Why Are We Dressing Down-Especially Now?

As we shift from working outside of the home to conducting business from our dining room tables, style may have taken on a new dimension for many of us. 

Showers, zippers and even make-up have become a scarcity. 

This got me curious.  

Why do we feel that we should only feel and look our best when we have an audience? BC (Before Corona as we call it in our house) those of us who traveled outside of our homes to work, volunteer or whatever we did, most likely spent some amount of time preparing -which included selecting an outfit, doing our hair and yes, even applying make-up. 

Now, amidst the quarantine, many are electing for a more relaxed look, and some staples of our dressing are quickly becoming ‘non-essential,’ if you will. It’s reminiscent of black-tie optional. Remember that? 

What Is Going On??? 

Why do we dress down for ourselves? Aren’t we important enough to get up everyday and feel confident in what we wear? 

Yes, I hear many of you-This is a stressful time; I’m eating a lot and don’t want to put on anything with a zipper or buttons;  Who really cares;  As long as I look good from the neck up, nobody needs to know; I miss my family and friends.

Of course, this is all true. I am in no way diminishing how we are reacting to this pandemic- Not. At. All. 

Let’s reframe this a bit. Why would we want to feel any worse than we already do in this time? Not showering, and roaming aimlessly from room to room in sweat pants and bad hair cannot be good. 

Did you dress this way when you had somewhere to go BC? Why are you doing it now? 

Simply put, we don’t have room in our life for bad style!  Not now. Not ever. 

Confidence Is Your Best Accessory, Find It, Wear It-Every Day

I’m strongly encouraging that we prioritize confidence as one of our non-negotiables now and long after this quarantine is lifted.  

Think about when you wear (or wore) an outfit that you and others loved. Yes! Didn’t you feel so good when your colleagues, and in some cases, mere strangers, complimented you on the color of your blouse, your shoes, or how a certain dress highlighted your shape or a lipstick shade made your face pop? It’s time to feel that way right this minute! 

Go into your closet and find those items and pull them out. NOW! Put them on. Wear them proudly. Who cares if nobody can see your sleek skirt, your dress. STAND UP DURING YOUR ZOOM MEETINGS! Show off your style. Twirl that skirt, rock the pants, shoe the shoes! Embrace what makes you happy!! 

I know your hair is long, it may be more grey than you want, but just do something with it that makes you feel good! Wash it, curl it, use the flat iron that may be hiding in a drawer. Use some product that you bought the last time you were at your salon. There’s always new ways to style your hair and this is the time to welcome some change into your life-rather exciting since we cannot welcome humans into our home right now. 

If you’re afraid the pants you last wore to work may be a bit more snug, throw on a dress. Just please, please do something that makes you feel good!!! 

Guess what? This time of only being seen from our neck up is temporary. At some point, we will be allowed to leave our homes and see others. You can smile as you sport that fun lipstick, knowing you choose to look and feel great, no matter what is going on!  

#Fiercely50ish! 

Join the fun in the Facebook Group-Midlife Women Living Fiercely50ish! 

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