Clothes have been on the Playfriends’ minds recently. Have I written my pitches for my editor appointment? Looked at the conference schedule to choose workshops? Made a list of networking goals? NOPE. Do I have a fabulous dress to wear to the Rita and gorgeous shoes? You bet. I’ve already decided what I’m wearing each day and have it all itemized on my packing list.PM made an excellent point about trying on your clothes to make sure that they haven’t developed a hole somewhere, but may I suggest (plead) that you also make sure you’ve packed the appropriate undergarments for each outfit?
No, really. I’m serious. I know many of you hate your bra. You may feel it’s itchy or constricting, or (like my Women’s Studies teacher) feel it’s a restrictive garment designed by a repressive male-dominated society in order to keep women in their proper place—barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. Look, if you’re in your kitchen—barefoot or no, preggers or no—you have my blessing to go braless. Go commando, if that makes you feel good about you.But Conference isn’t your kitchen. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you the key words to remember about your Conference wardrobe are “Professional” and “Comfortable.” You may define Professional and Comfortable as a suit or Capri pants and a twin set, but trust me, nothing says “I’m a professional” like proper foundation garments.
But it’s more than keeping the girls under control. I’ve seen beautiful evening dresses ruined because the wearer didn’t invest in the right bra (or slip, or whatever). I, for one, will be wearing a girdle under my Rita dress because the dress is designed to be form-fitting and should create a specific silhouette. Bulges left over from AC ruin the line of the dress and the silhouette isn’t pretty if I forgo the girdle. (Relax, it’s not one of those 1950s industrial girdles—it’s more like Super Panties.) My other dress has a halter top, and my girls aren’t big enough to fill the cups correctly. In steps Victoria with her best Secret, and viola! Dress fits properly. (Trust me, I knew the underwear requirements from the moment I tried these dresses on and made a conscious choice to wear a dress that would require a girdle or fancy bra. There were plenty of options that would not have required girdles or bras, but they weren’t as pretty. We all make our choices.)I’m not trying to be the underwear nazi. Really. But think as you pack. I’m from Alabama—I understand that pantyhose and July are not a good combination. But I’m not bringing a business suit that looks unfinished with bare legs. If you don’t want to wear pantyhose in 98 degree heat (but it’s not that hot in the hotel anyway, and how often do you leave the hotel?) then wear a pantsuit. Being comfortable in your clothes is important, but remember the “Professional” part as well.
Remember, it’s not just about wearing clean underwear; it’s about wearing the proper underwear.(This has been a public service announcement from the Problem Child.)
****************************************Now for lots of winner announcements!
Smarty Pants has two winners as well: robynl for her Travel Adventure Story and crystalg for her Spooky Edinburgh submission.
Angel picked catslady's story.
Instigator chose ChristyJan and Lois as her winners.
Our email addresses are easy: playfriend'sname@writingplayground.com. Email the Playfriend that picked you with your shipping address so goodies can go in the mail.
We have the coolest blog friends and we really appreciate your comments! Thanks for hanging out with us!
And finally, Marilyn will be drawing the winners of her Sugar and Spice contest today. Check tomorrow to see if it's you. And with the start of the new month, we have another contest on the Playground--this time, the theme is Highland Fling!
6 comments:
I definitely agree with you 100% about double checking on clothes before you pack. I've had incidents with clothes on trips myself that were not fun at all. One time I remember washing a particular blouse in a washing machine and the purple of the blouse leaked out somehow to some of the other clothes. The good thing was that I made sure the color of the clothes together in that washing were almost the same with only a few blue items getting purpled. Taught me a lesson about reading labels and double checking things before hand.
I wanted to thank everyone at The Writing Playground for picking me as a winner in your contest. But really, it's a pleasure to be here and blog with such great people. My congratulations to the other winners in the contests!
May I add to your undergarment suggestions? When you try them on at home and walk around a while to make sure everything stays where it's supposed to, also make the time to sit. I was a RITA finalist in 200? -- the last time we were in NY, I can't remember the exact year at the moment, and I'm just on my first cup of coffee so my brain's not functioning properly. Anyway, I bought a really nice dress that was form fitting and required a girdle thingie that fit me from above the waist to mid-thigh. It was not terribly uncomfortable, and I did walk around in it for a while to make sure it stayed in place.
Then on the night of the RITA ceremony, I saw someone I knew in the lobby and sat, and IMMEDIATELY the girdle-like thing rolled up on my thigh. Just a little, at first, but since the dress was snuggish you could see the little roll. I was running to the ladies room all night to smooth the thing down, since removing it would've been a disaster - as if it would've fit in my tiny little purse.
I suppose this is not the time to tell you that I'm not wearing a bra to the RITA ceremony this year ...
LJ
I, for one, would rather be uncomfortable and look right, than be hanging out all over. And since I have more curves than most, that would be a lot of jiggling I'm not mean enough to subject other people to. :)
I will be packing my girdle and super-industrial strength bra first!
Since we're telling underwear stories...
My husband's office Christmas party is always a formal affair -- the clothing only, not the atmosphere. Lots of drunk people running around in formal attire.
Anyway, two Christmases ago I was getting ready for the party and pulled out a pair of control-top pantyhose to wear under my long dress. I don't wear pantyhose much anymore so heaven only knows how long they'd been in my pantyhose bag.
I get to the party and we mingle, get something to eat, mingle some more, dance a little, mingle, eat, drink and after a while I feel the pantyhose sliding out of place. I went to the bathroom to investigate and it seems the elastic in the waist was rotten (apparently they'd been in the pantyhose bag a LONG time) and stretched out of shape. I ended up having to almost tie the waistband into a knot to keep them up. I'd have just taken them off and tossed them except they were the kind with the built-in panties and uh... I'd have been commando at that point.
This is TMI, right?
So I chucked all those old pantyhose and bought a new pair in each of my usual colors (nude, taupe and off-black) for those occasions I need them.
PM
Oh...i fully agree with you on every single issue...especially pantyhose and foundation for the women (mine are not girls...girls are small...mine are fully grown women)....
I hate it when one bra makes a shirt look good, yet a different bra, same size, same style, makes the shirt look horrible...
DH thinks it's nuts that i coordinate my bras for my clothes...he says...No one is going to see it and if they do, then you have a problem.
I tell him, "No. I want to be comfortable. That's the reason i coordinate everything."
Men!
Enjoy your trip to Dallas...i'm jealous...
Nini
Congrats to all the winners!
Post a Comment