Pretend Every Day is Laundry Day

So I dressed up way more than I normally would be for a long day at the office. I had a below-the-knee nude-lace lace skirt on, knee-high, lace-up, heeled boots and a fitted, black, boat-neck sweater. I also wore a black rose bead bracelet that kind of matched the lace pattern on the skirt. The overall look—vintagey but put together. (I knew I looked cute, so I preened and strutted a bit.)

And it got the desired result.
Everyone asked where I was going…
Which was, well… nowhere.

So I explained the outfit.
“I ran out of jeans,” I told them.
This prompted a few knowing chuckles.
“I know exactly what you mean,” said Linda, one of my coworkers.
Another co-worker, Michelle, who is a pretty nifty dresser most days, echoed the sentiment.
“I notice when it gets closer to laundry day I start dressing better and better and better,” she said.

Now this got me thinking.
Why is it so hard to break free from the habit of automatically reaching for jeans? And then some top that won’t require much thought in terms of matching or pairing with accessories? Even for people who are for the most part fashion-conscious?

I certainly can’t speak for everyone, but I know that sometimes, if I feel tired or if I don’t have much in the way of time to get dolled up, I feel like my best bet is to wear something that will help me fade into the background.
But then, an hour later, after I’ve had my caffeine fix, listened to something delightfully Eurotrashy on my iPod and had my first chat of the day—this is when I consider myself to be officially “awake”—I am no longer content to look like everyone else. And I regret not taking the time to look my best.

So, though it’ll be a challenge, methinks that from now on, at least three times a week, I am going to pretend that it’s laundry day—and step away from the denim. And have fun being a girl!