only try if you want to

When I was younger and unsure if I’d ever be able to make a living as a writer, I fantasized about doing something else. One of those things was fashion styling, the other was costume design. I thought about moving to Vancouver — where I’d be forced to get my driver’s license — and landing a job as a PA. (This was the mid-2000s, when it felt like every show set in the Pacific Northwest was actually filmed in Canada.)   I never moved to Vancouver, and it would be 18 years before I would bother with my license.   One of my bosses at the time, who didn’t think I was a very good writer, nonetheless discouraged me from giving it up: she said that I was “too smart” to go that other route. I always knew the “too smart” thing was nonsense. What I actually think she meant was that I operate too far inside my head to do something that would require constant collaboration. I like reporting because it forces me to talk to people, but then I get to be alone again.   I do love thinking about how people dress themselves — in real or imagined life — and what it says about who they are, or who they want to be. A surge in popularity of a certain pant shape or area of a skin bared can reflect where the world has just been — or where it’s going.   Sometimes, however, thinking about it too much can be exhausting. I typically have such a good time getting ready to go out, even if it’s simply to run a couple errands, because it’s fun to look nice. But have you ever had that feeling that you have a dozen pairs of shoes and none of them are correct? The worst, for me, is when I remember that I own the perfect coat for my outfit but I’m already too far from the house, too far into heavy traffic, to turn around. You can fail at dressing up.   At the moment, there seems to be a lot of perceived failing: lots of people feeling unsettled about what to wear for the “new normal.” What’s right for right now? The answer, of course, is subjective.   For people who make dressing up their profession, there is a determination to get it just right, every time. It’s admirable, but often unachievable.   This coming year, when it comes to dressing, I’m going to think less, try less, and hopefully enjoy more. What I Wrote:  This Tweet storm basically sums it up.  What I Read: Ugh, I'm trying. It's hard! However, I am enjoying this newsletter, recommended by my friend Britt. Also, a PSA, because I found out via their podcast that two of my closest friends haven't read "Who Is the Bad Art Friend?" Please read it! Why? Because it's masterfully reported, and I love the lesson of the story, which is that everyone is an asshole in their own special way. Don't let the internet ruin it for you! Lauren in the Afternoon by Lauren Sherman 245 Monroe Apt. 1 Brooklyn, NY 11216 USA Sent to web.beez.nes.fashiondesignschools@blogger.com — Unsubscribe Delivered by