Interesting post. I too, find myself the opposite. I wear clean but practical clothes (Jeans and sweatshirts), and go without makeup most of the time. Part of it's having to do outdoor maintenance around the home and I have horses, drive the tractor, etc,. . But there's a party of it that I use to keep some local guys at bay. I am not interested and they continue to pester me so I refrain from looking too good. LOL. Truth.

I think it could be a sort of liberation or your way of grieving and handling the situation to the best of your ability right now, a distraction, of sorts. I don't have any therapy training but I would guess it would probably be normal considering the circumstances.

I think that not only do we need a self confidence boost but we finally feel free--we are recreating ourselves--go for it with gusto

My break up was quite a while ago but I didn't make those kind of changes, I wanted to move back home so I started getting rid of stuff rather than buying anything.

I have almost nothing that would be considered suitable for dating. Between a work schedule that makes socializing nearly impossible and hobbies that require hiking boots and clothing chosen for its ability to carry supplies and extra water, I am fairly ungirly. It was a different story when I was younger but the older I get, the less I feel I have to conform to a traditionaly feminine look

I do have a weakness for boots and wear more jewelry than a typical tomboy does.

I have a whole wardrobe of really nice, sexy date outfits. It depends entirely on what kind of "date" I go on what I wear though.

It's nice to go out on dress up dates, especially if it's something you've never really done. You might discover a whole world you didn't know existed.

If that were me I'd think it was a wish to return to simpler times.
Since my dh passed I've cut the crap out of my hair, bought two pairs of thigh high sock boots...
These days I'm mostly a hermit and rocking the "homeless" look . But I clean up ok.

I went through the opposite: cut my hair off, stopped wearing dresses. I have no urge to date, mate, or copulate, so all the wiggles and shimmies of the mating dance are completely uninteresting and pointless to me. I'm content with the freedom to put my time and effort toward stuff that matters to me. Now that my appearance doesn't matter (beyond the obligate "clean" and "well-groomed" ) I have more time and energy for stuff that really grabs me. It's very freeing.

I mean, yes and no. I began taking care of myself and making myself look nice because I wanted to feel better. It wasn't to get men, or to show him what he was missing, or anything it was just me trying something new to look prettier for my own ego, which he destroyed. I've fallen back out of the habit of wearing makeup all the time, but that's just a "I'm lazy and make up is hard since I can't use my hands well"

No, I am looking for someone who accepts the me I am, not the "girlie girl" who isn't really me.
I'm tough, independent minded, free spirited, and capable, and my no nonsense comfy clothes reflect that, I think.. I'm not always pretty, I work a job that requires getting dirty sometimes. I'm don't think in terms of how pretty I am today, but I definitely feel entirely WOMAN even though I'm a jeans and sneakers kind of woman.
Maybe you are just exploring your own self after your divorce.