A good outfit is never wasted

A friend said to me once, after a bad date: “That was such a waste of a good outfit.” At the time I didn’t object, because I knew what she meant: this wasn’t worth all the time and effort I put in to look good, this wasn’t as special as it should have been. But it got me thinking. Is that where the overdressed and underdressed concepts come from? Because truthfully, a good outfit is never wasted. The way you feel when you have put some effort into looking good, the confidence boost, that feeling comfortable in your own skin (if not in your high-heel shoes )… that’s never wasted. (Plus, as I learned in New York, it’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed )

There is a stigma here in Switzerland, attached to becoming a mom. Maybe because public school hours make it impossible for a mom to do much with her day aside from a couple of quick errands and making lunch before the kids get home, which means most moms cannot work outside the home or have any semblance of life – in other words, you are basically forced to become boring.
If you ever felt that there was a divide between moms and women who don’t have kids… well, that is certainly true here. That image of a mom who has little else going on in her life aside from her kids, that image we have been fighting against – because as I have said before, giving birth doesn’t rob a woman of her intelligence, her talents, her ability to do things – that is almost a given here. Which pisses me off way more than the staring and grumpiness and high prices and general lack of fabulousness.

So then you end up feeling like your life doesn’t justify putting an effort into looking good. Like it’s a waste of time. Well, f*** that. I have been there and in addition to being bored, you also end up being depressed and self-conscious and uninspired and you start dreading meeting anyone you know while you are out running errands.

Which is why most days I make the effort to pull on a pair of dark wash jeans and  a cute top instead of my exercise clothes, and why I take 5 minutes to put on some mascara and lip gloss, even if I’m just gong to drop my daughter off at school. Because it makes me feel more energized, less bored, more inspired. Because maybe the day isn’t bringing anything exciting, but what if it does and I’m not dressed for it?
Because pretty things deserve to see the light of day.
And because I deserve to feel pretty.
And because I refuse to give in to someone else’s preconception of what a mom should be like and look like.
And because I have two girls, and I need to set a good example. And I want them to grow up to be strong, confident, creative and self-assured.

And to know that a good outfit is never wasted. Unless you leave it sitting in the closet.