You Hated Me? Thanks!
Men will never understand this. One woman tells another that, upon first meeting, she “hated” her. And the second woman smiles and says, “Really? Thanks!” Yes, men, this does happen. Every day. It’s as common as women complimenting each other’s shoes and hair. And it’s a sign of affection.
Because when we say, “I hated you,” that means we were jealous. And the reason we were jealous is because we thought they were really attractive. Or skinny. Or shapely. Or. . . you get the gist. Which brings me to the meat of my post: who do we dress for? Heterosexual women want to be attractive to men (I’d like to invite a lesbian sister to join me on this blog for their point of view, so pass this on). We want men to admire us, to desire us, to inspire us. But I believe that most women really dress to impress women.
Come on – admit it. When you’re going to a baby or bridal shower or you’re meeting a male friend’s girlfriend for the first time, don’t you think a little harder about what you’ll wear? In some ways it is so much easier to dress for a man; a little leg, a little cleavage (or a lot) and you’re good to go. But dressing when you meet a woman? Oh, man! The makeup has to be right; the clothes, not too tight, not too dated. Yes, we’ll dress like slobs around our friends – sometimes – but why do you think women wear makeup to the grocery store? For the produce manager?
Definitely! If nothing else, they are the ones who will really appreciate the way you look in a new outfit. It can be a good conversation starter. Especially if you hit a good sale. You could be talking for 20 minutes about the great new top you just bought that you absolutely LOVE! A man won’t even notice that you have a new top unless you tell him and then all you will get is “It’s nice,” which of course could really mean “It’s hideous.”