Friday, April 16, 2010

Personal Style

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am an attorney. You might think that the hardest part of being an attorney is trying to be a zealous advocate while not also being (too much of) an asshole, or saying Latin words like “nunc pro tunc” with a straight face, or explaining to a clients why the court did something he/she didn’t like. For me, however, the hardest part is figuring out what to wear. Yes Virginia, I AM that shallow. In my defense, it is hard to find clothing that says “take me seriously” while still having some iota of flair (15 piece minimum in the Superior Court ).

This week I met an attorney who has taken her own approach to fashion. Attorney X is a cross between Judge Judy and Iris Barrel Apfel. She is anywhere between 50 and 100 years old and sassy and wise and hilarious. In our all too brief meeting, she rocked big tinted glasses, a mismatched tweed suit, and flats with baby ducks on them (I am not kidding) while maintaining an air of coolness and authority to which I can only dream.

Meeting Attorney X, cleaning out my closet, and thinking about my last birthday (which may have involved the number 4) got me thinking about personal style. I think the last time I gave serious thought to how I looked was in 1984 when I perfected a style akin to what might happen if you tossed Madonna, Boy George, Siouxsie Sioux, and Dr. Robert into a blender and added a dash of angst, a sprinkle of self-consciousness, and a soupcon more black. Since that time I have experimented with various styles in keeping with my personal interests (the Grateful Dead …. tie dyed socks and patchouli) or the fashion of the times (black leggings, jean shorts, and Doc Martins? Anyone?).

For the last 10-15 years however my style has been bland. I aspire to keep some of my early punk influences but more often than not I’m in a black or grey pant suit and a t-shirt. On the weekends I’m in jeans or cords and a nondescript top (assuming I bothered to change out of my pajamas). I want to break out of this rut, notwithstanding my commitment to reduce my spending, but I want to do it “authentically” (feel free to throw up now, I just did). So there you have it. I am a vain, fat, attorney who needs a life and a better wardrobe. Send help. The end.

8 comments:

jennirane said...

I love this riff, MD. Aside from the fact that you're dealing with courtrooms and meetings and I'm dealing with campus, I'm in exactly the same boat. Well. My 1984 look was a little simpler... Boy George meets Pat Benatar with a splash of Cyndi Lauper. Ok. More than a splash. But that was sort of the last real "look" I ever had. I fell into "rumpled professor" not because I particularly like it, but because it's a) easy and b) easy to "hide" under. And now (within a month of that wonderful birthday with a "4" in it) I find myself wanting a style that is (yes, barfing here too) authentic to me. Sorry. No help here... except to say that from what I've seen of your bags and shoes, your taste is exquisite. So that's a start. Your shoes have a fun, sort of pin-up girl vibe that I love (at least the ones you're selling LOL). And I KNOW you've got great taste in bags. So eclectic, without the ducky flats. Funky meets boardroom? Classy, statement accessories that can go from elegant to a wink-and-a-nod depending on how you feel? Any of this working for you? :)

t. said...

i've seen some of the outfits you've put together and i love how you pair colors together. the pairings are unexpected to me, but they work. so, you've got a lot of flair, girl. plus, you've got great accessories -- which are the main thing that give 'personality' in my books.

i can say that i do empathize. there's something really discouraging about being in a fashion funk, especially since it should be easily remedied.

do you daydream about outfits? what does your perfect closet look like? do you have a fashion icon? do you gravitate towards prints? color blocking? neutrals? all of the above? you know what you like. you just have to follow it. and, i don't believe in a lot of fashion advice except for: wear what you love. because, if you love it, it will show. (even if you show up in ducky shoes.) the clothes don't wear you.

for me, my perfect outfits (summer: perfectly rumpled linen, easy tees; jersey wrap dresses) work on frames much smaller than mine. this is a harsh revelation for me. being fat prevents me from having a great wardrobe. practically speaking, it's just harder to find great stuff for a size 13/14, than it is for a size 9/10 (my skinniest.) shopping, while enjoyable, can be downright depressing. i can't go into boutiques and find an outfit because they don't make them that big.

i don't want to be vain, but, let's face it... it's in everyone's best interest to look their best. some days are just bigger struggles than others.

hope you have better days.

t. said...

eep. my response was longer than your post. clothing has been on my mind lately because i might be taking on another job.

sorry for the hijack.

matilda deathstar said...

Thanks for the comments and insight. Lots of food for thought!

moth said...

md I totally get what you're saying and I'm sure I'd have similar problems if I had to dress up for work at all. I always have bags I love and odd socks. I think sometimes I think it's ablout taking what you love and making it work - no matter what.

tanis - ita about sizes I was a 14 and am probably now a 12 but short. I tend to skip small boutiques because of the same issues. T shirts are irritating hard to find where they aren't too long when they are big enough to fit. Banana Republic, Target and Old Navy petites have been good for plain tshirts for me. Btw i hate that printed shirts these days only some on american apparel shirts - almost no one stocks XXL girly ts.

matilda deathstar said...

tania and moth - the wardrobe section of tPF has a thread for "plus sized" girls (very broad definition) and the girls there have some very cute outfits. Worth trolling for ideas.

http://forum.purseblog.com/the-wardrobe/plus-size-girls-show-us-your-outfits-284892.html

t. said...

omg, matilda... i just saw that plus size outfit thread. FAB! lots of inspiration. i guess it's really not my weight that's holding me back. it's how i feel about my weight.

mothbeast, i love threadless t-shirts but, hate that i'm xxl in them and they're so tight that i don't put them in the dryer. ah well.

Cate said...

oh, how I loved the tights + shorts + docs look. ha!

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