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Post by FrozenPea on Nov 12, 2022 6:00:26 GMT
Before covid a few times a year. Maybe dinner out or the theater.
Of course dressing up here in Ak mean putting on clean not torn Carhartts. I am dead serious. You will go to the theater and see anything from sequins to flannels.
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Post by peano on Nov 12, 2022 6:28:40 GMT
Before Covid, I loved putting on "outfits" daily, just for my boring Connecticut life. By outfit I mean something considered, with more than just a top and a bottom. I pattern mixed. I wore skirts. I accessorized. After Covid, I succumbed to the generalized sloth, because I wasn't going anywhere (and also I was recuperating from major surgery). Post lockdown, I would say I get "dressed" once or twice a week to go out to dinner. I don't do heels because that's not me. Tomorrow I'm going to see a play in NYC with friends and I'll be wearing a silk bias-cut skirt, a cotton sweater hoodie and stompy platform boots. As we near the holidays, even if I don't have a party or event, (which I don't yet this year ) I may wear pretty mundane clothes--jeans and a sweater, but glitz them up with sparkly shoes or jewelry to go out to eat.
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,021
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Nov 12, 2022 6:48:58 GMT
I can’t decide how to answer this. I wear a dress a few times a month (could be to work, church, dinner- depends how I feel) but it’s not really “dressy” as they are more casual dresses and I typically wear them with boots in winter/fall or sandals or flip flops in the summer.
All my “heels” are pretty low - I don’t do high heels. And of those heels, I’d say I wear heels in Vegas (yearly) and maybe 2-3 other times a year. The events we go to are usually pretty casual and not something you’d dress up much for - but you could. We’re in the PNW which is pretty casual but at a nice restaurant or show you will see a whole range of attire.
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anaterra
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,078
Location: Texas
Jun 29, 2014 3:04:02 GMT
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Post by anaterra on Nov 12, 2022 11:06:14 GMT
I wear a dress all the time because im a big girl... its more comfortable to me... they are just casual skater or a line type dresses that i wear with bike shorts... usually paired with casual shoes... tennis shoes, sperrys or casual loafers...
I wear the same things in the winter but with leggings... nobody wants to see my ass in leggings, so i don't wear them with just shirts... under a dress is way better....
But its not dressy to me... i just don't like fidgeting with a shirt to cover my muffin top or cover my butt... those are my weird thoughts... lol
However, we do go to theater, ballet or concert several times a year... and i do get into a more fancy dress with nicer shoes but no heels... lol
We also cruise or go to an all inclusive each year... i get a little dressy at nights on those trips... not super full on ball gown... but nicer then normal dresses..
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,973
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Nov 12, 2022 11:39:47 GMT
Wedding/cocktail party level dressing? Maybe once or twice a year (and no heels due to my back—wedge or tall boot depending on season)
I wear workday casual that includes skirts and dresses, but dressing up to the level I think you are talking about is really rare and I think pretty rare for most people in the area we both live.
When I do go out to a play or nice dinner, almost no one is wearing anything nicer than a blouse and dress pants or khakis and a button down—both in our town and in the Twin Cities area.
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,897
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
Aug 2, 2014 13:03:45 GMT
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Nov 12, 2022 12:15:27 GMT
Weddings, funerals, annual work Christmas party if I feel like going. BFF had a costume party a few years ago and I got a 20s flapper dress for it. That's pretty much it.
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J u l e e
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Posts: 6,531
Location: Cincinnati
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Nov 12, 2022 12:18:58 GMT
I love cute clothes and shoes. My office is a jeans and hoodie place, so I dress up even for dinner out with friends, so at least every week. I like an excuse to wear something other than jeans and a t-shirt and to get out my jewelry etc. I think I I’d hate doing it every day. Once or twice a week makes it more fun to me.
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Post by compeateropeator on Nov 12, 2022 12:33:27 GMT
Dressing up…preferably never, but actually only for weddings or if something else unexpected (graduation, retirement party, etc). So could be a few times a year to no times in that year, it just depends.
Most of my events are music concerts/shows and local events. Vermont is a pretty chill state and you can attend many events while not dressing up and not really feel out of place.
I got rid of all my dresses and suits twenty years ago when I left my manager position at a bank and went into an IT operational position. For 17 years it was black jeans (they could be any color but blue) long sleeve/shortsleeved v-neck plain tee and a vest (heavy/light weight). I worked 2nd shift in a locked room, it really didn’t matter what I wore as there wasn’t really anyone to see it. hahaha. I am still 2nd shift and mostly from home so now I have progressed to leggings, v neck tee shirts and vest when home.
I have bad feet and knees now and can only wear shoes with out heels, so even when dressing up flats are about all I can tolerate.
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pancakes
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,002
Feb 4, 2015 6:49:53 GMT
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Post by pancakes on Nov 12, 2022 12:39:49 GMT
Wedding level dressing? 4-5x a year. Maybe a little more.
Sundress level dressing? At least once a month pre-baby. Now…maybe every couple months on average? When I used to go to church in the south, it’d be every week, ha.
I also WFH, so that makes me more casual. Leggings and sweaters all day. Sometimes jeans if I feel like stepping it up a notch lol.
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iluvpink
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Posts: 4,370
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Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on Nov 12, 2022 13:20:40 GMT
Our version of dressing up is about once a month. It varies though. And compared to the skinny young things on IG, my dressing up is pretty simple lol. A dress, no heels as I have never really cared for them and now deal with plantar fasciitis. Pull out of one of my nicer purses and that's about it. Oh and full makeup vs just a bit of concealer, mascara and lip gloss.
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iluvpink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,370
Location: Michigan
Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on Nov 12, 2022 13:23:57 GMT
Almost every night. We love exhibit openings, plays, musicals, concerts, book signings, lectures, the ballet, the opera, brunch, charity events. We dress up every single time we go to an event, museum, theatre, etc. Next week we have family trivia night at a fancy bar with a big friend group, a lecture at an art museum, a play with the opening night party, and a fundraiser for the food bank on Monday-Thursday. We will dress up for each of those events. As an introvert, your schedule made me tremble inside. 😂 But to answer the question, maybe 0-2 times a year. We don’t go to too many places that require more than business casual (which we wear to work). Even most nice restaurants here don’t have dress codes. The SoCal casual life. 😂 Same, it sounds like my idea of hell!
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pilcas
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Aug 14, 2015 21:47:17 GMT
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Post by pilcas on Nov 12, 2022 13:45:11 GMT
We go out to dinner on weekends and I will dress up. Occasionally we have family events for which I also dress up. I rarely wear dresses these days because I feel due to my body shape slacks and a nice top are more flattering on me but I do put on heels to go out. When I was in my 20s, 30s, 40s I had quite a collection of nice dresses that I wore regularly.
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Post by whipea on Nov 12, 2022 14:15:40 GMT
Never. I do not like socializing or forced frivolity (events and parties). Never go to work parties and they understand. Have always disliked being around people and do not do things to be seen or for the purpose of bragging rights. My life is not boring, I do what I want and have interesting and enriching experiences outside traditional social activities.
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Post by ToniW on Nov 12, 2022 14:31:05 GMT
Depends on the time of the year. Normally, July and August we have at least a dozen formal/semiformal dinners, Christmas about 4 or 5, and other events throughout the year, maybe another 5 or 6 for dressy events.
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Post by peace on Nov 12, 2022 14:49:32 GMT
I was hoping for a poll I can say never this point I haven't dressed for many years now but my life has been rather chaotic for the last several years. 2023 is my year
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Post by auntkelly on Nov 12, 2022 15:21:43 GMT
I dress up fairly often. We’re at that stage of life where a lot of our friends’ kids are getting married so we go to 10 or so weddings a year. We usually go 2 or 3 fundraising events a year which are formal.
We go to a lot of casual parties. I usually wear dresses to church, although it’s certainly not required.
I have never minded getting dressed up. Even when I’m just going to the grocery store, I like to wear something comfortable but cute. I almost always put on a little makeup before I leave the house. I was just raised that way. I’m not judgmental about how others dress. I just know I feel better when I put a little effort into how I dress.
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Post by justkat on Nov 12, 2022 15:41:45 GMT
I guess it would depend on the definition of dress up.....
If we're talking professional hair/make-up and evening gown then a few times a year. We attend a few charitable events, weddings, the naval ball, and some holiday events throughout the year that are formal.
If you're talking dress-up as in put on some lipstick, a dress and heels then fairly often. I've noticed we tend to dress less casual than most people. I do think it's somewhat regional as when I'm home (Belgium) we fit in with what we're wearing but here (Pa) we're more dressed up than most people.
We're not in evening gowns but where most people are wearing jeans and a t-shirt I'm in a dress and my husband has on Dockers and a button down shirt or polo. We do dress casually (jeans,sweatshirt etc) but not on a daily basis. Though being honest I wouldn't necessarily consider wearing a dress in and of itself as being dressed up.
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Post by Restless Spirit on Nov 12, 2022 15:58:24 GMT
Never. I don’t go to funerals if I can help it. Or weddings. I’ll send a very nice gift and my apologies. I’m an extreme introvert. I no longer own any dressy clothes or shoes.
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Post by wordfish on Nov 12, 2022 16:57:33 GMT
This is an interesting question with even more interesting answers because of all of the different interpretations.
For me: I wear a dress/skirt perhaps 2-3x a month. I am not a fan of my legs so I tend to stick to pants. However, I lost a lot of weight a few years ago and had to replace my entire wardrobe. Because I am not a clothes person but wanted to look better than I used to prior to the weight loss/old and casual wardrobe, I put in a good amount of time studying the situation. I watched a lot of youtube videos, focused mainly on people roughly my age, though not exclusively, and researching what is out there and what suits me best.
As a result, my current wardrobe is much dressier than what it used to be. I work outside my house now and made a decision to dress for the position I want, not the one I currently have. That means blazers, jackets, jeans only occasionally, and just a bit more effort made on a daily basis. I try to make my outfits cohesive. I search for better cuts and better fabrics, but I look for deals because that crap is expensive. I figured out what I am comfortable wearing shoe-wise and I stick reasonably closely to that. I favor block heel boots and booties, with 2.5-inch heels my ideal height, and certainly no more than 3 inches. In the summer I wear more flats and I also have some mules with small heels. I do not wear black, and I do not wear white (it's a clothing system I follow). I am fairly tall at 5'9" so heels are not a big requirement.
What I've found is that I basically have workout clothes, and I have clothes that are part of put-together looks. I don't have a lot of in-between. I no longer wear T-shirts or hoodies unless I am working out. I will wear leggings but usually only to work out unless there's an event and I need to pull out my Spanx faux-leather croc leggings with a huge oversized shirt or something (I will wear that to concert type events).
This has been a total game-changer for me. I think it has boosted my self-confidence, and I am treated differently. Part of it is probably also my substantial weight loss (which is shitty when you think about it). I have found a version of my own style that I really like, sort of a signature look, and I feel good in it. It's definitely a couple of levels above what I used to wear, but my life has also changed quite a lot. I'm on the board of a museum now, I am starting to be much more forward facing at my organization and I think that is about to drastically increase, and I am traveling more. I seem to have found a groove that works, is comfortable, not too fussy, and I don't really worry about "what to wear" very often anymore. It took kind of a lot of contemplation and study to get here, though. But I think that might be a "me" thing, since I have never been a clothes person. I really had to study and work at it to put together something that works for me.
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garcia5050
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,768
Location: So. Calif.
Jun 25, 2014 23:22:29 GMT
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Post by garcia5050 on Nov 12, 2022 17:29:15 GMT
It used to be twice a year, for the annual holiday party for our jobs. So, nothing for the past two years. I was dreading this year’s party, but my job decided on a high end bowling alley. And DH said we aren’t going to his. I’m thrilled. I worked in a bank branch for 7 years and wore heels and nylons with suits (skirts and pants), 5 or 6 days a week. Once I transferred to the corporate offices, I switched to slacks with sweater sweats and loafers. I was thrilled to be done with heels and nylons. When we go to our favorite high end restaurant, I’ll wear a comfy dress with low heels. But I don’t consider that dressed up.
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Post by Merge on Nov 12, 2022 17:55:56 GMT
I think people’s definitions of dressed up are different. I have a lot of dresses I wear with sneakers or combat boots and don’t consider myself dressed up.
I might put on a cute outfit to go somewhere, but if that outfit is jeans, cami, casual blazer or sweater and booties am I really dressed up? There are very few restaurants or events in Houston where the above outfit wouldn’t be acceptable even if there are other people more formally dressed up. I’ll never forget showing up to an expensive French restaurant here in a nice dress, all made up, and all the other wives in the group were wearing jeans or nice athleisure. Yikes!
I have one black shift dress I keep for funerals, but I wear it with flats. My feet just don’t do heels these days. The last wedding we went to was in a biker bar, so … yeah. Not dressy.
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Post by tenacious on Nov 12, 2022 19:06:49 GMT
I was about to say “never,” but I do dress up for church every Sunday, and, *maybe* one event a year, and *maybe* a special girl’s lunch, if I feel like it. Not a lot.
I am shocked at how often some of you don dress up! I think it’s great. I grew up in the 80’s when we were all fancy, and sometimes I miss those days.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 12, 2022 19:15:49 GMT
Well, let's see......
I dressed up for my oldest's graduation, and then my second oldest's graduation.....
So, every few years or so?
Part of me wishes I had reasons to get all dressed up regularly, but the rest of me knows I get very self conscious.
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Post by Lexica on Nov 12, 2022 19:26:08 GMT
I sometimes wore nice dresses to work with nicer shoes when I was in the mood to take extra time and care getting ready in the morning. I think I did that because I really didn't go anywhere else to dress up anymore. When I was married, there were frequent client dinners and award ceremonies that we needed to attend and my ex loved going out to eat at a nice place. I was thin in those days and had lots of cute dressy dresses.
My ex fiancé was not one to want to dress up and go out to dinner. He didn't see the need to pay so much for a meal when you could eat casually for a lot less. And as he said, he was required to wear a tie to work, he certainly didn't want to wear one on his personal time off.
And now that I'm older and chubby, I just don't really care to dress up anymore. I've given away all the heels that I owned and now every shoe in my wardrobe is a flat or no higher than an inch heel. Heck, just putting makeup on and doing my hair nicely is a chore these days. I have become super casual and am quite happy like this. I prefer putting on leggings and a sweat shirt and working in the yard or spending the day making things in my craft room.
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Post by Basket1lady on Nov 13, 2022 2:03:16 GMT
In the summer, I wear a dress or skirt several times a week. That’s more the norm for women in Europe vs shorts. I’m not a fan of the cold, so I generally wear pants in the winter. I follow the same plan for church. As for formal wear, I probably wear semi-formal/cocktail once a month for work events for DH. In fact, we have a gala this Friday where I’ve been proposed as a board member. Luckily, I have two cocktail dresses in my luggage as we still don’t have our household goods from Belgium.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 13, 2022 2:20:42 GMT
Thanks for weighing in, everyone!
I do agree that dresses don't necessarily mean being dressed up. Maybe I should find some pics of outfits that I consider to be "dressed up."
Before Covid I worked part of the time in an office, part of the time in a school and part of the time in people's homes. I wouldn't say that I was super dressed up in any situation, but I did dress differently when I was in the school and office vs people's homes. Now I am mostly in homes, or on zoom, and once in a while in school. I wouldn't say that I dress sloppily every day (unless I am not working at all) but I have been dressing more casually. I wouldn't mind dressing up more if I had places to wear things, but as it is it seems like kind of a hassle to find clothes for a wedding or something because I know I will likely only wear it once, and because I don't particularly like how I look in dresses. Even a nicer blouse would probably be a step up from what I normally wear, though.
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Post by chaosisapony on Nov 13, 2022 2:23:42 GMT
I rarely dress up but when I do have an occasion to dress up it's fun. My best friend is a naturally dressy person. Her daily wardrobe as a stay at home mom is much fancier than mine as a working person. She'll frequently put on cute sun dresses and coordinated everything just to pick her kids up from school. Her date night wardrobe is very fancy even if it's just to go out to a local restaurant. Her entire family buys coordinating fancy Easter outfits. Everyone just has to do what they are happy doing!
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Post by leannec on Nov 13, 2022 2:52:08 GMT
Of course dressing up here in Ak mean putting on clean not torn Carhartts. I am dead serious. You will go to the theater and see anything from sequins to flannels. This is Calgary too ... At the ballet I would see everything from jeans and cowboy boots to Uggs and leggings to evening gowns ... and then people like me in nice cocktail dresses and shoes.
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Post by sawwhet on Nov 13, 2022 3:16:46 GMT
Dressing up for me these days is putting on a pair of jeans LOL. I work from home and we don't go out often. I kind of like it that way.
Exciting night for me is wine, crochet and the hockey game 🤣
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