dressed the part

As May slowly creeps our way, I'm trying to assemble a wardrobe for a trip to the Garden State where the husband and I will be attending the class reunions at Princeton University. And as I always do, I'm slaving over my thoughts of possible ensembles. My palate will consist mostly of orange and black as those are the PU colors, as well as some safari-eqsue khaki, and my lobster print dress that is, well...not orange or black but East Coast worthy just the same. All this planning and consideration got me thinking...do you plan every detail of your outfits? Do you think about it for months or days or weeks before an event? For as long as I can remember I have put a great deal of thought into my wardrobe. In high school I kept a calendar and logged every single outfit I wore...every single day so as to not repeat too close in proximity, and so to replicate as needed. I would pore over the items in my closet...every hanger. I had just a small standard size closet growing up but the parents kindly vacated the coat closet in the hallway for my overflow. Hours I would stand in that hallway...picturing myself walking up those grand stairs at school...how would this look...how would that look? And now that I'm all grown up and with a house of my own and clothes in every closet of the house except the toddler's, I still stand...sliding the hangers...envisioning the look, the accessories, the shoes. When I was gainfully employed, and after the toddler was born I didn't always have time to pick out each upcoming day's outfit with such precision but, every night as I would lay my head on my pillow I would arrange my clothes in my head until I fell asleep...a little paper doll dream of sorts. Fashion has always been a passion of mine...an addiction. It will forever be something that brings me joy. And so, as I arrange the Ivy League trunk show in my head...I've decided that my life is sort of a costume party...and, for every event, every party, every work day...I have an outfit.

image credit: Naomi Alessandra