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.

@Goatinthegarden

I find the premise of this thread a little bizarre. Some dresses can of course look dressed up, some dresses are very casual/scruffy, some are downright frumpy. Fashion is subjective, people like different looks and styles. Yes, you can easily go for a stroll in a muddy field wearing wellies and a dress, not quite so practical for mountain biking or cross-country running though.

I wear dresses quite often, and some make me look far more dressed up than others. They occasionally have a pocket. Some allow for a bit of mobility, some are a bit more restrictive; some I am able run around in, others, I’d trip myself up or flash my knickers.

It really depends on what you plan on doing that day, some days at work I like to float about my classroom in a pretty dress, other days I like to be able to do handstands and climb trees in the playground with my pupils.

If I’m doing something active, a dress is totally useless, I choose to wear actual sports/outdoor clothes made from a dry fit or performance material. Most performance brands rarely include dresses in their ranges.

Totally agree. The dog walking bit being hypothetical is pretty obvious as well. Your legs and dress would be shredded fishing dogs and balls out of the undergrowth plus on a more serious note -ticks! Lymes disease is very nasty indeed and round here all of us tuck our trousers into socks due to the high risk. The wafting about in a dress with a mac and a terrier sounds lovely but is best kept in catalogues or for people with hypothetical dogs I cant bear those viscose flappy dresses with white trainers -can imagine flying off my bike if that got caught . Culottes or toast gabis all the way over here OP.

I really wouldn't worry about this. One can never look 'overdressed' in Hush.

@mafted

It's that "unfit for an active life" quality that makes me feel "dressed up" in a dress I think.

Yes. This is how I feel. In a dress I have to think about how I'm moving and sitting. I don't have to do this in trousers or jeans.

Also tights are awful, leggings aren't much better. I feel I should have freshly shaved legs in a dress, I hate the prickly skin on skin feeling if I don't.

I'm glad it's not just me. I can't even ride a bike in a dress. And sitting down's just a bit more complicated. I made a terrible hash of getting up and down off a picnic blanket the other day.

I always worry when I bend over in a shop in some flarey floaty or shirt dresses too.

I don't have the "ladylike" gene.

@bellaiceberg

A good example is this: I have this dress from Hush for summer.

Yesterday I slipped it on and stuck my Birks on my feet, grabbed my rucksack and went to Tesco. Took all of 2 mins, everything was appropriate and looked good and was super comfortable.

As opposed to choosing which jeans, then which top or whether I needed a card over it, then having to check leg length to suss which shoes/trainers. Takes me a lot longer if I do wear jeans or leggings, etc.

That’s nice but not everyone can look or feel comfortable in dresses. When I was younger I never owned jeans and only wore trousers as part of suits my entire wardrobe was skirts and dresses, I loved them, I’m short but long legs so could get away with them, I was also slim with big boobs so they always felt flattering. Now though I feel extremely uncomfortable in dresses. I have fibromyalgia, huge weight gain and despite dress shopping all year I’ve not found one dress I feel comfortable in. I thought I had a couple of months ago but the first time I wore it I was so uncomfortable I took it off as soon as I got home and put baggy lounge pants and tshirt on.

At home it’s legging, lounge pants or pjs, when out jeans and appropriate top. My jeans I’ve actually gone elastic waist, not just because of the weight gain but because of the fibromyalgia as a lot of cloths feel very uncomfortable when on.

I feel too dressed up in a dress because at home I like to sit cross legged on the sofa and stuff like that.
I also feel too cold 99% of the time and don't know what to put on my feet.

I certainly don't think that wearing any old dress means dressing up and I don't think a lot of others would either. I mean obviously it depends on the style of the dress - a baggy cotton dress = every day wear, a tight little LBD then yes, that would be dressing up.

I usually find dresses very feminine, perhaps that's what's meant by dressy. I prefer trousers as they feel more unisex. Dresses don't suit me too well either though, my legs are too short and my bust and shoulders too big and they just accentuate the ridiculous imbalance in my figure. And if I find one that doesn't it immediately looks a bit Jessica Rabbit and yes dressy.

I don't own a single dress but it's because I look daft in them. I envh you befrocked lot!

Different lifestyles demand different clothes.

It's great to be ablate finds something appropriate for any occasion in one's wardrobe, but I suppose most of us narrow it down to what we will most likely need (ie, yoga, work, etc).

I find that leggings suit me best, but I prefer dresses. I could sulk about this to be honest, because if I could wear dresses eternally I would love to! Unfortunately it rains and blows a lot where I am, and having tried every combination known to humankind to enable me to wear dresses in such weather, I had to give up. I do love them in summer though!

If anyone has a solution to windswept, rainy climes other than a floor length jack Murphy Mac then I am all ears (I'm 5'4 so theyre too long for me).

You do you

Dresses require being careful about what you do. No climbing up to rescue the kids from the climbing frame (and yes, I've rescued other peoples kids because my jeans and trainers can do the job, and their skirt/dress cant), it means sitting properly, not flopping down on the floor.
Dresses in summer require leg care, trousers hide a multitude of legs not shaved that day or the day before.
Dresses in winter get caught in the wind and expose my arse to the world and noone needs that, tights or not. Tights get laddered, and replacing midway through the day.

I have no issues with others wearing dresses, but for me they are a pain to buy (very little has a waist where mine sits), skirts ride up and sit under my boobs, and I need to behave. So they are an effort to buy, and effort to get on, and require constant thought about my actions. I cant be bothered very often.

Inspired by this dress l decided to look at new dresses.

But they did nothing for me at all. So jeans and t shirt still for me. I’m tall can’t ever get dresses long enough, and the waists are under my boobs.

And my legs get cold in dtesses

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Inspired by this dress l decided to look at new dresses.

But they did nothing for me at all. So jeans and t shirt still for me. I’m tall can’t ever get dresses long enough, and the waists are under my boobs.

It's the opposite for me. I'm short, and love the look of the dresses on the models, but most of them currently available would swamp me. I like the skater style dresses and some of them come up shorter and they usually work for me. Clothes shopping can be a nightmare for all shapes and sizes I think

I love dresses in summer because you just Chuck ‘em on. In winter, I do wear them but less so because I don’t particypularly like wearing tights. I’ve more in the last couple of years due to the midi craze - previously you only had maxi dresses, which was ok for summer,or knee lenghth, which was too short on me. A midaxi dress is ideal for me.

That image looks like she got dressed in the dark - none of those things go together!
Dresses for me have been transformed by shorts for the chub rub. Before finding those, dresses weren't comfortable. I'd love to find flattering everyday dresses but it's actually quite hard to find perfect ones. I'd wear them to death if I had them though.

So, does anyone here actually do yoga, climbing trees and rural fences in wide leg trousers?
That'll be either jeans or leggings though wont it?

So it doesn't really disqualify dresses as an option because many trousers aren't appropriate for such pursuits either. I guess leisurewear or activewear is very handy!

No idea! I love a dress for daily wear !

and joining in a thread just to say 'you do you' is pretty silly. Perhaps don't take the interwebs so seriously

My neighbour asked me where I was off to today because I had a maxi dress on
Nowhere? it was just comfy and cheap and fits nicely

I usually wear jeans and t shirt or fleece top at home. An easy dress would be quite nice, home, walk round the roads, work.
When I fancy climbing a tree, riding a horse or doing yoga I'll change out of the dress

@JamSconeCat

So, does anyone here actually do yoga, climbing trees and rural fences in wide leg trousers? That'll be either jeans or leggings though wont it?

So it doesn't really disqualify dresses as an option because many trousers aren't appropriate for such pursuits either. I guess leisurewear or activewear is very handy!

Yes, I do. I pretty much live in wide leg trousers.

I tend to change before exercise whatever I’m wearing, whether it’s jeans or a dress.
Have to admit I haven’t climbed a tree for a while, but I’m perfectly happy climbing around playgrounds with my toddler in a dress!

@PrincessNutNuts

I'm glad it's not just me. I can't even ride a bike in a dress. And sitting down's just a bit more complicated. I made a terrible hash of getting up and down off a picnic blanket the other day.

I always worry when I bend over in a shop in some flarey floaty or shirt dresses too.

I've ripped a maxi dress and a skirt this summer through standing on them as I got up from a picnic blanket
Also feel I'm forever knicker flashing in anything shorter than calf length.

I'm just very round. I'm not fat, but all my weight sits on my stomach so I feel like trousers define my waist where as a dress just makes me look round & frumpy. I cant wear wrap dresses that are usually good for defining a shape as I have zero boobs so they look ridiculous. I'm also not especially tall so mid calves dresses look wrong but although I have cracking legs for a mini skirt they're just not practical

I do love wearing dresses though if I can find a good one. I have a gorgeous royal blue lace one, it's really old now but I look great in it. It's too dressy for every day though