I am constantly reflecting on how different clothes make me feel in different ways. Today I am wearing a new pair of corduroy pants which are absolutely soft and form-fitting, not at all like the normal khakis and chinos that I normally wear to work. They change how I feel, and therefore, how I walk and act. It’s amazing how often clothing affects our actions and mood.
I like wearing work boots; as a man, they are solid, tough — they mean business. They lace up tight, no sissy crap here, and have demanding looks and ground-thumping tread. Although they usually make my feet too hot, they make me feel that much taller, that much steadier, so the payoff is definitely worth any hassles. They tell my feet that they can handle anything, step on anything, or grip whenever’s necessary on the roughest surface. RARGH!
Other examples:
- Button-up Work Shirts — make me feel more professional than, say, a t-shirt, perhaps because they are thicker and have more layers and a collar.
- Suits — make me feel stuffy and contrived and not at all comfortable, so I’ll prefer to NOT have them when I can. Unlike some folks, they don’t make me feel more professional. I suspect that’s partly because I’ve never had a suit that really FIT very well, and I suppose if I went and dumped the Serious Cash(tm) on a real, fitted suit, I’d think otherwise. But I have better things to spend my money on at the moment.
- Nice Jeans – Automatically, they make me feel like I should be going out somewhere, even if I’m not. Put ‘em on, toss on a belt, put on some shoes or boots, and I’m feeling like I should be at a bar or something.
- Muscle Shirt — I think of working on something when I wear one of these; they indicate that I should be using my hands and arms to move something, lift something, do car work, handiwork, or something similar. They’re not a sit-around-the-house shirt so much as a get-off-your-ass shirt.
- Tank Top – Instantly makes me feel white-trash, or naked, or both.
- Tool Belt — The ultimate in a man’s accessory line, a tool belt cinched up around my hips with various things hanging from it immediately ups my testosterone level by a third. It’s just the sheer heft and connotation of it that I, Nathan, a Man, can come by and fix it, by god.
- Boxers — Always feeling like I’m half-nude whenever I wear boxers, as everything’s always flopping about, so to speak. Very…disconcerting.
So, Ladies:
I often wonder about how clothes make YOU feel. (And no, honey, I’m not planning on trying on your things.) But really — I know how clothing makes ME feel, and I assume, most other guys, but…how about women’s clothing? Do bras make you feel constrained or secure? Are pantyhose sexy-feeling or are they just a nusiance? When you wear a low-cut dress, does it make you feel exposed or hot? Are skirts really drafty? I’ve heard you can add lace to anything and suddenly feel better about it — true?
I find the way we all react to clothing just fascinating; most of those makeover shows are centered a lot around clothing. Simply take a bum and clean him up and put him in a suit and suddenly you have a completely different person, both in how they look AND in how they act…isn’t it funny?
What do your clothes do (or not do) for you? How do you feel when you wear particular things? Curious minds want to know.
Okay, so I was TOTALLY going to comment on this last night… but then I was tired, and couldn’t write because I’m lame like that… so here I am. Better late than never right? Right.
Bras: Irritating. I hate them, I wish I didn’t have to wear one ALL THE TIME. But, alas, when you have huge knockers like I do… you have to wear one. I am so jealous of those women who can wear a strapless dress, sports bras, and cute halter tops. Really irritating.
Pantyhose: Another irritation. Not to mention very not appealing with all my tattoos. Makes them look really, super fake. I don’t wear skirts all that often, but when I do, I don’t wear pantyhose… they’re just an irritation on top of the irritation of wearing a skirt.
Sweats: I wear these all the time… around the house. I’ve just recently started wearing something other than sweats outside the house because sweats are my comfort clothes. After having a baby, it’s all I wanted to wear forever and ever. Because I was so uncomfortable about my weight, so sweats would make me feel better.
Jeans: I love my jeans. I love, love, love them. Whether they’re old, or new, or holey or whatever, they’re the best things ever. I always feel so good in jeans. Same with cords, khakis, etc.
Dresses: HATE HATE HATE. It’s so annoying when I feel like I HAVE to wear a dress. I would much rather wear a nice pant suit, or slacks and a hot top, or a garbage bag. Whatever. Anything. They make me feel SUPER uncomfortable, and just too gussied up. Ick.
My main staple of my wardrobe? My pajamas. I have more PJs than any other piece of clothing. All different styles, fabrics, etc. I love my PJs.
So there you have it.
Meghanns blog: You would think I could come up with something better…
Good blog topic! Kudos to you because it really made me think about the clothes I wear.
In regards to the questions to posed to us women, I respond with the following:
1. Bras – I personally find them rather comfortable and secure feeling…as long as you get fitted correctly. Contrary to Meghann’s belief, those of us who do not have huge knockers don’t always feel comfortable in strapless dresses, sports bras, and the such. I do not have a large chest…I don’t have a minute chest….they are more on the smaller side since losing a bunch of weight, but none the less, I have my share of issues…sports bras? Can’t find them small enough to keep what I do have from bouncing around!!!
2. Pantyhose…hate and dispise them…in fact, I don’t think I even own a pair….I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I worse them!!!
3. Low-cut dreses – They do make one feel sexy to a point, but for me personally, I feel very self-conscious in them…along with low-cut tops. Perhaps this has to do with with the way I was raised, but I feel rather uncomfortable in them all.
4. Skirts – I have a few, but prefer pants. I rarely wore them when I taught, but that had more to do with teaching teenage boys, than disliking them. I’ve never really been a girly girl and so therefore, I feel very uncomfortable in skirts and dresses. I do own a few of each to pull out for special occasions like weddings and funerals…perhaps a holiday!
6. Lace – again, I hate it. I find it to be itchy and uncomfortable. I only own a few items that have lace trim and that I am okay with.
So…what do my clothes say about me? I’m definatley a tennis shoe, jeans, and sweatshirt kind of girl. Thats common dress for me. I feel the cuddliest and actually (odd as it may be) the sexiest in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I tend to favor layers as I am always cold and I feel it covers up my flaws. High heeled shoes instantly make me feel sexier…probably cause i’m so dang short! My favorite item of clothes…actually accessory is a purse. A good purse can make any outfit look good!! If I have a good looking purse, I instantly feel better about myself.
You asked for it! Us women love to lament about bras and we love to talk about ourselves.
Bras: Bad if you don’t have the right size. Bad if the fabric irritates you. Good if you remember to take out that annoying tag on the inside of the clasps. Funny if your boyfriend can’t get it off you. Sad for him. They can get hot and uncomfortable in the summer, depending what you’re doing outside. They are supportive though, which was the intent. You just can’t go flopping about at the store unless you want to look like a slob. Sometimes though, if I’m just going out to get the mail, I’ll throw on a t-shirt, hoodie, and my coat and there wont be so much flopping. But if you’re going out in real public, you’ll want the support.
A good bra makes the outfit. It makes your tops/dresses fit well and like they’re supposed to. It can also make you feel confident. I have the bigger end of medium sized boobs so when I have a brand new, lifting bra, I feel shapely and powerful enough to knock people’s eyes out.
Jeans: I love a good fitting pair of jeans that looks good on my figure. I don’t really wear anything else besides jeans. I fix the ones I have that get holes in them. The only complaint I have about jeans are that in my size the legs are REALLY long. Any other ladies have that problem? I’m 5’5″ and whenever I get pants they go way past my ankles. It’s ridiculous. And petite jeans are too short. So pants shopping is annoying.
Socks: I love soft cushy socks.
Pantyhose: I don’t have a problem with them. Pain in the butt to get on but they make my legs look smoother. You don’t wear them with open toed shoes or things like that..but they have their place.
Polo shirts: I hate these. I hate when I work at a place and I have to wear them. They’re hot and ugly.
Empire waste shirts: These hide a multitude of sins and the accentuate my chest. They are feminine and pretty. I feel more confident when my assets are accentuated and my problem areas covered.
T-shirts: Comfy, obviously.
Underwear: I have my granny panties and I also have my nicer-looking ones. I will tell you that granny panties are very comfortable but I don’t like to wear them around my boyfriend that often.
Boy-short briefs are comfortable, too. I don’t own any intimate apparel because I don’t have the extra money to spend on it and frankly, it’s just going to come off anyway, so we don’t care. But never underestimate the greatness of a brand new pair of underwear. Mmm.
Shoes: I am afraid of heels. I’m afraid of breaking my damn ankle. I do like a lower heel when going to job interviews but a nice flat is more comfortable for me. I also have a good sturdy pair of walking shoes
I’m not a shoe-freak but I enjoy several pairs of tennis shoes.
Sweaters: I don’t look good in these. It is sad.
Dresses: I hope there never comes a day too soon when I have to wear a dress. My hips are way too wide and I look like a dancing hippo. I was not made for dresses. A knee-length skirt, yes, but not a hip to floor dress. Blehhhhhghhhhhhhh. Skirts are drafty in the wind but pantyhose actually keep your legs a bit warmer than nothing at all
Or tights, whichever you feel like wearing. 
Lace: Depends. Lace can either make you look old or fresh and sexy. Depends how much, how wide it is, and where it’s at. I avoid this problem by not having any.
Low cut things: I like low-cut things because I have the chest for them.
The end
Of course I have an opinion on this. Yes, I totally agree that clothes (and shoes) can make the woman… as can makeup and a cute haircut. Ever watch “What Not To Wear” on TLC? My point exactly.
-Pantyhose are confining and should be outlawed. I’m convinced a man invented them. They now have them for men!! Seriously.
-Low-cut tops are empowering for me. My “B” is for barely and it’s empowering to catch a man checking them out for once. And when he KNOWS he got caught looking is hilarious! Add a water bra and I practically have Super Woman powers.
-Heels are sexy, especially when worn with a short skirt. For those of you who don’t know, I am 6’1″. I have been known to have heels cut down because I don’t need them. I’ve also been known to call one certain pair the “intimidators”. Trust me, they worked and were fun.
-Dresses/skirts—I only wear them to weddings, sans above-mentioned pantyhose, and only when I don’t want to go home by myself.
Sara: I have to imagine that you could dress in heels that would make a man fear for his life. Yowza.
“Low-cut tops are empowering for me. My “B” is for barely and it’s empowering to catch a man checking them out for once. And when he KNOWS he got caught looking is hilarious! Add a water bra and I practically have Super Woman powers.”
I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your newsletter
nicheplayers blog: Almost 22 weeks
Mark: I’ve seen the newsletter and it’s fact-filled.
Sara: I LOVE “What Not to Wear” I’m a junkie of that show!!!! AND, I agree with you that pantyhose were invented by a pan as some form of cruel humor towards women!!
I used to have a newsletter!! It was about real estate… pity for you.
And yes, NP, most men do fear for their lives around me… I use the heels as part of my screening process.
Katy–SHUT UP!!!! I’m addicted to it too—wish I could get on the show for a makeover and new wardrobe but I don’t think my fashion sense is THAT bad.
Sara: I hear ya!!! I would be willing to give up all articles of clothes and accessories I own to be on that show…even though, like you, I think my fashion sense is fairly decent…especially for Iowa!!!