# For what occasions/events would you get all dressed up? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657 "2011-09-26T15:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/41 "2011-09-28T20:50:44Z")
My general work attire is Dockers-style slacks and a polo or business casual long sleeved shirt depending on the weather. I own more slacks than jeans so I tend to wear them for most outings unless they’re inappropriate. I wouldn’t wear them to help someone clean out a garage or something. If we’re going out for dinner or to a show or something, I’ll grab a shirt a tier higher on the “nice” scale. I have no problem with suits and ties and would wear one on a regular basis except that I’d be overdressed for the office and look like a poor-man’s Barney Stinson everywhere else. I like putting on a suit for weddings or fancy nights out (and don’t begrudge it for funerals although I guess I don’t “enjoy” it). ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/42 "2011-09-28T22:17:13Z")
I like looking good and having a ‘personal style’. I spend some chunk of time nearly every day thinking about and organizing my clothes and putting together outfits. I own a lot of dressier clothes and shoes, and even my most casual clothes are chosen with an eye towards how flattering and stylish they are. There’s never a time I look like a slob. During the week I will often wear a dress etc for no reason. If my SO and I are going out, I break out the heels. I always wear cute shoes - even my rubber rain boots are trendy. I have one pair of sneakers and they are work-issued. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/43 "2011-09-29T01:02:21Z")
I like dressing up. I hate jeans - I’ve never considered jeans comfortable. Skirts are way more comfortable for me - knee length and on the full side so I’m not taking tiny mincing steps. The only part of dress-up that I hate are the shoes. I have real trouble finding nice shoes that don’t give me blisters. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/44 "2011-09-29T02:05:02Z")
I wear a uniform to work and have mostly casual clothes for my days off. If I was invited to a wedding, I’d have to buy something for the occasion, having nothing ‘dressy’ enough in my wardrobe. I do like to make a bit of an effort when a group of us go out to dinner once every six weeks. (Skirt or dress, lowish heels, makeup). The funerals I go to are all work related so I go in uniform but if I had a non-work funeral to attend, I’d be able to put together an appropriate outfit but I wouldn’t call it ‘dressing up’. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/45 "2011-09-29T02:44:44Z")
I dress up whenever I can- I wore my suit today, which is always fun. I just feel more powerful, put together and important when I’m dressed for success. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/46 "2011-09-29T04:08:34Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > For simplicity, let’s define “all dressed up” as putting more thought and effort into your attire than for your normal activities, whatever they may be. Under that definition it would be almost everytime I go anywhere to meet people. I spend most of my time at home, or in the neighborhood, and wear jeans or Dickies and a T-shirt. Even going to the office once in a while means putting on my good clothes that don’t have holes, and the clean sneakers. For social occasions, the fancier the event, the fancier I dress. For people who know me, seeing me in a tie is equivalent to top hat and tails for the average guy. If I wear a suit, a shirt that fits, polished shoes, a quality tie, the typical accessories, and trim my beard and other hair that grows where I don’t want it instead of where I do, I can go unrecognized except by people very close to me. The change is that drastic. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/47 "2011-09-29T11:27:01Z")
Most of the time, by those standards. I realised back in the spring that always dressing in jeans and t-shirts was making me feel frumpy and unattractive. I deliberately started wearing skirts, and felt better and prettier in them. I went on a hunt for nicer, fancier t-shirts. Sometime around early summer I morphed into only wearing dresses and skirts. I’m a SAHM, so everything I wear is intensely washable but also deliberately sort-of put together, and pretty. Except my shoes. I have functional shoes, I don’t do heels. I wear Docs, Blundstones, or sandals. Wearing only dresses has worked nicely for me since I found out I was pregnant- I hate maternity pants and more skirts and dresses are stretchy. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/48 "2011-09-29T11:41:38Z")
My office has a “business casual” dress code, which officially means chinos and a polo shirt but in practice seems to mean clean jeans and a tee-shirt that isn’t sctively selling something. I usually wear an oxford cloth shirt, often wear a vest or suspenders, and on occasion will wear a tie (a bowtie more often than a long tie). Because I like projecting an air of authority. When going out with the Wife I tend to look very tweedy in the colder weather and yacht-clubby in the summer (although I have been discouraged from wearing the salmon shorts or the belt with the little tiny whales). I don’t need any excuse to “dress up” but I am a stuffy old fart. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/49 "2011-09-29T12:36:21Z")
Something that surprises me among the responses - the statement by some women that dressing up makes them feel pretty. It just makes me feel uncomfortable. Not that I live my life as a slob, but a dress or skirt, a blouse in a nice fabric, hose and dress shoes - if I’m wearing these, I’m terrified of getting something on myself or tripping over my own feet and having my skirt fly over my head or getting caught on something and tearing a garment. Kinda hard to feel pretty when in a standby panic mode all the time. I guess it’s an understatement that I’m not a girly girl. As long as my clothes cover the important bits, are clean and in good repair, and perhaps are of a flattering color, I’m good. m Makeup - don’t own any. A friend had to make my buy some lipstick for my daughter’s wedding. Jewelry - pretty much never comes out of the jewelry box - I wear my wedding band and a cheap watch (I’ve managed to ruin 2 really nice ones, so I stick to cheapies now.) I’ve never had my fingernails done, and the one pedicure I had (at my daughter’s insistence) was a horrible experience, leaving me with a painful toe for weeks. I must admit, I didn’t realize I was in such a minority. It doesn’t bother me, but it does somewhat surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/50 "2011-09-29T13:29:12Z")
> [@Lissla\_Lissar](#): > > Most of the time, by those standards. I realised back in the spring that always dressing in jeans and t-shirts was making me feel frumpy and unattractive. I deliberately started wearing skirts, and felt better and prettier in them. I went on a hunt for nicer, fancier t-shirts. Sometime around early summer I morphed into only wearing dresses and skirts. I can never figure out why so many women “never wear dresses.” In the summer they are much cooler, and they offer better freedom of movement all around. I find skirts to be a lot more comfortable than being bound up in a pair of jeans. If they are around knee-length, you don’t really have to worry about flashing people unless you are climbing a fence or something. I agree they were a lot less fun when I was eight years old, but I don’t spend my time on the monkey bars these days. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/51 "2011-09-29T13:35:39Z")
For years, I wore skirts almost exclusively. With a fitted-style tshirt in the summer, and with a cashmere sweater in the winter. Then after several years of that, I bought myself a pair of jeans and haven’t looked back. One problem is that I have chubby thighs that chafe unless I’m wearing tights or Spanx or something under a skirt. Jeans/cords/khakis don’t have that problem, and they’re cooler and more comfortable than tights or Spanx. I still wore my cashmere sweaters all winter still, till last winter when I was pregnant, and from now till eternity when I’m handling small children. Frankly, I’m wondering what I AM going to wear that’s completely washable-dryable and equally warm. I’m experimenting with designer hoodies and zip-front sweatshirts from Sam’s Club. Anyway, things I’ll dress up for (and I love to dress up): Weddings Funerals Baptisms Special dinners with the hubster Nights out on the town with my crazy friends (which don’t happen anymore, cuz I go to bed at 9) Going to work, back when I used to do that ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/52 "2011-09-29T19:06:04Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I can never figure out why so many women “never wear dresses.” In the summer they are much cooler, and they offer better freedom of movement all around. I find skirts to be a lot more comfortable than being bound up in a pair of jeans. If they are around knee-length, you don’t really have to worry about flashing people unless you are climbing a fence or something. > > I agree they were a lot less fun when I was eight years old, but I don’t spend my time on the monkey bars these days. In the past six or seven years, I’ve been hard-pressed to wear a dress, mostly because I’ve been insecure about how my body looks. Same for shorts - haven’t worn them until this summer because I was worried I looked fat and my legs were too pasty. Then for some reason, something sort of snapped in my head. All of a sudden, I’m tired of sweating through my pants on hot summer days and feeling so covered up. So as of this summer, I’m finally wearing shorts and dresses again. I’m a far cry from super sexy, but I think I look better because I’m not as concerned. You can always tell when someone is uncomfortable in their clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/53 "2011-09-29T19:09:02Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > In the past six or seven years, I’ve been hard-pressed to wear a dress, mostly because I’ve been insecure about how my body looks. But I look shorter and fatter in pants! A skirt or dress gives me a longer line and does not \*outline \*everything below the waist. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/54 "2011-09-29T19:16:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Something that surprises me among the responses - the statement by some women that dressing up makes them feel pretty. It just makes me feel uncomfortable. Not that I live my life as a slob, but a dress or skirt, a blouse in a nice fabric, hose and dress shoes - if I’m wearing these, I’m terrified of getting something on myself or tripping over my own feet and having my skirt fly over my head or getting caught on something and tearing a garment. Kinda hard to feel pretty when in a standby panic mode all the time. Ah, but nothing I wear is uncomfortable. I have no tight waistbands, no heavy seams, and nothing digging into me. Today I’m wearing a wine and aubergine dress I remade from a thrift store dress, and leggings. Everything is stretchy. I have two small kids, so everything I wear is washable. I don’t worry about anything getting wrecked by little fingers or my own tendency to drop food all over myself. And I always wear either leggings or bike shorts, and don’t worry about strong winds. Nothing interesting is going to be visible even in strong wind. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/55 "2011-09-30T23:53:35Z")
Well, I like nice clothes and I like to look good, but I’m lazy. Many days I’m just not in the mood for pulling together an outfit, so it’s jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops. For work, I often wear snappy but casual stuff: nice jeans, a jacket, heels, a good blouse, jewelry. It’s not to the level of business casual, but I’m in Silicon Valley so I can get away with it. If I have a big stakeholder meeting I might crank out some non-denim trousers, but that’s about as formal as I’m going to get for work. For weddings and funerals I _dress_. If I’m really feeling froggy, I’ll even wear a hat and gloves (_gasp_). ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/56 "2011-09-30T23:57:56Z")
…every day? I _always_ take care in my appearance. Today for Rosh Hashanah services I had a fascinator on. Since I have short hair now, hats don’t look as nice. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/57 "2011-10-01T14:10:03Z")
I don’t like dressing up - weddings and funerals is pretty much it. I work in a lab so I don’t have to dress up (it’s not really dirty, but since I don’t have to wear anything other than jeans, I don’t) but I have to wear long pants and closed shoes. It is also kept on the cool-ish side year round, so I usually wear a light jacket of some sort over a tee. The problems (for me) come when I do need to wear nicer clothes. I feel like a hoochie mama in anything other than jeans. I hate dressing like a college student all the time (I’m 46), but I don’t feel like myself when I do dress up. ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/58 "2011-10-01T14:57:40Z")
The usual stuff; weddings, funerals, graduations, etc. Normal attire in summer is cargo shorts & a non-white t-shirt. In winter, jeans or cargo pants (I like lots of pockets) and long sleeve shirts. My youngest daughter graduated from college this spring and I wore a suit. I was one of maybe a dozen men out of hundreds that wore one. The rest of the people, men and women both, looked like they’d just washed up on a beach. I dress up as a sign of respect for the event and/or the people involved. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/59 "2011-10-01T21:20:38Z")
Yeah, yeah. Wedding, funeral, job, music job (the kind with the gold lame suits or the tuxes). Maybe if I was a ho, sucking some John off in an alley who I knew would tip good. The usual. How much variance in the responses? ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657/60 "2011-10-01T21:46:19Z")
Not often enough to really set a standard. I’ve worn a dress twice in ten years, both times when I was cowardly and let myself get pressured into it. “Nice” for me means appropriate for the modern workplace: khakis or black slacks and a polo or button-down shirt. I can’t stand skirts or dresses (they just feel…wrong, like I’m half-naked). I refuse to wear heels, because they’re stupid and impractical. I also refuse to wear pants without pockets, on the same basis. If I can’t get away with wearing something my standard of nice to an event, I generally don’t go. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-occasions-events-would-you-get-all-dressed-up/597657.md?page=4)