"I AM" A FASHION DON'T

September 2007

Sometimes it amazes me how terribly un-fashion-conscious I am. I could care less about what's in style or who designed what. My sister once asked me how much I spend on clothes every month. I laughed nonstop for two minutes straight. I couldn’t remember the last time I had bought anything new. But I'm in London now and fashion seems to be very important here.

I guess I could say I've got my own style. What it is, I'm not sure. I had a meter maid guy take my picture today. I look like a cross between an 18 year old skater boy and an 80 year old peasant woman. What was I thinking? I know what I was thinking... comfort. It's warm, so the pants were comfortable. I was going to get my hair done, so the t shirt was a good choice in case the beautician got any coloring on it. The scarf, well, my hair was a mess. The sweater was because it can get a bit breezy in the shade. The shoes, were comfortable, but the black socks with the shoes? Well, if I don't wear socks with those shoes my feet get sweaty and the only other clean ones were pink. And the purse, black SportSac with zippered compartments, is practical for travel. So, what looks like a sloppy haphazard kind of look actually has a lot of thought and purpose behind it.

When I was a kid we had good clothes, and regular clothes. You didn't wear your good clothes except to church or for some special occasion. That sort of thinking has stuck with me. I remember once my husband and I were going to the grocery store and he put on his 'good' sweater. I didn't understand it. But he was right. He knew how to dress to always look his best, even if it wasn't practical. A lesson sorely missed on me. There should be no distinction between good clothes and everyday clothes. A dress shouldn’t hang in your closet for a year waiting for the right occasion to wear it. I need to start wearing my good clothes more. Too bad they're still hanging in my closet back home.