I was chatting with a friend’s mom during HH* and asked her for some practical advice. You know, the sort of things she’d tell her younger self about dating, self-esteem and life. Ms. E. loves to chat, so I knew she’d drop some major knowledge. One subject she mentioned resonated with me. It was about choosing to look your best everyday. (I’m making attempts to look put together, rather than dressing like a college kid late for an 8:30 a.m. class.) Here’s a paraphrasing of what she said:
Look your best everyday. All the time. Especially now, while you’re young. Do your makeup nice. Fix your hair. Don’t save your outfit for later. Wear your expensive dress. Don’t leave it hanging in the closet. You never know what will happen. You might never get to wear it. Your life can change in an instant. You could get in an accident. You could fall and never be able to wear your heels. You could end up with a condition that makes you gain weight. You could get pregnant, then it’s all about the kids. Don’t wait to look your best. Wear what you want while you’re young. When you’re older, you won’t look back and say that you should’ve looked good. Don’t waste it. Your body changes when you age, and you don’t feel the same. You might not want to wear that dress anymore. I still always keep myself dressed. I dressed when I was younger too. All those ladies at my work were jealous. But you know what, I did it for me. Because I wanted to look good. I wasn’t going to waste my outfits; I wore them! And looked good, too!
For all of you who, like me, think that taking the time to put on a pair of earrings is frivolous, think about what Ms. E. had to say. Her message wasn’t lost on me. I heard it loud and clear:
Do what you want to do now, look how you want to look now, because you might not get another chance at it.
I listened, internalized the message, and took action. The next day, I pulled out that lime green Diane von Furstenberg dress I’d been holding on to for the last few months, crafted a sultry smoky eye + nude lip combo and and took the look out for a night out in Meatpacking. And, honey, I looked goooood.
*What is HH? HH is my acronym for Happy Hour.
