Recently, I was talking to a friend who mentioned that I could expect to see her dressing more smartly in the future; on packing for her summer holiday she had realised that she has some beautiful clothes in her wardrobe that never see the light of day because whenever she thinks about wearing them, she decides to keep them 'for best'. All very well, we agreed - but what if the day when your 'best' clothes are appropriate never comes? Who knows what's round the corner? You could put on weight, so they never fit; you might lose all your clothes in freak accident; a moth infestation might make confetti of them. So my friend has decided to forget waiting for the day when 'the best' is required, and to start wearing her nicer clothes more regularly.
This has struck a chord with me so I've been trying out this philosphy myself - not that there is anyone to see in the wasteland that is currently expat Moscow - and was very interested to read a piece that one of my favourite bloggers, Plan B, has written, asking for help in choosing what to wear for her husband's 40th birthday party. The theme of the party is 'Favourite Things' and she has photographed herself in various outfits and is hoping for readers comments that may help her decide which one to choose.
The last outfit she shows us is her wedding dress. She looks sensational in it. It put me in mind of a friend in London who, a few years ago, wore her wedding dress to a big party she threw and also looked amazing, ten years or so after the big event. Obviously I am crippled with envy that either of them can even do the zip up on their dresses. That aside, however, the comment I left was long and rambling and read:
'I would say - wedding dress. Of course you may want to keep that mothballed for the girls to use in future years. Although, being realistic, what woman doesn't want her VERY OWN wedding dress (your girls may) and of course the whole wedding concept may be ridiculously outdated by then, and then if either of those things happened you may regret not having given it another outing when you had the chance, so actually, if you want to wear it, WEDDING DRESS! It looks sensational - why not?'
So that's it, ladies. You can expect to see me smartening up my own act, leaving the battered bowling shoes at home, and dumping the spotted, faded t-shirts in favor of something a little more pleasing (to me, at least).
I have to say that I'm not sure I'll be wearing my own wedding dress to any parties any time soon (the ship for my own 40th birthday party sailed 5 years ago and sadly fitting into it at that point was just a distant dream), but the embellished tunics and flirty dresses I've been putting to one side for that special occasion will be brushed off in recognition of the fact that whilst the 'special occasion' per se is currently an insubstantial some-time-never possibility, the clothes are in my wardrobe now, and it won't do me any good to look at them in ten/twenty years time and think 'why on earth didn't I wear that more?'
Life is short - if you want to, why not eat dessert first?
What would you do?
This has struck a chord with me so I've been trying out this philosphy myself - not that there is anyone to see in the wasteland that is currently expat Moscow - and was very interested to read a piece that one of my favourite bloggers, Plan B, has written, asking for help in choosing what to wear for her husband's 40th birthday party. The theme of the party is 'Favourite Things' and she has photographed herself in various outfits and is hoping for readers comments that may help her decide which one to choose.
The last outfit she shows us is her wedding dress. She looks sensational in it. It put me in mind of a friend in London who, a few years ago, wore her wedding dress to a big party she threw and also looked amazing, ten years or so after the big event. Obviously I am crippled with envy that either of them can even do the zip up on their dresses. That aside, however, the comment I left was long and rambling and read:
'I would say - wedding dress. Of course you may want to keep that mothballed for the girls to use in future years. Although, being realistic, what woman doesn't want her VERY OWN wedding dress (your girls may) and of course the whole wedding concept may be ridiculously outdated by then, and then if either of those things happened you may regret not having given it another outing when you had the chance, so actually, if you want to wear it, WEDDING DRESS! It looks sensational - why not?'
So that's it, ladies. You can expect to see me smartening up my own act, leaving the battered bowling shoes at home, and dumping the spotted, faded t-shirts in favor of something a little more pleasing (to me, at least).
I have to say that I'm not sure I'll be wearing my own wedding dress to any parties any time soon (the ship for my own 40th birthday party sailed 5 years ago and sadly fitting into it at that point was just a distant dream), but the embellished tunics and flirty dresses I've been putting to one side for that special occasion will be brushed off in recognition of the fact that whilst the 'special occasion' per se is currently an insubstantial some-time-never possibility, the clothes are in my wardrobe now, and it won't do me any good to look at them in ten/twenty years time and think 'why on earth didn't I wear that more?'
Life is short - if you want to, why not eat dessert first?
What would you do?
I have a permanent "draft" post about not keeping things for best. (Never actually published because I'm saving it for a rainy day.)
ReplyDeleteI don't swan around in good clothes, but I am making a habit of using nice things instead of keeping them for goodness knows what. So, creams, nice paper napkins, beautiful notebooks, etc. are all being used instead of stored.
(I did actually think of wearing my wedding dress to a 20th anniversary party we had, but bottled out. Apart from about an inch at the top of the zip, I could still get into it. Should have gone for it shouldn't I?)
What a fabulously positive, really inspiring post. Since having a baby I have been mainly using the 'practical' side of my wardrobe, but I'm definitely going to start wearing my non-practical clothes more often (and why not?) As much as I love my wedding dress though, I'm not sure there's any occasions coming up I can wear it for!
ReplyDeleteGreat post - need to do more of this myself - trouble is I need a smaller body to fit into all my lovely things...
ReplyDeleteStill at least I wear the lovely shoes and enjoy the nice wine we've got saved for a rainy day
I've never kept clothes for best. I do have a couple of ballgowns that are just too full on impractical for daily use but otherwise I wear what I fancy when I fancy it. Every day is a little celebration for me and my wardrobe!
ReplyDelete▲ WOLF WHISTLE ▲
So true - things kept for best just don't get used so there is no point in having them. I try to remind myself this when something I class as best gets ruined or broken. I would really love to fit in my wedding dress again
ReplyDeleteYou might have just made the final call for me!
ReplyDeleteNot least because I hadn't made the connection at all - I operate that philosophy for the children's clothes (L spent today guddling in the mud in a hand smocked pink dress (which, incidentally, she refers to as her "wedding dress", for reasons that are entirely unclear)), but like you I save mine for a "best" that may never come.
Maybe it's time for that to change.
ps thank you so much for the name check too - you're one of my favourites as well (still gutted we never managed to meet up in SW6!)
pps I was in it, but I wasn't actually breathing... If I do wear it will have to crash diet for the next ten days or move the buttons (am thinking the latter is more likely)....
Love Plan B's comment - 'I was in it but I wasn't actually breathing'...but yes, agree with sentiment entirely. Life's too short x
ReplyDeleteGreat philosophy, I'm trying hard not to keep things for best - use the good china & glasses; wear my "best" shoes for work but it's hard to change the habit of a lifetime. And my wedding dress will only fit me if I wear it on one leg!!
ReplyDeleteOf course, in my day it was referred to as 'Sunday' best so at least you got to wear it once a week. I'm that old. And I can't fit in my wedding dress either.
ReplyDeleteOh, hang on...