Dress to Impress, a Roblox game, has a premise that’s almost too perfect.
Players have five minutes to run around and dress up a character according to a theme. At the end of that time, everyone in the lobby has a fashion show and votes on their favorite look. I’ve just run into one problem: No one likes the outfits I make.
I approached the game as an opportunity to make dramatic outfits that would make a statement. You know, those outfits that you think are really really cool, but you’d be too scared to actually wear? That’s what I wanted to make in Dress to Impress.
I paired an umbrella-like skirt with a feathered halo to give the outfit an extreme, almost X-shaped silhouette and evoke the goddess Aphrodite for a Greek Mythology theme. For a “school trip” theme, I tried to style a classic look with a black-and-white gingham skirt, chunky sneakers, and a layered shirt.
But I never won.
Image: Dress to Impress Group, Gigi/Roblox via Polygon and Image: Dress to Impress Group, Gigi/Roblox via Polygon
I think people trolled and voted for intentionally bad outfits in some rounds (or just didn’t vote). One time, the only male character won a “going to sleep” theme by wearing cargo shorts and a black shirt. But it wasn’t just trolls. My vision and the tastes of everyone else just didn’t line up. Round after round, I tried but failed. And while I could write the other players off as young people with “basic” tastes defined by the Instagram algorithm and mall clothing racks, my frustration points to the coolest part of the game.
Dress to Impress stocks its sleek modern shelving with clothing items across several fashion traditions such as American streetwear, Lolita, and Harajuku as well as classic boho and preppy looks. In a world of monolithic algorithm-moderated trends and fast fashion, Dress to Impress gives young people a place to play with new kinds of looks. It welcomes both kids who think oversized sweaters are peak fashion and digital designers skilled enough to design the next outfit for a Bratz Monster High doll.
Fashion — both virtual and physical — is deeply personal and diverse. It’s not just about being on-trend so much as it’s about having something to say with what you wear. Whatever I tend to gravitate toward might not be what others prefer. Dress to Impress is a wild place where a diversity of tastes play out in real time every single day with thousands of players.
So while I’m heartbroken that I feel like no one appreciated my looks, I’m content to find a style that works for me.
