Clothes do not make the man, but they do make a statement about how you feel about yourself. If you think that you aren’t worth the effort you are wrong. Weight Watcher magazine (www.weightwatchers.com), (any issue), features a style page to help readers pick flattering clothing no matter what size they are. It is statement that all fashion magazines would do well to emulate.
Take a seat at your favorite café or coffee shop and do some people watching. What do you see? Some people look reasonably put together but many more do not. When it comes right down to it you are more than what you chose to wear, but how can you convey that message to others? What does your wardrobe say about you?
It is easy for a man, although some of them look pretty discombobulated too (whoever decided that a 5 o’clock shadow 24/7 looked good…well, it does kind of, but would a woman get the same response if she forgot to comb her hair)? It is a little harder for women. Looking fashionable is hard work and often not very comfortable. Have you noticed that you can usually tell what kind of work a woman does by how she dresses? Nurses aren’t the only ones wearing uniforms. You can usually pick out the teachers and the social workers and even the attorneys by that they are wearing. The bottom line is that no matter what the fashion designers say, comfort rules. Only on television will you find a Medical Examiner wearing high heels to a crime scene or a spy for heaven sakes, what is wrong with these people.
Working and exercising at home means that I like to wear sweats or “dress-up” jeans, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy following the fashion news in the newspapers. I love reading the articles by Teri Agins (askterri@wsj.com) as she fields questions from her readers. Her ideas about how much money or time people spend on clothing are a little over the top, but I can live with that. Sometimes I think she is totally out of it, like the time she told a female dentist to wear dangly earrings and high heels to spruce up her image. I mean do you really want a dentist teetering on high heels working on you? Still, she is often right on the money. This morning (Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2012) she fielded questions by some 60 something ladies. They wanted to wear something besides slacks, but had been unable to find skirts and dresses that were attractive as well as forgiving for the older figure. The fashion industry has pretty much forgotten about older people in their wild desire to sell youth. It is unfortunate but short sleeve dresses, low necklines, and short hemlines really are not for us. Real women want adequate coverage and clothing that is kinder to older waistlines while being attractive and comfortable. I know that is a big order for the fashion industry but please….. The recommendations were for better foundation garments, empire style dresses with longer sleeves and to have a tailor help with stylish alterations.
You might also enjoy the Sense & Style suggestions by Christine Schwab in Arthritis Today magazines (atmail@arthritis.org). She goes to great lengths to find ways to perk up your flagging spirits by using colorful accessories. What do you wear when you want to feel particularly good about yourself?
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