WRITTEN BY SHARRA GREENE
“Overdressed is a social construct created by your haters” - some well dressed clever person on Twitter
I’ve been on both sides; the girl showing up to the function in a dress and heels and getting mean mugged and snarky comments, with people asking “Where you going??”, and the girl who showed up in sweats but is hyping my homegirl up telling her how she looks tf good tonight! Regardless of what I’m giving with my personal style, I’m always happy to see my peers show up in what makes them feel their best. So the whole "she doing too much” thing rarely ever comes from me. More times than not, that comment gives off insecure vibes.
Though I believe a part of having great style comes from knowing how to adapt your style to different settings, I definitely think it’s important to show respect for your differences with the people you care about, and personal style is no exception… especially as women. We receive so much hate and negativity coming our way, the least we can do is give each other our props when we step out looking right. Here are a few ways I navigate this common issue among my friends…
SEND A QUICK GROUP TEXT TO DETERMINE THE VIBE FOR THE OUTING
This is an actual screenshot from my group message with my girls. We all love to get cute, but we also each have different styles and may not all be in the same mood that day so it’s always a good idea to confirm the dress code so no one feels like they didn’t get the memo.
RESPECT EACH OTHER’S AESTHETIC
Understand that what’s super formal to you may just be dressy casual to your friend, and vice versa. We each have different ways that we like to express our selves with our personal style and that’s more than okay… Just because someone may like to pair some heels with their jeans while you may go with your fave sneakers because you value comfort, that doesn’t necessarily mean that person is trying to “one up” you. We all have a right to step out in whatever makes us feel like our best selves.
EMBRACE BEING “THE OVERDRESSED FRIEND”
Don’t be peer pressured into turning down ya steez just because some haters wanna police your fashion choices. Embrace the stigma because getting dressed up for life is something to be proud of! One of my fav brands, House of Rehab, has some super cute tees & accessories, specifically designed with “the overdressed friend” in mind. Check em out below.
Stay tuned for more fashion & lifestyle tips making their way to the blog very soon!