Dressing up gets a good dressing-down
Some movers and shakers do not dress to impress. But it takes an effort to look this unkempt, says Sarah Rainey
IN 2008, Oprah Winfrey dedicated an entire episode of her show to making over a hapless group of women she dubbed “schlumpadinkas”.
For the uninitiated (and the word is one Winfrey invented), a schlumpadinka “dresses like she has completely given up — and it shows”. The episode featured women guilty of “nonstop frump” — wearing nothing but baggy T-shirts and elasticated waistbands — on whom Winfrey bestowed smart new wardrobes to transform them from “schlumpy to sexy”.
We all know the type. Many of us have indulged in a little schlumping ourselves. You may even be a full-fledged schlumpa who sees nothing wrong with wearing tracksuit bottoms in the car or pyjamas at the supermarket. There is nothing to be ashamed of: dressing casually is comfortable, easy and requires very little thought.
There is no laying out of the outfit the night before, no worrying that your Zara bomber jacket is last season’s — simply fish out those sweat pants, pop on some trainers and a velour top, and off you go.
Indeed, although Winfrey invented her word six years ago, schlumpadinkas are a breed on the rise in Britain. It can be no coincidence that the past few years have seen a boom in the popularity of tracksuit bottoms (an ode to which featured in a recent edition of Vogue magazine), hoodies (now sold by Zara Phillips in her range of equestrian clothing) and scrunchies (sported by the likes of Madonna, Angelina Jolie and even Hillary Clinton).
Dressing down has become the new dressing up, with celebrities sporting gymwear and festival scruff everywhere from black-tie dinners to upmarket shops and red carpet events. Now, however, this phenomenon has an explanation.
A study by researchers at Harvard Business School has revealed that dressing down can lend people an air of “competency” and boost the wearer’s status in the eyes of those around them.
Wearing gym gear in a fancy clothes shop, for example, can create a sense that the person is more of a “big shot”.
“If you’re willing to deviate, there are upsides,” said Silvia Bellezza, one of the three authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of Consumer Research. “In other words, when [dressing down] looks deliberate, a person can appear to have a higher status.”
So, shop assistants in an expensive store in Milan assumed that test subjects wearing casual clothes were more likely to be wealthy and sufficiently confident in their social status not to need to dress up (think Prince Harry’s laid-back cool). Similarly, an unshaven professor was accorded more respect than a clean-shaven academic. Those who live off their looks have known the power of this for years.
“In Hollywood, it’s a given that you dress down most of the time — look how many times Britney Spears and Gwyneth Paltrow get pictured in their sweats,” said Nick Ede, a brand commentator.
“Then, on the red carpet, there’s a transformation that gets the world’s press buzzing. This style law has now filtered through to the masses. It’s not right to be slick and groomed all the time.”
If you want to get ahead, ditch that Chanel trouser suit for jeans and a hoodie — looking like you have just woken up might help you to rise in the world.
When in doubt, turn to those pulling off schlumpadinka chic to perfection . . .
The Gym Bunnies
Pop star and newly returned The X Factor judge Cheryl Cole
Wearing gym gear in a fancy clothes shop can create a sense of importance
is a fan of workout chic.
In a video for her song Ghetto Baby, she sported three-stripe Adidas tracksuit bottoms. It is an ’80s-throwback look that is also favoured by singers Rihanna and Elton John and star actress Anne Hathaway.
The No Makeup Models
Cara Delevingne leads the pack of fashionistas who take the pared-down, could-not-care-less look to the extreme.
Despite being the world’s highest-paid model, the 21year-old’s style can be described only as a mess. But Delevingne seems to pride herself on looking grungy and dishevelled.
Do not be fooled, her intention is anything but — tomboy styles dominated at last month’s London Fashion Week and Delevingne was centre stage.
“I love comfort because I spend most of my time in very uncomfortable things, so it’s all about trainers and flats,” she once said in an interview.
Many of Delevingne’s friends also prefer casual chic: singer Rita Ora and presenter Alexa Chung, whose tousled hair and slept-in makeup have become her trademark.
The Scowling Starlets
Most A-listers spend tens of thousands on their red carpet appearance, but there are some who turn up looking like they have just rolled out of bed.
Step forward Kristen Stewart, Twilight star and one-time girlfriend of actor Robert Pattinson. Her dressed-down look has earned her many a spot on “worst dressed” lists.
Stewart’s anti-establishment scruffiness fits perfectly with her rebellious attitude. To dress any smarter would simply ruin her image. She is joined by British singer Adele, who, though a head-turning glamazon on stage, prefers to wear oversized cardigans, baggy T-shirts and shapeless leggings at lower-key public events.
The Scruffy Billionaires
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has been criticised for attending business meetings and presentations in a hoodie and Adidas slip-on sandals.
Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, wears similarly casual shoes.
In Britain, too, the trend to dress down is slowly taking off outside of the billionaire bubble. The ever growing band of schlumpadinkas will be delighted.