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The coastal and big city girls are well-dressed (NYC, LA, Chicago, etc). But yeah I'll admit us suburban Midwestern girls have a bad habit of dressing like we don't give a sh*t. Mostly because we really don't. This is my daily wardrobe:
- Victoria's Secret sweatpants
-Ugg boots
- North Face fleece jacket
Everyday, with our hair pulled back in a sloppy bun and an athletic elastic headband on. East Coast girls will wear this too, but they consider all that "casual/loungewear." In Nebraska, this is considered dressing to impress!
I blame the manufacturers who make poor quality clothing (yes I would spend the extra $$ if the quality was there), I blame the restaurants who double and triple our portion sizes and make us fat, I blame the government to some degree who take exercise out of our schools b/c of low budgets. I also blame our city planners, who don't make it safe and easy to walk/bicycle instead of driving. Style goes out when obesity steps in. Lets make stylish walking shoes and walk more.
I blame the manufacturers who make poor quality clothing (yes I would spend the extra $$ if the quality was there), I blame the restaurants who double and triple our portion sizes and make us fat, I blame the government to some degree who take exercise out of our schools b/c of low budgets. I also blame our city planners, who don't make it safe and easy to walk/bicycle instead of driving. Style goes out when obesity steps in. Lets make stylish walking shoes and walk more.
Oh give me a break. I'm sorry but this is just excuse after excuse, it's always someone else's fault. Instead of blaming everyone else, how about using that energy to make changes for yourself and your own lifestyle instead? Restaurants don't "make us fat" - no one is shoving the food down your throat or making you finish everything on your plate, that's what doggie bags are for, not to mention no one's forcing you to go to the restaurant in the first place - how about buying some fresh produce and cooking at home instead? And where do you live that there's nowhere to walk or bike?? What, no sidewalks, no parks, no trails, no gyms anywhere in the vicinity?? Find that hard to believe. As the good old saying goes, 'if there's a will...'
As for the topic, yes Americans are sloppy dresses in a large part, and it's not because 'style is in the eye of the beholder' or whatever people are saying - really, if you find style and beauty in a stretched out t-shirt, baggy short and crocs with socks, something is wrong with your eyes. It doesn't take a style maven or fashion designer to make the distinction between a person that's dressed well and put-together, even if it's a simple casual outfit, and one who just looks like they don't give a damn. It's just a matter of taking some care and pride in your own appearance, the image that you present to the outside world, which does say a lot about you. First impressions do count. I know many here won't agree with me but I think it's important. I also find it funny how many people are saying 'who cares, its shallow and superficial, who needs to worry about style etc, economy's bad', and yet these same people will spend money to have a beautiful looking home, pretty landscaped garden, nice car. Not that these things aren't great to have, but if you're following that line of argument, why bother with them too? Who cares? After all it's also just a matter of aesthetics, just like style. Why not just have something functional - you can live in a bare-bones ugly house with some basic ugly furniture and not a single decor item, etc. Yet people will take pride in keeping a nice house because they think it's a reflection on themselves, and yet not put any effort in their own appearance - I just don't really get it...
Oh give me a break. I'm sorry but this is just excuse after excuse, it's always someone else's fault. Instead of blaming everyone else, how about using that energy to make changes for yourself and your own lifestyle instead? Restaurants don't "make us fat" - no one is shoving the food down your throat or making you finish everything on your plate, that's what doggie bags are for, not to mention no one's forcing you to go to the restaurant in the first place - how about buying some fresh produce and cooking at home instead? And where do you live that there's nowhere to walk or bike?? What, no sidewalks, no parks, no trails, no gyms anywhere in the vicinity?? Find that hard to believe. As the good old saying goes, 'if there's a will...'
As for the topic, yes Americans are sloppy dresses in a large part, and it's not because 'style is in the eye of the beholder' or whatever people are saying - really, if you find style and beauty in a stretched out t-shirt, baggy short and crocs with socks, something is wrong with your eyes. It doesn't take a style maven or fashion designer to make the distinction between a person that's dressed well and put-together, even if it's a simple casual outfit, and one who just looks like they don't give a damn. It's just a matter of taking some care and pride in your own appearance, the image that you present to the outside world, which does say a lot about you. First impressions do count. I know many here won't agree with me but I think it's important. I also find it funny how many people are saying 'who cares, its shallow and superficial, who needs to worry about style etc, economy's bad', and yet these same people will spend money to have a beautiful looking home, pretty landscaped garden, nice car. Not that these things aren't great to have, but if you're following that line of argument, why bother with them too? Who cares? After all it's also just a matter of aesthetics, just like style. Why not just have something functional - you can live in a bare-bones ugly house with some basic ugly furniture and not a single decor item, etc. Yet people will take pride in keeping a nice house because they think it's a reflection on themselves, and yet not put any effort in their own appearance - I just don't really get it...
Crocs
I'm with you...people say "it doesn't matter"...but it does.
Just try for a job interview dressed sloppily and see if you get the job.
One of my friends dumped her bf simply because he couldn't (wouldn't) groom himself properly...now he's crying on my shoulder about it, but STILL hasn't so much as been to the dentist or bought a new pair of shoes.
I blame the manufacturers who make poor quality clothing (yes I would spend the extra $$ if the quality was there), I blame the restaurants who double and triple our portion sizes and make us fat, I blame the government to some degree who take exercise out of our schools b/c of low budgets. I also blame our city planners, who don't make it safe and easy to walk/bicycle instead of driving. Style goes out when obesity steps in. Lets make stylish walking shoes and walk more.
When I was in Hong Kong, I took my kids to a restaurant that had a sign on the door saying "warning. we serve American portions".
My daughter who is a dainty eater at the best of times, bought an ENTREE serve of onion rings...out comes this enormous dinnerplate piled with rings...a serving size that was about 4 times what you would get in Australia.
She had 3 off the top (as usual) and the rest was wasted.
I blame the restaurants who double and triple our portion sizes and make us fat,
You were spreading a lot of blame, but I'll take this one. Who is making us eat everything at one sitting? I take responsibility (there's that word again - horrors) for what I order and how much I eat.
If it's too much I ask for a container and take it home. (And I live where it gets HOT and you can't leave it in the car while you do other things. I put a cooler with blue ice in the back of the car before we leave home.)
I also ask if I can get a half-portion. I've even said, "I won't eat many fries so don't bother to load up the plate."
OK back to fashion but this was just BEGGING to be commented on.
p.s. If you're speaking in generalities my apologies. But I just don't get placing blame and not taking personal responsibility. Rant over.
It's just a matter of taking some care and pride in your own appearance, the image that you present to the outside world, which does say a lot about you. First impressions do count. I know many here won't agree with me but I think it's important. I also find it funny how many people are saying 'who cares, its shallow and superficial, who needs to worry about style etc, economy's bad', and yet these same people will spend money to have a beautiful looking home, pretty landscaped garden, nice car. Not that these things aren't great to have, but if you're following that line of argument, why bother with them too? Who cares?
Not caring how I dress most of the time -- and dressing inappropriately for a given situation are two different things. Let's not mix or confuse the two.
-- Unless a person signs my paycheck, can get me fired, or in some other way stop me from earning a living to keep a roof over my head -- I couldn't care less what that person thinks of how I dress. It IS superficial and shallow.
That does NOT mean I'd dress in appropriately for a job interview, funeral, wedding, banquet or other situation
I dress as 'down' as I can get away with. For me, at work that means, basic, nondescript slacks and a fancy T-shirt top from Walmart. It's a more 'stylish' t-shirt with some design or embellishment around the neckline.... so it's not JUST a jersey top. Weekends at work, I can wear jeans and solid color Hanes T-shirt. Days off it's t-shirt and jeans, or khaki type pants or tops that are too worn to wear to work, frayed edges, a slight stain or whatever. I'll wear that to the grocery store, or shopping.
A friend who's very clothes style conscious say people treat you differently -- uh yeah WHO the frigging CASHIER at the super market? We went furniture shopping once. She said she was embarrassed by me, that the salesman would think I couldn't afford to shop there. I said, I'm going in her to buy 6-thou worth of items. If one person doesn't want the sale or I pick up any attitude, I have no problem politely mentioning that to a manager. She said dressing better would 'avoid the possibility of people looking down on me." I've known her for over 20 years. She still tells me she doesn't get that I don't care.
Fashion is nice -- but it's also a business to make others rich. I don't need to by into that.
As for my HOUSE.. .... I keep up my house because it's an investment. that I want to appreciate, and will sell one day.
There's no comparison to clothing. Again don't confuse keeping the BONES of a HOUSE nice and making improvements to the HOUSE -- with it's DECOR....2 totally different things.
Fashion is nice -- but it's also a business to make others rich. I don't need to by into that.
LOL, seriously.
Food is also a business, so do you eat food.
Automobiles are a business, so do you just not drive a vehicle.
I mean, god forbid that you buy something and it makes someone else rich.
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