In my understanding, few men would notice if I wore the same dress twice. Out-competing other women for men only makes sense if the men notice. The level of attention to dress that will impress most men is lower than the level that will impress most other women. So to the extent that women are dressing carefully to impress men, it's largely mediated through other women. Women may snark to men, or to other women in men's hearing, about other women in order to jockey for status. (I realize this isn't an Austen crowd, but think Miss Bingley snarking to Mr. Darcy about Elizabeth Bennet.)