Before We Start

I know. You thought the next post would be one of the compare and contrast pieces. Well, you have to wade through one more post. this is a post that will hit raw nerves with some. It is a post about how you present yourself to the world.

Now I admit that I often sit around my home in sweats and flip-flops, no makeup and my do askew. However, you will never see me in public looking like I just rolled out of bed and forgot to look in the mirror to see what if I looked as if I should be on public display. I see far too many women (and men) in the Bay Area looking as if they have no mirror in their home and just go ahead and go out however they happen to be at the moment. This really depresses me.

I went to a place of business last week and met a friend for coffee. There were a lot of people sitting around the lobby so I asked her what was going on. She said that they were interviewing people for a couple of entry level positions. When this came out of her mouth I was stunned. Why would anyone go to a job interview looking that way.

One woman had on a pair of dusty blue, brushed denim pants and a mulberry colored cable knit sweater, no makeup, hair hanging limply to her elbows and a pair of crocs on her feet. Why would I hire you looking like that. Then there was the woman who violated the rule of 'fit 101'. You may have worn a size 10 a year ago but you need a size 14 now. Go ahead and get the larger size so the buttons are not hanging on for dear life on your blouse with gaping holes where your bra shows through.

The men were no better. One had on a pair of faded navy blue dockers with a white shirt that was half tucked in, with a black and white rep tie. He had busted looking penny loafers on his feet that hadn't seen polish in many years. Then there was the one who had on a black shirt with white chalk stripes, collar and cuffs, a red, blue, yellow green and orange psychedelic tie, pale grey pants and brown cowboy boots.

I suggested to my friend that in the future they suggest that the applicants come professionally dressed. Much to my surprise and dismay she told me that they were told to dress professionally. Is this what we have come to?

Even when I was in the Seattle/Bellevue area last fall I noticed that people in Seattle just did not dress. They had no idea that they looked not just unkempt but actually dirty. There were several young women I wanted to stop and ask them if they had ever considered taking a scrub brush to the young men they were with. I don't understand. Doesn't anyone want to dress up anymore?

I don't want to hear that it is a function of money. It is not. It is a function of being lazy and thinking that you are too good to care what you wear and that it doesn't matter. Well guess what? IT DOES!

Like it or not, you are constantly being judged. You don't have to wear big labels or be edgy. You don't have to spend thousands or even hundreds of dollars on clothes. You do need to pull yourself together. You do need to appear to be clean and well groomed. You can accomplish this with very little money and very little effort. I would think that is is harder to look as ratty as I see people looking than it would be to pull on a pair of jeans, a tee shirt and a vest, a great scarf and a pair of sandals. If you don't like scarves then a great belt of bag or earrings would work.

All I am saying is that the next time I go to the ballet, the symphony, the opera etc. it would be great if not one person there had on a pair of ratty jeans. It would be even better if not one single person had on a pair of jeans. I don't care if they did cost $300, they are jeans and they don't go everywhere.

Whatever you wear, wear it with style. Also remember that just because it comes in your size does not mean you should wear it (and that is whether you wear a size 2 or 22). Every garment is not for every body. Run to H&M  and get some great separates. Go to Zara and see what is there. Go to Ross, Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls, TJ Maxx. You don't have to hang out at the big 5 (Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bergdorf Godman, Barney's and Lord&Taylor). You don't even have to shop at one of the Federated Stores like Dillards or Macy's. You don't have to frequent Nordstrom or Bloomingdale's. Go to Target. Go to Walmart. Go to Kohl's. Just make sure that you buy clothes that fit well and that make your statement.

That said, if your statement is I want to look like a bum who is unkempt and unwashed then I suggest therapy. You obviously have some serious self-loathing going on and eventually it will not work for you.

And finally, if this makes me a snob - - so be it. I will never cross my threshold looking like I forgot to shower and get dressed.

a la prochaine

Debra