Well its that time of year again when there is a party around every corner and also unfortunately the possibility of a pitfall. Dressing for an event by its very nature, removes you from your comfort zone, whether its for a date or the Opening night of some new swank establishment or even a friends party, you are walking into a situation you cannot fully prepare for. So why I ask myself do so many people try and dress as someone else in order to conform with what is expected of them? Don't get me wrong I am not suggesting you try and completely remove yourself from social expectations and go to your brothers wedding in jeans but there are ways to modify any outfit combination to fit what you need in order to feel comfortable.
Time for a story I think to give a full example, let me tell you about Louise, she's pretty confident and has a fairly good head on her shoulders, usually. She was going out on a date, the first after her divorce and her confidence was not what it should be. Before we went shopping Louise decided she wanted to wear a dress, even though she hadn't worn one in several years, due to her job and life style she's a jeans and t shirt kind of girl (Upgraded, but those are her staples). So I picked 5 options, that would be appropriate for a first date and we got stuck in. Louise took one look and dismissed all 5 options, so we sat down to have a chat as I was clearly on the wrong path. As the conversation continued it became apparent that the dress Louise was hankering after was somewhere between full body armour and a spiders web, ie she wanted the dress to save her from actually going on the date. There were sentences like, "I want to feel safe, I want to be enticing, I don't want him to get the wrong idea, I want him to see the real me and I want to look like I know how to have fun." all perfectly acceptable sentiments, except when put together they add up to clothes as camouflage. I'm no dating expert but as I understand the concept they do tend to have more chance of being successful if there are 2 people having dinner, rather than 2 people involved in a protracted game of 'Guess Who?'. Eventually I persuaded Louise to buy a new colourful, silk top to wear with some HOT jeans she already had, rather than introducing this poor guy to a woman he would never meet again. I'm afraid the date was not destined to be the love of her life but going as herself meant she could concentrate on having a good time rather than whether her skirt was doing something unexpected.
We all love the concept of getting dressed up but invariably, if you are anything like me, go into a flat spin panic at some point in the procedure. This is why it so important to choose an outfit you know you'll feel fabulous in, so that if you are having a fat day, your face breaks out or you end up running late. You are as prepared as possible.
In a situation full of uncontrollable variables, the only thing we can control is ourselves. An enormous part of this is controlling the way we feel about ourselves, which can be bolstered by getting the clothes right, sometimes confidence can be built from the outside-in.
And if all else fails wrap it, strap it and strut it!
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