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WHO DO YOU DRESS FOR?

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Hi all!
Do you dress for yourself or do you dress to impress others? This is one of those questions that has got me confused because I don't know how to answer it effectively. Last Saturday I went on a lunch date and for the first time in a really, really long time, I felt like actually playing around with my clothes and pairing unexpected pieces together. It had been ages since I took the time to try on different outfits and combinations before coming up with something I thought was befitting a Saturday afternoon lunch.
So I opted for a black halter dress which I wore with my denim shirt as a coat since the weather had started its unpredictability again. I added a leopard print belt and a pair of loafers to complete my outfit. Not my most creative of outfits but still, much better than what I have become accustomed to wearing. As soon as I sat down for lunch, my date (name withheld for purposes of saving our friendship) told me how my belt was ugly and not fanciable. Then I was asked why I did not either remove it or tie it properly. Now the widely read girl that I am decided to let it go the first time. But subsequent comments like these left me so mad I told the person to let me be! In my head I was thinking, "Between the two of us, I am the fashion blogger. Although this does not make me infallible in the fashion department, I think I am more aware than you are of new ways of tying belts that you have no idea about! So why not shut up and stop trying to be an expert in things that you definitely are not!" 
This incident left me seething all weekend because this is not the first time I have had to defend my fashion choices to family and friends alike. I like to experiment, so what? And there are a few people I trust enough to tell me, "Audrey, that outfit is just not working." Then there are other people who just want you to dress according to what they deem suitable. But who says that because you do not approve of my dress-top and leggings combination that it is wrong?
In my book, decency is the ultimate goal. If I don't feel comfortable sitting next to my dad in what I am wearing, I will not wear it. If he has no problems with it, why should you feel it necessary to dictate to me what I should and shouldn't wear? Why do I have to subject my shopping choices to clothes and accessories that you like and forego the ones that I prefer. 
Dressing is a personal matter. You choose what to wear. As long as you are not walking around showcasing your whole body for the world to "admire", you are free to decide what suits you. Personal opinions are allowed, but please do not shove them down people's throats. Dress to make yourself happy. If someone wants to be your friend, they will do so no matter what you choose to wear and will give you helpful feedback instead of telling you such things like, "Your belt is ugly."

Thank you for stopping by!!

 Happy Tuesday!!

xo

Audrey

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