Friday, March 27, 2015

The Be or Not to Be

I was waiting in line today when I noticed a very elegantly dressed woman standing ahead of me. She was petite, wearing a well-cut wool coat; her manicured hands held a sleek designer handbag, her tailored trousers were hemmed at just the perfect height for her pumps- her make-up was tastefully applied and her blonde hair cut in a chic bob. Then, when she opened her mouth to address the salesclerk, and I realized that it was all for naught- her careful, elegant presentation was an affectation. It was a disappointment.


My encounter today made me think of a quote- I believe by  French designer Yves Saint-Laurent:  “A woman puts on clothes to draw attention to what’s underneath.” Sadly, I find the opposite to be true these days. So often we choose our clothes not as a reflection of who we are, but who we would like people to think we are. After all, it’s immeasurably easier to purchase the accoutrements of sophistication and elegance than it is to actually put in the work and become those things. 

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