I love getting dressed. I live for that brief moment of anxiety that creeps up after making plans when you pause and think, “What am I going to wear?” The wheels start turning, your entire wardrobe is suddenly all wrong and you are just about to give up when BAM! It all comes together. Now, you can relax and get excited about how good you’ll look and the fun you’ll have. I find the workings of the mind that come together from trying to figure out what to wear exhilarating. It’s the thrill of the hunt, and what better hunt than one in the name of fashion?
Ever since I was a little girl, things like dress down days, basketball games and even going to the grocery store with my mom were all small but significant enough opportunities for me to show the world who I was based on the clothes I wore. In the process of doing this, however, I would often get questioned. My parents would ask as I approached the door to leave, “Is THAT what you’re wearing?” This to me was by far one of the most uncalled-for questions one could ask with one minute to spare post getting ready for a solid half hour. Yes, obviously, the clothes I’m wearing are in fact the ones I will be leaving the house in.
My parents weren’t the only ones. I’d wear a fully thought out outfit to middle school skating parties while my peers wore graphic T-shirts with jeans. I stood out like a sore thumb daunting my bought-to-be-worn-together-for-the-small-occasion outfit. I find absolutely nothing wrong with wearing a simplistic but still dressy olive maxi dress to a casual luncheon with the girls. I live by the phrase, “If you like it, wear it.” I am also a firm believer that no outfit is complete without a little bit of bling. Something as small as a triangle charm necklace and some stackable rings can seal the deal to complete the ensemble.
I come from a fairly small and slightly fashion backward city where few events come up that allow a Fashionista to get dressed up for. Because of this, I’ve overcompensated by deeming every day a reason to get dressed up and can’t fathom any reason as to why others don’t live their lives the same way.
When I was younger and first started facing the question, “Is THAT what you’re wearing?” I’d begin to doubt myself. I’d think maybe I should change. This may be a little much after all. As the years went by, I learned to be less intimated by this trivial question, and instead, became empowered by it. I now smile with pride when people comment that I’m too dressed up. Sometimes, I’ll even give it right back and question the casualness of the interrogator’s outfit. So, yes, to answer your question, this is what I’m wearing, and I won’t change for anyone.
