Why do I talk myself into these things?
As the director of a non-profit, my life often revolves around a whirlwind of dinners, meetings, and the occasional formal event. It’s all part of the gig, and while my boyfriend seems to have mastered the art of dashing sartorial perfection with what seems like Disney-prince-level ease, I, sadly, do not have the privilege of his magical wardrobe.
He asks a couple of basic questions, waltzes into his closet, and—poof—out comes a well-dressed, charming gentleman. Me? Well, let’s just say my closet doesn’t involve any fairy godmother interventions. Nope, I get to face the joys of shopping. And by “joys,” I mean the overwhelming chaos, the social anxiety, and my undying love for saving a buck that makes the whole thing feel less like retail therapy and more like a survival game. Honestly, I’d rather stab myself in the toe than go shopping. But does that stop me from enthusiastically agreeing to attend a black-tie event? Of course not. Because who doesn’t love a good paradox?
So, here I am. My mission (and yes, I accepted it): find a dress. One dress. How hard can it be? Very hard, apparently. So far, I’ve cycled through 18 dresses I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, a few I could tolerate if I absolutely had to, and two that I optimistically thought I could make work—until I tried them on. Spoiler alert: they don’t fit. Did I mention I like my food? I’m all about body acceptance, but let’s be real—there’s a fine line between “this fits” and “this makes me look fabulous,” and I aim for the latter.
So, here’s to tackling this shopping nightmare head-on, armed with sheer determination and maybe a bit of sarcasm. After all, it’s just one job. How hard can it be? Famous last words.
Update: After shopping various thrift stores and nearby retail stores, I decided to take my search online. I tried to shop local, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. This is the dress I decided on after much debate and text messages with my tribe. I sent them multiple choices, and they all said this was one was me. So, since this is about learning to be the best me possible, I obviously found my choice. It takes a village folks. Now pray for me as I pick out shoes and jewelry.
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