why do people think wearing dresses....

[bellaiceberg]

means 'dressing up'?

I wear them for most things, I have fancy ones for fancy things and practical ones for everyday things, more solid, utilitarian ones for anything else - gardening, hypothetical dog walking with wellies, etc.

Im defo with the 'if monty don was a woman' fan club (a recent thread about clothes on here)

Is it so odd to just throw on a longish raincoat over a dress, paired with some tough boots and get on with your day?

I never found jeans or trousers very comfortable and don't think they suit me much, so it's a non brainer, but it's strange how many people consider it dressing-up to just wear skirts/dresses. Usually I just throw one on and there's no fuss. I wear the same footwear with most of them (boots in winter, converse in summer or birks, and that's that. It's simple and comfy.

Perhaps when people call it fussy or over-dressing maybe they mean more tailored stuff or club wear?

Im not overly 'girly' either, in the sense that my boots are usually a bit rough and ready and my hair is all over the place. I think I just prefer the ease of dressing this way.

I like the whole carefree, airy, height of summer chuck a dress on look, but the number of layers required (certainly by me) in winter also puts me off from a style POV, is a bit Bodeny for me.

I love dresses - especially in summer when I just have my underwear & a dress on. So easy for me.

I'm with you, absolutely love dresses. No awkward 'tuck in or not' dilemmas & no matching required!
I get a lot of day dresses from Weird Fish, they're like longer, well structured t shirts & come to my knee (I'm 5'1") I wear either trainers or sandals depending on the weather & they're so easy to dress up or down.
In winter they look good with a fitted cardi, tights & boots.
Yes I do get the odd comment about being dressed up but it's usually complimentary so I don't mind.

I've had spells of wearing lots of dresses, particularly when trousers went absurdly low waisted for a while. I agree they don't have to mean 'dressing up' but mostly normally I prefer being able to create more looks with trousers and tops. Plus I was having to wash dresses after a single wearing cos, well I sweat, and as Hygge says, finding a dress that fits both top and bottom half can be a pain in the arse.

I like it when other people wear dresses though as then I get to admire without any of those complications.

I think you have just transformed me Top - just looked at Weird Fish! Love it!

I have a hard job finding dresses that look good on me. Therefore, I feel more dressed up in a dress and other people often comment when they see me in a dress (to the effect of "all dressed up"). But on people who wear dresses a lot, I don't think they look dressed up, so I guess it depends on what's your norm!

I've never thought of dresses as being dressed up wear but I do love them. I'd probably wear them in winter, too, if I could get the right coat/shoes. I'm not a fan of boots, though I do have Chelsea boots and another almost knee highs. I do like the idea of cosy, thick tights!

I wear dresses every day. I can't stand jeans, so tight and uncomfortable. Ditto trousers.
In dresses I can wear light linen in the summer to keep cool, and wear warm dresses and skirts with tights increasing to wool in midwinter. I wear big boots or wellies with coats for walks and it looks stylish, feels free and comfortable and I am happy.

I can dress mine up or down by just changing my shoes.

Tunics are also great in the winter. I hate the cardboard cut look of everyone in the same pair of boring jeans and always look out for interesting people wearing something out of the ordinary. I wear hats too with matching gloves sometimes! Kirsty Allsop does this whole look very well, you would see her dead in a pair of levis.

*wouldn't

I think dresses are almost always 'dressier' than jeans, yes. Dresses imo range from casual-ish to formal. Jeans range from totally scruffy to barely smart casual. So, while it is possible to look smarter in a smartish jeans outfit than a beach dress, that would be taking an unusual example.

I walk my dog a lot, often in muddy places. If I wore a dress, what would I wear on my legs? Tights? They would get snagged on brambles etc. They aren't very rain-proof, and they're potentially a bit sweaty if you're yomping along. I'm not convinced tbh!

I follow this instagrammer as I love toast, I hope it's ok to post this? I think she looks fabulous here and proves that a raincoat even if it is shorter than the skirt can work really well.

I don't have her style mojo but I think we are maybe too affected by mainstream impressions of dresses as 'fancy' or impractical. I do wish there were more all weather solutions for people who like dresses!

Jeans for every occasion here. I can't cope with dresses!

It's at least partly because when people DO dress up, they often wear a dress. Think about the % of female guests at a wedding who'll be wearing a dress than not.
For myself, I do love dresses but probably tend more towards separates as I find it easier to balance proportions.

I find dresses and skirts restrictive. Even loose ones as they wrap around your legs, or, if shorter, don't stay where they should.

For those who wear dresses every day, what do you wear on your legs and feet for in-between weather? In winter I wear dresses or skirts with black knitted tights and boots, in summer when it’s warm enough with bare legs and sandals. But when it’s in between, I feel tights and trainers look wrong and other shoes aren’t comfortable so end up back in jeans. .

I much prefer dresses for all the reasons above - quick, easy, no matching required, no tuck/untuck dilemma, no assessing trouser length against shoes or boots. I probably wear separates slightly more in winter as it's easier to find warm sweaters than it is warm dresses, but I do have some nice winter dresses or pinafore styles I can wear over a polo neck. In summer it's 90% dresses all the way.

I used to find this when I worked in a casual office. Mostly I wore jeans or trousers, but if I put on a casual dress people would be like "OOH! Get you, so dressed up!" Actually the jeans outfits were harder to put together / higher maintenance!

Beauty is in the eye etc. but that Instagram image just screams frump at me! I love dresses as they eliminate any coordination effort but there's no way I'd go out dressed like that lady.

Bottom line, people can and should just wear what they like and feel comfortable in

I agree with you - and I pretty much always wear jeans - but, I have an ankle length hoodie, and I once bought a jersey dress for a wedding and both are my go-to lounging around the house wear, because it's just so easy to put one thing on and get on with the day.

Although thinking about it I wouldn't use them for gardening, but that's mainly because I haven't got the hang of not catching the hem on everything, and the thorns would have too much access.

If I ever have to go back to an office, I'm going with dresses not suits for exactly that reason too.

see, I don't get the 'frump' thing, it means different things to different people.
The folks on the Toast thread would love this image, and equally those who do might think fitted, belted office dresses are frumpy.

If I did gardening in a dress it would be a garment that I didn't mind plucking or getting marks on though.

I don't see this. Perhaps it's a countryside thing. Or a rude people thing.

Great thread...can I just echo the question which @PurpleParrotfish just asked? What do you wear on your legs on these in-between days? Where I am today it is too cool for bare legs and sandals. But too warm for my black opaques and boots. I'd feel a bit odd in trainers and tights. What do others do?

I do think it can be tricky in in-between weather.
my legs never feel cold unless it is winter, so I don't have issues but I can see how it might seem arsey.

my issue is often textures - in colder months a wool skirt can clash oddly with a polyester raincoat.

the only other alternative for me is leggings in winter. easy to pull on and throw a coat over. I can't do jeans because I feel restricted in them, even wore or boyfriend styles still bother my midsection but then I do have bowel issues.

'wide' or boyfriend.