For this project, I decided to change my look by wearing a dress and curling my hair, two things that I don’t usually do. My usual look, as referenced in the first picture, persists of a simple shirt and jeans. The only time this really changes is in summer, where I opt for maybe shorts and a crop top. As for my hair, I typically just leave it naturally, simply brushing it or putting it up in a pony tail. The only time I ever curl or straighten it is if I am going somewhere important, considering I never have time to do it just to go out or casually.
This weekend I hung out with a few friends as we decided to go somewhere to eat. We each drive ourselves, so we decided to meet at the restaurant. I attempted to walk in and meet my friends as casually as possible, remaining indifferent and not with an eager attitude to gage their reactions, in order to simply observe what they were thinking once they saw me. I did not expect them to react out of my own narcissism, but instead because, as mentioned earlier, I don’t usually wear dresses or skirts or do my hair any specific way unless its under very special circumstances. In fact, I doubt any of my friends have ever even seen me in a dress before.
As soon as I stepped into their view they smiled, out of what I presumed to be excitement for having seeing me and because of what I chose to wear that day. I was immediately hit with a wave of comments: you look so cute!, what’s the occasion?, who are you dressed up for?, where are you going?, I love the outfit!. I simply answered that there was no reason behind my dressing up, and they seemed to leave it alone after that. However, further into the afternoon I asked if the long sleeve I had worn matched with the dress, to which they responded that it did. This sparked another, smaller wave of questions yet again, to which I finally revealed the purpose behind my dressing and they laughed about it.
It was a bit entertaining and even awkward for me, considering the amount of attention, questions, and expectations to answer I had received. I’m not particularly used to that amount of attention placed on what I wear or how I look, considering most the time I consider myself ordinary. Despite this, their reactions were most definitely expected to be that way, since I am acutely aware of what my usual attire consists of, since I usually do not care too much about how others perceive my clothes. Overall, I liked this project since it gave me a reason to wear an outfit that I have been wanting to wear but haven’t had the opportunity to do so. Also, it is nice to receive that amount of attention once in a while, it feels nice sometimes for people to acknowledge your clothes, especially when you feel good in what youre wearing. Confidence in your clothes definitely contributes to my overall confidence in my body and myself. Wearing clothes outside of your comfort zone is often very valid, since it allows the individual to try new things and find the correct style that suites themselves.
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