There is nothing worse than being underdressed somewhere. It’s not always obvious right away, but the second you realize it, you can’t unsee it. You start overthinking everything, from how you’re perceived to how everyone else looks, and suddenly you wish you had just put in a little more effort.
Personally, I’ve realized I rarely feel that way when I’m overdressed. If anything, I feel better.
the pressure of looking put together
Part of the reason people avoid overdressing for an occasion is the idea of “trying too hard.” There’s a weird pressure, especially for girls, to look effortless, like you just threw something on, and it magically worked. Caring too much about your outfit has somehow become embarrassing, which doesn’t really make sense when you think about it.
Putting effort into how you look for yourself isn’t the same thing as doing it for other people. Most of the time, it’s just about how you want to feel.
I didn’t fully understand that until I traveled. Before I went to London, I kept seeing the same advice online: don’t wear athleisure, don’t look too casual, dress more put together. At the time, it felt exaggerated, outlandish even. Once I got there, though, it made sense.
People weren’t dressed up dramatically, but you could tell they put thought into what they were wearing. They took the time to decide their color palette and put intention into their look. Everyone had their own style, and it felt like they were fully themselves in it.
I noticed the same thing when I visited New York over winter break. There wasn’t one “right” way to dress. People were more expressive, more willing to stand out, and no one seemed concerned with whether they fit a specific look. It made it feel easier to just wear what you actually wanted to wear.
Coming back to FSU, I noticed the difference right away. There’s definitely a foundational look people go for, especially for class or going out. It’s not that everyone dresses the same, but there’s a baseline, and going outside of it can feel more noticeable than it should.
why i choose dress intentionally
That’s probably why I started being more intentional about what I wear. In high school, I defaulted to sweats most days. I was waking up early and didn’t think much about it, but I also remember feeling off a lot of the time. Looking back, I think how I showed up daily impacted the way I felt.
Since my freshman year of college, I’ve tried to make more of an effort. I do my makeup, fix my hair, and put together an outfit that feels at least somewhat put together. I’m not dressing up all the time, but I try not to just throw something on anymore.
It changes how I feel throughout the day. When I have a sense of confidence in the way I dress, or at least putting in the effort to, I’m more self-assured. I’m more willing to go places, talk to people, and just exist without overthinking everything. It sounds simple, but it really does make a difference.
If you’re used to dressing casually, you don’t have to completely change your style. It can be something small, like choosing one piece that feels more put together or taking a little extra time to get ready. It’s less about being overdressed and more about not holding yourself back because you don’t want to seem like you care.
Most of the time, being overdressed just means you feel like yourself that day. I think that’s always better than wishing you had tried a little more.
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