Confession:  I am a clothes horse.  I love clothes…always have and always will.  So, my closets are stuffed with clothes.

I realize most people do not enjoy clothes (or shopping for them) as much a I do. I get it.

My two cents on clothes today is in regard to appropriate attire.  It seems that more and more, our society seems to think that if a person owns a pair of jeans (or evening dress or tank top – you fill in the wardrobe item), that it is appropriate to wear it wherever they go.  Oh contraire, mon amie.

Maybe it would help to think of our clothing as separate wardrobes.  For me, I have a work/church wardrobe, a casual/weekend wardrobe, an around the house wardrobe, a sleeping wardrobe and a formal wardrobe.  Many times, shoes, purses, accessories, and clothes may only be appropriate for one wardrobe.  For example, my favorite sweatshirt that I have had for about 30 years is mostly for wearing around the house and yard work.  My peau de soie evening shoes are best paired with a cocktail dress or long dress for a more formal occasion.

I have always been told to dress for the job you want.  I think this holds a great deal of validity.  I once had a coworker say that she would never get promoted because she was young.  In my mind I agreed with her because she dressed very casual and youthful.  This has nothing to do with job performance, but her attire underscored her youth and inexperience.

Please don’t misunderstand, I think a person needs clothes for how he or she leads their life and quantity does not matter.  What matters is that we present ourselves in a neat, clean manner that is appropriate for the situation.  This may mean doing a little Internet research to find out if a restaurant is casual or requires a jacket and tie for men. Of course, written invitations should provide a guide as to the formality, or lack thereof, for an event.  Sadly, many hosts and hostesses aren’t aware of this, so you can’t always take a directive from the invitation.

Dressing appropriately makes a person more at ease, shows respect for the setting/event/hosts, and shows a pride in oneself.  So, go ahead, put your best foot forward!