Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Miss Maryland USA: From the Inside Out (Tangent #1)

"I love pageant weekend" I tell my guy friends, "because it's totally ok to discuss hair products and sparkly accessories and shoes and outfits and it's TOTALLY ok!"
"Mmmhmm"
"See? You weren't listening!"
"What?"
"*(Sigh)*Football?"
"Mmm, yep. What's up?" Despite my 5 years of all-girls school, involvement in a sorority, RA for 24 young women and modeling careeer, I can't turn away from the prospect of a solid 72 hour weekend of talk exclusively dedicated to being your most beautiful self, inside and out. One thing I've learned from my perpetual involvement in all that is concerned with beautifying the external self (trust me, a plastic surgeon RANDOMLY followed me on Twitter) it's the inside that matters, primarily. I've noticed that even when I'm in the most fabulous clothes and made over by some of the industry's best, if my interior is disgusting, no matter what I'm wearing will look horrible and ill-fitted.

Speaking of fitted, I was outfitting one of my guy friends for rush and he has a fabulous wardrobe, but let's just say, we'll have to work on how to hook it up. So, this fashionista rifled through his closet and handed him an oxford, polo, plain front khakis and cherry red Sperrys and a light sweatshirt. We all know layering is "in". So a couple minutes later, all pieces assembled of the ensemble, I stood back critically. The look on his face was telling.

"What's up?" I said, proud of my accomplishment, and partly proud that I could dress women and men successfully"What do you think?"

"Mmm, I like it, but it's not me."

"You sure? Maybe the shirt's not laying correctly? Or needs pressing?" I hauled and pulled at the material to no avail, only to realize my friend was right. I totally had an outfit that would have worked had I been a male, but I'm not.

So I watched as he changed the khakis to bermuda shorts, and removed the sweatshirt and added a rugged leather belt.

Done, done. I beamed, he looked in the mirror and beamed. I knew he found himself in the ensemble.


So, here's the point of the story: if you're wearing something that costs millions, but you feel mediocre, that priceless garnment will appear to fit the same way you feel. Likewise if you feel fantastic in a hand-me-down, that outfit is yours undoubtedly and will make you look like a million bucks. Catch my drift? Ok, so when you get dressed in the morning, wear what reflects the you on the inside.

I do. :)

Happy dressing, much love,

<3 SF