When I first came to an all girls’ college two years ago, I thought
that one of the fringe benefits would be that most of the time, we
could get dressed in the morning without keeping the male species
opinion on our clothes in perspective. We could wear baggy t-shirts
and flip flops to class without being bothered about how our hair was
looking, or whether we were wearing the ‘right’ accessories, were
sitting in the proper manner and many such liberties, if I may call
them so. After all it is human that when you are in a nice cozy rut,
you slide, fashion-wise, into comfort wear. When you know you have to
confront, convince, impress or produce you choose to dress up. It
wasn’t long before I realized that the benefits of looking
put-together extended well past not having the opposite sex around.
Even if I spend most of my day in the company of women, I still make
sure that I leave the house every morning or at least most mornings
feeling good about what I’m wearing and how I look.
Your daily wardrobe may be pretty basic, but you will feel a hundred
times better on days when you put a little effort into your look than
those you spend in sweats. I personally believe that other people will
see you in a different light altogether, when your appearance is more
carefully assembled and mature. If you are happy with how you are
presenting yourself to the world, you will feel more confident and
self-assured in all your actions throughout the day. I think that part
of growing up is recognizing that it’s far more fulfilling to dress
for yourself than to dress to impress other people, particularly men.
In the Middle East women incorporate fashion into their lives, even if
it’s hidden under a robe or only shown to other women on special
occasions. In fact many teenage girls own Western clothing that they
only wear in the privacy of their bedrooms. These women prove that
dressing up can be self-gratifying even if nobody else can see what
you are wearing. They’re literally dressing for themselves, looking in
the mirror and deriving complete satisfaction from sharing their new
look with no one else. The idea of wearing beautiful lingerie on a
daily basis also follows the same principle.
Also, when people say that women dress only for other women and not
for men, I tend to think they’re overlooking a third category – those
who dress for themselves. It is this category that has the highest
levels of confidence, satisfaction and self-esteem.
There’s no question that fashion is transformative and empowering, but
it’s interesting that the effect is still so strong even if no one
else sees what you’re wearing.
To quote a character in American Beauty, “In order to be successful, one must project an image of success at all times.”