Authentic Style

A friend and I recently visited a clothes boutique filled with all things beautiful. While we discovered some items that we didn’t understand where to wear and other items that we couldn’t figure out how to wear, the clearest discovery was that we didn’t have a clue as to what to wear. It wasn’t that we were frozen in decades past armed with shoulder pads and mall hair. It wasn’t that our bodies had altered dramatically over time and we needed a new wardrobe, filled with new sizes, aimed to display trim waists and firm calves. Perhaps it was simply that we didn’t know what image to present to the world.

Other than weddings, funerals or other rare and random occasions, I have only seen my mother in jeans and t-shirts. She is balanced with herself and her clothes reflect her confidence that comfortable Levis will take her anywhere she wants to be and are good enough for anyone with whom she would spend her time. I would like to mirror my mother and wear jeans every day, but I would pair them with crisp white shirts and shiny silver bling. Of course, I can’t wear this desired uniform into the business world. Working women with impressive signature styles perfectly tailored for the workplace race to meetings on stiletto heels lugging designer bags filled with dermatological and manicure appointments. Other working women who are free spirits from the ‘60s exist and reconnect to peace emblems on shirts and earrings.

Men have style as well. My grandfather wore overalls every day. They were patched and faded with innumerable zippers and pockets carrying treasures. They defined him and his life on a country farm. Everyone seems to have found definition and I could shop for others more readily than for myself.

As my friend and I strolled through the Farmer’s Market, bought early Christmas presents and enjoyed a long lunch, I reflected on her style. She wears a gentle and kind heart on her sleeve. She clothes herself with love of family and friends and nurtures both with goodness. She adorns herself with strength and compassion. She layers her body with a zest for life that emanates from within and frames her soul.

As for me, I accessorize with distincively styled friends who are authentic in nature and genuine. I put on pajamas or faded jeans when I come home and decide to worry about what to wear to work on some other day. Style and image are important; however, I believe that what I wear during work time is so much less critical than who I choose to see in my free time.