The other night on Twitter I saw a comment that really kind of shocked me.  It had to do with someone making fun of all the discussions surrounding “What Should I Wear” or “What to Wear” to BlogHer ’10.  It would appear this person wanted to make a point about the “real” way to approach a conference and the “real” point of interacting.

It’s interesting to me that this person would think that just because you want to discuss fashion that you may have missed the point that conferences like BlogHer serve greater purposes like new connections, new friendships and tons of education.  As if discussing what you want to wear and being excited about getting a little dressed up or buying a new pair of shoes was all that defined you as a woman or an attendee.

I found it really sad that by making this comment it could deflate the enthusiasm of a newbie/first time attendee.  Where’s the Blogging with Integrity?  Where’s the support for others to come and join the fun and learn?  Exactly when did it become okay to limit the discussion on the internet to only what YOU find interesting or acceptable?  The internet’s big enough for all discussions – so back off the clothes, if you don’t mind, and consider for a moment a few things.

These are women – traveling to a conference who may or may not know a soul and want that extra shot of confidence from looking and feeling good.  LET THEM.  PROVIDE GUIDANCE.  HELP THEM OUT.  If you had a big job interview with a large organization you’d think about what you want to wear and make sure you’re outsides matches the confidence you have your abilities inside.  This is no different.  People want to dress appropriately – why is that so wrong to discuss?

These are also SMART women who know pretty clearly that two days of educational sessions and hours and hours of networking during fantastic experiences are not successfully executed solely on their wardrobe.  An uninteresting and narcissistic asshole with nothing to offer in Dolce & Gabbana pants is still an asshole.  We’re all old enough to know that by now.

And if you happened to have looked on the schedule for BlogHer you’ll notice there’s a fantastic ROYO session specifically for those of us who have an interest in fashion and blogging about it. 

So I’d ask you to give these women a break – and the benefit of the doubt while you’re at it.  For the hours and days and weeks and months of hard work of being a mom and wife and an employee and a daughter and a friend they put in, they are allowed to be excited about a great few days away to celebrate themselves and stretch their wings.  And if they want to get excited about what shoes go best with those wings – well more power to them.