Sometimes I'll have girl friends send me links to clothing items they're thinking of purchasing, to see if I think they're cute. I'm always happy to give an opinion (well, maybe not happy to...but I do it anyway), but here is the fundamental problem with asking me these questions--cute clothes don't make a girl look good; cute girls make clothes look good.
From my facebook quotes section: "I'm really not a shallow person: it doesn't matter to me what type of clothes people wear. It's what's underneath those clothes that really counts." -Me
This "quote," which I think I just kind of made up one day (though I doubt it's an original thought), betrays my inherent bias. If I think a girl is attractive, I'm probably going to think she'll look good in just about anything. Because it's true--she will. And while guys may not articulate the above attitude, they all think it. If my friends are attractive (and they are), I'll often just tell them they can save the $300 they're about to spend on that cute summer dress and just throw on a burlap sack. They'll look good in that, too. When a guy says he likes your dress, or your shirt, or your belt (come on, a belt??), what he really means is he thinks you're hot.
This is why models are good looking. An attractive model immediately creates a positive association with the outfit he/she is wearing. The unspoken false message conveyed is that if you buy this dress or shirt, you'll look as good as this model. And we eat it right up. If designers started hiring unattractive people to do their modeling, I have no doubt sales would take a nose dive. Nobody wants to look like THAT guy/girl! So that's another problem with asking my opinion on which dress is best: I'm going to be inclined to favor the outfits worn by the models that I find most attractive.
(The nerdy former psychology major in me wants to do a study that would quantify the effect of attractiveness on people's perceptions of clothing. It wouldn't be hard to set up. It has probably already been done...)
Having said all that, I will agree that some clothing is flattering while some is not (i.e. a burlap sack). However, that person's inherent attractiveness remains largely unaffected. Clothes, like so many other things, represent a "quick fix" in people's minds: "If I wear the most popular and trendy clothes, I will be beautiful!" In reality, there is no shortcut to beauty or attractiveness (or awesomeness); it's a combination of personality, physical appearance, and demeanor, among many other things. And these characteristics are a function of your lifestyle and everyday behavior--they're not things that can be changed like a pair of underwear.
And no, those jeans don't make you look fat. Your butt makes you look fat. Time to hit the stair machine!
3 comments:
A perfect example of an area in which women understand the theory of marginal utility much better than men.
I like the Kung Fu Panda reference. Does that mean you've opened/used your Christmas presents at last??
Of course! The blanket is used every night! (for me, of course)
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