The Art of Overdressing

Every few months on Twitter, there seems to be a new viral post about some girl who got kicked out of her friend’s birthday party or other self-centered (neutral) event because she dared to “outdress” the host. The Reddit version of this is usually a bridesmaid at a sister or childhood friend’s wedding, or a mother-in-law who refuses to choose a dress that doesn’t “outshine” the bride. I don’t spend time on Facebook so I don’t know what’s going on there (besides a bunch of AI-created pics of Jesus and 1000s of bots commenting “amen”) but I’m sure they also have some iteration of this, too, along with TikTok, where similar situations play out in 17-part videos where 10 of the parts are defensive responses to incredibly mean comments calling the overdresser “a Pick Me” or “not a girls’ girl”. There’s an unspoken, unspecified but nearly universal understanding that, as a woman (for the most part), dressing “better” than the established (or unestablished) baseline in any situation is a faux pas that, at best, makes you a little attention-seeking and, at worst, makes you a malicious, narcissistic bitch who secretly hates other women.

But, is it really that serious? I guess that depends on how you approach it. I, of course, have a different approach to the concept, but, before I get into that—

What Does It Mean?

The exact definition of “overdressing” is, unsurprisingly, mostly emotional, and therefore varies depending on who you’re asking. That said, there’s a few things it’s definitely not mean.

Impractical

I, too, love seeing Mariah Carey do things like traverse the Great Wall of China in an ankle length gown and six-inch heels but, unless you’re a Certified Diva with multiple Grammys, 19 #1 singles spanning 5 decades and 75 million records sold—plus a team of people to carry you if you fall—you won’t get away with doing the same.

There are ways to overdress while doing something like hiking one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but, there is a fine line between wearing an unexpectedly cute or complex outfit in a sea of people in jeans and sensible shoes, and wearing something that can, ultimately, put you at risk of injury. Plan your wardrobe ahead to assure you own pieces that provide both the It factor and the appropriate protection and function you need. Because twisted ankles are not fabulous.