-Who Are You Wearing?

That is the question that scary woman on the red carpet always asks. Then whatever famous person she is gripping onto gives a reply, explaining how it is some fabulous piece that they just knew they had to have the moment they saw it. Said famous person probably spent weeks and weeks figuring out what to decide on and which one to finally pick, then right when they gave up all hope they saw it and everything just clicked. They knew before they even tried it on. They knew before they saw it reflected in a mirror. They knew it was the perfect fit because their instincts told them. That is what you should wear. That is what you should put on to look your best and feel you’re sexiest. Sometimes we get chances like that, those of us of a lesser celebrity stature. We too sometimes get to find the perfect thing to put on. I could be talking about those perfect pair of 511 Levi skinny jeans, or that vintage Christian Dior trench that was made for you, or that oversized grandpa sweater that hangs on you just right; or I could be talking about that special someone. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves who are we wearing.
Looking for the right person is a lot like shopping; it can be time consuming, exhausting, take longer then you expected and cost you a whole lot. When you get involved with someone at the beginning it is a lot like trying something on for the first time. You go to that certain place where the lighting is better then it should be, the mirrors are placed with strategic intent and if it all looks bad you can slip out easily. If it does fit nicely and feel good then you have to weigh the situation. Should you just go ahead and buy it? Can you afford it right now? Will it last you more then one season? Should you save up or do some comparison shopping? The last thing you want to do is make an impulse purchase; last time I checked you can’t just return a boyfriend. So if you decided the credit is good and the price tag is fitting you go ahead and buy it. Now you have to combine it with the rest of your wardrobe, creating new outfits and making sure it goes with more then just one thing. When you decide to date someone you have to make sure they can be for more then one occasion, you have to try and combine them with the rest of your life; you have to wear them into your life. Suppose you are already wearing the jeans of your life, paired with the shoes of your past the t-shirt of your future and a sweater threaded by your friends; finding someone to match with all of that is a tricky thing. Even Stacey and Clinton would have some troubles.
The point is we are wearing more then we realize. All of our past relationships, both good and bad, are still clothing us. When we wake up in the morning and stand in front of our closets we don’t realize everything we are putting on, we are dressed up in all of our past lovers. It could be a figurative button down gifted by an old girlfriend. It could be a metaphoric itchy turtleneck left by a bad boyfriend. It could be a shirt that is too tight now and reminds you of how trapped you felt. Or maybe it is that perfect little piece you leave hanging in the back corner, which you take out only sometimes because it still smells like the love that got away. We are wearing more then we think we are which is why we should really think about it before we try to get naked with someone. You can’t really be intimate with another person unless you trust them to take off all the clothes you put on and all the clothes that other people put on.
So next time you check yourself in the mirror before you leave the house, make sure you know who you are wearing; and what it means to really take it all off.