Do NoVA Women Dress Schlumpy? (Arlington, Woodstock: houses, moving, Walmart)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by terrence81

I know if I'm going around the corner or Harris Teeter I'm not worrying about looking my best.

You obviously have never been to the Reston Harris Teeter. That place is always swarming with fashionistas.

[betamanlet]

Originally Posted by mississippimagnolia

I completely agree with this statement.

And I see well dressed people in whatever insecure car (BMW or Mercedes) talking on the cell phone, one hand on the wheel, driving with lots of pedestrians around.. Even in parking lots..

[DeafChick]

Some do. Some don't.

[oddball]

So - I handle myself and raise my children to treat everyone with respect - no matter how they look. It's a pretty shallow approach to life to make snap judgments based solely on someone's appearance - and you'll get what you deserve if that's truly how you approach life. Other than absurdly irrational situations mentioned in some of the posts in this thread (showing up in a swimsuit at a child's school event for example) - it's pretty amazing to me that so much emphasis is placed on the symbolism of someone wearing exactly the right fashion for the day over the substance of what value that person brings to a given situation or to life in general.
And you wonder why the rest of the US thinks that this area is a vortex of self-rationalization on any given subject that makes absolutely no sense to someone outside the DC vortex. I'm certainly willing to chalk some of this up to generational context (millennials versus boomers versus Gen-x), but by the time you get to Gen-X and Millennials they are generally more focused on content rather than symbolism. Boomers were the generation that refused to talk about many subjects because "you just shouldn't speak of such things" and they are certainly the ones that grew up learning to wear suits to every occasion and all day every day at work. Millennials are young enough to still be attracting their mates, and probably caring much more about wearing that makeup at midnight for the grocery store run.
In all cases - it's sad if that's as far as the discussion goes. Each generation offers unique perspective and unique context that could enrich everyone's life if they were able to focus on the content rather than the package.

[pseudo]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

How you dress reflects how you view yourself and your obligations toward others. People who go out in sweatpants are the same ones who run stop signs, walk four abreast on the sidewalk, chew with their mouth open, and have loud cellphone conversations.

It's a slippery slope, and it all starts with a dirty t-shirt.

Wow. I'm sure you were wearing a dirty shirt as you wrote that post as your post is filled with prejudice. A person with such obligations towards others would not post such a statement. May your run-ins with 'dirty-shirt wearing lawn pushing two liter drinking flip flop wearing weekend warriors" be few and far between. Your hypothesis about those who wear the clothing you refer to in your post be of low self esteem is untrue. I can vouch for that. I kick astronauts, but you could not derive that from my togs or my lack of makeup. This is one of the reasons I do not like the DC area; the snobbery here is exhausting.

[Carlingtonian]

How is it "snobbery" to simply expect others to be reasonably covered when they go out in public? I didn't say they should wear fancy name brands or dress formally; I myself don't do either one.

Shorts and a clean t-shirt at the grocery store? Fine! I do it all the time. But clothes with holes, stains, or that reveal parts of you that couldn't be shown on prime time TV? That's different. Even a low-income person can dress with pride and self-respect in public--and many do.

The pics in this link are the extreme example of what should not be done:

www.peopleofwalmart.com.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by oddball

So - I handle myself and raise my children to treat everyone with respect - no matter how they look. It's a pretty shallow approach to life to make snap judgments based solely on someone's appearance - and you'll get what you deserve if that's truly how you approach life. Other than absurdly irrational situations mentioned in some of the posts in this thread (showing up in a swimsuit at a child's school event for example) - it's pretty amazing to me that so much emphasis is placed on the symbolism of someone wearing exactly the right fashion for the day over the substance of what value that person brings to a given situation or to life in general.
And you wonder why the rest of the US thinks that this area is a vortex of self-rationalization on any given subject that makes absolutely no sense to someone outside the DC vortex. I'm certainly willing to chalk some of this up to generational context (millennials versus boomers versus Gen-x), but by the time you get to Gen-X and Millennials they are generally more focused on content rather than symbolism. Boomers were the generation that refused to talk about many subjects because "you just shouldn't speak of such things" and they are certainly the ones that grew up learning to wear suits to every occasion and all day every day at work. Millennials are young enough to still be attracting their mates, and probably caring much more about wearing that makeup at midnight for the grocery store run.
In all cases - it's sad if that's as far as the discussion goes. Each generation offers unique perspective and unique context that could enrich everyone's life if they were able to focus on the content rather than the package.

very good post

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

How is it "snobbery" to simply expect others to be reasonably covered when they go out in public? I didn't say they should wear fancy name brands or dress formally; I myself don't do either one.

Shorts and a clean t-shirt at the grocery store? Fine! I do it all the time. But clothes with holes, stains, or that reveal parts of you that couldn't be shown on prime time TV? That's different. Even a low-income person can dress with pride and self-respect in public--and many do.

The pics in this link are the extreme example of what should not be done:

www.peopleofwalmart.com.

I often just wish people would wash their hair!! I must be pretty sensitive to the "dirty hair" smell or something because it just gets me. My grocery shopping routine is always "early on Sunday morning." I am always behind someone in line who has a greasy clump in the back of their hair and I can smell it from 6 feet away. Turns my stomach every time. I realize people don't need to wash their hair constantly, but when you get to the point of smelling, you need to wash it before you go out, I think.

[kutra11]

It's unfortunate but people differ on their definitions of personal hygiene and fashion sense. I work in an IT company, and our dress code is casual, but I see people walk in slippers/sandals, which to me is an absolute no-no. But these are the same people who will show up in black-tie attire for company parties, so I know that what they wear at work doesn't reflect their attitude or lack of respect towards others.

For personal hygiene, I see people walk around with 2-3 days of stubble and this, again, for me is a no-no. But I have accepted this and moved on rather than casting aspersions on them.

I am sure there are a lot of things that I think are perfectly okay, but others might find them objectionable. Would I like it if others formed incorrect opinions about me? Should I even care? Probably not, but while it is true that "first impressions are very important", we live in a society where you can't please everyone...so just pick your battles (and your outfit) carefully!

Thanks,
K

[Imaginette]

I agree that bad hygiene is a no-no, but nit-picking about everything from an ugly face (not everyone can help that) to weight issues (who are you, God's gift to men/women?) is just being mean and snarky.

So yeah, I can see someone from Europe or NYC being that way, sure. Enjoy the NOVA area, then feel free to leave. Ta ta!