Why Are You So Dressed Up?

Have you ever gotten this question? I have. If you do have somewhere fun and exciting to go, it’s a pleasure to share your plans with others. But what about those days when someone asks you, “Why are you so dressed up?” and you don’t have a reason. Many times, in that moment, we play small. We deny the joy we felt when heading out of the house and downplay our own self-expression. Instead, we feel a bit silly and scramble to come up with a reason in our head as to why, in fact, we did choose to get a little more duded up than usual. Do we really need a reason? And why do we feel silly? Who are they anyway? And why do we care what they think?

For years, someone at work would ask me why I was so dressed up- never ceasing to remind me that “nobody here dresses up for work”. Ultimately, I knew that his opinion was not the one that mattered, but in reality, it did sometimes tamper my spirit. Thankfully, I was a cheerleader for many years so my ability to regain my positive and enthusiastic demeanor was always within reach.

We may reason, “I don’t have any meetings at work today.” or “I’m just running errands.” or “I never dress up for school” as if that should be the deciding factor in how we show up for our day. The reality is, when we make choices about how we dress based on what we feel others will think, we are giving the power of our own self-expression over to someone else. And dare I say if we are wondering what they will think about our outfit choices, what else are we letting them decide for us? Maybe you’re pondering a move to new city, a career change, going back to school, or pursuing a new hobby? Is this a decision best left to them?

People evolve. They grow, learn, have new experiences, and create new visions for their life. And thank God for that. How boring the world would be if everyone was the same. Expressing who you are is necessary in order to live the life you were meant to live. If you’ve been wearing the same sweater for the last fifteen years, you know what that feels like. Try something new. Unless you are still loving that sweater, it’s time to evolve in thoughts and clothing.

Dressing for yourself is low risk but it reaps big rewards. Chances are you will look better, feel better, and show up better for your day. Give yourself the permission to care more what you think than what they may think. I recently read a passage that said “Don’t create solutions for problems that don’t exist”. Meaning, respectfully, they are probably not thinking about you. They are thinking about themselves. And their own sweater. It’s just human nature.

Lastly, there is so much ritual to our morning routines. These rituals truly set the tone for our day.  Coffee, prayers, breakfast, and getting dressed. It all begins in your closet where you can ask yourself what you think. As you head out the door, you may even find yourself looking in the mirror and declaring, “My! You are so dressed up!”