How do you get the 'DC look'?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted to be comfortable I never would have gotten out of bed. Coming from FL, I was shocked as hell to see the disheveled mommies around here. Wouldn't have left the house in FL looking like some of the trolls around Northern Virginia.
Women of Arlington and Vienna, take off those Birkenstocks and Tevas you're wearing with socks and go get a pedicure and put some heels higher than 3" on, for Pete's sake. Don't tell me that you can't walk in them, lazyass.
Also, go to Target, buy some Nice n' Easy and touch up those long-neglected gray roots. Not a good look on anyone, no matter if you do compost your kitchen waste and still roll a Prius.

I needed a good laugh today!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted to be comfortable I never would have gotten out of bed. Coming from FL, I was shocked as hell to see the disheveled mommies around here. Wouldn't have left the house in FL looking like some of the trolls around Northern Virginia.
Women of Arlington and Vienna, take off those Birkenstocks and Tevas you're wearing with socks and go get a pedicure and put some heels higher than 3" on, for Pete's sake. Don't tell me that you can't walk in them, lazyass.
Also, go to Target, buy some Nice n' Easy and touch up those long-neglected gray roots. Not a good look on anyone, no matter if you do compost your kitchen waste and still roll a Prius.

Ha! You had me until "3" heels"!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted to be comfortable I never would have gotten out of bed. Coming from FL, I was shocked as hell to see the disheveled mommies around here. Wouldn't have left the house in FL looking like some of the trolls around Northern Virginia.
Women of Arlington and Vienna, take off those Birkenstocks and Tevas you're wearing with socks and go get a pedicure and put some heels higher than 3" on, for Pete's sake. Don't tell me that you can't walk in them, lazyass.
Also, go to Target, buy some Nice n' Easy and touch up those long-neglected gray roots. Not a good look on anyone, no matter if you do compost your kitchen waste and still roll a Prius.

I needed a good laugh today!

Seriously. Fashion advice -and bad advice at that unless you want to look like a street walker- from a Floridian. Classic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted to be comfortable I never would have gotten out of bed. Coming from FL, I was shocked as hell to see the disheveled mommies around here. Wouldn't have left the house in FL looking like some of the trolls around Northern Virginia.
Women of Arlington and Vienna, take off those Birkenstocks and Tevas you're wearing with socks and go get a pedicure and put some heels higher than 3" on, for Pete's sake. Don't tell me that you can't walk in them, lazyass.
Also, go to Target, buy some Nice n' Easy and touch up those long-neglected gray roots. Not a good look on anyone, no matter if you do compost your kitchen waste and still roll a Prius.

I needed a good laugh today!

Seriously. Fashion advice -and bad advice at that unless you want to look like a street walker- from a Floridian. Classic.

Please. She said cover up the gray roots and take off the Birkenstocks and Tevas. She summed up a certain DC look very well!

Sorry if you don't like heels, but what in the WORLD do you wear with skirts? Flats? Birkenstocks?

I'm from NY, so I don't know what you mean about the snide FL comment.

[Anonymous]

Funny thread.

OP, one HUGE thing I noticed is that people in DC dress very conservatively. Not always in a preppy way, but just very...non-offensively. I stopped shopping at Banana Republic and Ann Taylor Loft because I'd walk down the street and see three or four other people wearing the exact same thing. The hemlines tend to be lower, and the necklines a bit higher (or layered to avoid cleavage).

That said, people do dress up more than, say, rural areas. It's unusual to see people in sweats and a T-shirt at the mall; they're all wearing jeans or nicer pants, or something a bit more stylish. Even to go food shopping!

[Anonymous]

I'm a DC native and am not a conservative dresser. I don't shop expensive, but am creative with good finds. I love bold colors, fitted jeans, funky shoes, things with exotic patterns and cute bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted to be comfortable I never would have gotten out of bed. Coming from FL, I was shocked as hell to see the disheveled mommies around here. Wouldn't have left the house in FL looking like some of the trolls around Northern Virginia.
Women of Arlington and Vienna, take off those Birkenstocks and Tevas you're wearing with socks and go get a pedicure and put some heels higher than 3" on, for Pete's sake. Don't tell me that you can't walk in them, lazyass.
Also, go to Target, buy some Nice n' Easy and touch up those long-neglected gray roots. Not a good look on anyone, no matter if you do compost your kitchen waste and still roll a Prius.

Totally agree. Moved to Arlington from the UK and I was amazed to see how women dress around here. Having kids is no excuse to let yourselves go. I have 3 kids and I am a SAHM to boot but I made a vow to never get on that slippery slope to stretchy pants and comfortable big shoes. Ugh! Doesn't matter how slim you are.   I always get  comments about being dressed up. I'm  not dressed up, just dressed!

[Anonymous]

If I wore ANY heel over 1" i'd be 6ft+

And I am not the only tall girl on the street! Give us a break!

I can't believe anyone would recommend 3+ in. heels for ANYone. It pains me greatly just to thing about it. Shudder.

Pity the short girls.

[Anonymous]

Just tilt your nose skyward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I wore ANY heel over 1" i'd be 6ft+

And I am not the only tall girl on the street! Give us a break!

I can't believe anyone would recommend 3+ in. heels for ANYone. It pains me greatly just to thing about it. Shudder.

Pity the short girls.

I'm only 5'4 and while I like 3 inch heels, anything more and #1 they are not appropriate for work so I would get less use out of them (and no its not because I want to be practical, its because I'm not rich enough to buy the millions of shoes that I drool over in the store), #2 they are not appropriate to carry around a baby or walk to and from the metro. I don't think heel height makes a difference at all. Now, the type of shoe does matter. You can find very stylish flats that are not Dansko clogs or Nike sneakers.

[Anonymous]

a lot of you PPs really need to get a life. there many more important things in life than being a fashionista. would love to dress better than I do but I'd rather be out with my kids having fun than out shopping for the latest in trendy clothes/shoes. btw - wearing flats and not having a pedicure does not mean that you have "let yourself go" although I admit that I really need to go to a colorist ASAP.

[Anonymous]

I am the appearance-conscious PP from FL and yes, we dress better in Boca than Bethesda, b**ches. I believe that if you don't care how you look, no one else will, including your SO. I also believe in embracing my femininity rather than rejecting it. When we discard what differs us from men we lose. I do wear heels higher than 3", namely wedges that afford me more stability to do a fireman's carry for a toddler in the throes of a tantrum. I encourage all mamas to try and look their best on whatever budget they may have. The link between looking good and feeling good is far too strong for you detractors to dismiss. My routine in the a.m. (makeup, hair, wardrobe) never exceeds 20 mins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:a lot of you PPs really need to get a life. there many more important things in life than being a fashionista. would love to dress better than I do but I'd rather be out with my kids having fun than out shopping for the latest in trendy clothes/shoes. btw - wearing flats and not having a pedicure does not mean that you have "let yourself go" although I admit that I really need to go to a colorist ASAP.

IDK, sounds like you are letting yourself go. If you don't want DH trading you in, step it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:a lot of you PPs really need to get a life. there many more important things in life than being a fashionista. would love to dress better than I do but I'd rather be out with my kids having fun than out shopping for the latest in trendy clothes/shoes. btw - wearing flats and not having a pedicure does not mean that you have "let yourself go" although I admit that I really need to go to a colorist ASAP.

Of course people who like to dress nicely and wear makeup are going to tell themselves that this somehow makes them superior, and those who don't bother are going to insinuate that they are a better parent or care about "more important things." Neither one of these things is true.

I go through phases of being really well-put-together and totally letting myself go. I never regret putting in the extra effort to look nice, but there are many times when it's just not a priority. I'm slightly envious of the moms who look perfect at the playground, but I don't think it's made any difference in my life one way or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the appearance-conscious PP from FL and yes, we dress better in Boca than Bethesda, b**ches. I believe that if you don't care how you look, no one else will, including your SO. I also believe in embracing my femininity rather than rejecting it. When we discard what differs us from men we lose. I do wear heels higher than 3", namely wedges that afford me more stability to do a fireman's carry for a toddler in the throes of a tantrum. I encourage all mamas to try and look their best on whatever budget they may have. The link between looking good and feeling good is far too strong for you detractors to dismiss. My routine in the a.m. (makeup, hair, wardrobe) never exceeds 20 mins.

I like to look neat and put-together but in a classy way. I certainly don't aspire to the "Boca look." The style I see down there is gaudy, trendy, trashy, and ostentatious, including but not limited to ridiculous inappropriate heels. It's great that PP can rock that look and feel good about it, but that is certainly not what you need to do to look good.

Also, PP, you might want to spend less time on your hair and makeup and more time on your grammar and writing. If you live in DC, that will get you much further than tight jeans and a belly shirt.