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.

This made me laugh.
So true of MN

But yes. I think it's a lovely thing to do, and I ought to do it more often

Not clothes related, but I complimented a woman much more senior than me at work recently on how she was handling a tricky priority shift. She was really thinking about the people involved and communicating it well. (The senior men...less so). Was a bit worried about coming across as sucking up but thought f**k it, she is smashing it, I'll just say it. She looked quite teary and I realised a) it had been shit for her too and b) we talk lots about helping women coming up the career ladder behind us, but not so much about reinforcing and supporting those ahead of us. I'll definitely do it again, especially for someone I admire. 👊

A woman stopped me when I was walking into the petrol station to pay and said “I love your dress, you look amazing”. I thought it was lovely, especially as I thought she was going to say my skirt was tucked in.

Really? I've had compliments from strangers (women) and they are definitely genuine. These women are not weirdos or taking the piss!

I've complimented (strange) women occasionally as well. It's not about boosting my own self-image at all, I only say it if I mean it.

Why do you think this is weird?

I do this often. It really brightens people’s mood.

I do this ALLLLL the time. I once left my office to run after a very elderly woman (90 plus) dressed to the nines and looking AWESOME. I always get delighted reactions. It's become a trademark and my kids now point women out "Mum, behind you, left, amazing trainers and hair" etc

A lady called out ' nice coat' to me last week as I was leaving the supermarket. I thought it was nice of her and not weird at all.

I have had compliments from strangers and not found it creepy except when it's from creepy men.
I think complimenting something such as a hair colour, or nails or clothes is a lot less creepy than complimenting someone's looks.

"That's a really nice dress" is ok.
"You look pretty in that dress" could be creepy.

I had a lady compliment my dress when I was waiting for a train back in the summer. I thought it was a really nice thing to do and she didn’t seem like a weirdo at all

Like OP it's not something I feel comfortable doing, but was queueing at a supermarket coffee machine early one morning behind a woman who looked really lovely and I told her so. She was so pleased and said she was off to a job interview.
And that made me happy as well that I had made her feel good.

I agree. I also don't mind getting compliments from men, as long as they aren't of the 'nice tits' variety.

Oh I do it all the time 🤣 most days I’ll tell a stranger ‘oooh I love your boots’ or whatever, just comes straight out of mouth! Always been received very well with big smiles and thank you and ‘oh I got them from X years ago’ etc

I love to compliment people.

I will often think that someone looks fabulous, but they're too far away or whatever to tell them. If I get the opportunity to say, I will. Like almost everyone else on here, it's always well received and people walk away with a little spring in their step. On the odd occasion I've been complimented, I feel the same.

Life can be so shit. If you can make someone smile with a genuine compliment, why wouldn't you?!

That made me feel a bit sad to read! I had a stranger compliment an outfit I had on the first time a month or so ago and like OP it really boosted me. That stranger didn't know I've been feeling a bit lost fashion-wise since becoming a mum, so her kind words really meant a lot to me.

Last time I did this was on a beach when an older woman like me put on this amazing sheer trouser thing and floated up the beach. She was absolutely blown away thanking me, it was lovely

I have got compliments on my grey hair colour with a couple of people asking if it's natural! Yes it is. That made my day

I'm quite neurotic and not particularly stylish. Combined this means I fear a compliment of "ooh I love your shoes" would be taken badly. The woman would walk round the corner, immediately bin her shoes just so she wasn't tainted by my unstylishness.

I love complimenting people on their style. Life is very grey, and we all need compliments sometimes. It's about sisterhood.

I was going to say you'd probably look a little odd and make people feel uncomfortable. Then I remembered a woman complimented my dress in the supermarket this summer and it was a really nice feeling.

I had another school mum who I’d never spoken to before compliment my dress a few months ago. It absolutely made my day.

Recently a woman walked past me in tk maxx and she smelt amazing. She walked past me again a bit later so I plucked up the courage to ask her what her perfume was. She didn’t seem to think I was too much of a weirdo

That reminds me I did once tell another mum at toddler group that I liked her outfit and said something like “you always look so well put together”. She said “thank you but don’t ask me where anything is from, this is my style and I don’t want any Tom Dick or Harry trying to copy me” 🤣

Working in retail I have to chat to loads of people and I'm forever complimenting them on things: nails, hair, coat, handbag, dog...

It's just a nice thing to do and I've never known it not raise a smile.

Yes this, I am happy to talk to people because they genuinely want to chat but I random 'your dress is not' is odd

A 'omg I love that handbag where did you get it please' fine

I'm pretty relaxed about talking to strangers but ... to do this as a deliberate habit would unnerve me. It's basically a kind of positive confrontation and to try to seek those opportunities would do my head in. Keep it factual, I suppose. "I like...". If I knew it was your habitual policy to find reasons to do this, I would immediately discount the weight of the comment, of course, would assume it's not sincere.

'Your dress is nice' that was meant to say