A Dress of Many Sizes

I'm getting ready to go into Mahattan tonight for dinner at Mesa Grill. (review to follow). I'm excited to get out of the house.

My closet dilemma has dampened the excitement just a little. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I'd simply leave my office and meet my husband out. I'd be wearing business professional garb, so my outfit wouldn't be such a source of stress.

Looking at my closet this afternoon, I realized that I don't have many outfits that don't make me look like:

A. I'm still working in corporate America and I just can't let it go OR
B. I'm a casual dresser who doesn't care if she's going to a nice place out to eat, she just wants to wear cotton because it washes well

Seeing that we're now on a budget because of my recent retirement, getting a brand new wardrobe is not a possibility for now. But what is a possibility it taking the effort to sift through all of my stuff and archive that which I should not be wearing. It will save me time and aggrevation the next time I go out.

What isn't going to be purged is my Ann Taylor Loft wrap dress. I bought it about two years ago, just after I lost all of that weight on South Beach, about a year after giving birth to my second child. Besides being a ridiulcously low size for me (Vanity sizing, while great for the ego is sometimes criticized for being unrealistic. I, personally, love the ego boost but wonder whether truly small women ever find anything to wear in vanity size-oriented stores.), it fits really well and I always get compliments on it. On a light blue background are tiny darker blue and white flowers that add texture to the classic silhouette. It is shaped something like the blue dress in this post. Wrap dresses are flattering on many shapes, and Ann Taylor Loft makes them so affordable that if you aren't sure, you haven't just handed over half of your paycheck in vain.