Heard a tailor say most people dress like they're going to a meeting that doesn't exist

I was at a fabric shop last week helping a friend pick out some linen for a summer dress. There was this older guy behind the counter, maybe 60s, been tailoring for 40 years. He watched people come in for about 20 minutes and then just said that to me out of nowhere. He meant that folks put on clothes like they're always trying to impress some boss or client, even when they're just grabbing coffee. After hearing that I started looking at my own closet differently. Half my shirts are button-downs I never wear unless I have to. Now I'm playing with designs that are sharp but also comfortable, like a blazer cut from sweatshirt material. Has anyone else tried making dressy clothes that feel lazy to wear?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica3316d ago

Oh man, that tailor was basically calling me out across time and space. I have a drawer full of what I call "costume clothes" - stuff I only wear when I have to look like I know what I'm doing at a work thing. The rest of the time I'm in sweatpants that have definitely seen better days, probably with a coffee stain that I tell myself adds character. I tried to make a "fancy sweatshirt" once by sewing a collar onto an old hoodie, and it just looked like I got dressed in the dark and gave up halfway. But honestly, if someone could make a blazer feel like pajamas, I'd wear it everywhere just to feel like I'm tricking the world into thinking I have my life together.

logan2716d ago

The whole "blazer that feels like pajamas" thing really gets to me because I think we're missing the bigger picture here. It's not about making dress clothes more comfortable, it's about how weird it is that we've all agreed to wear these uncomfortable costumes in the first place... Like, who decided that looking professional means wearing stiff fabrics and choking yourself with a collar? I feel like the real solution is just to normalize sweatpants everywhere and call it a day. The tailor calling you out across time and space is just a reminder that we're all playing this weird game of dress up for no good reason. Maybe we should just embrace the coffee stains and let the whole "looking put together" thing die a slow death.

owens.laura6d ago

Respectfully gotta disagree with @logan271, sometimes dressing up actually makes me feel more put together.