I wanted to share this article with you because it echoes how so many women feel about the impact their day-to-day life has on their sense of style…or, lack thereof. But the story has a happy ending and shares hope that even the frumpiest slump can be overcome and more fashionable days lied ahead.
Can I Help You? Jane Boyd – Elle Canada November 2011
I was a freelance writer in uncertain times – which is to say, living the normal freelance life – when suddenly, I had to find a new apartment. I saw a studio that I wanted badly (can you fall in love with a space and a view?), but to get it I needed a job with a guaranteed cash flow – a small miracle: I needed the job that week or I’d lose the apartment. Feeling like I was on a reality-TV show dramatized by a sudden, self-imposed deadline, I put the word out: “I need any steady job in three days – I’ll even work in a store!” Three days later I had a job, in a store, proving that a) miracles exist and, b) people take you at your word. I vowed to remember this last point the next time I offered to help friends paint a room or cat-sit “anytime!” and then signed a one-year lease.
The job was with an upscale fashion retailer in Toronto’s Yorkville district, 10 to 6, four to five days a week, leaving plenty of time to work on writing projects and admire my view. How perfect was this? And then, I had to dress for work. I surveyed my “good” wardrobe – a task accomplished in 10 seconds. One decent skirt and a pair of pants. A black cocktail/funeral dress with a small moth hole. Footwear I could stand standing in all day, not counting slippers, included flip-flops, running shoes and rubber boots.
Years of working from home had taken its toll on my wardrobe – my looks in general. How frighteningly easy it was to wear old sweats and pilled sweaters day after day, to forget about mascara and highlighting my hair – even brushing my hair. After all, who saw me on a daily basis other than the guy at my local variety store and couriers? Even then I could yell from the window “Just leave it in the mailbox, thanks!”
Somewhere along the murky way, dressing down became dressing down and out. I had a signature look, and it said “Let others be inspired by celebrities on the red carpet; I am inspired by celebrities at the airport, returning from long-haul flights!” Note to Colin Firth: When you saw me on the street, without makeup, in worn sweats on which bits of rice cake clung, please know that I don’t usually look like that. (Or did I?)
But now I had to look good. In public. Four to five days a week. I borrowed two designer jackets from a fashionista friend and created four outfits. I made an appointment with my hairdresser, who remembered me. Once I began work, I bought a few pieces with my discount, plus $300 Prada flats, reasoning that they would pay for themselves in no time in the sales commissions I’d earn from customers impressed by my sophisticated style and fashion savvy. (I wasn’t bad at sales, but I lacked a pro’s killer instinct; my pitch was vague, almost apologetic: “If you’re not sure, think about it…” Instead of building customer lists, I dreamed up ideas for a musical about a writer who takes a job in an upscale women’s clothing store.)
At the end of a working day my legs ached, but this was a small price to pay for the weight loss. Diet tip: Standing for eight hours a day works way better than sitting at your desk eight feet from the fridge.
After six months my freelance business picked up, bringing my retail career to an end. That’s when a friend pointed out that letting your looks slide can be symptomatic of feeling that your life’s going downhill or, at least, that you’re standing still. Hmmm. Now things were looking up for me; things were happening. And I had the wardrobe, and the hair, to show for it. I thanked her for the insight and wondered how to use the idea for a song in my musical. Not long after, another friend said, “You look terrific lately; you should keep it up!”) Translation: “You looked like such a frump. Do not let that happen again.”) “No worries!” I said, brushing my newly highlighted hair off my face. And I meant it. Now, even if I’m just going to the grocery store, I put on some lipstick and my Prada flats and check for food stains. The next time I run into Colin Firth, I’ll be ready.
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When I saw this title for an article in Psychology Today Nov/Dec 2010 issue, you know I had to read it. It’s written by one of PT’s bloggers, Heidi Grant Halvorson. The article discusses the pros & cons of being attractive and how our opinions of others can influence our decisions in the workplace.
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