I got to do one of my favourite things today.
Go dress shopping.
Not for me. But my wife has a "pretty fancy" work event coming up and needs to wear evening attire, and there is nothing in the closet suitable. So, we went into the few shops in the city that stock this kind of thing and started sifting through the racks to see if there was anything suitable.
There wasn't much.
A lot of the people going to the same event will likely have their dresses made, but that is a little out of our current price range, and it can be very hit or miss with dressmakers and tailors here. Some are fantastic, some are terrible. I have seen some highly-priced handmade dresses that looked like they were put together for a high school class project. I have seen some very high-end work also. The other thing is, there isn't a long enough window to get something made, and then find something else if it doesn't work out well.
In another life, I might have been a dress designer.
I really enjoyed designing dresses and even the sewing part, though I wasn't very good at that due to lack of instruction and practice. I just entered into a fashion show with four evening dresses and then tried to teach myself what I could on the fly. My mum helped out a lot at the end as I was running out of time, but it all came together with choreography and all, and I won the competition. It was a lot of fun, but one thing led to another and designing and dressmaking became another thing that got dropped by the wayside due to illness, and I never picked it up again.
I did alter my wife's wedding dress.
Without a sewing machine, that got done by hand, so doesn't count.
We ended up going to three stores before my wife found the one she felt good enough in, and I didn't really give any input. My wife doesn't really appreciate my perspectives in dresses and what she looks good in, so I just try to keep to myself and go with the flow. I still enjoy the shopping part, but it isn't quite the same since my opinion doesn't matter. It is probably because I dress like crap these days.
I rarely wear pants, unless I must.
Shopping for women is so much more fun than shopping for men anyway. The range is enormous in comparison, with the men's range here largely catering for the kind of person who has been forced to dress up and doesn't care much, so it mostly the "that'll do" style. Yet, even the basic men's clothes are bloody expensive.
Perhaps I could be a "fill-in husband" for dress shopping?
A lot of guys don't like shopping with their wives and girlfriends for clothes, so maybe I could be someone who sits on the chair making yay and nay comments, and walking from store to store carrying the shopping bags. I reckon I'd be pretty good at that job and the women would be pretty well dressed. I wonder if that is a possible job for a guy and if it is, what percentage of those guys are straight.
Well, I don't think any woman in Finland would hire me anyway and many dress like men, so the discussion is moot. I guess it will have to be in another life where I get to flex my interesting in dressing women in lovely clothes they feel good in. A lot of people diminish the value of dressing well, even on special occasions, but I think that when we put some effort into our appearance and think about how we want to come across, we end up shifting our behaviours too. Men stand up straighter than they normally would, once they are in a suit, and women walk differently in a nice dress.
We all change with the conditions.
It is the person that makes the clothes.
But the clothes still influences the person.
Taraz
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Lots of women would love that!
Y think I would be a good conversationalist too! :D
LOL! My wife has a closet full of fancy dresses from Herve Leger, Burberry, Ted Baker and at least ten from Max Mara, but when we need to go to any event there is always nothing suitable :)
We don't go to the stores as she likes to shop online.
:D
Always an excuse to buy another.
Shopping online is a very hit and miss for my wife, as she is so short. The sizing is very inconsistent when a small difference makes a big difference in the look. It is possible for some things, but this particular event has to be on point.
I feel you - I run around "underdressed" most of the time. But people don't expect much from me, they're used to seeing me in clothes with holes in it. My administrator, when he started working with me the first time, went around town for some errands, and some vendors on the plaza talked to him. When he told them that he was working for me, they were like: "He has really grown, I remember him not being able to afford any clothes, always running around with holes in them - and now he has an administrator!"
Ellie changed that a lot, especially my fine attire. The project she works in NuevoSol, has the most amazing clothes, and I did work there for a while, too, and got paid mostly in clothes. We pick the pieces out together, her, I and her brother. He's even using me as a mannequin now to adjust his creations, which of course is awesome for me as the sizes will always fit me best.
Though we don't do much shopping together, Ellie appreciates my opinion. I'm quite blunt, we've gotten to that point that I'm able and allowed to tell what I think, without too much flowers in between. But we still dress in two different worlds - even her worst outfit is equally good as my second best.
Little do they know that those holes pay for the admin! :D
This is an awesome deal!
Not sure how it is there, but it seems that there was a period here when men were very underdressed compared to the women next to them. Then it has started to close the gap more, probably driven by social media where guys are not shy to take gym selfies in the mirror... :D
The thing is that after taking that selfie, they don't change the wardrobe for the rest of the day (and dinner night)...
I do dress up very nicely. If I trim my beard and do it all, I look really sharp. But Ellie... She's just from a different planet. And she has talent - that's why she loves working at the clothing factory. They just published a video of their latest creations. Her brother needed her for the publicity, so she wasn't allowed to model, but her daughter was one of the models. It was the first fashion show that they participated in, at the Chilean Embassy. I hope you're able to watch it, it's short:
https://www.facebook.com/nuevosolco/videos/2050493352389032
Not everything is made by them, but whatever looks amazing with cool colors and interesting prints - that's them. In my totally unbiased opinion, they obliterated the rest of designers 😎
Shopping for evening wear is not my profession, but I would be determined to help my wife to look beautiful at her event coming up ;)
And this is all that matters, even if it does take energy and patience :)
It is true that many men do not like to shop for their girlfriends or wives. There is a reason behind this. Women in our country spend a lot of time shopping and have to visit many stores to get the item or color they like. Even if they like a certain piece of clothing, they start looking at different colors and designs in the same store. I also sometimes get embarrassed when I go shopping with my wife because she spends a lot of time. And she cannot decide which one she likes among the many clothes. However, when it comes to choosing clothes, I leave it completely up to her and encourage her to buy according to her own preferences. Because her preferences and or designs are a little different from mine.
Did you ever get to watch the Cosby Show back in the day? This reminds me of that episode with the Gordon Gartrell shirt that Theo's sister tried to copy for him.
Shopping with a woman can be a whole lot of stress, just make sure you cancel any other appointment for the day, and don't rush.. else she'll blame you if the dress doesn't fit perfectly afterwards. And if she doesn't trust your fashion sense, just mind your business.
I guess it wouldn't be a nice job for me cos I may not have all the patience, but who knows.. I'll try someday.
I like how you shared your experience of dress shopping with your wife. It’s something many couples can connect with. I remembered one time my husband followed me to the store, but he ended up spending more for me. I really fancy your passion for fashion and how you once designed dresses. It shows creativity and a side of you that values beauty and confidence. I also agree that what we wear can affect how we feel and carry ourselves. Sometimes, just dressing well gives that little boost we need to face the world. I will end with this. Always dress the way you want to be addressed.
I have a friend (she's a chick) and she LOATHES when her other half asks her to go shopping so he's got something new to work.
First time I've seen the reversal of the effect, and honestly, its refreshing.