Is it important to be ‘dressed’ all the time????
Well, the question hit me a couple of days ago, when I was tired of ‘dressing up’ after the numerous events I was invited for and the training sessions I took and lets understand, that it is required to be really ‘dressed-up’ for all these. I had grown quiet tired and really wanted to ‘dress-down’ for a change!
And so I got the opportunity few weeks ago to do so as we were settling into our new home and I could hide behind the ‘I-am-too-busy’ doing housework to- bother- about- the- way- I- look, excuse!
For the next few days, I was into the PJ’s (payjamas’) worn out tees and messy hair up in an equally messy bun!
But realization struck when I went out after many days for household errands, in the same under dressed state. My hubby decided to try out a take-away meal vendor truck, run by two women entrepreneurs. While we stopped by and my hubby enquired, one of them looked at me and said, “Aren’t you Shrruti, ‘THE’ Mrs Universe from Pune?!” Though I nodded and replied cordially, I wished I was a snail and I could get back into my shell! Cos when she introduced me, few other customers looked on with disbelief!
Well, though for people like me, our profession and social standing may demand that we be ‘presentable’ at all times in public; the thought struck my mind, whether as women, do we all go through this emotion at some point or the other? Do we feel the need of being dressed at all times during the day? I started doing some retrospection and research. Read on to know what I found!
Though it is not imperative to be dressed up all the time, nevertheless, we as women love dressing up! It makes us feel nice about ourselves, fresh and lively!
Recall the olden zamana movies when the clock struck 5 the protagonist would start dressing up as it was time for the husband to arrive from office! Well, research says that reason for many divorces is the fact that the husbands feel that the person they married many years ago, has ‘changed’ now! She doesn’t have time for him (read as ‘no time to look good for him’). Think about it…. When we dated our husbands or during the courtship days, we took extra care to look good (presentable) in front of him. But now????
Here is when I recalled a routine my mother had instilled in us (my sister n me) since childhood. As soon as it was evening, she would insist we freshened up, comb our hair and straighten or change our clothes and then sit for our studies. Years later, this habit has taught me, disciple and professionalism. How you may wonder? Read on!
With the new trend of work from home, many women are opting for this kind of flexibility of work. It gives us the required time to concentrate on home and kids and then on our respective careers (Work from home). But are we able to bring in the required productivity as compared to, if we went to an office and worked? If yes, great! Please share the secret of your success with us!
But if no / not really (like me) then probably it’s time to pull up our socks and ‘dress-up’!
Research has shown that what you wear affects your inner being and vice versa. And I decided to test this out. There were days when I would sit in home clothes, with an open laptop but nothing productive and then I came to realize why my mom had set that practice! So when I have a task at hand, I wake up as I would for office, finish household chores, ‘dress-up’ as I would for an office (maybe a degree less!), seclude myself for a few hours from the home despite being at home and then start working. And trust me, it has been more productive!
A friend shared a true story about a lady from a little village who had an abusive husband. Every evening he would abuse her physically after he returned from work and this went on for many years. She took it silently. One day, while collecting the clothes at home, she saw her husband’s work uniform. He worked as a bouncer. She wore it out of curiosity and looked at herself. She felt powerful!
The uniform gave her some sort of strength! That evening, she retaliated to her abusive husband and gave him a beating he might never forget for the rest of his life!
What we wear has the power to boost our confidence! It also helps in bringing in productivity and professionalism at work. And many a time it has saved me from embarrassment if a client asks for a ‘video call’ discussion! Which if I was not presentable, would have to give reasons to buy time for it! And yes friends, I speak of this incident out of experience!!!!
So while I reiterate the fact that clothes are not the utmost important aspect that defines us, however I have come to realize that it is a fairly important part nevertheless. Though clothes cannot change our inner self, it still reflects who we are and our state of being.
So it is not about being all decked up, dolled up and dressed up, but it’s about being presentable at all times. Maybe it could be for that urgent call from your child’s school, or welcoming an unannounced guest at home, working from home more professionally, of then simply to feel pleasant and nice about yourself. Once you feel positive and good about yourself, you automatically spread the positivity and smiles around you!
So for a change, steal those few minutes for yourself at least once during the day, and ‘DRESS UP’!!!!
Image Source: Renaesworld
