You’ve likely heard the expression that it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed, and it’s undoubtedly true. It’s much less embarrassing to walk into a venue wearing slightly more formal clothes than your peers than it is to walk into a venue wearing casual clotheswhen everyone else is in a suit.
But is it possible to be overdressed to the point of social faux pas?
The Case for Overdressing
There is a case to be made that it’s not possible to overdress, and that dressing at a formality level above what’s expected can actually be a good thing.
Here are some points of reasoning to justify that:
Formality assurance. For starters, overdressing is a way of practically guaranteeing that you’re following the minimum expected level of formality. If you’re not sure exactly what smart casual means, wearing a suit is a great insurance policy to ensure you’re exceeding expectations. This can help you feel more relaxed and comfortable in your environment as well.
Respect and admiration. The better you dress, the more respect and admiration you’re likely to earn from others. If you’re the one who’s best dressed in the room, you might have an easier time networking and making new connections – with a great first impression as well.
Confidence and self-esteem. It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that your style and fashion choices canimpact your confidence and self-esteem. If you know you look good with higher-formality attire and feel confident wearing these items, you’ll demonstrate that confidence in your actions. At this point, overdressing isn’t about how other people feel; it’s about how you feel.
Standing out. Overdressing is also a tactful technique to use if you want to stand out a bit. If you separate yourself from everyone else by dressing slightly better than them, you could get more positive attention.
The Case Against Overdressing
Of course, there’s also a case to be made that overdressing can be problematic in some circumstances.
For example:
Stealing attention. Some people argue that overdressing is a way of stealing attention. You’re artificially drawing attention to yourself by dressing well above the expected level, and this can cause wrinkles for some of the social dynamics at this event.
Ignoring the dress code. If the event organizers have set a dress code, it’s a good idea to take that dress code seriously. If you dress at a level far beyond the recommendation, people could perceive it as a way of flagrantly ignoring the dress code. To some people, it may even seem like an act of disrespect toward the event organizers – though this is still far more respectful than underdressing.
Embarrassing others. Dressing more formally than others could make other people feel as if they’re underdressed, even if they aren’t from a literal perspective. That said, the bigger the event is, the less this is a problem – and it’s not necessarily your responsibility to make other people feel comfortable in their clothes.
Standing out. We mentioned standing out in the case for overdressing, but standing out can also be a bad thing. If you’re celebrating a particular person or if this is the type of event where you’re expected to blend in, standing out due to overdressing can be problematic.
General Guidelines for Success
There are two dissenting opinions here, and both of them have valid foundational reasoning. That makes this a difficult space to navigate. Still, there are some general guidelines you can follow for success:
Read the dress code. Ifthere’s an official dress code in place, read it and try to follow it. There’s nothing wrong with being slightly above the target level of formality, but don’t jump more than half a level at a time.
Ask others. If you want to make sure you dress at a similar level as everyone else, ask other people going to the event what they’re going to wear. You don’t have to copy them exactly, but if you get a feel for the types of outfits you’re going to see, you can make a much more appropriate decision.
Feel confident. If you’re torn between outfit choices, lean toward the one that makes you feel more confident. If you feel good about what you’re wearing, the opinions of others shouldn’t affect you.
Err on the side of caution. There’s nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution; in other words, in an ambiguous situation, overdressing slightly is clearly the best option.
So what’s the bottom line here? Is it really possible to be overdressed? The answer is yes and no. There are occasions when overdressing can steal attention, embarrass others, and ignore the wishes of event organizers.
But for the most part, thoughtfully overdressing is rarely perceived as disrespectful or harmful to the event.
The CW has a new series tonight at 9p, and Sight Unseen is the best new show of the season.
Tess Avery（Dolly Lewis) is a detective whose life is about to change forever. She is going blind. And it is happening quickly.
Her childhood friend, Matt（Jarod Joseph), tells her about Eyes Up. It is a service that helps the visually impaired see by telling them what is in front of them.
Tess winds up calling, and Sunny（Agam Darshi), who is 3,000 miles away, winds up picking up the call. Sunny is an Agoraphobic, and she sees the world through her clients’ eyes.
Sunny keeps Tess’ phone number and offers to help her with cases and more. She does this because her life is uneventful because she never leaves the house, and this is her way of getting out. Reluctantly, Tess agrees to her offer.
And now the two of them are working together to solve crimes. It is unorthodox, but it is working.
They can’t do it alone, so Tess’ old partner, Jake (Daniel Gillies), is helping them out because it is helping him and the victims.
I have seen three episodes, and I am hooked. But then again, I am biased. I have a friend who went blind a few years ago, and I act as her Sunny. So, I know of services like Eyes Up because of my friend.
I wasn’t even 12 minutes into the show before I called my friend and told her to watch because I knew she would love it.
The stuff Tess is going through is realistic. And the actress is believable in the role.
While her blindness is what attracted me to the show, the cases and the storyline are what is keeping me watching.
I think Canadian TV does a better job with police procedurals than us Yanks, and Sight Unseen is no different. They are not as violent and predictable.
This show is educational, entertaining, and enjoyable. I promise you will love it as much as I do. So tune in for something different than everything else on television today.
Will Trent is the rare series that is doing better its second season than its first. So it should be no surprise that ABC renewed it for a third season early. And the police procedural deserves it.
The show’s star, Ramón Rodríguez, said this about the renewal. “Thank you to all the fans for their support and to our incredible cast, crew, writers and producers who work so hard to make this show possible!! Appreciate the incredible support from @abcnetwork and @20thcenturystudios and to all the folks behind the scenes that champion this creation. We are so lucky to do what we love and blessed that it’s being received,” the actor wrote, “Thrilled to be able to continue to bring this character to life and to collaborate with such wonderful artists!”
There are only two things I wish for next season. They are more Betty the Dog, and that they break away from the book and give us a Cocaine Bear episode.
