Happy Valentine's Day!

Dearest facebook friends,

As you may have noticed, this past year I have dressed much differently than normal. I have been wearing makeup, curling my hair (when I had a lot of hair, dressing up in retro dresses... Anyway the reason I have been doing all this was for a social experiment.

Last year I was watching the "Today Show" and saw a girl Maya Van Wagenen talking about a book her father gave her. It was a book from the 1950s called, Betty Cornell's Teenaged Popularity Guide. (If you want more information about the book or experiment click here). Anyway, that year she followed the rules in the book and wrote in her diary about the feedback she was receiving from the advice given. She eventually published Popular a Memoir: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek.

I purchased both Maya and Betty Cornell's books and read them. I didn't read all of Maya's book because I didn't want to know how they reacted since I was trying the same experiment. However I did read and follow many of the rules in Betty Cornell's book.

Here are the results...

While walking on campus, I was uncomfortable at first because people were staring at me. Of course, I stuck out like a sore thumb when I am dressed in a frilly mint dress and everyone else is wearing either pajamas or booty shorts.

< This is a picture of my first day at school.

However, that day and every day after that, I started to be constantly complimented on my clothing. It wasn't just student's complimenting me either. Professors, cashiers, random people on the street were all pulling me aside to ask about the way I dress.

I started to gain confidence from their response and began to come out of my shell little by little. Talking to people became much easier and I began to make friends.


Another perk that came from the experiment was respect. When I wear my dresses and look nice, people respect me more. I found that more people would hold the door for me if I was behind them when I was wearing a dress.

Another example of this is, I tend to play with my pencil when I am extremely bored in class. Sometimes the pencil slips from my hand and goes flying across the classroom. In high school, unless it landed by one of my friends, I generally had to wiggle myself in the desk and reach my foot out to try to roll the pencil closer. Now that I dress differently, people are more likely to lean over and hand me the pencil. I know that sounds silly but it is nice.

My favorite moment of respect was a day I went out with some friends. There was a guy in the group I didn't really know well. Despite not knowing him, he came around the car and opened the door for me. I was so surprised that I stood there for a second with my mouth open. That simple gesture was the sweetest thing that had ever happened to me.

Did I become "popular" from this experiment?

No, I did not become what most would call popular; but, I did become more confident and social. I learned that although your personality is very important, the way you present yourself is just as important. When you dress nicely, you project confidence and people are drawn to that.

I have come to believe that in order to be truly loved, you must learn to love yourself... and your cat. Thank you Maya and Betty for teaching me this.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Sincerely,

 

 

 

The Plush Pin-up

 

 

P.S. For those who are wondering, although my experiment is over. I will continue to blog my college experiences and fashion.