keeping up with the Jonesessess

I have a circle of friends whom I meet with every so often for dinner. This group is made up of former co-workers all from a place, a place called HELL! Sorry, heh heh, I had to write that. Actually we all worked at the same company, a clothing manufacturer, in various worker bee positions. The world of fashion! How exciting! Yeah, sure, love it. Really.

Anyway, we always try out the new cool restaurant in town. The last time we met up was for a birthday and we headed to Market Cafe at Shangra La - by the way, the food was just okay. But going back to the title of my post, Keeping up with the Jonesesses, this group are all fashionistas! I try my best to look hip and fashionable but I always end up feeling like a schlump next to these perfectly coiffed, perfectly styled, love your shoes, where did you get that hangbag?perfect people!!!!. I don't know about you, but for me, by the end of the work day my makeup has disintegrated, my clothes are wrinkled, I'm tired and I meet up with these peeps who look like they just walked out of the salon!

I can't keep up! I make an okay salary, but I can't afford to shop at Holts or wear the designer clothes! I buy my shoes on sale, or at A&N boutique; I shop at Suzy Shier, pick up bargains where I can find them and yes, even pieces of the Superstore's Joe Fresh line , which by the way has some great stuff, has found it's way into my closet. I have to seriously think about what I'm going to wear to these dinners, and even then, I still look and feel like a badunkadink, as Oprah calls it (women who have basically given up - that's me!). As I was speaking to one Ms Jones today, she has to plan out her outfit for these pressure cooker dinners as well. I was like, what, you too?? You mean everyone is doing their best to look hot and fabulous every time we meet??? No wonder. How would we look if we didn't put that extra 20, or 50% effort in?? I'm sure we'd all still look fab.

Thank god it's only every few months! I know none of us really care what each other is wearing, well we do, but we also just appreciate the effort put in and expect and assume that each walks around looking fab everyday anyways. We are all fashion people after all, well some of us are still hanging in there for some crazy reason. I just assume the peeps look great all the time, and geez, why don't I try harder, cuz, it's better to look good than to feel good, isn't it?? I guess I can thank them for that one day every few months when I make that extra effort to look half way decent and presentable. My daily work uniform of black top and jeans can transition nicely for that, oh- my- god-what-am-i-going-to-wear to this dinner tonight?? night. Just as long as I put that little bit of effort in and make sure I have on those killer shoes (from A&N boutique) , the to die for handbag (knock off) , the wheredidyouget that trendy jacket (superstore!) , the perfect statement jewelry (suzy shier) freshly applied makeup (shopping channel purchases) and that just came from the salon hair ( cut crooked, dammit!) to go with my I just rolled out of bed ( I really did just roll out of bed) and look this way naturally all the time attitude. Really. Love it.