Audrey has such a fun contest going on. A week or two ago she invited anyone reading her blog to put together a favorite outfit or two and send in a photo and now all readers are invited to cast a vote for their favorite. It’s been so much fun to see the post emerge and the fun comments as people gave their opinions. <\/p>\n
What I love best about it is seeing women’s personalities emerge. Ever hear someone say, “that looks just like you?” It’s often because it’s something similar to what you’ve seen them wearing … but what makes them choose that color, texture, pattern in the first place? <\/p>\n
I grew up hearing often that clothes do not make you who you are. It’s true. But I’ve also learned a few other things about clothes. Without me realizing it, clothes often show what is going on inside of me. David noticed this first when he took a load of laundry to the washer a year or so after we were married. <\/p>\n
“I can tell you’ve had a rough week,” he said. “Look at that pile of darks.”<\/p>\n
No kidding. Aside from a few pieces of underwear, the lights pile was pretty much nonexistent. I thought it might be coincidence until the pattern showed up again and again. I wear dark colors a lot because I like them. But when the piles of laundry look that unbalanced, it’s usually because something heavy has been warring inside my spirit.<\/p>\n
I love that when I was growing up my mom let us choose what we wanted to wear. I look back and moan at the horrendous pictures of me in light blue dresses and bright pink socks. “Mom, what WERE you thinking?” I asked her one day. “It wasn’t me,” she said. “I let you girls choose some of your own clothes.” Oh. Now that I have boys of my own I am realizing just what kind of grace that took as a parent. And I’m afraid I’ll have to admit, I am not as good a mom as she was when it comes to kids picking out their own clothes. <\/p>\n
As I grew older and outgrew the light blue bright pink color combinations, I learned that choosing my own clothes was still fun; but that I also loved finding things that made me feel comfortable. I learned that some colors made me feel happy, some confident. And that no matter how often I tried to convince myself, I would never look good in the gorgeous, summery coral color my SIL Jo positively glows in. <\/p>\n
A couple of years ago a friend told me she never forgot what I told her years earlier. “When you’re going to be in a crowd and you know you are going to be nervous, be sure to wear something you feel totally comfortable in so you can forget about your clothes and stop the self-consciousness.” It made me laugh because I did not remember ever saying it, but I still do it. Having a belt that will not stay where I want it or a shirt that forever rides forward instead of staying up on my shoulders or heels that make me be watch my footing are not my first choice for an event that makes me nervous. Just one less thing to worry about.<\/p>\n