Dressing Strictly for Comfort — I Just Don’t Get It

I have to begin by saying Honestly…I don’t mean to offend anyone. It’s just that I’ve been seeing a lot of garb out there that I simply can’t comprehend. I mean, I understand the importance of wanting to dress comfortably. But when “comfy” translates to looking like you couldn’t care less about how you present yourself to the world, my style sensibilities start to tremble.

For example, I just don’t get women who:

• Wear pajama pants or sweatpants with Ugg boots when they fly. This is particularly mind-boggling when the flight is only an hour long. Can you really not sit in actual streetwear for 60 minutes?

• Wear leggings as pants. This should be against the law, classified right up there with indecent exposure.

• Wear shorts or short skirts–well above the knee–when their legs aren’t exactly street worthy. There are better–and more flattering–ways to keep cool.

• Fail to wear underwear. To me, all that bouncing would completely undo the comfort factor.

• Wear long, shapeless dresses and Birkenstocks. Are you unaware that it’s 2009, or do you really not mind looking like you’re stuck in the ’60s?

I believe that dressing, at least in some part, is for others. Whether we intend it or not, the way we adorn our bodies contributes to the way others perceive us. For example, a woman in an impeccably tailored suit and a pair of heels is seen as powerful. A woman who sports an outfit made up of multiple components that all work together is considered fashionable. A woman who plays with colors and textures and makes an original statement is artistic.

On the other hand, a woman who throws on any old schmata in the name of comfort looks like she just doesn’t care–not only about how she looks but about how she is perceived. Forgive me, but I just don’t get why anyone would want to do that.