Dress for Success

Wisdom found on a tea bag

"Dressing for success" has taken on new meaning for me.  I used to think of button down shirts and power ties...now, thanks to another wonderful Creative Dreaming assignment, I think of it as something much deeper. It's a way to move more fully into our dreams.

I remember wanting to buy "New York" clothes when I moved here, thinking my wardrobe was too "Connecticut."  Whatever that means.  It seems like style changes tend to accompany big life shifts, don't they?

For the past two weeks us creative dreamers have been charged with dressing up as our dream.  Inspired by Halloween, our creative dream leader, Andrea, asked us to dress up as our dream.

This couldn't have come at a better time because I have been re-assessing a lot of things lately...and my appearance is one of them (like growing my hair long again after years of it being short). 

Over the Summer I tried to girl it up a bit more after a long period of just letting things go (I used to NEVER dress down...but that was years ago).  In the Summer it can be easy with all the cute dresses!  Although I could have done without the heat, thank you :)

Now that it's Fall (YAY!) I have more of a challenge...and what did I find out when I really started looking in my closet? 

I don't like most of my clothes. 

They just don't feel like me anymore.  I thought that I would go through my wardrobe and appropriate things for who I am now, but it doesn't work for most of the old things...some of which I bought on impulse and never wore...or bought out of some need to fill up space.

During an outdoor meditation while apprenticing, I came to the realization that I want my wardrobe to reflect who I am now and who I was when. I want it to be warm, Earthy and full of fabrics that reflect my life and the things I love...wool, knits, wood (like my violin and the trees) , satin (like ballet slippers)...I want to dress sort of "urban/country" whatever that means :D

So...I did a wee bit of shopping.  Bought a new skirt, tossed two old ones...bought two new shirts...etc.

I'm also knitting a cabled cardigan with some fluffy, Earthy brown yarn...and hopefully some yummy boot socks in green and maroon later on...I'd even love to get new glasses (lighter colored frames) but I want to pay down my debt more ;)

I want to take the time every day to use my clothes creatively. It's a struggle some mornings but as long as I'm comfortable when I leave the house, I'm happy.

The week I started this exercise was sort of rainy.  One day, as I was leaving work, I caught my reflection in the elevator door and smiled.  I was wearing a rain jacket with red tartan scarf, cargo pants tucked into my rain boots, hair pulled back. Pretty much the way I dress when I'm in Scotland.  I was dressed up as my dream!  LOL

XO