"Fashions fade, style is eternal" - YSL

While sitting at dinner recently with a good friend of mine, she was telling me the happenings of her recent getaway to Cuba with her mother. Turns out it didn't start too smashingly well, as Mumsy became ill not long after arrival. My instant thought was that they were definitely in good hands because although those Cuban's with their crazy communism and such may have some things working a wee bit backwards I'm pretty sure one of a few things they do splendidly well is take care of sick people. Without question. No man left behind styles. We continue to talk about the feelings of the moment when symptoms are all you have, answers you don't have any, and then ultimately only worry, confusion, fright, and panic take over. But hold up. The doctor arrives on resort, surveys the situation and I kid you not; my friend tells me this. And I quote. "We knew he was legit cause he was wearing a pink Lacoste golf shirt". Begs us to reflect, do we automatically trust and respect someone more who has taken the time and expense to dress well and thus present themselves with wares we deem desirable or fashionable? The answer of course is yes. And for good reason. On the most part, if you are buying brand names that last in both classic style and pure good construction; then you're obviously smart and have good judgment. If you are wearing them just because they cost oodles of dough, then you're at least a hard or smart enough worker to have attained them; that's gotta be worth something. I've forever marveled at the villains on Days of Our Lives. They're all rich. They run the town. Are decision makers and are the quintessential movers and shakers. Well...even whilst hanging out in their livings rooms, the gentlemen are moving in a suit and tie, the ladies shaking in Chanel-esque tailored outfits. Every time. They look great, spot on, and put together. No need to inject here that this is a soap opera alright...I'm well aware. They still just always look fantastic. Why is it that not only every single guest and cast member alike at a wedding spend hours and fortunes in the time prior to the big show getting themselves to look their best, then are also every single one of them somehow amazingly okay with being in photographs? Cause we want to, and then end up looking our best self. Maybe a little artificial, stuffed, caked on, etc. The effort has been put forth. Huge. Upon creeping FB recently I noticed that an acquaintance of mine had posted a clever little quip that had been relayed upon asking what the dress code would be at a new place of employment. The manager simply responded with 'dress for the job you want to have'. Just brilliant. In an office politics, good stock management answer and sound advice genre's all around, simply fantastic nonetheless. Even I myself shared a quote on the same platform with advice picked up in the fashion portion of a magazine not too long ago that preached "it's more important to look good everyday than to look different everyday". We feel better when we dress well, if not from all of our personal experience then it's gotta be a proven fact in some land of charts, graphs and studies I'm certain. When I was a relatively larger person than I am now I thought that I dressed pretty well. Upon perusing snapshots I don't know if the testament can still hold up, but there are less options for sure at that stage in life. Sometimes you just can't avoid frumpy. But hella, don't dare call myself or any of my colleagues that in the workplace. Behind my back or in front. It will get you fired. And did. Great story, ask me sometime. A memorable compliment that I got not too long ago was from one of my best friends when she said that she didn't really need to ever worry about taking me anywhere cause I always dress well. It was nice. I try. Sometimes I succeed. Regardless, all the cliches hold true. The Clothes Make the Man, Dress for Success, and even if desperate for medical treatment in a sub-class faraway land, First Impressions Count.

Toodles