Hypothesis: Dressing for Women

[neonlyte]

Do Women dress for Women - or for Men?

It is the 'dressing/clothing' I'm interested by.

I have a character (male) who has abstained from sex for longer than is sensible. When he meets a woman he finds attractive, he begins to speculate on 'attractiveness'. Grows curious of the admiring glances from both males and females and surmises women dress for women - men are too easy to attract.

Is this way off beam as a chain of thought?

 

[rachlou]

i would say its probably a mixture of both. I dress to suit myself mostly, as I wouldn't wear something I knew looked awful if a b/f asked me to wear it. But, if i have a date with someone special, I will deliberately go out of my way to dress how they like - ie, sexy with short skirt/stockings etc. If it turns them on, then its a buzz for me too.

There is also a competitive element with female friends to take into account. You may be dressing to look good for any men you might meet, but you are also trying to look better than your mates. I'm not sure if that makes any sense whatsoever (my head is fuddled) but i hope it helps!

 

[neonflux]

Is this way off beam as a chain of thought?

no, it's not off the mark. that said, I think that while most women do want to look attractive, most of us would say that we usually dress for ourselves. being bi, when it comes to dressing for a date, i dress to attract the person I'm going out with, which is often quite different, even within a bdsm context... generally present as femme, and only let my boi out with bi men and queer grrls. I recognize that in all likelihood, this last will not apply to your character.

 

[Elsie Grey]

Me personallY, I dress for myself. That way if someone likes me I know it's for who I am!

Elsie

xxx

 

[neonlyte]

Thank you for the responses - beyond the 'dressing for yourself' there has to be an attitude of mind when 'dressing up'. I'm 99% sure men only dress to attract women (excedpt the men who deliberately want to attract men), I'm not so sure about women.

Rachlou touches on what I was getting at -
"There is also a competitive element with female friends to take into account." Do women really dress to impress other women (their friends and strangers) and is it 'safer' to dress knowing what will appeal to another woman (on ambiguous sexual terms) rather than to dress openly sexually in a manner likely to attract a man. Has anyone ever consciously done this?

 

[rachlou]

I think women dress to keep up with their friends - no way do you want to go out with your mates knowing they look hot and you look not! Plus there is the fashion thing that goes on - we all like to have the latest 'look'. I guess this applies to strangers when out - i will always check out what other women are wearing and comment accordingly, sometimes in a bitchy sense like " eughh what does she think she looks like?!", or "I wonder where she got that dress from, i love it"

Lots of women go out in the town where I live looking like the dogs dinner every Fri/Sat. Their only purpose is to attract a man for the night, and men being shallow creatures go for the short skirt, tight top, tits hangin out ensemble every time. Its funny cos the women really try to outdo themselves some nights and they all look alike wearing the same outfits. (I should point out that the local men round here are only attracted to that look - anything more classy just doesn't cut it at all). Women on 'the pull' will always try and outdo each other in terms of the shortest skirt/tightest top. Its that ol' competitive streak.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

If women dressed for men, all they'd wear would be leather corsets, fishnet hose and spike heels, and mattresses with arm straps

quod erat demonstrandum

 

[neonlyte]

If women dressed for men, all they'd wear would be leather corsets, fishnet hose and spike heels, and mattresses with arm straps

quod erat demonstrandum

I conceed - some might.

But have you ever had a woman say she dresses for other women - because it's 'safer' than appealing to men?

EDIT: Nice website, by the way.

 

[Munachi]

i dress to not be cold. and when it is warm, i dress to not get arrested for walking around naked.

 

[3113]

Interesting question. Brings to mind the question I have about the color Pink which is considered extremely feminine, to the point where few men will admit to liking it. But if it's so appealing to women...why won't men wear it so they can attract girls? And if it appeals only to women, why do women wear it as it's not going to attract the men?

Which brings me to the answer to your question, which I think has three-parts:

1) The fantasy element: Women dress up to become someone else. A certain outfit can make them feel sexy or powerful or glamourous or wild or special. You put on the tight jeans and boots to kick ass, or change into the flowy dress and sparkly jewelry to be a princess for the night.

Clothes are a form of armor, of pretend. Dress-up, like make-up, allows the woman to play a role for the night. Be someone she's not when she's just in old jeans and a tee shirt.

2) The Man Element: Contary to what the good Dr. M says, women DO dress up for men. High Heels are not comfortable or practical, but they show off a woman's leg to great advantage, push up the tush, emphasize the hip swing of a woman's walk. Nylons are a bitch, but theymake legs look smooth and silky. Fancy dresses usually accent a woman's curves and femininity. Jewelry sparkles and draws attention to a woman's throat or cleavage. Her ears--and therefore her face and smile.

All there to attract men--to please men (or lesbians who like femmes) and gain their admiration.

3) Other Women Element: There is an element, as you pointed out, of women dressing for women. Women do admire other women, the way they look, the way clothing fits them. Logically, the best selling Mag for women should be one featuring naked men, right? Afterall, Men's mags sell best when they feature a sexy woman on the cover...why shouldn't women's mags feature a sexy man on the cover? But women buy mags that feature models showing off the latest clothing instead.

Why? A man may look at a woman and say, "Wow, you look great." But a woman will look at another woman and say, "I love that dress! It suits your complexion perfectly and it really shows off your figure." Other women appreciate the nuiances, like connoisseurs, they don't merely enjoy what it is they're seeing, they know how to truely critique and admire it.

So, yes, women do dress for other women. But not JUST for other women.

 

[neonflux]

If women dressed for men, all they'd wear would be leather corsets, fishnet hose and spike heels, and mattresses with arm straps

quod erat demonstrandum

Please see my avatar - actually wear that for both men and women...

one area where I diverge from your description, it's much more likely with me that the mattress straps would be worn by the man...

 

[Huckleman2000]

Just look at the fashion industry. Haven't any of you ever seen Project Runway? Desingers are mostly women or gay men.

Except for "Does this make my ass look fat?", straight men have very little influence on what women wear.