What to wear today?
I hate that question and yet it is the question with which I usually begin my day.
There I was this morning frowning in front of the closet trying to decide what the heck to wear when I noticed Hubby standing by the door looking at me. He just smiled and said "I wish I knew what exactly goes on in your head that makes this simple daily procedure so difficult for you each morning". There he goes, the engineer in him trying to find the scientific meaning of things...... It's easy for him... all he has to do in the morning is check that his tie matches his shirt and that it doesn't have food stains on it!
.... but it did get me thinking. Why is it so hard for us girls to decide what to wear every morning?
If you're like me, I desperately hate this particular moment of the day. I can take the getting up and out of a warm comfy bed, I can take the cold hardwood floors against my warm bare feet, I can take the turning on the light and blinking my eyes till they get used to it, I don't mind the hopping into the shower all dry and coming out soaking wet.......really, none of these other tedious morning tasks bother me.... but as soon as I'm standing there in my bathrobe staring at those rows of sweaters and tee’s, and those hangers with skirts and pants, I can’t help the automatic "urgh!" that comes out of my mouth.
Why is it so difficult?
Getting past the relatively easy choice of underwear, then comes the tricky part of deciding: skirt, pants or suit?
Ok, let’s say skirt… even though that means I’ll have to walk through those long Paris subway corridors at a relatively slow pace because you can’t run in a pencil skirt and high heels, but so be it... ….. only wait, if I wear a skirt that means I have to wear stockings. A quick check in the stocking drawer confirms my fear of not having a pair of clean/non-run stockings… and seeing as my last wax appointment was over three weeks ago… well… skirt is out.
So pants then…. Except I wore my black pants yesterday and my light grey ones are dirty… the blue ones had the hem come undone last time I wore them (note to self: take blue pants to tailor to get fixed)… that leaves the dark grey ones (slightly bell bottomed… not very professional), the black ones with white stripes (I’d have to wear my white shirt which is at the cleaners) and the brown ones (which make my butt look big).
Pfffffff !!!!
So a suit then? Ok… my grey chequered one is nice and it’s clean… I take it off the hanger and lay it on the bed…. Oh but wait ! If I wear a chequered pattern then that means my blouse should be all black if I don’t want to look like a Picasso painting… I snatch my black blouse and with a sigh realize it’s wrinkled and needs a good ironing… except I don’t have time to take out the iron board and plug in the iron and wait for it to get hot and iron the damn thing… I have to get going!
So what about my light brown suit? I can wear my dark brown sweater (no ironing needed!) with it and it’ll go nicely…. But I have to change my underwear though… this pair of undies will show underneath the light coloured fabric….
Whew!! Ok…. So I’m only running 10 mins late… quickly, slab on some makeup, hair in a ponytail, throw on a pair of socks and my …………….. shoes………………….. uh-oh…. Houston, we’ve got a problem.
My brown shoes are low heeled and my pants are going to drag on the floor (I now remember I bought this suit to wear with my stiletto brown boots thar are at the shoe repair man right now)!!!!!!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Run back into the room to change. I grab my black pants (tough luck if I wore them yesterday) and quickly, hysterically, start looking for an appropriate shirt… Ok, white tee with black sweater… that should work…. NO WAIT!!!!! I have a meeting at HQ in the afternoon; I can’t go to HQ wearing a TEE SHIRT!!! Why oh why didn’t hubby let me buy that lovely grey blouse with silk sleeves we saw the other day? Damn him! It would have been perfect for an occasion just like today, and it was on sale too….. 30% off, I wonder if I go by after work……. FOCUS, FNED, FOCUS!!!!!!!!!!! Shirt, Shirt, Shirt! In the very back of my closet I dig out that old black and white lace blouse I’d bought years ago… I’d forgotten I had that!
I quickly throw it on, .... Ok...... Blouse? Check! Pants? Check! Socks? Check! Shoes? Check! How are we doing with time? ……
……. aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh!
Fned.
P.S. Re-reading this post I realize you must think I'm nuts...... and I probably am too! But hey, Hubby wanted to know what goes on in my head, so there you have it! :D
9 comments:
Nope, don't think you're nuts at all ;)
This post just made me thankful that I am now working from home and don't have to worry about any of that.
But when I worked at an office I would go through the exact same thing every day! It's a nightmare!!!!
My grandma used to tell my mom "Go naked, they haven't seen you that way", the wisdom of previous generations.
Well,there was a woman who wore the same thing for a year! See http://www.littlebrowndress.com/brown%20dress%20archive%20home.htm
It's pretty cool actually. Of course if it was me, I would have made a black dress or maybe a red one.
regards,
Theresa
Very well put, you really reached the essence of the issue. Outfits have to go together, all elements must work, down to the undies not showing and having the proper shoes.
I too am grateful to work from home. But have these problems when I have to go out and act like a grown-up.
Mamacita: You would think that would work for me too (working from home) but actually I'm so messed up I go through the same dilemma on weekends as well!!!! goes to say I'm one sick person. LOL
Manolo: Hahahaha!!! Your comment made me laugh! Definetly a wise (and funny) woman, your grandma!
Theresa: Wow! Thanks so much for the website. Alex's project sure is intersting and I loved looking at the pics. I swear, the day I find a pair of jeans that make my butt look nice and small I'm going to start my own 365 -day-jeans-wearing project!!! LOL
Rivergirl: Hi there! I'm glad to know I'm not the only fashion obsessed gal out there! Lucky you that you work from home... although (see comment to Mamacita above...)... yikes! Thanks for stopping by and do come back!
Fned.
I always swear that I am going to simplify my wardrobe, afterall, I am retired, right? I don't have anywhere the amount of clothes that I had when I worked, but I still have more than I "need". But honestly, it sounds more like you need some "bridge" garments, not enough of your stuff goes together. Or you can invest in a high quality beige outfit (the shade of beige that matches your skin is the right one),a black outfit, and then coloured accessories. By outfit I actually mean, slacks, jacket, skirt and even a coat or turtleneck sweater.
I'm dead serious, it's really drastic but works. Then you can buy a drop dead gorgeous scarf, to also use a top (you tie it halter style) but then you can't take off your jacket.
You have to drag everything out of the closet and see what you have, then make a list of what you need.
I picked beige and black because they are conservative colours, and work well together.
Good luck on the clothing thing, I totally understand!
regards,
Theresa
Theresa: WOW you're good! YOU should live in Paris! :D I defintely like the idea of the scarf/halter top... will try it out one of these days. I see what you mean about buying good "basics" and dressing them up... Thanks for all this great advice!
Fned.
It was excrutiating to read what you go through EVERY MORNING! No wonder you keep needing to buy more clothes and shoes! I support the little brown dress concept! In fact, so much do I hate buying new clothes, that almost all my things are hand-me-downs or bought used (I still have - and use - both the brown pinstripe pants and the black ones you gave me!). The best part of wearing clothes with a history is that whenever I put on, say, that red sweater that used to be Car's, I get to remember the time when it was new - THE YEAR YOU WERE BORN!
As for getting into a panic over what to wear in the morning, why don't you try using your shower time to mentally go over your wardrobe and decide what you're going to wear? Works for me!
Ooohhhh yessss! I remember that from when I worked in Manhattan, but you forgot to add in looking out the window and seeing it's raining... Damn- can't wear THOSE shoes!
Now I just get pissy because I only have 4 tank tops I like and I am constantly washing them... gotta love 80 degree weather in February!
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