It's Thursday

[fuzzyred]

I'm feeling rather blah, because I worked overtime today and my brain is mush, but I'm making my post! I finally finished the editing project I was working on, and I managed some Polychrome Entries, though I have plans to do more tomorrow or Saturday. I also managed to crochet another square, so I have 10 out of the 25 blue ones I need, and am ahead of the schedule I set in hopes of not dragging this out till Christmas.

Exciting news today, the bracelets I ordered arrived! They are gemstones and so pretty and I can't wait to wear them (though sadly I can't wear then to work.) I love pretty things!

Comments

Bracelets

[ng_moonmoth]

Those are nice! Why wait? Wear them now.

Do you get out of the house for anything right now? Grocery or dinner runs? I like to put on something nice when I go out. Maybe add a bracelet...

If you do videoconferencing or video chat, that would be another opportunity. No reason to let them languish until things improve. But hoping nevertheless that things will improve in your area. Around here (California), the first inklings of maybe having enough vision into what's going on to slowly relax shelter-in-place are beginning to stir. But "carefully" is going to be the watchword.

Re: Bracelets

[fuzzyred]

Thanks! I do actually get out to go to work everyday, but the factory setting means jewelry would be a hazard. I am doing grocery runs though, so perhaps that would be a good time to wear them. Of course, I don't work this weekend and there is no reason I can't wear them at home. :D

Thank you for that reminder! A friend is doing a video chat this Saturday for virtual board games because it is her birthday. That would be the perfect time to wear them and get dressed up a little bit. With almost 70% of cases closed here (Ontario, Canada), I'm hoping we can start reopening things, slowly and carefully, very soon. We're going to have to wait and see though.

Re: Bracelets

[ng_moonmoth]

Yeah, keeping the nice stuff out of danger is indeed prudent. That aside, it looks like there are too many folks in the world who dress for others, rather than themselves, and, lacking that incentive, default to something like jeans/sweats/trainers.

Glad to hear you are also interested in dressing to please yourself. If something is a special occasion, even if it's something mundane like going to the store, it's still a special occasion and it's OK by me for anyone to dress up a bit for it. So is a birthday party, even an online one. I'll be interested in whether there's any reaction to your outfit.

Re: Bracelets

[fuzzyred]

Yes, protecting the stuff from danger is good. It also helps keep me from danger, so that is doubly good. I will admit I usually make the extra effort for other people rather than myself, but on the days where I don't try at all I'm more inclined to just not change out of pjs than anything. Jeans used to be my prefered pants, though recently I've acquired more options. I find I use tops to make the most statement in my outfit, with ocassional jewelry.

I'm learning to dress more to please myself, but sometimes I find the old habit of yielding to other people's (usually family's) opinion of "stylish" or "reasonable" popping up. There is something particularly satisfying about putting on clothes just for me that I like, and I find it can boost my mood, so I try to remember to make the effort, and that I'm worth it.
I am uncertain whether there will be a reaction or not. I imagine it will depend on if what I choose to wear is different enough from normal (for me) for anyone to comment. I will keep you posted :)

Re: Bracelets

[fuzzyred]

No comments on my outfit, but I got a chance to wear my bracelets and I put earrings in and chose a sparkly top. It would have been nice to get a compliment, but I felt good in what I was wearing and I liked it, and that was really the important part.

Re: Bracelets

[ng_moonmoth]

>> It also helps keep me from danger <<

And you also qualify as "nice stuff"; your existence helps make the universe a better place. I think I had that as an implicit thought.

>> I will admit I usually make the extra effort for other people rather than myself, <<

I have wound up on the other side of that. At least right now, it takes extra effort for me to own whatever cisvariant components of my presentation I like on a given day. If I'm not up to that, I'll put on something cisnormative that is accepted without my having to work for that.

>> but on the days where I don't try at all I'm more inclined to just not change out of pjs than anything. <<

I only wind up doing that when I'm ill. Putting on some actual clothes suited to the day's weather and activities is my signal to myself that I'm ready to participate in the day.

>> Jeans used to be my prefered pants, though recently I've acquired more options. <<

Jeans are boring. Great, if you're doing something where durability is important, they're fine. But otherwise, I'd rather wear something with an interesting shape or texture or pattern.

Jeans are also real. I'm not at all interested in blinged-up jeans, or non-jeans made to look like jeans. Those are as fake and unsatisfying to me as plastic colored to look like wood. If something doesn't need to be wood, I'd like it to be honest about being plastic.

>> I find I use tops to make the most statement in my outfit, with ocassional jewelry. <<

Jewelry and shoes are where I get the most notice. When one of my interesting pairs of shoes attracts attention, I point out that life's too short to wear boring shoes. Working on a broader range of tops and bottoms.

>> There is something particularly satisfying about putting on clothes just for me that I like, and I find it can boost my mood, so I try to remember to make the effort, and that I'm worth it. <<

I find I have a lot more energy when I successfully work out an outfit where I look like myself. I'm saving a lot of energy I would otherwise be faking it to match my outfit with.

I have bad outfit days where I either can't figure it out, or don't have anything that works. When I can, I work out what I wasn't finding, and keep it in mind. Thus does my wardrobe grow in ways that aligns it closer to my identity.

>> I am uncertain whether there will be a reaction or not. <<

Saw your subsequent comment on that matter. You are absolutely right about that being the important part. Have a great time until we chat again.

Re: Bracelets

[fuzzyred]

>>And you also qualify as "nice stuff"; your existence helps make the universe a better place. I think I had that as an implicit thought.<<

Aww, thanks. :)

>>At least right now, it takes extra effort for me to own whatever cisvariant components of my presentation I like on a given day. If I'm not up to that, I'll put on something cisnormative that is accepted without my having to work for that.<<

That makes sense. Not a challenge I have to deal with personally, but I can understand not always having the extra energy to put in more work.

>>I only wind up doing that when I'm ill. Putting on some actual clothes suited to the day's weather and activities is my signal to myself that I'm ready to participate in the day.<<

That is a good way to do it. I think my habit is a carry-over from doing that as a kid, when I didn't always have to get dressed on the weekends. Part of the challenge now is that a lot of days I work, so changing out of work clothes into actual clothes doesn't always seem worth it (same with putting clothes on before going to work.)

>>Jeans are boring. Great, if you're doing something where durability is important, they're fine. But otherwise, I'd rather wear something with an interesting shape or texture or pattern.<<

Another carryover from childhood. I always wore jeans, because they were no other kinds of pants, and I'm not really a dress or skirt person. And then as I hit my teens, I couldn't figure out how to wear dress pants without looking 10 years older than I was, so I stuck with jeans.

I also stay away from blinged out jeans and jean look-alikes, though I do tend to vary the cut and wash of the jean.

>>Jewelry and shoes are where I get the most notice. When one of my interesting pairs of shoes attracts attention, I point out that life's too short to wear boring shoes. Working on a broader range of tops and bottoms.<<

I've always worn really simple jewelry, now compounded by the fact that I can't wear it at work and spend most of the rest of my time home alone. For the longest time, I only wore running shoes. I'm finally at the point where I'm acquiring nicer shoes that I can wear with good outfits. I like your philosophy. Life is indeed too short for boring anything.

>>I find I have a lot more energy when I successfully work out an outfit where I look like myself. I'm saving a lot of energy I would otherwise be faking it to match my outfit with.<<

Not having to fake things definitely saves energy. I find when I have on clothes I like, I'm happier and it brings my mood up, even if it doesn't always give me extra energy.

>>I have bad outfit days where I either can't figure it out, or don't have anything that works. When I can, I work out what I wasn't finding, and keep it in mind. Thus does my wardrobe grow in ways that aligns it closer to my identity.<<

That sounds like a good plan. I am also currently expanding my wardrobe, as I want some nicer things than just tee-shirts and jeans from Walmart. Adding a few pieces at a time is a lot easier than trying to replace everything at once.

>>You are absolutely right about that being the important part. Have a great time until we chat again.<<

It felt good to wear something nice, even though it was just for me. I think it's worth doing more often. Even if it's not necessarily "nice", dressing to suit my mood is something I should look at doing more often. Thanks! I hope you have a great time as well.