What is the purpose of a dress?
Ok this one of those topics that I have been pondering. I should Google this topic before I start rambling, but I’d rather shoot from the hip on this one rather than be skewed by other people’s ideas.
I hate dresses and skirts. It’s no secret. I only own 2 dresses. One for weddings and one for funerals, but I usually end up not wearing either one of them to the occasion. In fact, in the last 3 years I have only worn a dress twice. Once was to a formal dinner on a cruise and the other was at a friend’s wedding where my husband had to wear a tux so I thought it would look better if I “dressed up”. I hate formal “suit and tie” affairs, but that’s another topic.
So what is the purpose of a dress? Personally, I just don’t see the practicality of it. Wearing a dress is so limiting. I’m all for modesty so I wear pants or shorts ALL the time. I figure why torture yourself with worry about whether you are showing off your panties or not? The less stuff on my mind the better and clearer I can focus on the task at hand, but that’s just me.
I am probably a unique case in my reasoning for not wearing a dress. It’s not because I want to look like a boy. I don’t. I actually have a couple of legitimate reasons for not wearing them. Number one, I play the drums. I play almost every day either at a practice, in church or at a gig. Wearing a dress while playing drums isn’t practical. And then there’s that modesty factor again… Number two, the car accident I was in as a teenager messed up my back and hip. To this day I cannot completely cross my legs without major cramping. Crossing them part way - with my ankle resting on my knee - is about the only comfortable way for me to sit and even then I can only do that in short bursts. My hip is also a little crooked on my right side so just keeping my legs together without getting cramps in my hip is a challenge as well.
Putting all that aside tho, I still see no purpose for a dress or skirt. Take my kids for instance. I have two girls who like to dress up. They own several dresses. However, my youngest daughter, Kirstie, is a bit of a wild child. She takes after her mother. If you’ve ever seen a poster for ADD, her picture is probably on it. She is a huge bundle of energy and if given enough room she cannot take more than four steps without doing a cartwheel. Now imagine Kirstie in a dress at church, or even at school, doing her cartwheels across the gym floor. Not exactly the picture of modesty. She can’t help it, though. That’s just the way she enjoys the world.
My other beef with wearing a dress is what you have to wear with it. Shoes for starters are majorly uncomfortable. Heels? What is the point? I cannot wear heels because of my injury, but even if I could I wouldn’t even buy a pair. No thank you. I am very active and anything that would restrict how fast I can move or get something done is a waste. Also, pantyhose. Who invented this stuff? In Kirstie’s case, everytime she wears a dress I can guarantee that I will be investing in a new pair of tights the following week. She has never been able to wear a pair more than once without ripping the knees out. It is to the point that I just tell her to wear socks.
Yes, I know that dresses can look nice and fashionable. I guess I am just more interested in being practical and moving forward with a project than I am about how I look doing it. Wearing a dress is like putting my personality in a cage. I just can’t do that. Anyone else have some comments? I know I am probably in the minority here, but I’d love some feedback on this topic.
January 15th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Dresses are really not that comfortable, and also, I don’t really think that jeans are comfortable. If you get the loose, elastic-ish kind, they’re fine, but I hate them because they restrict movement. In many skirts, they are either so long that you have to wear heels, or risk pulling your skirt down when you walk. In others, They’re so tight around the waist and upper leg, that you can barely move your legs at all. Lots of skirts are also so flashy, that people stop you to compliment you on how “lovely” you look. I told Jessica Gremo to not compliment me, so now she stops me to tell me I look “ugly” which I know she means “lovely”. It kinda gets boring after awhile, so I just wear clothes that don’t match, and people don’t make me late with their “showing of adoration of my CUTEness”
January 15th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Okay, so I dunno if I should even post here, but I’ll be your tester, HA!!
I like this new format, btw. Very nice.
Um, yeah. What I was gonna say is that I have worn a dress even less than YOU have in the past three years. Just because I hate dresses. My hips (lovely wide ones, thank you family genes) do NOT look good in dresses. I prefer jeans over anything else. I also hate pantyhose, slips, heels, all of it. I feel like I’m being tortured when I’m in a dress. So I figured, why do it? Try finding a really nice “evening” outfit!! I’m looking for one, and so far, what have I found?? DRESSES. UGH. Can ANYONE say “Pantsuit?” COME ON!!
January 16th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Agreed. I can’t remember the last time I wore a dress or heels. Now that we have indoor plumbing and electricity, it seems ridiculous to wear such things.
January 19th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
I dont get it. Why do we all have to complain about how dresses,
jeans,and skirts. WHOOPIE DOO. Who cares! The really aren’t as bad as you
guys make them out to be.
There are nice pretty skirts that DO make you look flattering and that you
dont have to wear 5 inch heels to make it look good. I really don’t see what
your all complaining about. Do you want to look like a lesbian when you go to
a wedding or a dinner party? ”Pantsuit”. Give me a break.
January 19th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Okay…how does one even respond to a remark as ignorant and bigoted as that? I’m not quite sure. But lemme just say…I’ve never been mistaken for a lesbian while wearing an attractive pantsuit with a low cut v-neck and MY figure.
And five inch heels would probably not make me look “good,” you’re right–they’d make me look like I was going to fall on my face. OR perhaps they’d make me look like an aspiring prostitute.
Not that there’s anything WRONG with that.
LOL
Rock on wit’ yo bad self, sweetheart.
January 21st, 2007 at 10:27 am
I acually think that dresses are more comfortable
than jeans or pants acually im not really the whole way
tomboy im kida a mix because i wear makeup and i Always
have my purse but i also LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE SOCCER
but the reason i came to this site is
beacuse boys in my class are always saying aww
look they could never play a sport they might
brake a nail but the truth is me and my bffs
beat them in football!!!!
January 23rd, 2007 at 4:48 am
Well, I was pretty much a tomboy at school and I’m still happier with a drill than a sewing machine, but I like having the option of changing my look to match my mood, and going from jeans and hiking boots to a shortish skirt and long black boots is fun. I don’t wear tight dresses or skirts or ones that go past the knee (too frilly and I feel like they’re flapping around my legs) and I don’t wear really short skirts either.
In summer there’s nothing as comfortable as a loose cotton dress, thigh length, with leather sandles.
I guess also that dresses suit me. I’m tall and slim but big in the bust, and that’s a hard shape to work into a tomboy wardrobe. Shorts are the worst - they just make me look top heavy.
February 13th, 2007 at 1:41 am
While working my way thru college, I’ve stumbled upon a bit of history about the “Dress” that makes sense. Bear with me as I piece together what I do know…Fill in the blanks should you have the missing pieces. ;o)
The dress was an extension of the traditional loincloth of our ancestors. Men have always portrayed a dominant role in history and to keep us women at a lower level there had to be some flaws built into the system to keep it that way. Take for instance the dress…Man wanted his woman to be his and his only…men have fought wars over women…so to keep it covered was a natural thing. Bare skin does something to a man…no bare skin…fewer problems. Some cultures still believe this today…look at IRAQ…A long garment such as the dress was easy to manufacture and it kept things hidden. One of the flaws built into this design was to make them LONG and pretty with many beautiful designs…Shoes were also designed to be beautiful but difficult to move around in and corsets were also designed to enhance a womans figure but be difficult for the normal functioning of the body…bra’s were designed to be difficult as well but they sure seemed to have our best interests in mind.
Sure she’s a knockout when she’s all “Dolled up” but what is the ulterior purpose and what really makes her attractive? It’s a form of social conditioning built into every woman for many generations. Women see it as natural, as do men…Now look at it from the Man’s point of view…Men want sex…(most of the time with women)…a long tight or flamboyent dress makes things real difficult for a woman trying to resist the advances of an overly aroused lover. It’s too long to navigate in…the shoes are impossible to run away in…the corset squeezes the air out of her lungs and yet…the dress gives such easy access to what the man is after. (Unless of course a chastity belt was installed) Some dresses in the early ages were sewen onto the woman! Corsets were practically torture devices that had to be installed or removed from the woman by another person and most frequently caused damage to her internal organs and skeletal structure from the force applied over time. Ever wonder why men’s buttons are on one side and womens are on another? Men used to dress their wives…They could face them and do the buttons…or why else would buttons be on the back of clothing?? It’s all a part of men controlling a woman…Girl…I’ve gone off subject…but the bottom line is a dress is an invention of man…to control women…just like the bra…corset…high heeled shoe…argh!!! Burn the Dress…Bra and thong!!! Anybody else feel this way?? - M’chell
February 13th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Michelle - that is a great post! I knew about the “easy access” part and I ALMOST mentioned it in my ranting.
I did not know about the buttons, tho, that is very interesting.
So who wants to host the bonfire?![:-\](http://www.girlscantwhat.com/smilies/yahoo_question.gif ":-\")
“
February 14th, 2007 at 1:01 am
I’d host the bonfire myself but in my job if I don’t wear a bra I’d get fired…(it’s awfully cold and there are a lot of men who think they are God’s gift to women.)
My boss made it clear that she is the center of all attention and that any distractions will be dealt with severely. I don’t blame her…I’d probably be the same way. ;P
As for the thong…none to burn…I’m boring that way…white cotton grannies are all I need…and did you know they’re back in style? B)
Lastly the dress is not part of my functional clothing…If I could find them…I’d like to get some of those pajamas I used to have as a kid that covered the whole body with a zipper down the front and the padded feet!
Enough of my rambling…what say you??
- M’chell
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