Who do you dress for?

[uppercase]

So who do you dress for? Is it really for yourself?

What if your new girlfriend hates that pocket square? Or your treasured tweed jacket. Or your round toe EGs. Too fuddy duddy. What do you do? Forget the pocket square next time?

What if your wife now wants to make you over in that sleek Armani but you've always been solidly American trad? She's tired of your trad look and she wants a change. What do you do? She just re-did the house and now she wants a new you.

And what about your colleagues? They all dress casually. Collegiately. But you've discovered dandyism. What do you do? Go along to get along?

Who do you dress for?

And why? Do you dress to get along? Do you dress to get the girl, to get the promotion ....?

So who are you sartorially and why?

You may have a classical sense of style. But that's not going to make it at the bar scene. You know many girls really don't like tweeds and braces but , gee, that's Savile Row. That's Duke of Windsor.... They don't care. That's just old. A&S will get you no where but with your new Jill Sander you'll have a better chance of chatting up that blond at the next table who's dressed in Gucci, not Hardy Amies.....

So what do you do?

 

[cuffthis]

I dress for myself, period. If Mrs. Cuffthis doesn't like it, she will let me know. One day, I will listen to her. But not today. There is a saying in Jamaica (my second home) - "Mi run tings, tings no run mi" (This may explain my poor scores in elementary school regarding "plays well with others")

 

[Manton]

Myself. My wife finds the whole obsession amusing -- or she would, if she weren't horrified by what it costs.

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

Myself. My wife finds the whole obsession wonderful -- perhaps because it enables us to eat.

 

[Phil]

myself, and I get a perverse joy out of irking my wife with my clothing choices.

 

[imageWIS]

I dress for the other voices in my head.

Jon.

 

[aramg]

I'm 21, and i dress very amer. trad. I'm kinda like Phil...I enjoy having girls ask me why I dress so old-fashioned. I'm not interested in the ones who are into the eurotrash look, anyway.

 

[Looking to improve]

I dress for the other voices in my head.

I'd hate to hear those talking to one another when you're in front of your closet trying to decide what to wear today. MtB

 

[chorse123]

I'd say I dress for the occassion, but I'm working on dressing only for myself and for enduring style

 

[Fabienne]

I dress for myself and for my husband. He has great taste and often picks out clothes I wouldn't have considered that quickly become favorites of mine. I have a feeling I will soon start dressing for my son as well, next. He often comments on the feel of fabrics, especially cashmere or silk stockings, that sort of thing. Wear cashmere, get more hugs.

 

[Bergdorf Goodwill]

Depends on the occasion.

 

[globetrotter]

myself, I started for work to go from being a slobbish kid to be able to sit in meetings with adults. 16 years later I dress much better than I need and have developed a personal style.

My wife likes the fact that I dress in a suit, and always have a handkerchief, but more than that she doesn't really care one way or another. and since I really don't spend any money on it, on an ongoing basis, it isn't that worrying to her.

 

[Fabienne]

Just out of curiosity: where does the money for buying clothes come from? A joint account? Some seem a little worried about their spouse's "interest" in how much money is spent on these purchases, which makes me wonder about how it is handled within the household's budget.

 

[Bergdorf Goodwill]

I'm fond of a more ambiguous look than a lot of you and I have no love for American traditional style, so I suppose my occasional dressing is not surprising.

I do not dress the same way I do at work as I do at school as I do around my girlfriend as I would at a performance....

And so on.

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

I think there's a divide between those single (who may still concern themselves with the opinions of others) and those long married (who dress for themselves). My wife has no interest in my clothes (only in hers). It's easier to have your own separate financial resources for purchases-you really don't want to have discuss each purchase with your spouse.