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| http://www.prissyinpink.com/ |
Jess saw this on pinterest.com and sent it to me. It's from an online boutique that caters to "Girly Girls" called Prissy in Pink. When I was a kid I probably would have given my left arm for a chance to model in their clothes! And I made Lauren model in these shoes for my last piece muahaha =) She was amazing!
I don't think I'm quite finished with "in a delicate way..." there's so much to dissect about how the game of dress-up seeps into our everyday lives. I've been thinking lately that I spend way too much time on Facebook, and what is social networking really but a way for us to present ourselves to the outside world in a way that we can control and edit and fashion. It's digital dress-up.
Little girls love to pretend they are someone else. Maybe someone older, more fashionable, more powerful. Someone who can wear red patent leather high heels and walk with that trademark affectation that only comes from the effects these instruments of torture have on your body.
Big girls love to dress up too. It's often asked, who do girls dress up for, the boys or other women? Isn't it really for themselves, to feel more empowered as well, wielding their feminine wiles with the full force of cultural preconceptions about appearance behind them? Even if you're dressing up in a different style...any style...you project an identity loud and clear. I feel great when I know I'm properly dressed for the occasion, whether it's dance class in San Francisco or LA (two clearly different aesthetics), work, a baby shower, or hanging out with my hipster friends who shall remain unnamed ;)
And boys are by no means exempt from the dress-up phenomenon. It's part of life, it's part of everyone's daily routine, it affected everyone's childhood, it's always one of the top five categories on any good list of how to interview well or get a date. It's interesting to me precisely because it is so inevitable, often enjoyable, and yet has destructive powers as well.
I want to ask everyone, what does it take for you to feel dressed?
For me, it's all about the routine. I never feel "ready" for anything until I've gone through my routine... whether it's getting ready for bed, getting ready for school/work, getting ready for a performance, I have routines for all of these things.
ReplyDeleteThere's a sense of ritual in these routines that I take comfort in. By doing it the same way every time, I somehow feel more prepared, more confident. The act of getting ready can feel almost spiritual; a form of active meditation, maybe?
There's something to be said about the self-reflection that happens during our "getting dressed" time. Whether that involves judging ourselves or trying to view ourselves the way others see us.
Claire, I love what you said about Facebook being "digital dress up." I don't think any of use can deny doing periodic photo purges to de-tag any unflattering pictures ourselves on the off chance that an ex might start perusing our profile, or that girl you were always jealous of in high school, or that friend you have whose style you've always admired. There are very few people who can say that public perception is not something they worry about.
This is definitely something you (and we!) should keep thinking about. Can't wait to hear more of your thoughts!!!
Thank you so much for your insight! There is something definitively ritualistic about getting dressed, and you hit it on the mark when you compared it even to going to bed, which is not a performative act like going out in public is.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting thoughts and I'd like to thank you further for adding fuel to my fire. What is your name "Unknown"? So mysterious ;)
Very well stated Claire. On another note dress sometimes I feel as though dress up is an investigation of how I feel and at that how others feel... meaning we definitely dress for the occasion but sometimes the occasion relies on being bloated, feeling skinny, or feeling spunky... man this topic is definitely one to explore...
ReplyDelete- Martita (c;
I meant to say "On another note dressing up..."
ReplyDeleteSo true Martita! Our daily interpretation of ourselves changes with so many different factors, and I hadn't explored yet how we adapt our dressing ritual to accomodate that.
ReplyDeleteI was talking recently about feeling like I'm never settled, I'm constantly in transition and now I'm curious how that affects my self-presentation to the world.
Thanks for contributing to the conversation, And ps I miss you lady! <3
What's interesting for me is the different aesthetics and how I feel in each. For work, I wear nice Lululemon stuff with a long sleeve shirt to cover the tattoo, and I top it off with jazz sneakers. When I wear that to work, I feel put together, someone to be taken seriously when I talk about dance and kids. If I wore that to a dance class though, I would feel so out of place.
ReplyDeleteTo take a class, I try to wear older, less shiny stuff. Sloppy sweatshirts, cut off pants, knee high socks, silly graphic t-shirts. If I dress in my teaching clothes for a dance class, I feel like I look like a total n00b. Old stuff for some reason makes me feel like I LOOK like I know what I'm doing.
I rarely get to "dress up," and whenever I do, I feel silly. Overdone. And awkward in my clothes. It seems like "nice" clothes never move as much as I'd like them to, and I feel restricted and uncomfortable.
"Regular" clothes like jeans and knit shirts just stress me out because I'm always wondering if I look fat. I always swear the jeans are tighter than the last time I wore them. So I rarely wear them. (I rarely get the chance anyway.)
Clothes are kind of a cover because they present an identity to other people. And I can manipulate that identity. Like facebook profiles or blogs or photos. It doesn't have to be real or true- I just need enough evidence to convince other people it's true. But it works the opposite way too- I get so involved in refining the image I present that I get overwhelmed and stressed out by clothing (or status updates or profile "likes" or photos).
So honest and resonant with my experience Rosemary. I definitely over-think getting dressed every day, and maybe that is part of the ritual too.
ReplyDeleteI always imagine that other people have an easy time getting dressed. Like that skinny girls can throw on whatever they want, or stylish people put things together and smile at themselves in the mirror thinking "I look good!" but they probably have just as much anxiety as anyone...maybe?
Looking forward to exploring some of these ideas in movement! <3
Claire,
ReplyDeleteJust happening on this new site with some email cleanup. This looks great and I love your musings. Regarding dress-up my college dance professor at Stanford commented on how a dancer's life is dressing and undressing multiple times a day as we move from dance environments to the work a day world. Perhaps I'm old school because I know many dancers just wear danceable clothes all day long but personally at the ripe old age of 39 I am sick of having to get into costume to do my job, yet at the same time I love the freedom of movement that dance clothes allow. Thank God I never had to wear a suit and tie (or high heels) to work (at least every day). As for identity I always find it interesting as a man to be in dance cloths and walk outside - or to another fully clothed part of my work environment and witness the reaction, which is both comic surprise and a certain assumption by others of less power. By revealing a freer body does it render it culturally less powerful. Enough for now and keep up the good work. David