The Value of Being Well Dressed?

[Reckoner]

Hi all, Just thought I'd like to throw this up as a question since it has been racking my mind the past few days. "How much should people value being well dressed?" In my experience, there are three general categories of men when it comes to dressing. Category 1: Well dressed men, with a clear sense of style. Category 2: Men who have learned the basics and are successfully avoiding the fashion "no's". Category 3: Men who don't have a clue how to dress, and basically wear the kinds of things their mothers used to pick out for them when they were kids, supplemented by gifts and things that seem to fit and feel comfortable. Category 1 is the rarest; categories 2 and 3 are more common. Now, the thing about dressing. You are not just covering your body. You are sending messages to the world about who you are -- your social class, your aesthetic preferences, the degree to which you are tuned into other people and the people you feel most comfortable with. You are sending messages about what you think of yourself and what you value. However, when I look at people, I've never been really shallow enough to judge people by their clothes, just like I wouldn't judge people racially or anything. Now you might think Category 1 is the "ideal" category to be in, however, there are problems with this. When I think of the downsides of Category 1 it actually turns me off from these types of people. For example, Category 1 might be well dressed, however they can be vain, fussy, superficial, shallow, people who use physical features to prove their social class, and people who are high maintenance and cave into materialism and consumerism. Excessive vainity especially, is highly unattractive to me. To judge someone's social class by their clothing is disgusting to me, just as racial discrimination is. Of course, there are exceptions like, needing to be dressed right for work and all, but is it necessary to always be in immaculate condition and should we spend a fortune on clothing? Furthermore, being a male I have never judged a female by their clothing, despite the fact that they themselves might put a lot of emphasis on it. And ... I am highly unattracted to women who are high maintenance. So then ... what value should one put on "being well dressed"? How important is it in life and in the scheme of things? And as a corollary to that question, thus ... how much time and money should we really be spending on clothing? An unattractive man in a suit would not change my opinion of him for me, and I think he would be better served spending that time and money on working out, and taking care of his health first and foremost. Unattractive man well dressed vs. Attractive man poorly dressed:

There is a difference between; being well dressed vs. ... being attractive. I would be very interested in any female members here, if we have any.

 

[Irond Will]

You don't get to choose whether or not to be attractive by and large. You can choose to dress better or worse. In fact, dressing well is probably more attractive for the unattractive or middling - I'd argue that the man on the left would look much worse if he dressed sloppily, while the pretty guy would be considered attractive either way.

 

[Flambeur]

Well I am already extremely good looking and stylish, so learning how to properly dress well just threw me over into the "supreme being" category.

 

[fuji]

I don't consider the guy in the first picture well dressed, his trousers are billowing accross his legs, they are too long, I would venture a geuss that is jacket sleeve is too long aswell and his suit isn't very flattering for his body. I judge people I see by their clothing and outwards appearance when you see someone for the first time and have not yet spoken with them there isn't much else to judge.

 

[rioni]

 

[TheDroog]

From personal experience, I have found that people who dress creatively with a distinctive sense of style tend to be interesting folk. Their clothing is an outward expression of their inner lives, which, at its best, are informed by art, literature, history, etc. So I suppose if I ran into a terrific dresser, I might carry these connotations with me if we started a conversation. There is value in that.

However, the proof is in the pudding. If this person had nothing interesting to say, I'd be able to tease that out quite quickly. A person could become a relatively good dresser by sheer force of vanity/consumerism, but it's kind of sad when it doesn't reflect any true substance.

On the flip side, many of my smartest friends don't care how they look or how they dress. Their minds are obviously concerned on other matters, and that's cool with me.

Clothes can be an indicator of a vibrant mind, but it's definitely not a guarantee.

 

[Reckoner]

I remember going to a job interview when I was a graduate. And the interviewer looked at my tie (which was cheap), and smiled, and said "nice tie" with a cheeky grin.
I knew he was poking fun at my cheapness b/c the fabric was worn, and basically had threads hanging out.

I didn't get the job.

But I always wondered whether my presentation had anything to do with it?

I'm fairly well educated and work as a professional nowadays in a well compensated industry/career. So I'm sure my qualifications weren't a problem. But I cringe if an employer will NOT hire you solely because your tie (or clothes) is/are cheap, or you have no tie, whilst your qualifications fit. It's sad really.

 

[idfnl]

Originally Posted by rioni

I dont know why this is hilarious but it is.

Originally Posted by TheDroog

Clothes can be an indicator of a vibrant mind, but it's definitely not a guarantee.

+1

This is true. I'm often curious about someone that is well dressed, ie, hmm... got the look down but is there anybody in there?

Generally, I find it to be true there is. This idea of well dressed = shallow has proven to be false and is a critique of the un-stylish out of envy/jealousy. I find the truth to actually the opposite. Most times its a signal that 'I'm together and its ok for me to let others notice, so what do you think of Degas?'

 

[nordicstyle]

I think also you should add a category 4: people who don't care.

 

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by nordicstyle

I think also you should add a category 4: people who don't care.

You care ... don't you?

 

[mkarim]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

You care ... don't you?

I do - now!

 

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by fuji

I don't consider the guy in the first picture well dressed, his trousers are billowing accross his legs, they are too long, I would venture a geuss that is jacket sleeve is too long aswell and his suit isn't very flattering for his body.

Yes. But I would venture a guess, that the man in the first picture probably spent a lot more time, money and thought, in his outfit, than the man in the 2nd picture.

Which again begs the question: what value should we place on being well dressed? And does it make a huge difference? Maybe we should save all that money and effort or at least, keep it in check, as the thoughts we have about being well dressed and what other people think about us, are at best ... illusory.

 

[fdbaker]

It's not the bad tie, it's the bad judgment. An interviewee should know better than to dress badly for a job interview, and any fool can, at the very least, borrow a decent tie for a couple of hours.

 

[zalb916]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

Yes. But I would venture a guess, that the man in the first picture probably spent a lot more time, money and thought, in his outfit, than the man in the 2nd picture.

I'd venture a guess that Jude Law spent considerably more time, money, and thought on his outfit than the guy in the first picture. Probably by far.

 

[anon]

I think it depends on your place in the world, what you want to accomplish, etc.

I definitely fit squarely in the #2 category, possibly slightly on the #3 side. My work environment is business casual, with the emphasis on casual. Most of my coworkers look like slobs most of the time, so being in the #2 category makes me slightly better dressed than most of my colleagues, but still within norm. If I wore the 3 piece suits and pocketsquares some of you wear, I'd probably look better, but completely out of place.

So, for me, being a #1 is only important if your work causes you to interact with people in a way that looking great benefits you, but also doesn't put you out of place. On the other side, being well-dressed when off of work, in a more casual setting, sets you apart and can get you noticed in a good way. I think the out-of-work scenario is where style can really make you an individual.