Kicking It and dressing for yourself

Every woman in America can understand the anxiety that comes with the changing of the seasons. Even though men believe all women have too many clothes, most people know it’s a myth. Women can never have too many clothes.

They can have too small closets, most certainly. If women can agree on no other topic, let everyone say a big amen that their clothes closets are too small.

Even while designers continue to shrink their sizes to save money, – girls, you know it’s true – women still harbor the belief that the perfect item is not yet in their possession. Thus, women are always on the hunt. Men call it shopping, but really, women know it is so much more.

The eternal question is “who do we dress for?”

Consider the natural progression of the female shopper. You see, after a female survives puberty, she crosses the threshold and becomes a young lady. By the time she reaches 26, she is still dressing to impress her girlfriends, her current boyfriend or, heaven forbid, hoping to attract a new beau.

As she continues her journey through womanhood, she slowly acquires her independence, ignoring outside pressures and the need to make other people happy by what she wears. That is why – as she edges uphill into her 40s – she conjures the courage to start dressing more for herself.

On holidays or special occasions, she may dress for her husband, maybe, unless she’s been married over 15 years, then maybe not.

As the years gallop toward her mid-50s, alas, she grasps who she is, wears exactly what she wants and says the devil with what other people think, which explains why the internet keeps exposing the multitudes-of-independent Walmart shoppers who dare to dress differently.

Beyond 60, a woman dresses only for herself, to feel good or to be comfortable.

There is a knowing that comes with maturity. A woman learns when she feels good about herself, she can then concentrate on others. Be forewarned, it is advanced thinking and only comes with maturity.

And this moment is the very best part about today. Today I pulled out last summer’s clothes from the Rubbermaid containers. They fit. I know. It is worth celebrating. I’ve been doing the happy dance all afternoon. Be brave. Grab the Spanx and go for it.

Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal can be reached at [email protected].