Before any date - days before any date - the plans begin on what to wear. The biggest decision I have to make before seeing a guy is trying to figure out what outfit I am going to wear. Everything centers around the outfit, and the outfit can't be decided until I know where we are going. What clothes are appropriate for this date? What shoes will work? How will I wear my hair? What jewelry will I wear with it? What make-up would compliment the outfit and my face the best? It's a daunting, but fun, task. Lucky for me, I can't recall a single instance where my well-planned outfit had during into a dating disaster. But that doesn't mean I haven't had wardrobe malfunctions or embarrassing moments.
I remember my first wardrobe whoopsie, and it's so cliché. It was my junior year of high school. I visited the bathroom after leaving my first class. I then walked the crowded halls to my next class which was at the other end of the school and when I was just feet away from my second class a girl tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Uh, you might want to check the back of your skirt." I had tucked my skirt into my undies. I remember being incredibly embarrassed as I thanked her, but that was also the last time I let an unexpected outfit problem embarrass me. After all, everyone has them.
I had a job once where, halfway through my work day, I discovered that some stitching in the back of my black skirt came lose and left a decent sized hole that exposed my bare behind. No one had a sewing kit (not that I expected anyone to) nor were there any safety pins laying around. One of the guys I worked with found some black electrical tape to stick over the hole and offered to put it on for me (ha), but I found another girl to apply the tape instead.
Same job, different disaster: the strap on my favorite pair of Mary Jane heels broke off. Again, another guy came to my rescue (they are just so resourceful) and found a piece of pliable wire to hold my strap in place until I could repair it.
Then there was the time my family wanted some donuts for breakfast, so I offered to make the run. I pulled a pair of jeans out of the dryer, threw on a shirt and a pair of flip-flops and ran to donut shop. It was the morning, so course they were busy. People we coming in and out at a steady rate. As I left, I opened the doors and looked down on the side walk and what did I see? My absolute favorite thong. It must've been stuck in or on my pants from the dyer and happened to land conveniently right in front of the door to the donut shop. I casually knelt over, picked them up, walked to my car and laughed at the situation.
I've also had many moments of near-nipple exposure and close calls with my bust falling out of my bra (that's one of the downsides to having large breasts and refusing to wear full-coverage grandma bras). I've fallen and made massive tears in my jeans while out. I've broken the straps on flip-flops rendering me barefoot. I've had food and drink spilled down the front of me. I have (twice!) had gasoline end up all over my clothes while pumping gas.
I have come to accept the fact that I am clumsy and that leads to moments that should be seen as embarrassing - except they aren't. I look at the situation, laugh at myself, and go on with my life with a story to tell about yet another time where I found myself in a funny situation.
"People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile."
--Lee Mildon
Being able to laugh at yourself is huge, glad you were able to do that!
Posted by: BettyConfidential | 08/21/2010 at 03:53 PM