Even though we know it’s unfair, even though we sat through all the same stereotype seminars in high school as you did, even though we’re technically mature adults who understand that what people wear doesn’t necessarily dictate or indicate what a person’s like, we’ll admit it: We see signals in people’s style all the time and, dear reader, we judge.
Not really though, just enough to temporarily sum a person up until they actually speak, to either confirm (the way it usually goes) or contradict our assumptions based on their sartorial choices.
We know you know what we mean – You see huge diamond studs glint with every head toss, you think “princess.” A Tiffany heart bracelet, you think “wannabe princess.” Uggs plus VS Pink, “sorority.” A fake Louis, “clueless.” A boxy Kate Spade, “corporate” (though that last one really depends on the outfit and the carrier’s age).
So what kinds of style signals have you successfully identified during your time on public streets? Does every guy wearing a trucker hat turn out to be the douche bag (hey, if we’re judging, we can borrow our 7th grade vocab) you always knew he’d be? Is every woman in stilettos at work always in a bad mood? Does every girl wearing only a sports bra to the gym turn out to be the total whack job you knew she would be?
Please, tell us all about it. Let’s see where we agree, and not.
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to guest at 45 who posted:
“I have this post on the “Secrets” blog but I think it also might apply to this one.
“I secretly want to be Asian, so I can get away with wearing interesting colors and clothes that really don’t “match”. Every Asian girl (in Dallas) I’ve ever met has such amazing style that I would just look absolutely ridiculous imitating.”
Does anyone know what I’m talking about?”
i’m chinese and i swear to you that me and all my asian friends say the SAME THING about white girls – caucasians can pull off things that we would look so silly in. it’s great to know that there’s someone that covets our appearance while we covet yours.
@89..i’m also Nigerian and i couldnt agree more.
#102 – I totally never would have guessed that- seriously. And what’s funny is that I always follow well dressed (great style) Asian girls in the mall to see where they shop and what they might buy.
#100 – Some people buy outfits “off the mannequin” because they don’t know how to put things together. I have no idea what goes with what, so I have to look at what the store has put together and try to do it myself. I buy books and read websites and if there was a class I could take – I would take it.
And thats why they have them there in the first place! I totally agree! But with Lilly, its such a cookie cutter look and these people dont venture off and do anything else. I also read magazines, blogs, websites and lust over well dressed mannequins…but theres a difference between people who only stick with one thing and dont have the imagination to step out of their comfort zone.
isn’t anyone else laughing at the fact that the post picture is KLS?
she’s uber tacky in an individual way that i kind of secretly admire her. no one else could be as garish as her and yet come up so successful…
92, I live in the burbs and my thrift stores are way more amazing than the options I had when I lived in NYC. Fashion is about attitude and how you wear it. Sure, you can walk into F21 and UO, steal a look from a mannequin and walk out. . . but how lame is that? So I still spit on F21. Pooey.
Guest #1: I didn’t know that Liquid leggings can be fake. maybe your the girl walking around the office in stilettos?
Also not that I own a pair but not every person that wears wetsuit leggings are trying to be hipster.
Girls that wear “Club” outfits. Jeans a satin top and heels = fashion herd follower.
I’m guest #116- I forgot to mention
girls that look like they have enough style in the right pinky than a bunch of fashionistas on the stairs of bryant park during fashion week. with their side princess braids and layered ensembles, their H&M coats and ankle boots/ keds = Swedish girls
@ #81 thanks for your reply to #43!!
I´m mexican and ignorant americans like #43 usually make me feel sorry for them or frustrated at them. can they please see beyond their jealousy, racism, and stereotypes? I think that once they get to meet real mexicans who are well educated and travelled, like you have, they will start opening their minds a bit more.
to new yorkers and europeans please stop being so bitter, look up and see the sunshine once in a while. its always fun to judge, everyone does it, but try going beyond your initial judgement. you¬¥ll probably find someone in a coach purse is an interesting person, or someone wearing an a&f t-shirt and flip flops fun. just a thought…
at #102…
thats so interesting you say that, cause i never woulda guessed that since i go to a really preppy college and a lot of my asian friends would dress preppy one day and then totally different the next and they look awesome both ways… but i guess the grass is always greener on the other side lol
… i guess ur comment doesn’t really apply to me considering i’m black not white.. but it’s cool
#99
From NorCal, I was totally that American Exchange student in London in flip flops and sweatshirts in January! The beauty of life and style is that there is always growing and now I can laugh about that with really fond memories of my time there. To London with love, NorCal.
i have been living in Atlanta, Ga for 2 years and i am french. I have been everywhere around the US and from a “french point of view”, Atlanta is just a city of fashion despair. You’ll find every trend and stereotype, from gangsta to bowery hipster to rich brat to soccer mom but there is NO personal style. At all.
#37 You are freaking hilarious! I would also love to know where these magical fairy people who are above it all live.
I’m with all the ladies that feel trapped by office dress codes and small town living. Anyone who saw me on a weekday would assume I have no taste. The truth is I love fashion (including some outragious and polarizing styles)and I do feel stifled by standards sometimes.
Many of the people I work with are psychiatrists and social workers. In that line of work it is better to underdress than wear cute, fashionable clothes, unless you want to be taken less seriously. And the standard uniform for girls in my town is a combination of Northface fleece jackets, UGG boots, Victoria’s Secret Pink sweats, and a Coach bag. Not surprisingly I have come to detest all those products.
Can guest 88 please explain how lululemons are on the way out? They are GYM pants to wear when you’re working out and practicing yoga. I don’t understand how those can go out of style.
Also stop hating on Longchamp bags. I use one on rainy days or when I’m travelling: I’m not going to let a Chanel or Balenciaga bag get soaked, or damaged when it goes through airport security. They aren’t really a fashion statement but they are super practical.
I’ve been cringing at some of the mean comments, but at the same time it’s really fascinating to read them. Because whether we like it or not, what we wear really does send out signals about us (even if they’re not really accurate) and shape other people’s perceptions of us. There’s also an interesting dichotomy between the advice to “wear it because you love it, don’t worry what everyone else is wearing” and confessions that “I think that bag/designer/dress is actually cute but I won’t wear it because all those tacky people are wearing it”. So, don’t be a sheep, but make sure you don’t stray from this long list of fashion restrictions?
#68 posted the most brilliant comment so far – overplucked eyebrows!! Bitch, without fail.
As someone else said, Juicy is automatically perceived by fashion connoisseurs as, let’s say, sad (I mean, Paris Hilton wears the label every single day, how wouldn’t it be sad) but someone like Kate Moss can wear a dress or some other item mixed with other things and will totally pull it off, so it’s judgement that might fail.
Now, overplucked eyebrows will never fail, it’s slut all the way.
And since expressing opinions about Longchamp seems to be de rigueur…I also lived in Paris and I can assure that it’s impossible to ride the subway without seeing a girl wearing one. Lots of ‘types’ of girls wears them, I don’t think it’s something definately not stylish, just think they’re plain boring! Never quite understood why people buy it in bulk, but then again, I still don’t get why someone would go out on the streets wearing Juicy tracksuits.
#117 – I could not have said it better myself.
Yes we all judge, and many of us love to do it, but I am feeling way too much hate in the comments section. Just wear what you like, let everyone else wear what they like, and be happy. It’s one thing to guess what a person might be like based on what they wear, and it’s quite another to hate on them.
Completely agree with guest #95
It’s #43 again,
I was in no way implying that any and all Mexicans with money obtained it through illegal activities. I am Mexican and I come from a well educated, well traveled, well dressed upper middle class family so I am fully aware that such a thing does exist. But I am also aware that there are quite a few people, of all races, who make a living in less than respectable ways and flaunt it. Living in southern California and working in retail selling high end goods I have come in contact with such people and I was referring to said people in my previous comment.
after reading all these comments i know i had to put my two cents in. as a high school student some of the stereotypes about high school kids are absolutely true. albeit, i live in seoul so i only see the american trends when i visit the states. all i can say is, living in korea no one in my school really cares about what labels you wear as long as you look good. i’m glad that i go to a school as open as that and that people accept you as you are. however, i only recently moved here from a school in the states and the girls there were ruthless about wearing juicy and having the latest kate spade and abercrombie puffer coat. i still wear juicy couture but only the clothes that don’t scream juicy couture. also, i still wear abercrombie jeans but i make sure to mix it with different tops and coats and boots. i only wear those jeans because they fit well.
now about the bags. when people say that coach bags are for people who want to have a little piece of luxury but not really, are they talking about the logo bearing ones? because i have a leather coach bag that no one can tell its coach unless you see the lining and i’m pretty sure will never go out of style. (i saw a picture of selena gomez with it and it did not seem very high schooler). and the longchamp bags, i do like the fact that they’re functional but do people have to carry them around like they’re fashionable? if i every got one, i’d only use it for carrying around my books and traveling. i mean, how big of a bag do you need when going to the mall?
all i can say is some of these sterotypes i find true as well while some of them are just plain mean. anything calling women “sluts” is just wrong and probably just makes the person who said that feel better about themselves just because they’re jealous of these supposed “sluts.” i do, however, enjoy labeling some people by their outfits with my sister. but i don’t go as far as saying that they’re sluts without talking to them first. unless, they’re wearing a ridiculously short skirt with heels. teenagers should not wear that to school even with tights.
please girls, dress your age.
#95/96
LOVE IT.
#95/96
LOVE IT.
Way too many people create their identity from existing pop culture characters and images. As a result, they also choose to dress the part, so yes, I think it’s sometimes very easy to determine how people will behave based on how they dress.
I have met very few people who defy my expectations.
116 – lol. what’s coming back in style is that’80s gear, leggings and also those baggy grey sweatpants from roots.
lululemon had massive sales recently, that says a lot. their stuff is so…lame and dated.
i’m sorry that you spend $100 for the groove yoga pants and $80 for the whisper top.
no, i’m not really sorry.
dear guest 100,
It’s funny, because at my midwestern college, I can recognize a Spanish exchange student by their Universidad de Salamanca hoodie (apart from their gorgeous accent, that is :) )
Another London one…
Uggs, pyjama pants, dad’s/boyfriend’s tshirt, hoodie, the most enormously teased bed-hair you’ve ever seen, raccoon-like black eyeliner = 17-year-old home from boarding school and meeting friends on the kings road for coffee
brown scruffy jeans, studded belt, yellow hipster tshirt, dirty hair, pot belly = art director working in soho
very baggy jeans, oversized shirt, too-long floppy hair = american banker (male) casualwear
pale blue, slightly too-short jeans, white button-down shirt, red cardigan flung over shoulders = french banker in casualwear
graphic-triangle-print leggings, pointy ankle boots with 1-inch wedge, black jumper with harlequin diamonds in hot pink and emerald green, thrifted cape-coat in dirty white, brown carpet-bag on long strap = female creative in clerkenwell (a girl i work with wore this yesterday, i thought “why dont you just tattoo ‘im so f*cking creative’ on your forehead?”)
bootcut jeans from 2002, silky camisole top, heels = slightly overweight girl on a night out in clapham
big black parka, seriously too-tight cross-hatched jeans, campers shoes = spanish exchange student
oh god… i could go on for hours but i know i should shut up, so thank you for reading, you divine kindred spirits – even if you disagree with me, the fact that we’re all passionate – and laughing – about this makes us kindred…
Well #55… Ed Hardy is a Tattoo Artist that is now even more famous for his clothes thanks to the help of designer Christian Audigier. Now it’s very hip to wear Ed Hardy especially by Gay men in Cape Town. You can spot the t-shirts with all the shine and glitter on them.
There are three types of people in Mississippi:
Uggs, jeans with pre-made holes and wear, North Face, Abercrombie, and Dooney & Bourke= Rich kids, invariably preppy.
Nice jeans, cowboy boots, western-style shirt= Rich, wannabe-cowboys.
Normal jeans, tees, sneakers= Everybody else, generally nice people.
I’m an East End London art fag and I carry a Longchamp tote, albeit the leather “legend” one instead of the canvas. Whooooah, I just defied everyone’s expectations, maan! Craze!
there are no thrift stores where i live. i have to drive a least an hour to get to a forever 21 or H&M. the only place near me where they sell designer anything, is Macy’s.
not everyone has access to so called fashionable brands, but i still find a way to be stylish and original and better dressed than most people around me.
how about all the judgemental people just shut the hell up? i would LOVE to see your outfits on a daily basis. Im sure you are all wanna-be-stylish bitches with no fashion sense what so ever.
If you “wanna-be-stylish” then isn’t having some fashion sense kind of a given… even if it’s just being able to recognize that something is a current trend and trying to emulate it?
Also, if you have access to the internet, you have access to practically all the fashion anyone is a big city does. There are plenty of eBay “stores” that sell affordable vintage and reconstructed items, net-a-porter/ bluefly/ eLuxury for your upscale needs, f21 and asos sell plenty of designer “homages” not to mention the fact that nearly all dept. stores offer online shopping.
And women with wash and wear hair, socks and sandals, and those small cross-body bags with built in wallets= ready quicker and lower maintenance than I’ll ever be :)
Here from Canada:
-american eagle hoodies, black tights (as pants), ugg boots= pretty much every loser/slightly preppy girl in my highschool
-dressy top, dark tight jeans, highheels = “clubbing outfit”
-skinny girl in ray bans/fedora/skinny black jeans/stupid keffiyah scarf/= wannabe hipster
- skinny jeans, scarf, ballet flats = EVERY GIRL!
Whoa guest 133. I’m guessing that comment was aimed at me (since I started off on my schmeal about thrift stores). Put down the haterade. I agree with the person below you. . . all you got to do is open your internet browser and suddenly a magical world of fashion will be right in front of your face. Some places even ship for free, imagine that!
PS- I shop at H&M too ;)
overly straightened hair with crispy ends
fake tan
north face
uggs
coach bag/fake gucci bag/louis barrel bag
fake chanel earrings
large dangly set of keys
too much eyeliner
=
Guido Bitch.
Also, #87 – I agree completely.
IN SAN FRANCISCO…
anyone wearing shorts in the summer: tourist
anyone wearing winter coat in october: tourist
anyone wearing shorts in october: lives there
anyone wearing winter coat in summer: lives there (well maybe not “winter coat” but dressed for generally miserable summer weather)
polished man in his 40s in suit: straight
rough man in his 40s in beat up jeans: gay
ON HAIGHT:
anyone that looks put together: just started doing drugs
anyone that looks like they are on drugs: hipster
anyone that looks dead but is walking: on drugs for years
rastas in the park: rastas in the park
hippies: spoiled rich girls
people that look like sewers: hippies
IN SAN FRANCISCO PART 2
north face ANYTHING: USF
#139, brilliant,
to #69 completely agree, atlanta has no orginality and if it does it’s extremely rare.
after school and on no uniform days at my school consists of uggs, leggings, northface, and wayfarers. and if you try to do something different don’t expect it to be different for long because the next day everyone will be doing it. going to private school also means you know have rich bitches trying to look hipster and “poor”
long island, new york
head to toe abercrombie or hollister (jeans and babydoll tanks usually) vera bradley or longchamp bag and uggs or flipflops, hair ribbons, pink victorias secret sweats, and a northface- hasn’t seen much other than long island, planning on moving right back to the middle of long island after college and never leaving
head to toe american apparel (tight, short, high waisted) designer sunglasses or bright wayfarers, bohemian urban outfitters accessories, marc by marc jacobs or michael kors bag, and gladiators or platforms, a leather jacket, and hard tail and ed hardy and juicy when off duty- rich and new money, trying to be trendy, secretly has a closet full of abercrombie and hollister, will probably end up moving to back to port washington or great neck or the like after college no matter what they think otherwise
seven or citizens jeans, tory burch flats, jcrew scoop or intermix tops sweaters dresses and jackets (brightly colored and the most expensive they have), hermes bracelet, gucci or kate spade bag, a pea coat, and patagonia and lacrosse sweats when off duty- rich and old money, has never stepped foot into a hollister, went into an abercrombie once and had to leave immediately because their wasp mother fainted, will go on to an ivy league school or somewhere equally as good, fairfield if theyre really hopeless, will eventually work in finance in manhattan and move back to either garden city or manhasset
these are the main prevailing groups, but i would say most are a mix of the three and then some exceptions like emo and guido but they dont need much explanation
guest # 130
“Well #55… Ed Hardy is a Tattoo Artist that is now even more famous for his clothes thanks to the help of designer Christian Audigier. Now it’s very hip to wear Ed Hardy especially by Gay men in Cape Town. You can spot the t-shirts with all the shine and glitter on them.”
thank you! this is hillarious!
I find this to be so funny.
Bunch of unfashionable losers in one place, hating on other peoples clothes.
Ha!
Get a life.
we are not hating rather than merely observing and commenting. plus, i dont think my blue velvet yves saint laurent motor cycle jacket is unfashionable…
#53, you are so-o true! I carry EVERYTHING in my longchamp bag, and I can’t even begin to describe how useful it is! Dragging all my books and stuff around campus is such a hassle, not to mention nerve-wracking when it rain/snows and you’ve got your laptop + textbooks with you! I got my first one in Tokyo, and it was so worth it! They match with everything, and they’re great quality as well… I’d buy mine all over again!