Circa July 23, 2007

"The Good China" is the title of a blog entry I wrote back in 7/23/07- in the days before blog awards, followers and outfit posts, but I wanted to share it with my new blog family. . .

There is a collective sense of apathy, with respect to our personal appearance, that is reverberating across mirrors and throughout closets worldwide. Save the obligatory sneaker and occasional flip flop, some of us have simply given up and given in to the slippery slope between the yoga pant in private and the pyjama bottom in public.

It's unfortunate and ironic that although we are taught not to care what others think of us, in every moment, we are unwittingly authorizing perceptions of ourselves that are inevitably affecting the regard to which our peers hold us, and the extent to which we are willing to go to perpetuate our best selves.

Giving care and consideration to the images we are projecting in our outward appearance is imperative because the compound effect of negligence and apathy, over time, could hinder our professional growth and the personal goals we've set for our lives.

Please consider this message a friendly reminder to put your best foot forward; wear your beautiful things with pride, and remember that your freedom, your health, your life today IS the special occasion.

*Illustration Courtesy of Renie*

"The bottom line is, blowing your rent money on one outfit isn't dressing to impress. What matters, he says, is how you present yourself. "So many people say to me, 'Oh, I'm not a fashion person,'" Gunn says. "Well, I don't expect you to be a fashion person. What I do expect is you to accept responsibility for how you present yourself to the world. It's the semiotics of clothes: The clothes we wear send a message to the world about how we want to be perceived. So accept responsibility for that." - Tim Gunn