Post #30 of 40
Giving Up My Dreary Wardrobe
Rise and Shine. Turn on coffee maker. Take Dalton outside. Drink coffee. Wordle. Write. Look at calendar. Shower.
Get dressed: Black pants. Turtleneck. Vest or blazer or sweater. Socks - maybe red or with an interesting pattern, maybe even the daring ones with the statue of David on them. Backless clogs - black, brown, or gray.
My “uniform” makes getting dressed easy.
When I was head of school, I named each day to keep me out of a rut:
Zebra Monday - Wear black and white with another color optional.
Travel Tuesday - Wear a scarf or accessory or jacket I had picked up somewhere other than home.
Spirit Wednesday - Wear school colors or something with the school’s name on it.
Dress Up Thursday - Wear a dress or skirt.
Blue Friday - Wear blue or denim of some sort.
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By March, my southern friends are donning their spring clothes, and I am still covering up virtually every inch of skin, often in black.
A week or so after Ash Wednesday, I looked at the clothes in my closet. The clothes, in ROYGBIV order - with black and white at the beginning - needed some sprucing up. It was time to give up my black and gray wardrobe.
I hopped in my car mid-day on a Monday early in Lent. I left my laptop and Dalton behind, and drove to Wayland Square, determined to find one versatile, colorful accessory or piece of clothing. The ladies in Green Ink are always helpful, but not hovering. Sometimes I browse, and sometimes - like that day - I go in with a purpose. I found myself drawn to the black pants and the black tops but resisted. After trying on a variety of patterned and solid tops (fabulous selection, by the way!), I decided on a blue jacket type shirt with puckered fabric, a cool collar that has a wire to keep it shaped just right, and buttons that look like cavemen carved them. I knew that this jacket or overshirt would go well with black pants, navy pants, white jeans, blue jeans, and more.
The next Saturday, Melinda and I drove to Barrington, Rhode Island for a Lead and Learn retreat sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. I had noticed when driving back from a hair appointment in Warren that St. John’s houses Encore, a consignment shop, so I was excited to check it out during my lunch break. I went to the shop with the intention of finding color. For about a hundred dollars, I bought four colorful shirts, a black and white zig-zagged sweater, four pairs of pants, a pair of earrings, and the cutest, little bejeweled frog pin. If you live in Rhode Island, check out this place!
Two weeks later, I received an email from a shoe company named KLOGS. The company was recommended to me by my podiatrist since I have some major foot issues. The email included a picture of a bright yellow clog and an offer of 50% off of some of their most popular styles. You guessed it - I ordered the bright yellow shoes.
When Good Friday arrived, I had my Easter outfit picked out - the blue jacket, the blue pants from the consignment shop (brand new with tags = brand Soft Surroundings), and the bright yellow clogs. I would NOT be in all black on Easter. And, then it was time to pick up my sister and her husband from the airport.
When Janet unpacked her bag on Friday afternoon, she surprised me with a small, bright red purse - just the right size for wallet, phone, tissues, lipstick, and airpods. So I added this red purse to my planned outfit for Sunday.
When I dressed for Sunday, Janet asked me, “Are you really going to wear those yellow shoes to church?” I told her I was planning on it but wouldn’t if it embarrassed her. She laughed and said she didn’t know anyone there. The yellow shoes really are “too much,” even for me, but when I look down at them, they make me smile!
When we got home from church, I asked Janet to take a picture of my colorful outfit - I wish I had been holding my new red purse in the photo, but I swapped the purse for Dalton. When I got inside and propped up my feet momentarily in the recliner, daughter Elizabeth said, “You have a bandaid stuck to the bottom of your shoe.” As if having bright yellow shoes weren’t attention-getting enough, I guess I displayed someone’s yucky bandaid when I knelt for communion.
On Easter Monday, I opened up the New York Times on my laptop and immediately saw a fashion piece answering a request for ideas from someone who was ready to get out of her all-black rut. I loved that I wasn’t alone in my quest for some color in my wardrobe!
Mark+, the rector at St. Martin’s, has a fabulous sense of humor, and I enjoy our occasional banter. One day, I laughingly said, “You know, I’ve been told I can be too much!” And, without a beat, he said, “Better too much than too little.”
Amen! Watch out Providence, here I come.
P.S. Giving up your dreary wardrobe doesn’t mean you have to wear bright colors from head to toe. The NYT article talked about sandwiching with black. For example, wear your bright yellow top with black pants and a black vest. Make your sandwich filling exciting!
