Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Party Time!

     Celebrations bring out some really interesting sartorial choices from our closets.  And the resulting statements are sometimes funny, sometimes touching, and occasionally, breathtakingly lovely.  What happens for us when we celebrate?  Its one of those times in our existence when we allow ourselves more freedom to express.  We give ourselves permission to be more playful. We are okay with being more overtly flirtatious. We can drop a few years away and be more childlike, without risking censure. We license ourselves to be more bold in pattern, color, and style.
     So, the results can be quite interesting.   In our modern world, for example, its far more likely that one would choose a t shirt with a deliberately provocative image or statement on it, since it makes it more likely that someone will be drawn to it, remark on it, and begin a connection.  Since a good deal of the real reason for a party or celebration is actually the opportunity it creates for people to connect with those they know, and those they'd wish to know, such choices are commonplace.
                                                Woot shirt design: One Of Those Days

  What this creates visually within a group, is a kind of louder than average dialog.  If more of the people in a room have chosen clothing and accessories that speak more emphatically than they would typically wear, the overall conversation is stepped up.  Its no big surprise then that a good party can get aurally loud as a result. 
    This behavior set also helps tell us subconsciously, who is fully engaged in the celebration, and who is not.  Now, I don't mean to imply that simply because someone is dressed quietly, they aren't truly invested in the proceedings. There are numbers of reasons why someone might choose that direction. They might simply be a conservative dresser, or perhaps they are a trifle introverted, or perhaps its simply that their glad rags are in the wash.  I mean only that, as an indicator, the people less likely to be completely involved in the party, are also more likely to keep to their normal attire, without adjustment.
    On the other end of the sartorial spectrum we get the folk who gleefully abandon all predisposition of quietude, and ladle on all the bling, flash, and color that they can; often trying quite unexpected combinations.  The end product and be truly arresting, though the Attire statement is often more of a  full throated shout than a calm remark.
 
That these folk have given themselves over to the festivities becomes manifestly obvious.  And while that person may not be someone you want to go out with on a date, based on how they present themselves, you are going to find them more interesting at very least.
    In the middle ground are the vast majority of us.  We have a party shirt, or a party dress, something we like to go to when we celebrate, cause we know we look good in it, and we feel fun, and happier in it.
Perhaps we step up our usual attire with a pair of shoes we could never wear to work, or maybe its that statement piece of jewelry.  We might have a pair of wildly colorful kicks that we save for special, or a pair of pants that make our butt look great.
  Whatever that thing is, we pick it out and put it on, with some other things we might wear normally, turning up our Attire statement a notch or two.
    Wherever you find yourself along this continuum, let yourself play, sing, dance, and laugh with your apparel choices. And let some part of you that doesn't get to express itself often, have some light and air.



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