To want to start complimenting women more? (Strangers)

[TvGirll]

I'm a woman (40), BTW, nothing sexual in it.

I just always see women who look so cool, or their hair looks amazing. I saw a woman in the coolest dress recently, it was like an spaceship print all over, with a beam picking up cows 😂 She just looked so cute.

I always want to say 'your hair looks amazing' but worry I'll look weird.

But yesterday a lady stopped me and said 'excuse me, your trousers are so cool! I love them, you look awesome today'

And it honestly made my whole year.

I think my new years resolution might be to try and compliment someone at least once a week because I was having a really bad day, feeling shit about myself and was honestly wondering if I was too old for my trousers and she just killed all those insecurities and really made me smile.

Wtf🤣

OP I’m always complimenting people however I am a naturally chatty person. Just the other day I said ‘I absolutely love your hair’ to some random woman that walked past me. I’ve never got a rude response.

I think forcing yourself to compliment someone when you’re not used to talking too strangers may come out a bit awkward. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it:)

I do it a lot! I never compliment strangers on what they are, though. I may think they're world-stoppingly beautiful, have incredible eyes or an amazing voice, but saying so is potentially weird in numerous ways. I compliment on how they've put an outfit together, the colour they're wearing, how they've done their hair and so on.

Definitely never had negative reactions.

I can imagine you are in the minority.

OP. Do it. It's good for you and the other person.

I think clothes, fine. "Love those shoes, where did you get them".

Body (including hair), that's intrusive and not fine. Too personal, and too immutable (like, it's not my choice to have this body, I just have it). I don't like it if people I know do that, let alone strangers.

My mum yesterday complimented my FIL on losing some weight recently and I cringed, I'd never do that unless he brought it up.

I did think it was odd when an old guy said 'Dam girl you look good' I am 40 and not a girl so that was not appropriate 😬🙈

I often do it with perfume, although admittedly it does sound weird "wow, you smell amazing, what are you wearing", it's never had a poor reception.

I think do it! Honestly life is hard at times, giving someone a compliment on their earrings or shoes (or hearing one yourself) might just brighten things up for a minute? Why not?

This is why I sometimes preferred life in the US!

I've been complimented on clothes by other women over there and it never made me feel 'weird'. On occasion I've even returned the favour. We British are a strangely inhibited, reserved (suspicious?) nation.

Just wanted to add another example...I'm really really heavily pregnant now and waddling quite slowly around the workplace, so colleagues are often stopping to ask how I am and I laugh and say it's uncomfortable but nearly over etc.

One female colleague said "oh but you look amazing, I was thinking yesterday what a lovely silhouette you have in that long dress, so womanly". I mean, she meant to be nice I'm sure but my inward reaction was WTAF. I'm shaped like a weeble but it's temporary. Just all kinds of wtf, I'm still getting over how weird it was of her

Edit to correct the spelling of weeble

Must admit, I was pretty pleased when I was on holiday in California, ordering at the McDonalds drive through window and the girl serving said she loved my accent!! Americans are often a lot more "open" with communicating with strangers and do seem to genuinely enjoy their customer service jobs, unlike in the UK where they're usually sullen and grumpy!

I do this! And I still remember being stopped about 20 years ago by a woman asking me where I got my boots, even a man complimenting me on my hat was lovely - no ulterior motive (he was with a woman, said it and moved on). I don't see how anyone would take it as weird - it's how you say it I guess.
My daughter has amazing deep red hair, long and thick and wavy. People compliment her on it ALL THE TIME. She almost does an eye roll now but I tell her to just smile and say thank you - she's lucky (I take full credit).
And you know I ran into an acquaintance last summer, and thought was how fantastic she looked - so good in a simple sleeveless dress. I texted her afterwards to say so. Little did I know she had breast cancer and was on the road to recovery - she was so happy to hear it as she'd been feeling very unfeminine and unattractive. So keep at it - it's an easy way to bring a little joy to someone's life.

I do it all the time, and have done for about 20ish years - and I'm fairly reserved. If someone looks absolutely fantastic, then yeah, let them know. Never been a negative reaction, and I probs do it at least once a day 😂

Sadly, I agree. I've always found Americans a lot friendlier and more "open", especially in customer facing roles such as in shops, restaurants, etc.

One of our son's main memories of Florida theme parks was a security man loudly singing "zippity dee dah" whilst he was checking peoples' bags upon entry. In the UK, it'd be some overweight/ugly security guy who'd make you feel like a criminal and would barely grunt at you.

Yes! I would love to do this but I'm socially awkward and lack confidence when talking to new people. I'd worry that they would think me a weirdo, when surely, if you'd been complimented you'd be happy about it?

Once I was on a walk and as I walked past a woman she told me that my hair looked lovely. It put a spring in my step for the rest of the day. I told DH when I got home "a woman liked my hair 😁😁😁."

My mum used to do it all the time. She always said, "if someone looks lovely then you should compliment them. Make people feel good!"

Nobody thought she was a weirdo btw. She has/had lots of friends - you couldn't walk through town with her without somebody stopping her to chat. She's still alive but in a nursing home now.

Absolutely DO IT! And not just if you are already in a conversation, sometimes it leads to a conversation.

I buy a lot of my clothes in a quirky independent boutique in France while I'm visiting family - and often get complimented and asked about them. Makes my day.

Just last week I saw a woman who was wearing a fabulous bright orange dress with black denim jacket and biker boots - I passed her a couple of times and the combo just made me smile on a grey day. So the third time, standing in a queue, I told her. We had a lovely minute or two discussing colour and went our separate ways.

I saw a woman on the tube once. She was really highly decorated with blue sculpted hair. I couldn't take my eyes off her, she was so beautiful. So I told her and she looked absolutely delighted. I felt a bit of a fool in my middle aged mum M&S padded coat telling this walking work of art that she'd made my day but she had. And she wasn't just graceful about it. She looked so happy.

A lady in Tesco told me that my hair and makeup looked lovely. I was having a shit day and the compliment cheered me up .
I think it is a lovely thing to do

That’s the one compliment I get! I wear a pretty uncommon perfume and I have had other women ask after it a number of times. It always makes me feel happy.

I do and if it comes from a genuine place I can't see anyone objecting?
I have a coat ( only from M&S) but get no end of people saying they like it, asking where it's from.
It's just pleasant conversation.

I do it quite often. Both to people I am already interacting with and (to a lesser extent) to people I'm not.

I had followed a couple with a toddler around Lidl (coincidence, not stalking!) yesterday, and it was obvious from the start that kiddos dad had been trying to let her have some fun and independence but also keep her from being a nuisance to other shoppers. I went my own random way through the store but kept on bumping into them, and went through the checkout behind the family. Said to the mum as I was passing them in the carpark "I hope you don't mind me saying but I really liked the way you were both parenting your child back there, I thought it was so lovely, you're doing a great job!" - she initially looked terrified that I, a stranger, was speaking to her then she burst into a huge grin when my words registered!

Normally if I compliment a stranger it's on their coat or nails or something.

Life can be hard, and a little heartfelt compliment gives people a little boost. I'm 100% pro compliment people more!

I do it! Usually nails or shoes/boots, but back when I was commuting a woman got on the train, sat beside me and smelled so lovely I had to tell her! Turns out it was body lotion which I later Googled (and baulked at the price) but it made that day's slog into London Bridge much more bearable.

A woman in Boots the other day smelt amazing. I was dying to ask what she was wearing as I really wanted to buy it but just thought it might be odd that I'm sniffing a passer by 😂

I've had people stop me in public to compliment me on something but there is usually some kind of interaction first. The lady on the till in Pets At Home the other day said she liked my piercings, I said thanks and that was that. I've done the same to others too although I haven't stopped anybody in the street, there has been an interaction. There is nothing odd about it, if I say I like something it's genuine, if I don't have an opinion or I hate it I say nothing.

I am a very introverted and also somewhat curmudgeonly individual, but even I wouldn't think someone was 'a weirdo or taking the piss' if they paid me a compliment and it doesn't make me feel 'odd' to receive one.

I've had compliments from strangers on my hair quite a few times, and also on my tattoos and most recently on my shoes.

I'm fairly shy so not always the best at talking to strangers, but I recently complimented a waitress on her tattoo (which was of a writer I admire) and she was absolutely thrilled that I knew who it was and also that I thought it was a beautifully-executed portrait. Her face honestly lit up when I mentioned it. Also I was shopping recently and there were three girls in the changing rooms showing each other dresses for a Christmas party and one of them looked so amazing in the dress she was trying on that I said 'You should totally get that, it looks absolutely great on you' and her mates both said 'See!! We TOLD you it looked great and now you KNOW we weren't just being polite because this lady said so as well!'

I compliment other women but (as a pp said) more on the lines of "love your dress/shoes/bag where did you get it?" I'd also choose a suitable moment, like if I'm standing next to them in the supermarket for example. I wouldn't stop a stranger in the street but that's just me I guess.