Monday, July 7, 2008

Tip #5: Dress for Success

Is that not the tritest phrase ever? "Dress for success." We've all heard it a zillion times, but what does it really mean? How many of us take this to heart?

Now, let me first say something before I get to the meat of this entry. Clothing is obviously not everything. It is not nearly as important as personality or spirit. There are plenty of people in this world who dress strangely and still get happy endings in the end. However, I am here to help you in case you feel like you'd like to dress to look good.

What is the point of clothing? Well, obviously there are lots of reasons why we wear clothes. For warmth, to cover up places we don't want people to see, for general comfort. However, function and aesthetics should never be enemies, and they don't need to be.

Obviously, clothing could take up its own blog. A blog which I would love to write, but alas, do not have the time for. Oh well. The first tip is to figure out what kind of body type you have.

Women usually have one of the following body types:
Stick--almost no curves, just kind of straight
Apple--curvy, with more fat in the stomach area
Pear--small torso, wider hips
Hourglass--even distribution of fat in chest and hips.

Men have the following body types:
Ectomorph--not much muscle or fat tissue (long and skinny)
Mesomorph--strong musculature, naturally has lots of muscle tissue
Endomorph--naturally has more fat tissue.

Basically. I paraphrased.

Men, this is a handy website. Seriously, please poke around it for a while. Figure out your colors and styles and build them into your wardrobe. Yes, it is worth it to spend several hundred dollars to build up a decent collection of good clothing.

Remember that what you wear on the outside is a reflection of who you are on the inside. Are you really still in high school on the inside? Even if you aren't, that is what your clothing will say if that's what you're still wearing.

Women: remember that the point of clothing for you is to make yourself look like you have an hourglass figure. If you're top-heavy, wear some good belts slung low on the waist. If you're waist-heavy, wear baby-doll tops and shirts that emphasize the bust, drawing attention away from the lower half. If you don't already, watch What Not to Wear on TLC, officially one of my favorite shows ever. Also, getting a subscription to a good fashion magazine or two wouldn't hurt.

Remember: even though people should appreciate the beauty within, you can't expect them to give you a chance if you aren't emphasizing the beauty without.

But seriously: do you want a significant other who dresses like they've never heard of a mirror? No. So wear nice clothes. Dang it.

STORYTIME WITH ALLIE


I love clothing. And yet, it has often been the case that I end up dating guys with no real fashion sense. I've decided it's okay, because I'm open-minded enough to deal with that, but it can sometimes be interesting.

For example, my current boyfriend took a month off from life to go on a tour of the nation, and also America's Hat (Canada). Halfway through the trip, he stopped in DC t see me. When he got off the train, he basically looked like a hobo. A very attractive hobo, perhaps, but a hobo nonetheless. I was, of course, dressed up in my work clothes (I work for the government these days). We spent our first night together again wandering the city dressed like that, and it was certainly a sight to behold. Of course, in that situation he didn't really have any options, and later I went home and donned some less-nice clothing, but the point is, it's best if you kind of look like you match the person you want to date, at least in how much you care about your personal appearance.

Remember: dressing well doesn't just help you get a date. It also helps you get jobs, and secure the general respect of other people. Therefore, dressing well is a good thing.

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