# That trend's over, hon. Please find a new way to look skanky. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 8, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026 "2005-02-08T17:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/141 "2005-02-09T20:25:07Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > _sob_ > > That’s why you never call! It’s so bad, I don’t even _write_! ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/142 "2005-02-09T20:27:46Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > For women, straight or gay, women almost ALWAYS dress for other women. I dress for men more than I do for women. Why the hell do I care what women think? If I’m going out, it’s the men I want attention from. Ah, maybe though you’re right, I did wear my leather pants the other night and was feeling rather smug in the ladies room. So, if I’m dressing for women, it’s totally to show off. 😃 Ok, I dress for both. And of course, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/143 "2005-02-09T20:30:04Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > It’s so bad, I don’t even _write_! Maybe if I buy and wear some brand-name clothes, you’ll like me again. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/144 "2005-02-09T20:38:42Z")
Ok, to prevent further hijacking: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5820307#post5820307](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5820307#post5820307) ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/145 "2005-02-09T20:57:38Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > Well, I have already conceded it is a regional thing. You go to NYC and you probably won’t see too many of these. Women probably wear jeans and boots and cowboy hats in fine dining resturaunts in Texas. In my experience (which is not insignificant), the women in the Kansas City area are far more apt to dress for comfort than the women of, for instance, Los Angeles. You think it’s regional? To an extent. But if you are saying that _Kansas City_, specifically, has a higher-than average percentage of women who don’t dress for comfort, I’d like to emphatically disagree with you. One of the nice things about Kansas City, Witchita, Omaha, Lawrence, (i.e. areas in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, etc.) is that women in general are not as hung up about sacrificing comfort for fashion, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/146 "2005-02-09T21:26:18Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > I can only attest to my own relationship, and yeah, he’s pretty much always impressed. 😃 Interesting. I’m a girly-girl, makeup wearing fashionista, but when I’m at home in my disgusting sweats, no makeup, with unwashed hair, my SO is still impressed. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/147 "2005-02-09T21:30:02Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > Comfort is not the only criteria on which women choose to wear things, even for themselves. Some women like to look nice, for themselves. Some women think they look weird without bras, to themselves. For goodness sake, do you really think women’s lives revolve around male attention to that extent? Some women, yes. I don’t think the ones who are walking around showing 80% of their tits are doing it for _themselves_. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/148 "2005-02-09T21:45:11Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > I speak as someone who’s the first one to wince when she sees a woman in an unflattering outfit BUT: > > I don’t see anything wrong with women, especially young women, pushing the boundaries of what they wear. Your teens and even your early twenties are a time of figuring out who you are, or who you want to be, and your clothes are representative of that. They were for me and my friends, anyway - maybe some of you are born knowing who you are, but I had to figure it out. So am I the only one who thinks that “who you are” comes from _inside_, and trying to “be somebody” by getting piercings or tattoos or a boob job, or dressing according to the latest trend (or jewelry or fancy cars for that matter) is really just superficiality? Yes, I DO see something wrong with it. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/149 "2005-02-09T21:46:28Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Some women, yes. I don’t think the ones who are walking around showing 80% of their tits are doing it for _themselves_. Nonsense. I like to play with my boobs throughout the day, and easy access is key. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/150 "2005-02-09T21:46:29Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > Well, I have already conceded it is a regional thing. You go to NYC and you probably won’t see too many of these. Women probably wear jeans and boots and cowboy hats in fine dining resturaunts in Texas. Go to Seatle and you might not be able to get in, even with one of those fancy necklace things you see the cowboys wear. (don’t know too much about western wear, sorry) For that region though, it is trendy, it is in fashion, and you are dressing to impress other women and men in your area and of your tastes and sensibilities. I’m not getting into the middle of your squabble with **LaurAnge** , but I do have to tell you I think that your opinion of what’s kosher in Texas vs. Seattle is pretty far off the mark. Surprisingly, in both places, people dress appropriately for the occasion. Seattlites wear jeans and boots a LOT, as it’s very frequently wet there. Texans don’t all own cowboy hats. And BTW, there are plenty of country folk in Washington state. IMO, your generalizations are pretty silly. I am wearing very comfortable clothes at work today, as I do every day. Slacks, heavy knit pullover shirt, and cute little shoes. I definitely am not dressed to impress anyone that works here, and I probably won’t see anyone else today, as I’m going straight home after work. I might dress up if I’m going out on a date with someone, or dress up if I’m going clubbing but 99% of the time, even on dates and when going clubbing I wear comfortable clothes. Bras and heels don’t have to be uncomfortable. Some are, some aren’t. ~shrugs~ It just takes women more time to find clothes that fit well and are comfortable IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/151 "2005-02-09T21:52:11Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > So am I the only one who thinks that “who you are” comes from _inside_, and trying to “be somebody” by getting piercings or tattoos or a boob job, or dressing according to the latest trend (or jewelry or fancy cars for that matter) is really just superficiality? > > Yes, I DO see something wrong with it. You’re lucky to have that confidence. As I said in my post, at the time I didn’t know who I was _inside_, and experimenting with my appearance was part of my way of finding out. And yes, it was probably superficial, but at that time, so was I. I have no problem admitting that. Nowadays, I believe I’m beautiful inside and out. But society judges people, initially at least, on your appearance, and it’s naive to think otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/152 "2005-02-09T22:05:15Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > In my experience (which is not insignificant), the women in the Kansas City area are far more apt to dress for comfort than the women of, for instance, Los Angeles. You think it’s regional? To an extent. Ok, perhaps my argument is getting lost in the chaos or something. This is not my premise at all. > [@](#): > > But if you are saying that _Kansas City_, specifically, has a higher-than average percentage of women who don’t dress for comfort, I’d like to emphatically disagree with you. Nor this. > [@](#): > > One of the nice things about Kansas City, Witchita, Omaha, Lawrence, (i.e. areas in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, etc.) is that women in general are not as hung up about sacrificing comfort for fashion, IMHO. Tell you what, go to my link and we can discuss it there. This thread is hijacked enough. > [@](#): > > IMO, your generalizations are pretty silly. I am wearing very comfortable clothes at work today, as I do every day. Slacks, heavy knit pullover shirt, and cute little shoes. I definitely am not dressed to impress anyone that works here, and I probably won’t see anyone else today, as I’m going straight home after work. I might dress up if I’m going out on a date with someone, or dress up if I’m going clubbing but 99% of the time, even on dates and when going clubbing I wear comfortable clothes. Bras and heels don’t have to be uncomfortable. Some are, some aren’t. ~shrugs~ It just takes women more time to find clothes that fit well and are comfortable IMO. Are they? Everybody seems hung up that fashionable clothes are uncomfortable, and if you are comfortable they must not be fashionable. Either that or some people aren’t bothering to read my posts. What brand name is your slacks, yoru shirt, and “cute” shoes. Now what influences you to wear “cute” shoes. Comfort? So the cuter shoes are the more comfortable they are? Seems to me, and I could be wrong, that cute has something to do with fashion, no? So you ARE dressed fashionably. Tommy Hillfiger has a nice line of clothes that are slacks, T-shirts, hoodies, pull overs, you name it, they got it. Yet these are what I am talking about. You are all whacking away at straw men. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/153 "2005-02-09T22:09:44Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > But society judges people, initially at least, on your appearance, and it’s naive to think otherwise. Which brings us back around again to the issue of exposed thongs. As others have said, underwear is so named for a reason. I’m a fairly conservative person, so seeing _any_one’s underwear in public is cause for a raised eyebrow from me. Not that it matters much to the people so attired, I’m sure. To be fair, I feel the same way about guys walking around with their boxers showing. That, and the exposed thong phenomenon, are two of the stupidest fashion statements I believe I’ve ever seen. “Look! I’m wearing underwear!” Yeah, I presumed as much, Cochise. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/154 "2005-02-09T22:15:16Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > You’re lucky to have that confidence. As I said in my post, at the time I didn’t know who I was _inside_, and experimenting with my appearance was part of my way of finding out. And yes, it was probably superficial, but at that time, so was I. I have no problem admitting that. > > Nowadays, I believe I’m beautiful inside and out. But society judges people, initially at least, on your appearance, and it’s naive to think otherwise. I wasn’t disputing that; I was disputing your statment that you “don’t see anything wrong” with it. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/155 "2005-02-09T22:31:40Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > So am I the only one who thinks that “who you are” comes from _inside_, and trying to “be somebody” by getting piercings or tattoos or a boob job, or dressing according to the latest trend (or jewelry or fancy cars for that matter) is really just superficiality? > > Yes, I DO see something wrong with it. Oh, lord. Dressing up and pushing boundaries is _fun_, not some soul-crushing quest to find one’s self. It was fun as a teenager to find out how others reacted to the one dressed and looked. _Everyone_ makes a statement about themselves with their appearance and wearing no make-up and sweats makes just as much a statement as does wearing 5" do-me heels. Part of growing up is finding out what those statements are. Yeah, maybe some define their self worth exclusively through their appearence, but most people (women and men) don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/156 "2005-02-09T22:48:46Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Interesting. I’m a girly-girl, makeup wearing fashionista, but when I’m at home in my disgusting sweats, no makeup, with unwashed hair, my SO is still impressed. YMMV. Do you feel somehow threatened by me saying that my fiance is impressed with me? Did you not see the smiley? Jeeeezus. It wasn’t a put-down to anyone else. This is a thread where people are discussing various fashions, comfort, etc., I simply stated my personal preferences. So what if I’m hot shit? You got a problem with that? 😃 (plz note smiley) ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/157 "2005-02-09T22:55:41Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Oh, lord. Dressing up and pushing boundaries is _fun_, not some soul-crushing quest to find one’s self. Well then tell Jennyrosity. She’s the one who said it was. > [@](#): > > Yeah, maybe some define their self worth exclusively through their appearence, but most people (women and men) don’t. I’m glad we agree. I was wondering if I was the only one who thought so. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/158 "2005-02-09T23:22:29Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Well then tell Jennyrosity. She’s the one who said it was My God, how old are you, 7?! Dressing up and trying new looks is a part of self-expression. _How you present yourself helps you express who you are_. Experimenting with that allows you to try on different personas. I don’t see anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/159 "2005-02-09T23:35:08Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Nonsense. I like to play with my boobs throughout the day, and easy access is key. > > Heh. Hey, quiet - they’re not supposed to know about _that_. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026/160 "2005-02-10T00:27:28Z")
Problem solved folks, just legislate the problem away. [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/09/low.pants.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/09/low.pants.ap/index.html) > [@](#): > > The state’s House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday authorizing a $50 fine for anyone who displays his or her underpants in a “lewd or indecent manner.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-trends-over-hon-please-find-a-new-way-to-look-skanky/289026.md?page=9)