I’m Underdressed For The Party

The wardrobe for an average American college student consists pretty much of jeans and tee shirts with some sweats thrown in there. You can walk around campus on any given day and tell what kids have a presentation or perhaps something to do after class like work or a date and that’s because they’re dressed up. I mean sure there were some days that I’d wake up and feel like looking cute for the day but that outfit still usually involved jeans. College kids dress comfy.
Naturally since I’m now in the college kid phase of my life nearly my whole wardrobe is tee shirts and jeans with a smattering of nice clothes for such things as family functions. So what I brought to Ireland was what I’d normally wear tee shirts, jeans, sweat shirt, sweat pants and the only skirt I own.

I had heard from a girl who studied in Ireland in the fall that the girls always dress up. I wasn’t too convinced of this. Then I started going to class. They always look like they’ve got a date afterwards. They walk around with heals and a skirt and shame all of us American girls who wear our jeans. Also mind you these aren’t small heals they’re wear some of them walk around with five inch heals on like it’s nothing! If I chose to wear shoes like that to class I’d die on the walk over from my village to main campus.

Clearly my wardrobe needs to be Irish-ized. I think I’ll make that my goal this weekend, to go shopping and get something other than tee shirts. I’d like to be able to walk around campus and not stick out too horribly. I mean I probably won’t be giving up my jeans any time soon because I like them so much but the least I can do is not wear a sweatshirt and tee shirt all the time.

The same code of dress also applies for parties and pubs. Back in the states as long as you showed some cleavage you were good to go at a party. Here you’ve got to have the whole deal aka skirt, heals, nice top, and hair done up. You’ve got to go the whole nine yards it seems. The first few times I went out I wasn’t too thrilled about this idea, mainly because I hate doing too much to myself. Half because I’m lazy and half because I don’t feel the need to look like a hooker.

My not abiding by the dress code for the pub and parties only lasted 2 nights. This was because people would come over and be like “Hey you’re American right?” I hate being picked out so easily as an American… that’s a whole other blog post… That simple inoffensive question made me start dressing to impress when I go out.

Now I’m proud to say I don’t wear jeans to the pub or parties. I don’t stick out as an American till I open my mouth, which is a little better.

Cheers,