I have always had an offbeat sense of style, wearing combinations of clothing most people wouldn’t think of trying, but I have never made much of an attempt to look “nice.” This past week, I conducted a social experiment in which I changed my appearance every day in hopes of eliciting a response from my peers.
Day 1
I woke up at 8 a.m., threw on some linen pants and a cotton v-neck t-shirt and ran out the door without thinking twice. While walking to biology recitation, I remembered the social experiment I was conducting this week, but it was too late. My friends quickly recognized I was wearing what I usually wear: an outfit that requires very little effort to assemble. Once I returned to my room, I changed into a blue blouse, my favorite leather boots, and some nice skinny jeans. I then straightened my hair, applied face makeup, a bit of lipstick and some eyeliner. It looked good enough to me, and I expected to receive a response from my friends and classmates.
To my surprise, no one directly noticed this attempt. A few of my friends and one of the dining hall workers complimented my outfit, but no one else brought it up. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t treated differently; I was. I noticed some prolonged stares and a male student asked me for my number while I was sitting on a bench on Palm Walk, but I am convinced that these changes in behavior were not a direct result of my appearance, but a result of my confidence.
I felt pretty and unique, so my posture and mannerisms must have followed suit. While in the Human Event, instead of reflecting on the text at hand, I reflected on beauty and its role in our lives. I began to understand why people put effort into their appearance; they do it for themselves, not for others. I had an easier time holding eye contact with my peers, and I was smiling more than I usually do.
Later in my day, things took a turn for the more humorous. While eating dinner, a friend notified me that I resembled Jeremy Clarkson, an older English man who hosts Top Gear. I did not expect that my lipstick made me look like a British man, but so be it.
Though observing these changes in human behavior was fun and insightful, I don’t plan on maintaining my appearance in this way forever. Thirty minutes into my day, I smudged my eyeliner, and my blouse was far from comfortable in this heat. No thank you.
Day 2
I went with a bolder look on Day 2 as I was determined to receive a more exaggerated response. I chose to wear a full length, blue wrap dress with long sleeves, accompanied by a Havana-style hat. Beneath the hat, my hair was curled, and on my eyes, I wore brown, glittery eyeshadow. I did receive a response as a result of my appearance, but not the response I expected.
Throughout the day, people stared, but I could not, for the life of me, determine whether these people were praising me or criticizing me. I was mildly uncomfortable throughout the day as a result, but I did my best to own the look. I had not yet decided whether I enjoyed this attention or not.
On my way to biology class, a friend from elementary school, whom I had passed many a time throughout the year, noticed me for the first time. This was concrete proof that I was drawing attention to myself with my appearance. Though I was unsure as to whether this attention was wanted, I felt as though I had the power to manipulate my peers' perception of me; it’s an oddly liberating sensation.
My friends, on the other hand, loved this change. They complimented my outfit choice profusely and offered to take my picture for me. One of them even told me that “my boobs came out of hiding.” Not all reactions were positive ones, however. I was told to ride my broom home on one occasion. I was unaware of my likeness to a witch, but once again, so be it.
I enjoyed standing out. On a typical day, I would fit in with most other individuals, unless I was feeling particularly courageous with my outfit choice.
Reflecting on this, I started to consider the “pretty girl” standard and all it entails. The reactions I received made me see the merit in standing out and looking different than my peers.
Day 3 (The Weekend)
Over the weekend, I decided not to conduct the social experiment. In a sense, it served as the control of the experiment, giving a means of comparison to the other days.
I rolled out of bed Saturday morning, shrugged, and walked out the door in my pajamas. After grabbing breakfast, I still had no motivation to put on makeup or assemble a nice outfit, so I threw some shorts on and went to get lunch with a friend.
The day was pleasant and relaxing; I enjoyed blending in for a while. Later that day, I attended the basketball game during which I wore a free shirt I grabbed while there.
After returning to Barrett, I changed into some leggings and attended a Speakeasy party in the dining hall. I will admit that I was under-dressed for this event; the attire was 20’s formal. It seems as though I am never wearing the proper attire for things.
My appearance really began to make a difference when I attended a party. At this party, most of the females dressed formally, wearing dresses or skirts with a full face of makeup. I, on the other hand, was wearing leggings and a t-shirt. I am glad that I was under-dressed for this occasion. I was more comfortable interacting with other people in my casual attire; it fit the mood.
Day 4
Bitterness set in on the last day of the experiment. I tried to tease my hair and add wings to my eyeliner for the cat eye look. Neither worked. My hair looked like a bird’s nest and my eyeliner smudged down my face.
I honestly don’t know how people do it. I spent an hour and a half getting all dolled up only to look worse than I did when I first woke up.
My outfit, though nicer than usual, didn’t receive much of a reaction. I wore a long-sleeve, frilly top with a black skirt and black leather boots. The only prolonged stares that came from this look was when I was riding my skateboard. I’m sure my outfit seemed out-of-place at the time. It was comfortable at least.
Each day of the experiment left me with a different feeling regarding my appearance. Some days I was happy to receive the attention I did, others, not so much.
The experiment made me consider appearance's role in impressions. Your appearance can tell a person a lot about you. One will make assumptions about your intentions based on of the way you present yourself. This isn't to say that you can't dress as you like when you like, but just know that it will affect others' impressions of you.
At the end of the day, I don’t plan on continuing to place my focus on appearance. I am happy enough with my natural appearance to leave it as is. It would be an injustice, after all, to blend in .
Related Links:
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Reach the columnist at ghirneis@asu.edu or follow @ghirneise2 on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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