I hate to dress up. I’m pretty much a hippie at heart.
I have a small, functional wardrobe. This works well for day-to-day life in Colorado. I can happily get along at work, church, and most social events. I’m comfortable and I think I look decent.
But when there is an event for which I must clothe myself a bit more formally, panic sets in.
First, a dress. I shop at all my favorite consignment shops. I even go to a few department stores. Basically, I waste two whole days of my life looking at dresses and even trying on a few of them. Finally, I decide. I pick the black dress in my closet that I’ve worn to the last few events. I’ll just wear different jewelry and a new, colorful scarf with it.
Secondly, shoes. Oh, dread. High-heels are out for me. Especially pointed heels. I’ve seen women my age who wear pointed high-heels. They are the ones at the event either sitting down or carrying their shoes by the end of the evening. I’ll be wearing plain, black boots in winter or plain, black flats in summer. So far, so good.
Finally, hair and makeup. My normal routine is to wash my hair and run a brush through it. And makeup for me is tinted moisturizer and tinted lip gloss. Since this is a formal occasion, I’ll go all out and wear real lipstick.
I grab my small black purse and I’m ready to go.
Upon arriving at the event, of course, I look around at all the other women there. I would say these women fit into three basic categories.
Some women look really good. They manage a style to which I aspire, but never seem to quite attain. They are elegant – just the right fit of clothes, shoes, etc. How do they manage that?
Secondly, there are the women who are trying to be more trendy. Sometimes they wear tight-fitting clothes. (I think, “Honey, didn’t they have that in your size?”) Or they wear something they will look back on in a few years and think, “I wore that? What was I thinking?”
Having occasionally slipped into that second category, I now place myself firmly in the last category. These are the women like me, who aspire to the elegant, shy away from the trendy, and look passable.
Next time, I really should save myself some time. I know what I’ll wear to the next event. I’ll be in my black dress and black shoes – sensible and comfortable.