Dressing Your Truth update

[darkemeralds]

On Tuesday I had the nicest compliment: a co-worker, a well-dressed young guy from India whose graceful manners make him a constant pleasure to work with, said, "I like your colors today. You have a very good dress sense."

(I was wearing a red skirt suit, a red-and-purple striped top, and purple tights. I mean, there were only two colors, but there was a lot of each of them. The compliment was, therefore, sort of surprising and deeply gratifying. Because I meant that outfit, but I'll admit it was eye-bending.)

Over the past several months my closet has become like a box of Crayolas.


Purple and yellow (aka fuck you, subtlety)

I've taken a "strict compliance" approach to Dressing Your Truth (because "strict" is generally a good descriptor for Type 4),


Sulfur and houndstooth--one of my few available prints and patterns to break up the huge color-blocks

and once I accepted the limitations on color¹, texture², design line³, and fabrication⁴, it's been amazing how brilliantly everything works together.


Apparently I like orange now

So yeah, nice outfits and all, but it's more than that, and there's a whole community of DYT-ers (mostly on Facebook) constantly trying to figure out and express what that "more" is.


Trenchant

For me, it's...

• bending "rules" of workplace, social milieu, city--even gender a little bit--to express something true about myself
• taking bits of style inspiration from across the Type 4 spectrum, from Adam Lambert to Anne Hathaway
• saying fuck you to age-based (and weight-based!) restrictions on clothes, hair and makeup
• feeling like it's okay to show myself to the world
• not being shocked to see a photograph of myself
• telegraphing clearly to the world what it can expect of me⁵

Accessories

Also? Packing for my next trip, whenever that might be, is going to be a breeze.


Waterproof

---

<sup>1. Black and white plus pure hues↩

2. Smooth--even shiny--firm and crisp.↩

3. Bold, straight, simple, clean, fitted↩

4. Structured, shaped, tailored ↩

5. Still, reflective, discriminating, demanding, logical, bold, and don't hug me, okay? So, basically, a Vulcan in really saturated colors.↩</sup>

Comments

[ranunculus]

Once in a while I think (for a few seconds) about going out and buying something besides jeans, Tee's, and Ex-Officio hiking shirts - oh, and hiking boots. Usually that is when I'm looking at my closet that has no "dress-up" clothes in it that weren't purchased 15 years ago. Three things slow me down: shopping takes time, most "dress" clothes don't fit at all, and clothes cost money. 99% of the time I'm far more willing to purchase another roll of fencing wire than that cute shirt!

[darkemeralds]

And yet, when I've met you, your "type" (if you will) has come shining through in exactly what you do wear. You've struck me from the outset as very much who you really are, not "toning it down" for people's comfort or "livening it up" to impress. As a result, I was very comfortable with you and nobody could have come across more lively.

And, as a side effect, I felt very accepted by you. That happens with self-accepting people. It's no small gift. So thank you.

[ranunculus]

You are quite welcome. I do try and accept everyone for whom they are. You were easy. ;)
I really -like- the fact that you post and put pictures up about the new choices you are making.

About 25 years ago I was living in a Mobile Home Park which was otherwise filled with nosy senior citizens. At the time I was single, and dating. I watched the curtains twitch. At some point I said: The heck with it, let them talk, I'm going to do what I'm going to do, and I have ever since. I'm comfy in my wardrobe and wouldn't change it at all, except for those nights I'm going out to a nice restraunt or the Symphony.