Monday, December 8, 2008

And What Are You Wearing?

Are you familiar with Patricia Marx? She's one of the cleverest of writers at the New Yorker and in last week's Christmas Shopping article she enchanted me with the line, " What are you wearing to the recession?" In all the Great Depression stories handed down by my beloved grandmother Tillie, I do not recall a single anecdote (alas) relating to her attire.

When the going gets tough, the tough must demonstrate even greater fortitude and resilience in their sartorial decisions. And that is why I stood in front of the closet this morning and carefully weighed the choices.

Comfort is out. Anything that suggests complacency is verboten.

Color must be muted. Camouflage anxiety by sticking to neutrals rather than the flashier jewel tones.

With the economy in flames, go for pieces that are flame retardant like simple skirts, perfectly-tailored pants, starched white shirts, sensible shoes (women) and crisp shirts, pressed pants, jackets and yes, ties (men).

Don't you love a woman/man in uniform? Whether it's work or play, opt for clothes that bespeak an appreciation for discipline and focus.

R.I.P.the accoutrements of entitlement (drainpipe jeans, high heeled boots, stratospherically expensive handbags, unironed shirts).

Everything old looks new again. (Hint: Shop the closet)

Go counterintuitive. No matter how grim the news, start out each day looking like a zillion. Your stock is still soaring no matter what.

1 comment:

  1. This is great advice from a highly intuitive source...

    ReplyDelete