Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Bringing the Boys to the Yard

Ok, so I know how you guys feel about leggings...the answer to last week's great legging debate was a resounding "YUGH!! They suck!" with a side of vitriolic hatred. Now what I want to know is this...what do you wear when you want your significant other or the men or women on the street to take notice? It's an important question. We as women, no matter how successful we are, define ourselves in some ways by our ability to attract sexual partners. No matter how many women's studies courses you take, no matter how many copies of Our Bodies, Ourselves you have on your bookshelf, you know (or think you know) what you have to put on to get a rise out of your chosen party.

But here's the thing: it isn't always what you expect. This point was made clear to me this weekend. After the tutoring induced trauma that was the prep for the October 6 test, I decided to take Sunday and Monday totally off. As in, I didn't do anything of any substance. At all. On Monday, I did manage to run some errands, taking some books and DVD's to Telegraph Ave. to trade in for cold hard cash and then stopping for groceries. Knowing that I was going to be running these errands, I got up, and before taking Gabby to school, I put on a new green crewneck sweater from Target (cheap sweater, but a really cute color--I almost feel like going back to get the v-neck), old Old Navy jeans, and pushed my hair back in a floral silk hairband from J.Crew. I did my make-up part way (just some powder, mascara, and Neutrogena lipbalm). I checked myself in the mirror, and I thought I looked casual, but really nothing to write home about. However, while Matt and I were taking our recycling to the recycling center (I'm telling you--it was an exciting Monday!), I kept noticing him look at me. He would then just smile and look away. Finally, after putting up with this for a while, I asked him what was up. "You just look so good," he said. WTF? It's not that I didn't enjoy the compliment, but seriously. For someone who feels like I'm wearing house shoes if I'm not wearing heels, this came as such a shock. Granted, this is my husband:


Not the most driven guy on the planet, especially fashion wise. But still. It amazed me. I get up every morning and plan outfits around heels and pencil skirts but he finds me more attractive in my beat up jeans, Merrell mary janes, and $17.49 sweater.

So what gives? Is this specific to my beer swilling, classic rock dancing, Cal football adoring, Russian major dude, or does your man prefer a dressed down look? Or do you have to vamp it up Rock of Love style to get attention?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great picture! My hubby likes it when I dress simply - jeans and a white tee or a simple black dress, the classic stuff. And sometimes he tells me that I look good when I have no makeup at all (when I think I look hideous). Go figure.

I must look thru our pictures - we used to have one almost identical to the one you posted, just change face...

Tanya

Alison at Wardrobe Oxygen said...

My husband used to love to see me in his tee shirt and boxers or yoga pants... but I think my blog has rubbed off on him and now he wants nothing but my red peeptoe heels and maybe a wrap dress. Who needs lingerie when you have Enzo Angiolini?

Anonymous said...

I think that men who are always around you (husband/boyfriend..) will find you more attractive when you look different than usual. My husband used to really compliment me when I would put on a little make up during a period when I didn't use any at all. Now that I wear makeup every day he does not say anything..but he does notice when I go without and says I look good :-)
I woudn't know about other men.. :-)

Anonymous said...

My husband loves it when I make an effort and dress up a bit. He has a bit of an ambivalent relationship to heels though, since I am a bit taller than him.

Gervy said...

My husband loves it when I am dressed up in a skirt or dress with high heels. When we got engaged, he told me what he wanted me to wear for the lunch at which he proposed - a red sequinned dress he bought me (on his own, in the correct size) one Christmas (no he's not gay).

At the moment he has a bit of a fetish for patent leather heels and I think he would buy me as many pairs as I want.

He hates it when I wear track pants and comfortable (but ugly) flat shoes - he will look openly digusted.