NOT a Fashionista. Extreme Makeover Needed.

I was at Target this afternoon doing my usual Sunday shopping. As I'm walking up and down the aisles I kept noticing different women and how they were dressed. One woman was wearing skinny jeans and cute motorcyle boots with a cutesy sweater. Another lady was wearing black jeans with black boots and a cute wrap top. And as I'm walking I look down at myself; bootcut jeans, a little on the baggy side, cuffed at the bottom because they are too long. A UVA hoodie and old white PUMA sneakers with grass stains around the toe. And my hair was pulled back in a nappy ponytail. I looked a hot mess! I can't believe I came out in public looking like this! What is wrong with me? The answer to that question: I still dress like I'm in college and I've gotten lazy. The UVA sweatshirt is from my college days which means it's at least 15 years old. And I still wear it religiously every weekend during the Fall and Winter.

Even though I'm just out running errands and getting a little grocery shopping down, I should take some time to put myself together. You never know who you're going to run into. It's a small world. I could run into someone I went to college with. I don't want them telling people how bad I looked! You remember when you were little and your mom would always make sure you're wearing clean underwear in case you get into an accident. Well I feel that way about my "running around" attire. I need to start putting some effort into my appearance. I could use the excuse that I dress up 5 days a week for work (well really 4 because Friday is Casual Day). But I can't honestly use that as an excuse. I do the bare minimum to get myself ready for work - shower, comb my hair, put on clothes that resemble business casual and yet still be comfortable. I don't wear heels.  I have some black Skecher shoes that look like tennis shoes but aren't that I wear to work. And my pants are long enough that people can really see my shoes so no one's the wiser.

These shoes are a life saver! They started off as being shoes I would change into at the end of the day. Now they've become a staple in my work wardrobe.

 I like being comfortable. But being comfortable doesn't mean I should look a hot mess! I need to start dressing like an adult. I need to put more effort in my appearance. This week I started wearing makeup - daily. This is a big deal because I normally only wear makeup when I'm going out. But this week the weather has been nasty and I was starting to get into my Fall/Winter funk. So I decided to derail the funk by doing things that will make me feel better. And wearing makeup actually does make me feel better. I don't know why but it does. I put more effort into my outfits for work. I actually wore heels and resisted the urge to wear my big sweaters everyday of the week. These are huge steps for me. Hopefully I can keep it up.

I need to upgrade my weekend wear. I don't want to be extreme and dress like I'm about to go to a club when I'm only going to the grocery store, but I could try to put my effort in my appearance. And looking good on the outside does boost the self-esteem. You walk taller with a little strut in your stride.  We will see how it goes. The weather has turned cool so it is going to be a struggle not to go back to my UVA sweatshirts and big sweaters. I actually have cute clothes in my closets and some of them actually fit!

Hopefully my "extreme makeover" is successful. Wish me luck! I'm hoping not to go out in public looking like this again!