Do you ever walk down the street/enter a bar/go out for lunch and feel like everyone else looks way better than you? I get that feeling a lot. Actually for me the common feeling is that of a short, chubby, clothes-are-a-bit-too-tight girl, with messy hair.
To save myself this angst, I have started to pay a lot more attention to how I look (and feel) when I'm out in public, even if that means just out at the grocery store. I'm definitely not one to spend hours on make-up or hair, but I'm done with the days of throwing on sweats, only to walk out the front door of my building and feel my self-esteem plummet. And in addition to helping our self esteem, we never know when we'll run into an ex, or more importantly, when we'll be sharing a subway seat with Mr. Right.
My new motto has been to try to be polished and 'together'. Even if I don't feel 'together' on the inside, I try to ensure my outfit looks half-decent, my hair has been brushed, and there's some aptly applied make-up on my face. If it honestly and truly doesn't bother you, congratulations. For the other 99% of women, spend an extra 10 minutes before leaving the house and you'll be so glad you did.
Gone are the days of scruffy jeans and college sweatshirts?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what Dani means. Apparently there is an unwritten rule (and I missed the memo about it) that states that as soon as you pass, oh, say, graduation, you must look glam and gorgeous ALWAYS. As in, beautifully put-together girls abound at the gym, at the market, at the laundrymat.... I, for one, have never cared that much about how I look, and then slip into these brief moments of depression when I realize that damn it, my sweater is ripped, my hair unbrushed, and I didn't bother putting on lip gloss this morning, and I just walked into that chick I used to know in school who looks like she stepped out of a fashion magazine.
So when that happens, do I (a) brush my shoulders off and think, well, I'm not out to pick up, so why do I need to look like her? Or (b) bury my head in my hoodie, pick up a copy of Glamour and hurry home to pluck my eyebrows?
Sadly (and quite possibly, for my own benefit), more often than not, the answer is B. I've heard it from numerous people before: "You're a professional woman, start looking like one!". Because it's true, we aren't in school anymore, we can afford to spend some money on our appearances, and some day we'll run into our boss, not said college-chick, and we'll want to be looking good. Not to mention our bf's and crushes like a girl that looks kinda nice....
Le Sigh.
So, I think it's time to bite the bullet and join Dani's (and college-girl's) movement to dressing a little better and looking good. Besides, it'll probably feel good to be at the opposite end of those embarassing encounters for a change....