Fashion in the Age of Casualism

In today's American society, we live in what I call the Casual Era. This is the age where jeans are acceptable everywhere, and few men wear neck ties to the office anymore. We have come to this place as a culture because we cherish being comfortable. I am guilty of just as much, but I have found a niche that can maintain comfort, yet turn heads. Many women who shop for fashion these days, shy away from what appears to be "dressy". However, the dressy styles can now be mixed and matched with casual items to make an outfit that can show off your best looks.

You may be asking yourself, "Why in the world would I want to take the extra effort to dress up in today's society? Comfortable clothes are in style and it is perfectly acceptable to wear my favorite slouchy jogging suit to a PTO meeting." I'll tell you the answer to this question: It's not important to dress it up a little more for your boyfriend, your husband, your mother, or if you're single, the guy you're trying to impress at work. It's important for making you feel fabulous. If you are struggling with feeling self-confident and extraordinary, I want to give you some tips on how to get to that place, not for anyone else, but you. Here's my story of how I found out how "dressing it up" just a little made me feel better about myself than I have ever felt before.

Growing up as a young southern girl, my favorite things to do included playing sports, fishing, and water skiing. I liked doing the things most boys like to do, and I hated playing with dolls and purses. I managed to flounder through my junior high school years as an unpopular, ordinary girl who dressed mostly like a boy. Boys would rather be my best bud and play a game with me than to ask me out. As, I grew into a woman, my dates with young men were rather non-chalant and "friend-like". Something was missing in the experience. Not only were the guys very indifferent, but the lack of confidence in myself was also adding to my dispassionate dates.

When I became 30 years old, I remember one occasion where an individual asked me, "Do you have a boyfriend, or are you dating anyone?" I immediately broke down into tears stating, "No! All the boys want to date a Miss America!" Not long after that incident, I began to re-evaluate my blame placement. Was it the boys' fault that I was failing in my intimate relationships? I came to believe that the blame actually lay in the fact that I was not taking an extra effort in how I looked, and therefore, failing to increase my own self-confidence and ability to make personal relationships with my dates.

I decided to start doing things differently just to see what happened. I first started to make a change by purchasing different clothes. Clothes that were not loose and baggy, but tailored to my body style. Clothes that showed off my good features, and hid the bad ones. In the past, my fashion sense included jeans, an oversized shirt, and my favorite pair of tennis shoes or a chunky set of trendy shoes. But as I started "dressing it up" a little more, I began to hear others say things like, "Wow, you look so great!"

I then decided to get a new chic hair cut and color. The day after I left the salon with a new hair style, I put on a candy apple red dress that buttoned all the way down the front. While I was out for the day, I rounded a corner and a friend stopped with his mouth open and said, "Wow, you look like you've just stepped out of a Vogue magazine!" In my opinion, my natural appearance was not one of striking beauty, but I had just discovered a secret that did something special for me. I found how to feel better about myself and I want you to have this secret too.

The secret is in "dressing it up" a bit. If you are a mommy or a wife, it may seem like too much trouble to "dress it up," but it is well worth how it will make you feel. Below are some tips to help if you're in search of something to make you feel better than ever.

Get a trendy hair cut and color. A good hairstylist is difficult to find. If you cross paths with someone who seems to have a great cut and color, stop them and ask, "Who does your hair?" Usually, the good ones are a little more expensive, and you have to book an appointment at least a month in advance, but it's worth it!