Saturday, October 04, 2008

Here's the thing: I'm a girl. And I like being a girl, and all that entails. But I do not like clothes. I have zero fashion sense, and what's worse, I don't WANT to develop any fashion sense. I don't read celebrity gossip, I don't know anything about shoes, I have never colored my hair, and I am pretty sure I haven't worn earrings since my wedding day (definitely since I stopped having to dress up for work). It's just not my thing. I wear jeans and flip-flops, and I LIKE jeans and flip-flops. Really, that's all I need.

Except. Next weekend I'm going to a wedding. And I had a baby three months ago, which is to say that three and a half months ago, I was nine months pregnant. And I don't have to dress up for work anymore, nor have I in a while, so I have no back-up outfits in the back of the closet. Also, have I mentioned before that I've had two babies in the past twenty-one months? The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be. But she's still got to find a dress for Saturday.

So I spent more time than I would care to admit growling in a fitting room this afternoon, seriously contemplating how tacky it would be to just wear jeans to the wedding (very tacky. I won't, don't worry). Brian even went with me this evening, and Brian has considerably more fashion sense than me. More than once he had to stifle a grin, because I just looked ... silly. Like a girl who would prefer to be in jeans, but her mom made her wear a dress for picture day.

Boo.

I finally gave up, and turned my attention to my mom's birthday present. She asked for earrings. I found earrings - but they all looked a little bit like the beard of a turkey to me. ALAS. I finally settled on a pair, but it took entirely too long and was more excruciating than picking out earrings - as a gift, even, not something I'm going to have to wear - should be.

Someone give me a pair of flip-flops already.


Part 2:
After I wrote this, I was loading the dishwasher and realized, I referred to myself as a girl. I'm thirty years old. I have a college degree. I'm married. I have a home and two children. At what point do I begin to think of myself and my peers as women, not girls?

I also started thinking about gender and stereotypes, and how I characterize femininity. I see myself as feminine, but I don't fit the stereotypes that I just identified earlier in the post. But I do fit in other ways. So what makes someone "feminine"? I have my own opinions, but if you're so inclined, I'd like to hear yours first.

4 comments:

Laura Mielke said...

if you haven't found a dress yet I would be more than honored to shop with you and help you tap into your "glam side" - it's there, you just have to let her shine every once in a while ;)

Jeff, Carrie Kara Beth, Kaylan and Kaia said...

can you not just wear some nice pants to this wedding? =)

and i saw your "dream" comment on It's Almost Naptime...I have the SAME recurring dreams as you! Bizarre. I'm surprised...but I'm not. =)

Anonymous said...

I have both an obsession for earrings (the bigger the better), and flipflops (the more comfortable, the better). Go figure.

Good luck in the dress hunt. I have a hard time imagining you in a dress. And have a great time at the wedding! :)

Stephanie said...

Elizabeth, the whole time I was looking at earrings I kept thinking, where is Elizabeth when I need her?! Hong Kong, of course.

Valerie, I am sure this bride would be gracious, but I would feel conspicuous in jeans. As if I won't already be conspicuous, lugging an infant carrier (or just an infant) around. By the way, is it okay if I bring an infant to the wedding? I swear on your wedding cake that if he so much as grunts, I will walk away and not disturb the ceremony. I'm willing to bet all he will do is sleep on me, considering the time of day. Is that ok? But I probably won't be in a dress. I've decided I'm definitely more of a skirt girl. I mean, woman. And I may very well be in flip-flops - we'll see.