jessica albaYou gotta love Jessica Alba for being the picture of confidence and style as far as being a mom goes. She hasn't let having kids kill her fashion sense, she's shed every square inch of baby weight she gained (and she worked hard for it), and she isn't afraid to try new trends that most moms would be a bit leery of.

In a new interview with Marie Claire, Jessica's comfort in her own skin really shone through, as she insisted she dresses for herself -- not for men or anyone else. I have to commend her for putting such an inspiring and empowering message out there for her fans, and I think it's safe to say there are plenty of women who dress for their own comfort and satisfaction. But in reality, the majority of women aren't trying to please themselves or the man in their life -- we're dressing to impress other women.

Just think about it for a few minutes before you start your personal campaign to prove you don't care in the slightest what other women think about how you dress. Because you probably do even if you don't realize it.

Look at it this way -- (most) men aren't slaves to fashion. And while some of them definitely have preferences about what types of outfits they like best on women, the bottom line is that most of the men in our lives think we look sexy and appealing in anything. Women, on the other hand, are much more critical and tend to size each other up and down when we enter a room. We're the first ones to notice when another woman looks amazing -- and when she doesn't. (Sad, but true.)

And I'm just as guilty of dressing in the hopes of looking good for other women as the next gal. When my husband and I have a date night, I never stress over what to wear, because I know he'll be pleased and tell me I look great no matter what I throw on. But if I'm getting ready for girls' night out or a blogging & social media conference? I'll go through at least six or seven wardrobe changes before deciding on a final outfit. Because I know the gals are paying attention -- and I wanna look good. (Is that so bad?)

But even though dressing for other women is something a lot of us do, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. If anything, it just shows that we take pride in our appearances and want to look put together while out in public. And if women can't "ooh & ahh" over each other's outfits and pay each other compliments for a little self-esteem boost -- then what's the point of trying to look good in the first place?

Be honest -- do you take the opinions of others into consideration when you get dressed?


Image via Marie Claire