On Why I Dress Up

I’ve heard it all:
Why do you look so nice?

What are you dressed up for?

What event did you have today?

Do you plan out your outfits?

Why, yes, I do. I plan my outfits and really like to match.

But here’s why:
When I dress up, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

I can miss the bus to class and be ten minutes, I can fail a test, I can buy a cookie that doesn’t taste good, I can accidentally hurt someone’s feelings, I can have a bad workout, but dammit, I got dressed up this morning.

When I was growing up I never understood why some functions required fancier dress than other functions. My mom kept emphasizing that it was because proper dress is a sign of respect.

I’d like to take this notion a step further. How come we dress up for nice functions out of respect, but we don’t dress up for ourselves out of respect? How can we respect others without respecting ourselves first?

I’m not silently judging every person that wears workout clothes to class every day. And, yes, I recognize that they are often much more comfortable than nice clothes. But when I wake up and dress up, I tell the world that I respect it and that I’m going to go out there and give that day its best effort. Even if everything goes horribly wrong, I approached the day with respect and my best effort.

I don’t wear workout clothes on Mondays because it’s like I’ve already accepted that Monday is gonna kick my butt. Who says Monday has to take advantage of me?! I’m stronger.

When the world seems out of control, what I wear is something I can control. When I feel like nothing else went, or will go, right today, my outfit can be right.

So, yeah, that’s why I’m dressed up on a random, busy day when it’s pouring rain. Sorry if it cramps your style… Literally and figuratively.