The pandemic introduced us to homewear and made pajamas an appropriate work-wear for remote workers, which is why we see dressing well as rebellion nowadays. Well, almost.
At the same time one of the most famous quotes ever uttered in the fashion industry is the one made by Tom Ford:
“Dressing well is a form of good manners.”
He certainly has a point. For example going to a wedding dressed in jeans and a T-shirt can be considered an insult to the people who are being celebrated.
This also applies to going to theater, ballet, etc. If you think dressing badly isn’t a sign of disrespect to the performers, then I suggest you think again.
And here’s the kicker: dressing well ≠ expensive. For example shopping second-hand is really worth the while these days. You might even find luxury brand items for a fraction of their original price!
But now that going to the grocery store in your pajamas has become pretty much acceptable, why should people care about the way they dress, though?
I’m going to look at this from two angles:
- our personal mental health and confidence
- and others’ perceptions.
Yes, even though I always say that the only opinion about you that matters is yours alone, there is a place and time when outside perspective should be considered. Even if just briefly.
Is Dressing Well Rebellion or Just Good Manners?
The psychology of style is in fact surprisingly all encompassing. If you find yourself feeling all slumped mentally, take a look at what you’ve been wearing for the past three days.
If your style has recently consisted of pajamas, track suites and stained homewear, maybe try switching things up a bit and see if it changes your mood.
Dressing well is rebellion when we challenge the norms of our own lives, and even the norms of society through our clothing choices. Those who dress well do not do it to please others, they do it first and foremost to please themselves.
Why do some people always dress well?
The reason why dressing well is rebellion lies in the human psychology, and how we can trick it with exterior things, like clothes.
It is a proven fact that people who put a bit of effort into the way they dress feel more confident. And when you feel confident, that confidence automatically radiates outward as well.
When you dress well for a long period of time you don’t need conscious confidence boosts because confidence becomes a part of your persona. So, is dressing well rebellion if all it does is to make us feel better about ourselves? Surely not!
“Dress poorly, and people will notice your clothes; dress well, and people will notice you” – Coco Chanel
Here are two reasons why those who dress well do so every single day:
Dressing well gives you a confidence boost:
When you put a bit of thought into what you wear before leaving the house, you are aware of yourself. And when you dress well and you know it, you are aware of yourself in the most positive way.
Leaving the house knowing that you look good is a feeling none of us should underestimate! Here is why:
- Your self-perception is elevated when you know you look like you could rule the world. And feeling like that on the inside automatically radiates outwards as well, which in return can affect people perceiving you in a more positive light.
- Even though I preach against comparing ourselves to others, many of us can’t avoid it. But when you’re filled with healthy confidence because you know you look well-put-together, the increased self-esteem can turn comparison into complimenting. You don’t feel threatened by others who dress well, you’re now part of them.
- Dressing well takes attention to detail; you need to find the pieces that go well together and make sure they are in good condition. This focus can trickle down into other aspects of your life that may have been ignored before, like keeping your working space tidy.
People see you differently when you dress well:
Even though I emphasize that nobody else’s opinion of your looks matters, it is certain that first impressions are inevitable and unavoidable. So, if dressing well is rebellion, make sure you send the right message across loud and clear: I deserve respect.
There are also situations in life where not dressing well is just you peeing in your own cereals. So let’s not be stupid but keep common sense about us, shall we? Here’s where dressing well is very much recommended:
- In any sort of professional context you can lose all respect within seconds just by not dressing well enough. This doesn’t mean you need to show up in a suit every day, but think for yourself, what sort of style would you deem as worthy of respect, trust and professionalism.
- Whether in a professional context or in your personal life, would you expect people to trust you if you always looked dishevelled? No? If you want people to have confidence in your capabilities, you should to look the part.
- Dressing well is rebellion that can also keep you safe. When you dress well, and you know it, your confidence radiates outwards as well, which automatically commands respect from people around you. This can even save your life, because pick-pockets and robbers choose their victims according to who they perceive as weak.
Does dressing well affect one’s personality?
Okay, let us be clear here: if you change the way you dress, it doesn’t change you as a person. But the way you choose to dress can and does affect how you feel in general, and especially how you see yourself. Which is why caring about one’s style is not such a trivial thing after all.
“Remain dignified, dress well, be good to other people and you’ll be fine” – Manolo Blahnik
We also know from psychology thatcolours and shapes make us feel and perceive things differently. This applies to both, how we see ourselves and how others perceive us.
Thus, it would be wise to consider what colours compliment your personality and your skin tone. By favouring colours that make your eyes pop or your skin tone radiate, you feel more confident and are perceived more positively by others.
You can also manipulate how you feel by dressing well on those days when you feel a bit low. Wear your brightest coloured clothes and see how it affects your mood. It’s the simplest mood boost ever!
Read also: 15 Ethical Fashion Brands – The UK Edition 2024
To give you an idea of just how much colours affect our perceptions, here are some symbolic meanings that are often associated with these colours:
- Red: Passion, excitement, love
- Blue: Wisdom, hope, reason, peace
- Green: Nature, growth, freshness
- Yellow: Hope, joy, danger
- Orange: Warmth, kindness, joy
- White: Truth, indifference
- Black: Noble, mysterious, cold
How to dress well?
If dressing well is rebellion, it can feel like an ominous thing for those who do not want to draw attention to themselves. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! As we’ve so far established, dressing well is first and foremost a favour to yourself.
And for those who think that dressing well automatically means having to empty one’s wallet in a luxury brand store, absolutely not!
“Being well-dressed hasn’t much to do with having good clothes. It’s a question of good balance and good common sense” – Oscar de la Renta
The trick with dressing well is to focus on quality over quantity. So, with that in mind, you can ditch those Shein hauls right now! Yes, quality often comes with a bigger price tag than the fast fashion rag that will serve you 3 wears.
But since you’re not buying 10 garments at once, the price at the counter is actually a lot less than those rags altogether. Especially when considering that with bad quality clothes, you’ll need to buy more and more constantly. So, which here is actually expensive?
Tips & Tricks
Here’s a tip that many fashion influencers won’t tell you: people can see when a piece of clothing is of bad quality.
Now, even though fast fashion is an absolute detriment to our planet, some fast fashion stores can sometimes offer us relatively good quality pieces. And never underestimate second-hand stores!
The main tricks to making sure you dress well are to:
- focus on clothes that are always on trend; jeans, white T-shirt, blazers, black dress, etc.
- make sure that the pieces you buy are of good quality, so they can last the tooth of time and serve you for years
- stay away from short-term fashion trends, like see-through bags and safety-pin jewellery
- splurge on fashion trends that keep coming back every 5 years; like wide-leg trousers, denim jackets, wedge cork sandals and heels, etc. They’re always trendy!
- avoid massive brand logos.
Dressing well is rebellion and a form of self care
Being shallow is something that is strongly discouraged in society, which is why dressing well is rebellion in some people’s eyes. And that’s fine! They are not our people anyway.
Because our people know us through and through, and they know that our personal style is just a way of expressing ourselves.
And there we have it; a simple explanation why dressing well can also be a form of self care. We can boost our own confidence and mood by dressing in bright colours when we feel low.
Also, we show respect to people around us by looking our best. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!
And to boost the effect our style can have on our overall well-being, here are 5 ways how you can add a bit of self care to looking absolutely fabulous:
1. Plan your outfits the night before
I swear by this! By planning and laying out your outfit before you go to sleep, you save yourself a lot of time and effort tomorrow! This means you can maybe sleep a little bit longer or enjoy breakfast in peace.
When you allow yourself the time to do your morning routines slowly and intentionally, you can throw yourself to the new day with much more energy. This way you also avoid those “I have nothing to wear” mornings.
2. Shop rarely = afford better quality
As we discussed earlier, putting quality before quantity when shopping for clothes is a winning recipe. And preferring quality does NOT mean shopping luxury brands.
Instead you can make incredible discoveries in vintage and second-hand stores these days. And even fast fashion brands can sometimes offer higher quality collections that will last you longer than just 3 wears. Keep your eyes open!
3. Figure out what is your personal style.
If you thought fashion trends are the way to go, I’m sorry to disappoint you; they certainly are not! Fashion trends that change 6 times a year are only here to keep the wheels of consumerism turning, nothing else.
But the interesting thing about fashion trends is that if you look back on how fashion trends have evolved in just a couple of decades, you’ll notice how some trends pop up again and again and again.
These trends can be called classics, because they never go out of fashion. And these can be the corner stones of your personal style. Imagine two-piece dresses, for example. These trends can be called classics, because they never go out of fashion. And these can be the corner stones of your personal style.
Invest in classic pieces that suit you and that you can mix and match together. This way you can achieve dozens of outfits with just a couple pieces of clothing.
4. Elevate outfits with shoes
Here’s the thing: even a pajama looks glamorous when you add a pair of high heels to the combo. Shoes are the best way to polish up any look, no matter if we’re talking flat shoes or heels. The trick here is to make sure the shoes are well-maintained, clean and sharp.
Try different shoes with one outfit to see how big of a difference they make. For example a pair of jeans or a midi skirt goes from breakfast to dinner just by changing the shoes:
- a pair of sneakers gives a chill vibe
- a pair of ballerinas are a bit more professional but comfortable option
- ankle boots can bring a bit of attitude to the look
- and heels elevate the outfit to a night out-worthy look.
5. Play with make-up to finish the look
Doing make-up shouldn’t be a chore, but something we get to play around with. So, some days when you have a bit of extra time in the morning, try bringing your outfit a notch higher. You can do this simply by matching your eyeshadow with your shirt colour or accessories.
Or on mornings when you’re short on time, just put on some mascara and add a bright lipstick to it. And just like that you’ve just made your style Parisian chic!
Dressing well is rebellion and self care only when we find joy in it. When we have the courage to play around with different styles and pair up pieces that we hadn’t even considered before, we find new styles without any need to spend money.
And now it’s your turn; do you think dressing well is rebellion? Whether you do or don’t I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter, so feel free to comment below! ♥
Follow me on Instagram and use #styleoutlandish to showcase your style! I’m always on the lookout for outfit inspiration. Get to know me better by listening to my podcast, Random Rambles.
