“Who are you trying to impress today?” This is usually the question I hear when I choose to dress up on any random day of the school year.
This year, I have tried to invest one day a week into developing my appearance. Getting lazy with your wardrobe and appearance is quite simple when you’re a full-time college student. You may care the first day, and may even continue to glam yourself up for the first week, but eventually, you’ll find yourself waking up 20 minutes before your 9:00 a.m., rolling out of bed and racing to class with 15 seconds to spare.
When I find myself with ample time to actually put effort into my appearance, and not look like a potato, it completely shifts my vibe. I feel as though I can conquer the world, with Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too” playing in the background. My overall outlook on how my day is going to go usually depends on how good I feel about myself, and a change in wardrobe and makeup can get me to a nice level of confidence.
Anytime I get dressed up, it is because I actually have time to, and I want to feel more confident. I have had quite a few people look at me as if I were a completely different person, as if I became a more attractive and confident version of myself. My confidence is certainly boosted, and confidence attracts others. Because of this confidence factor, most women choose to dress for themselves, with absolutely no other person in mind. I don’t look at myself in the mirror and ask, “Hm, who can I impress today on my college campus?” I am looking to make myself feel good; anyone getting anything from my experience is simply just another one to behold my beauty. Insert “that girl emoji.”
Don’t get me wrong, I am completely comfortable in my own skin while in sweatpants and a tank top. However, I do find myself in a better mood when my appearance is, how you say, “on fleek.” So, you can imagine how taken aback I am when I first started hearing the question, “Who are you trying to look good for?” As if I live my life trying to attract the attention of some sorry 21-year-old boy who can’t even tell the difference between leggings and jeggings.
Dressing up and putting a significant amount of effort into appearance tend to go hand-in-hand. You can also wear sweats and a nicely made-up face or go makeup free and wear a cute dress and get a similar vibe. In other words, the effort you put into your appearance doesn’t equate to the level of clothes you dress in. I’ve had periods where I put in the overall effort consecutively – back-to-back-to-back “fleeked” style for a week or two. And I know girls that, bless their souls, put every ounce of effort into their appearance on the daily.
How a girl chooses to express her individuality should not be met with inquiries about who she is doing it for. Unless she is trying to stun her ex at a big party, most times a girl is not doing herself up to attract some guy who can’t even appreciate what she does in the first place.
Do guys face the same type of criticism when it comes to their wardrobe? If they do, I rarely hear anyone mention how a guy doesn’t wear enough slacks and blazers. Like many hardships that the rest of the world may face, ridicule for looking too nice or not looking nice enough does not pertain to many males. I’m not here to bash men either; I wish I was able to put in little to no effort and still get by just as well.
I am not here for anyone’s entertainment. I am here to make myself feel like a movie star, whether I’m wearing a skirt or sweats. So the next time you see a really done up girl, think about what makes you feel confident. Think about what makes you feel like you can take on the world. Maybe instead of, “Who are you trying to look good for?” say, “Girl, you’re rocking my life right now.”
