1) The author conducted an experiment where she wore a formal prom dress to run everyday errands like work, grocery shopping, and going to the pool to understand how people respond to those who dress unconventionally. 2) She received both positive and negative responses, with some people commenting on how nice she looked while others asked why she was dressed that way. 3) Through this experience, the author gained confidence in herself and learned that people often judge others based on appearances alone rather than taking the time to understand the reasons behind how someone dresses.

1. Trying on a New Identity
By: Courtnei Dunn
MCS 238: Cultural Perspectives in Fashion
May 5, 2015

2. Trying on a new identity, for me personally, was very interesting and eye opening to
undergo the judgmental responses, both positive and negative, from individuals from
acquaintances as well as complete strangers. This project allowed me to develop a deeper
understanding of the saying, ‘don’t judge me until you’ve walked in my shoes’ or ‘never judge a
book by it’s cover’. Dressing out of the ordinary for myself made me feel a little out of placed
yet this caused me to reflect upon my identity in a more positive way whether I appear different
to the eye of society or not. The incongruent way of dress that I chose was situational
incongruity. I dressed in a manner that was inappropriate for the occasion because I wore a
formal dress that was too formal for regular day wear. I wore a long, purple semi-mermaid style
gown that I wore to my high school prom. I was completely glammed up as if I were going to
prom because I got glammed and pampered as if I was going to a special event or ceremony. I
wore a full face of makeup that included foundation, powder, eyeshadow, blush, and bold lips. I
got my nails done at the nail shop and my eyebrows waxed. I wore elegant jewelry and I also
carried a clutch. I had on silver glittery high heel pumps and my hair was pulled back into an
elegant hairstyle. I felt uncomfortable being so dressed up but I think this experience was worth
it.
While examining a peculiar way of dressing I wore my formal gown to complete my
everyday activities. On this day I went to work at Simply Fashion, grocery shopping at Walmart,
Rocket Fast car wash, and I also went to the pool at an apartment complex. During these
activities I was involved in many situations such as people starring and the infamous question of
why am I dressed this way. I interacted with many different types of people such as my
coworkers, family, and random people completing their errands on that day as well. There were
people who saw my way of dress and did not interact at all and some people walked by me as if I

3. was in ordinary clothing probably just assuming I just left an event and had to run a few errands.
During my experience I came in contact with individuals who had mostly positive responses to
this experiment, yet there were still a few negative responses. The responses came from males
and females. I had several positive reactions from males actually, many told me I looked very
nice and assumed I had gone to a special event. An elderly lady really loved my dress and
thought I looked very beautiful and a mother and her two young daughters stopped me because
her daughters thought I was a princess. My friends were of course caught off guard and asked
why was I dressed like I was going to prom. My family reacted in the same way and asked
several questions as well. I think the nonverbal expressions from people were what I enjoyed
most about this project because it showed how they were feeling without having to say what I
knew they would say concerning my unordinary was of dress. It was also entertaining to see
because I knew why I was dressed in this manner and I was aware of the different reactions I
would get.
My thoughts and feelings I had about myself prior to me venturing out wearing my
costume was basically me feeling that I was going to be judged for six hours and that I was going
to very uncomfortable and just trying to prepare myself for all comments and feedback, whether
good or bad, and conducting myself accordingly. As the experiment progressed I felt a little
more comfortable, especially at work because our staff I very close and open minded. My
coworkers thought the new identity experiment was a nice thing to do and a great way to see how
society reacts to those who are ‘out of the ordinary’. I did find myself comparing myself to
others at one point because I was uncomfortable for some time. Everyone compares themselves
to others at some point whether it’s a celebrity, role model, or peer. That is just human nature,

4. but I feel accepting yourself for who you are empowers an individual to have more confidence in
themselves.
The reviews I received seemed consistent with my program of dress. My expectations
were already set regarding the reactions and responses to the way I was dressed and I believe I
was consistent with myself by controlling my reactions as well as acting normal as possible even
through any negativity. I think I was challenged by the experiment in itself. Meaning just by
having to conduct the experiment I was going into a situation that was going to challenge me
emotionally anyway because it is taking me out of my ordinary norms. First going into public
places with an elegant formal dress on and a full face of glam makeup for no apparent occasion
made me a little self conscious in a sense but as the experiment progressed I began to feel more
comfortable. Going to the car wash and the pool was very awkward mainly because the crowd
seemed to be more youthful which peers are very opinionated and careless with their actions and
words. There were several factors that affected my accuracy in interpreting responses from other
based on an individuals age, gender, as well as thought processing. Some individuals do not
think before they speak or respond to something and that maturity in most cases come with age
but not always. I learned that people respond to others on the basis of appearance in the same
manner. Instead of getting to know someone personally they are swift to judge based on what
they see and not what they know and the meaning behind a person appearing a certain way.
People assigned my way of dress to mean that I had been to a formal event or special occasion
because I was dressed as if I were and some may have thought I was crazy for having it on. This
experiment helped me learn me gain more knowledge about myself. I know I have confidence in
myself and how I appear to others in what consider to be my ordinary way of dress, but I now
see that I have confidence being in an uncomfortable situation when I didn’t have as much

5. confidence about it prior to this experiment. I see that I am capable of receiving criticism that
will benefit me in the long run. I realize it is not about what people think about me but its how I
think of myself. I feel as if this experiment opened my way of thinking more towards people’s
appearances and the way I perceive them. I don’t know if I would dress this way again but this
was an experience I won’t forget and it has helped me help others when it comes to responding
to others’ appearances.