What's wrong with wearing a dress?

[Brenda]

I guess this is a companion to the skirt discussion. I'm about to buy another dress, and I wonder if I should. It's just for around the house, but I'm plus-size and I think I look nice wearing one, not always true in a blouse and slack. And there are all sorts of varieties: sun dresses, patio dresses, "day" dresses, and if you count loungware, dusters, caftans and loungers--all casual, functional clothes that ought be good for the whole day. Yet you don't see women wearing dresses except for fancy occasions. Is there a reason?

Could you also explain the specific differences between the types of loungewear above? I've just ordered a long robe because I'm going to need it real soon but I wonder if other styles might be worth a try.

Brenda

[Paulette]

I like caftans, djelabas, and lounge skirts or wide pants that I can curl up in. Blouses/tops are usually long sleeve light nylon thermal or black silk, though sometimes just an open vest. Hi-top nylon panties always, though rarely a bra.

My hair is getting long enough again so that I can feel it on my shoulders and neck. But then so is my beard. Androgynous, but not American or Euro androgynous. Perhaps Hungarian-Turkish Empire, which is my heritage, after all.

[Kimberly Kael]

Yet you don't see women wearing dresses except for fancy occasions. Is there a reason?

It depends a lot on the woman. Dresses simply aren't as durable or affordable as jeans and a T-shirt. Soft, flowing fabrics tend to be delicate and require special care. Dry cleaning adds up, changing your tire in a dress is impractical, and the kinds of shoes we're conditioned to wear with dresses are often uncomfortable to wear for very long. As a result a lot of women opt for something more practical, especially if they're dealing with kids or might encounter anything resembling manual labor.

I do see plenty of women in dresses at work, but then it's basically an office job. While dressing nicely isn't exactly encouraged at least it's a realistic possibility! I wear a dress to work more often than not and it doesn't attract any particular attention even though there are plenty of other women who dress in slacks and blouses, or jeans and T-shirts. I think it's finally getting to the point where it's more a matter of self-expression than a mandate one way or another.

[Ralitsa]

Well the fabric question is different than the garment question. Dresses do not necessarily need to be from a delicate fabric, I have one jean dress and a couple that are a tough linen, both fabrics which hold up well. These are "everyday" dresses, just to wear when I'm working outside, and they are dark colors so I don't worry about stains. Personally I think they are very sensible for that, I find dresses much more comfortable and easy to move in than jeans, at least as easy to work in. I think it is more of a psychological barrier, that dresses are for formal occasions and jeans are for working, than it is reality.

[Absaroka]

isn't the first reply in this section supposed to be by a GG?

[Paulette]

"isn, 't the first reply in this section supposed to be by a GG?"

Sorry, I got here from the "View new posts" tab and didn't notice where I was.