me? I think some people (like the snarky bitches at my job) think I don’t care about my appearance because I don’t care about fashion. When, IMHO, the two aren’t the same. I care about how I look because I want to be able to smile when I see myself in the mirror. But I don’t dress so that random women can squeal over how “cute” my shoes. I don’t think of other people when I dress. I think of myself. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/59 "2013-10-19T13:48:00Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > For those so actively unconcerned about appearance, are you going truly for comfort or to \*\*actively show you don’t care \*\*or possibly a combination? > > I can totally sympathize with the former notion, but the latter is honestly a little beyond me I would agree. To be active about something you don’t care about? Doesn’t make sense. For me it’s all about comfort and utility. I live way, way up in the mountains and ‘dress’ clothes make no sense at all. Boot’s and jeans are the order of the day. Everyday. So, since I am so used to that outfit, I find other outfits like dress clothes very uncomfortable. And pointless. Completely pointless. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134/60 "2013-10-19T14:18:49Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I think some people (like the snarky bitches at my job) think I don’t care about my appearance because I don’t care about fashion. When, IMHO, the two aren’t the same. I care about how I look because I want to be able to smile when I see myself in the mirror. But I don’t dress so that random women can squeal over how “cute” my shoes. I don’t think of other people when I dress. I think of myself. This makes sense to me and so does **enipla’s** response. And my workplace is somewhat similar, though most of us are so focused on the work at hand that the snarky bitches choose other things to bitch about. 🙂 My question is really for those who seem to try hard to demonstrate how little they care. Maybe it’s just a side effect of being on an anonymous message board. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-not-care-at-all-about-clothes-and-shoes/671134.md?page=4)