Anyone who knows me would wonder: What could have possibly happened for Nancy to have such a bad time in a place where she feels so at home? It wasn’t so much what I saw. It was how it made me feel.
In a place where I have been known to literally spend hours (sometimes without buying a thing!), I felt like I had landed on another planet and emerged in some strange and foreign place. For the first time since taking an interest in my appearance when I was 10 years old, I was confused and unfamiliar with the landscape before me.
As I navigated the racks of clothing, I struggled to push out the taunting voice of insecurity telling me that this was it: I’m too old to “get” these style and I have no business shopping in this store because I don’t look like I used to! Gasp. It’s not like I had walked into Hollister or American Eagle. I was in age-appropriate stores yet, I felt like I was stumbling through a house of mirrors.
Out of this harrowing experience came the realization that, yes, I would have to relearn how to dress myself. It’s frightening but somewhere along the way I had fallen off the fashionista bus. What once came with such ease was now a struggle! I was dismayed and defeated. That night I did what brings me a Zen vibe on a bad day: I visited my favourite online stores for some eye candy and studied the outfits they put together.
Not only did this help me relax, but it was also a great refresher. Looking at complete outfits, I was able to examine at how the overall look was pulled together by identifying the formulas for pairing certain styles and shapes together. For example, slim fitting bottoms need to be paired with a loose, flowy top.
Then I had an idea. Why not create a shopping cheat-sheet? It’s easy to get discouraged or distracted (or both) while in stores, so making notes (like categorizing styles and noting what they pair well with, as well as what would suit my size and shape) would help me stay on track and avoid having a perfectly wondering shopping trip ruined by frustration or self-doubt. And I am not ashamed to say that I plan to take this cheat-sheet with me when I venture out next. If I need it, I have it.
It was hard to admit that dressing myself doesn’t come as easy as it once did. The reality is I don’t want to spend hours coordinating outfits. I do however, want to feel pulled together (hey, at least I can give the appearance of having myself together!). So my next few posts will chronicle this adventure. I’ll show how I do my research, I’ll share tips for categorizing clothing, picking the best pieces for your body and budget, and help you prepare your own little cheat-sheet, and I’ll give updates on my progress as I learn to dress myself again. Yay!
No comments:
Post a Comment