![]() Those fancy holiday parties at the Hyatt no longer require fancy dress. Odds are I will recruit the skirt for a future costume, but I have no expectation of wearing it again in my own time period. I fashioned a bustle from a small pillow, and the blue skirt worked exceedingly well-although I could not say the same for my attempted Boston accent. At Thurber House’s summer camp, I impersonated Louisa May Alcott by adding a high-necked blouse, powder-blue shawl and my grandmother’s cameo. When I taught steampunk writing to middle schoolers, I grabbed the skirt and turned it quasi-Victorian by pouffing it with petticoats and topping it with a lace blouse, tweed vest and brass-buckle corset belt. That blue dress convinced fourth and fifth graders that I was a woman freed from a Dutch Baroque painting at the Columbus Museum of Art. However, I did not don the dress to drink cocktails and schmooze with grown-ups.Īs a writing instructor at Thurber House, I’ve taught in costume many times. My other formal duds saw nightlife only once or twice, but the blue ensemble managed to leave the closet multiple times. One favorite stands out: a sweeping pewter-blue taffeta skirt paired with a gleaming blue-and-black brocade bodice. Every December, I trekked to the silk-and-sequin wonderland of Lazarus’ eveningwear department. This meant tuxedos and long gowns and drop earrings and tiny evening bags. ![]() Once a year, I would glam up for a formal winter holiday party in the Hyatt Regency’s enormous chandeliered ballroom, courtesy of my husband’s law firm. Everything had to be able to withstand the foul trifecta of spit-up, peanut butter and poop. My hair was big, and my earrings were bigger.Īfter securing my degree, I settled into the 1990s and motherhood, which meant a suburban mom uniform of jeans, T-shirts and white Keds. Vintage frocks, beaded cardigans, black boots, tubular knit skirts, oversized white shirts and wide, grommeted belts were my go-tos for classroom wear. Or, at least, old enough to drink legally. So, I eschewed jeans and sneakers in hopes of appearing mature. ![]() A 24-year-old teaching assistant with a baby face, I looked barely older than my students. In 1987, I headed to Ohio State for graduate school, in pursuit of a master’s degree in English. This sounds over the top now, but it was darn near perfect then. At my engagement party, I wore a quintessential Moonlighting-era Cybill Shepherd look: a pink satin skirt and matching draped top, complete with padded shoulders and sparkly rhinestone buttons. Favorite combos included a splashy floral midi skirt with sky-high red heels and a denim miniskirt with rose-flowered tights and cranberry suede boots.ĭuring this era of Dynasty and shoulder pads, dressing up meant glitz and shine. ![]() Even as the youngest staff member, I still dressed up for work, although my style wasn’t particularly businesslike. My cobbled-together position involved processing subscriptions in the morning, covering for the receptionist at lunch and selling classified advertising in the afternoon. Otherwise, your entire outfit will consist of nothing but pants and shoes! Remember what we said about matching colors? This is exactly why you should not forget to put a layer that breaks up the outfit, which makes it look more stylish.When I first came to Ohio in 1985, fresh out of college, I landed a job at Columbus Monthly. You might think having shoes on is enough but it’s necessary for you to include at least one other layer like a jacket or shirt. Wearing Sneakers or Boots with Nothing Else On Top Skinny jeans are a great addition to the wardrobe but remember that you need to wear something else on top of them and be sure not to go overboard! Matching too many things together will make everything look like it came out of the same package, which definitely will age you! 6. This is another mistake men often do while wearing skinny jeans: forgetting to break up their outfits with different textures. On the contrary, wearing two contrasting colors among the three – for example white and navy or gray and white – could make your look a little more fashionable. You might think that wearing mostly neutral colors like white, gray, and navy will never go out of style but that could actually dishonor your outfit if you wear all three at once – especially when they almost completely match each other. While you don’t want to go wrong with matching colors, there’s such a thing as going too far.
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