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Chapter 35

DRESSING
APROPRIATELY

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to show up at a pool party wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt over your bathing suit if everyone else was in party clothes? The invitation did say “pizza and swimming” but in hindsight, you should probably have erred on the side of caution, worn that cute sundress, and brought your bathing suit in a tote bag.

Sometimes we know exactly what type of attire is expected of us. Some schools require uniforms or have a strict dress code, and there’s not much leeway permitted. When you’re on a team, you know just what to wear to a game. If you play in a student orchestra, the dress code is probably pretty strict for girls and boys.

In other situations there are a lot of opportunities to express yourself with your clothing, and as many opportunities to make a wrong choice. This is especially true at your age, when you’re too old or big for lots of the clothes in the girl’s department, and too young for many of the more grown-up clothes in the junior department. Advertising and media often show girls your age dressing ten years older than they really are. It’s not always easy to figure it out.

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That’s when erring on the side of caution is not an error at all. Unless you are trying to call attention to yourself and provoke gossip—and why would a young lady do that?—it is a better choice to dress so that people don’t remember exactly what you wore rather than have them whisper about your short skirt or your low-cut top. Good taste is always in style.

YOU DO

Think about the message your outfit is sending and where you are sending it.

YOU DON’T

Wear your designer label clothing when you are volunteering in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.

Why

Volunteering for people who have no food while you are wearing a pair of boots that cost the equivalent of a week’s worth of groceries is insensitive and separates you from those you are serving.

YOU DO

Have fun with fashion.

YOU DON’T

Load up on every trend the minute it hits the stores.

Why

Unless you have an unlimited clothing budget, a closet full of this season’s trends has a very limited style life. For example, don’t buy three pairs of the cropped cargo pants and four pairs of the skinny jeans all over the fashion magazines for fall; buy one of each, and use the money you saved for some cool new tops.

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A lady does not wear clothes that are too suggestive or excessively revealing, no matter how proud she is of her figure.

A lady who wears a short skirt remembers she is wearing a short skirt and walks, sits, reaches, bends down, and climbs stairs accordingly.

A lady does not wear stained or torn clothing out of the house.

A lady does not wear clothing that is too small.

A lady does not wear T-shirts printed with vulgar, obscene, or suggestive language or images.

A lady knows that a basic white blouse, dark skirt, and classic cardigan in her wardrobe will take her anywhere.