RETHINKING MY CLOTHING

My husband and I went to an art supply store in New Haven last Friday and parked directly opposite the Yale Art School Building.  Not having any artistic abilities, I quickly exhausted my tour of the store and the array of Sharpies offered and settled in at a table in a restaurant across the street to people watch on this bright and sunny early fall day. 

Lots of people went in and out of the art school building wearing the typical utilitarian cargo pants or tattered jeans and school logo sweatshirts with canvas and nylon messenger bags or backpacks.  But some of the people going in and out of the building as well as some passersby looked just SPECTACULAR! 

One woman walked by while talking on her cell phone.  She was wearing a short black coat, bright red tights, a purple pashmina with chunky bright yellow earrings.  You wouldn't think those colors would look good together but they did!  Another woman walked by with bright aqua tights, drab green military sweater, a fuchsia scarf and a RED purse.  WOW!   And there I was in my "uniform" of black pants, crisp white shirt, black sweater and black purse....hmmm....BORING!

I've always dressed conservatively, just adding brighter hues in the summer.   But even then, my purse will match my shirt or my shoes or my jewelry.  Although I'm not 25 anymore (or even 35), I don't have to have such DULL clothing.  I came home and looked in my closet and what did I find?  A few pairs of khakis, about 40 white shirts and more black than I could count.  There are a few -- very few -- striped or solid color shirts and a green sweater or two, but that's about it.  I do have tons of scarves in bright colors but I'm not sure why I feel they have to match something to wear even them.

With that in mind, I went to T.J.MAXX this week.  Well, I found a great black sweater and another gray sweater.  I got home and realized that my first foray into change didn't work out so well.   Yesterday I went to Bloomingdale's at the Short Hills Mall.  When I got to the register I had a really nice gray sweater and a white blouse in my hand, so I just put them back and left.

Now at my age I certainly don't want to look like a Red Hat Lady (sorry, if you are one) or too crazily eccentric, but I'm going to work hard at not wearing a white shirt, black pants and maybe a green jacket tied together with a green and black scarf.  I'm going to go boldly out in public in clashing colors!  Just not today, and probably not tomorrow, but soon!  And when I do, I'm going to add a new picture to my profile.  Just don't expect to see me in anything orange; I HATE orange, and not shocking pink since I'm not crazy about that color either.  Probably not lavender, or yellow, either, but I'll find something.