Last week was the work holiday party. I didn’t go the first year, but I went last year.<\/p>\n
I was very concerned last year about creating a good impression and being circumspect. I wanted to check it out and see what it was all about.<\/p>\n
Now that I know, I decided this year I would be myself. Which is not entirely circumspect. I got together my outfit, which was really great. And I made sure I had very high heels that were still good for dancing.<\/p>\n
And I got a hat.<\/p>\n
Now, I would like to talk about clothes for a minute. On a very basic level, clothing is for shelter from the elements and for modesty.<\/p>\n
We’re way past the basic level though. And now, it’s all about the message. I’ve read Dress For Success<\/em>; and I see all the magazines with Best and Worst dressed.<\/p>\n Dress to Kill.<\/p>\n Or maybe to get laugh. Or to turn heads. There are a lot of little strings you can pull with the right outfit.<\/p>\n I think of dress as a whole language, and I like to make jokes with my outfits. I like to make people think, “hmm…That’s interesting. I never thought of that before.”<\/p>\n For example, my party outfit had two major elements: Now, the boa spoke for itself. It was a lot of fun to wear a red feather boa to a work party. Stopped a lot of folks dead.<\/p>\n But the hat! _I_ was thinking New Orleans. Chris told me I looked like a pimp. I was willing to go along with either.<\/p>\n However, all the people who commented on it (more than the requisite ‘what great hat!’) said it looked like Ascot.<\/p>\n English. Horsey. Interesting.<\/p>\n I had used the hat previously for high teas. Of course, for this occasion, I had added a tiara to the front, a red scarf, a puff of curly gift ribbons and it’s own little fluffy white feather garland. I thought all that made it something else.<\/p>\n But the language of the hat spoke England to a lot of people.<\/p>\n Of course, the outfit had it’s moment during the first half of the night. THe second half, the band was playing.<\/p>\n And that is when a different language took over.<\/p>\n The language of dance.<\/p>\n I love dancing, and I think it also has it’s own message. And no<\/em>, that’s not what I mean. Get your mind out of the gutter.<\/p>\n Certain movements evoke responses. Ever hear of physical humor?<\/p>\n It’s funny when a group starts doing the electric slide. And of course, the Travolta pose when “Stayin’ Alive” comes on is necessary.<\/p>\n But throw in a little Pee-Wee Herman dance, and see if you can get a smile of recognition…? Eh? I like that one.<\/p>\n I’ve taken the time to learn a lot of dances, thought I’ve never had a decent partner stick around long enough. I know that pretty much no one but me is gonna get <\/em>the riverdance moves I throw in. And then there is the old hollywood 7 brides for 7 brothers one I do every once in a while.<\/p>\n Swing moves slip in very easy.<\/p>\n Once, in San Francisco, I had a great time with a very happening gay guy. He would call out the dance. “Riding the bus!” And everyone would do some kind of dance in the stance of holding a strap while on the bus. “Shopping cart!” and we’d all boogie around pushing a cart and throwing our invisible purchases in.<\/p>\n How much fun was that! It was great.<\/p>\n And that’s what I like to do, with my dancing and my clothes. Make little statements. Surprise people, make them happy. Just be silly. It’s worth a little effort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last week was the work holiday party. I didn’t go the first year, but I went last year. I was very concerned last year about creating a good impression and being circumspect. I wanted to check it out and see … Continue reading
\na huge hat
\na red feather boa<\/p>\n