Thursday, June 18, 2009

ELFWARE: or what I want to wear for this part of my life

Celestial Blue Hue 

No previous blog post of mine has ever received such attention as my last 'What Not to Bare' post. Looks like I hit on a topic close to our collective hearts (as well as many other body parts we strive to either accentuate or hide).  Everybody who contacted me is in full celebration mode of individuality at any age and doesn't take kindly to having preconcieved notions thrust upon our persons. On the other hand, we agree that those notions are powerful and can wear away at the unwary and succeptible.

So, why does clothing matter so much to our collective selves? Because in our society, what we wear is often the first judge of who we are and because we often let what we wear tell us who we are. It's true. Just watch that same program I referenced last post. How many people have passed through the style police and emerged on the other side feeling beautiful and, hence, powerful (as well as occasionally diminished) ?

When I was at work in the traditional world, I wore suits that offered a layer of camoflage between me and the organization.  I needed to keep my true self hidden since I was so not at one with the beaurocratic universe. Typically dark-hued, these suits were my shield and I'd match this outer shell with heels and a suitably perky attitude. Sometimes color would ooze out in scarves and necklaces but, generally, I kept myself well-hidden (though my colleagues of the day might remember my tangerine-colored silk jacket) lest someone identifiy me as a creative dreamer less interested in cutting budgets than I was about sketching unicorns on the margins of my notebooks.

Now I define myself completely differently. I'm free. In fact, I've gone a little wild. At the begining of the season, I scraped together my diminishing pennies to splurge on a pair of GREEN jeans. Now, how practical is that? What's more, I feel totally alive, vivacious, and out there when I don them. This is a very, very emerald green, almost turquoise, and I bought a top in exactly the same color. Worn all together, I look like a renegade elf, which, I've decided, is exactly how I feel most days. If I could flit in and among the wooded undergrowth, I would. In any case, elfdom does not align with the mores of what a woman my age should be wearing. Afterall, I do not have a perfect figure. I'm seriously 'curvy', which is a nice way of saying lumpy, and I am a little on the large size for any self-respecting elf.

AND I DON'T CARE.

Elfware

From the entry 'We don't know what we want to be when we grow up...'. Another lovely knit! I am really beginning to enjoy this free range.

By mw602@york.ac.uk on 2010 06 25