Celebrate summer by dressing up, for the entire day

Susan Wagner — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:12:22 -0500

Are you making plans for the summer? Hopefully some of your summer plans are festive occasions that will require more than flip flops and a tee shirt. But in case your summer is devoid of dress up events, I have one for you! Because sadly, most of us need a REASON to dress up.

Fortunately, the Elegantologist has a proposal for all of us:

June 7th, 2008 will mark the 230th anniversary of Beau Brummell’s
birth. I propose that the 4,000 - 6,000 readers I have mark the event
with a day of celebration of personal style. Our mis-en-scene will be the world at large.

Make it a point to gather several well-dressed friends (the more the
merrier) and head for a local watering hole, museum, theatre or other
public venue. Dress better than you have to. En mass, a statement will
be made. Beauty will be in the eyes of the beholders and maybe, just
maybe, someone will think it’s a movement. The news media will pick up
on the sudden reëmergence of elegance. Strangers will be compelled to
rethink the day’s shabby wardrobe choices. Long dormant manners will
see the light of day. Heads will turn and polite smiles will be
exchanged.

June 7th, 2008. The First Annual Easy and Elegant Life International Smartly Dressed Scene.

You cannot imagine how much I love this idea -- or perhaps you can. Getting dressed up changes our behavior, and the way others treat us. While I like the idea of thousands of people going about their day in fabulous dresses, what I like more is the underlying idea that what we wear is connected to how we behave. As the Elegantologist says, "Long dormant manners will see the light of day."

We behave differently when we dress up -- we are more conscious of how we stand and sit and move, possibly because we have opted for clothes that require more care, but maybe, just maybe, because we feel better about ourselves, because we feel elegant and sophisticated. Wouldn't it be lovely to feel that way every day? Why not for one whole day?

Make a note in your calendar and dress up on June 7, and see what it feels like to be part of the movement.

But why should getting dressed up be only an occasional event? I challenge you to spend your summer creating opportunities to wear your best clothes and use your best manners. Go to a wine tasting or to dinner or meet friends for coffee. Serve tea on the porch. Host a cocktail party (and let Miss Cedar show you what to wear).

Is it possible to go through your normal day in your elegant best? Sure! Put a sweater over your LBD for the office, and then take it off for drinks after work; trade your jeans for a skirt, or even better, a dress! Wear pretty earrings, carry a beautiful bag. Put on some lipstick. It doesn't take that much effort, really, and the payoff could be huge. I promise.

Many thanks to Miguelina for the heads up about this!

Chelsea Flower dress, $198.00 at Bluefly.com.

Susan Wagner writes about fashion at The Working Closet and Fashion Find, and about everything else at Friday Playdate. She will most certainly be dressing her best on June 7.

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Celebrate summer by dressing up, for the entire day