I frequently get the questions "What's the occasion?" or "Who are you trying to impress?" when people look at what I am wearing. I admit sometimes I may over-do it a bit, but I've never been one to show up in public in sweatpants, t-shirts, or the dreaded sock and flip-flops combo. I've always preferred being dressed up and I have no idea where it stems from, although I do hypothesize that it comes from my childhood habit of dressing up as characters. I was always playing a part when I was a kid, whether it be Tarzan or Woody from Toy Story. Taking this into account I think the reason I dress the way I do has to do with the idea that I want people to see me how I would like them to see me. I am still playing a part even at 19 years old; I dress up as the persona I have invented for myself and how I imagine I would look as a character in a story. In that sense, I dress for myself and no one else.

However, doing this gives me confidence. I don't feel like someones else; I feel like myself, and with that, I don't have to worry about my appearance as much. It just so happens that the way I want myself to look involves a lot of nicer clothes. I feel myself by dressing nice and I preform a lot better in social situations. In fact, I attribute a small part of my public speaking skills to the way I dress when speaking.

After asking numerous people I received the same answers. People tend to dress to seem attractive to people or to appear the way they would like themselves to look to others. They also, like myself , dress to express themselves. This is quite the opposite of what we are told by teachers and other speakers. According to them, we dress because we feel social pressure to. Now, I am not a psychologist and I did not do a study of this, and I am trusting the words of those who responded to me, but I feel absolutely no pressure to dress the way others do. Based on myself and those I asked, we more often than not dress to separate ourselves from others while avoiding being too overbearing with our clothing and color choices.

So this is why I challenge everyone not to dress nice, not to dress a certain way, but to dress the way that makes you happy. Think of yourself as a character, and dress the way you would want yourself to look in a story. Find what works for you and how you imagine yourself looking. This may not apply to those of us who unfortunately cannot afford certain clothing; however, we should still try to make an attempt to dress and clean up in a way that reflects our inner views. Dress for yourself and no one else.