My friend Lynn and I were recently talking about what makes people leave the house looking like crap. You know who you are.
It all started with me telling her about my hair and how I'm at a frustrating in-between stage. It's going from my short summer cut, to a little bit longer style. I really liked the short hair, as it was easy to style and I could make it look cute in an instant. Now, it's pulled up on the top of my head in a butterfly bobby pin, with a poof that is not exactly what I envisioned when I began styling it this morning. It's just eh, not really that great.
Lynn said, "Less than perfect?"
I responded, "Exactly. And I hate less than perfect."
"It's just lazy," she said.
I agree with that completely. When you don't take time to fix yourself up, it's lazy. My situation this morning with the hair is not laziness, since I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get it to do something, but still - it's less than perfect.
I don't understand how people go out of their house without taking the time to do something with themselves. Men can almost be forgiven since they can throw on a ball cap or sport the unshaven look in a rugged, handsome manner.
But women? This is not the time to be lazy, ladies. As my grandmother used to say, "You never know who you're going to meet." I've heard her voice in my head my entire life saying that, and I've always made sure I left the house looking presentable. Even more famous than my tiny Italian grandmother would be Coco Chanel, who said, " “I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”
Four of my biggest pet peeves are:
1. Women who pull their hair back into a sloppy ponytail...tufts or lumps are sticking out in what should otherwise be a smooth span of hair, pulled into a nice ponytail holder or barrette.
2. Unwashed, greasy hair. No excuse.
3. No makeup. Unless you are Heidi Klum or 17 years old with a peaches and cream complexion, you need some makeup. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Mascara and lipgloss can even save the Camilla Parker-Bowles' of the world from looking completely hideous.
4. Sloppy Clothing. Torn, stained, baggy, pilly, mismatched or out of style. Throw away the leggings from the 80's and get rid of your boyfriend's dingy gray drawstring sweatpants with the hole in the knee. They don't look good.
I am just not a big fan of the "I'm just running out to the store, nobody's going to see me" mentality. Inevitably, you see someone you know. And most likely, it's someone who you wish would have seen you in a better light; your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, your husbands ex-wife, or the guy from the video store you've been scoping out and flirting with. Whoever it is, you're going to wish you could disappear the moment you run into them.
So the lesson is this: Take a little extra time to get ready when you go out. Pull your hair back neatly or put on a baseball cap. Wear mascara and lipgloss. Do not wear the t-shirt with the stain on it because you think "no one is going to see me and besides, it's only Home Depot," and do not wear anything you wouldn't want to be photographed in.
Remember: Today could be your date with destiny. You'll want to be looking your best for that.
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