Preparing for a date.... Logistical Nightmare?

Tonight I am going on a date with a lovely Italian man and I feel (in this order):

• Nervous
• Excited
• Happy
  
• Cautious
  
• Vulnerable
  

The added pressure of the evening include the fact that most people in the damn town seems to know one or both of us thanks to our jobs. Can you imagine being on a date and having people you know coming over to chat and ask awkward questions? Bad News! This makes the venue choice is a bit of a mission.

1. Meet at 8 and go for a drink a gorgeous wine bar (none of my customers, lots of his!)
2. Head off to a unknown location for dinner (he is choosing venue and I've been warned that there will be none of his customers but some of mine)
3. Go for a drink in a lovely bar at the river. (Possibly frequents by our customers but unlikely)
   

On top of this I have the usual stressful crazy date preparation to get through!

My Date Preparation (up to and inc. tonight):

• Consider outfit and realise I have nothing remotely suitable in my wardrobe
• Rush out to buy some gorgeous black trousers that I 100% cannot afford
  
• Give my self a facial

- 1 Day before

• Pluck eyebrows
• Exfoliate
• Try on outfit and realise the gorgeous new trousers are too big.
  
• Panic and run over all the bad men I have ever met in my life before convincing myself that Mr Italian is not like any of them.
  

- Day of Date (morning)

• Set out the suitable parts of my outfit for quick change later
• Set out a contingency outfit
  
• Rush out before work to change the trousers for a better fitting pair
• Arrive late and flustered in to work and proceed through my day more stressed than necessary
  

- Day of Date (p.m. - 1 hour to get home, ready and back out)

• Have a super quick shower (I am great at these!) - max 5 mins
  
• Jump into my outfit (that now hopefully fits!) - max 5 mins
  
• Blow dry, straighten and back comb my hair - 25 mins
• Start Make up, natural but flattering - 10 mins
• Run for the bus which will inevitably be late - 10mins
• Continue Make Up while on the bus - 5 - 10 mins
• Run up the High Road - 5 mins
  
• Arrive looking windswept and no doubt awful with a big smile (fashionably 5 -10 minutes late)
  

So here goes, hopefully it will be a good night - I think it will - I hope it will! Wow, how stressful is dating? Shoud it really be this tough?

Wardrobe Essentials for a Wannabe Classy Lady

Seldom do people discern Eloquence under a threadbare cloak.
Juvenal
Class is timeless, it effortlessly displays the epitome of feminine beauty and best of all, from what I have read, we can all shy away from the ever-changing fashions and move towards the styles of a more glamorous time. I’m thinking Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, or for a more modern day example think of Catherine Zeta Jones.

OK so the majority of us mere mortals are unable to afford their style, but basics are the key and I badly need a new wardrobe.

Unfortunately in the past year my wages have been too low to allow for any luxuries what-so-ever (I do not doubt the vast majority of people are in the same situation!) and it has now reached the stage that everything I do have is covered in holes or rips and it looks awful. I cannot rock the scruffy look any longer. I need well fitting clothes; I need clothes that I do not feel embarrassed to wear. It is time for a new look, time for some style and elegance in replacement of my current hobo-esque gear.


“Fashion is made to become unfashionable.”
Coco Chanel
So here I go, with a (slight) pay rise on the horizon I am going to gradually build up my essentials by investing in clothes. I must first purchase all my basics as well as a few ‘classic’ pieces. I.E. spend a little bit more than I can afford but get plenty of use of the piece for years.

The Staple Diet of Clothes,

• 2 well fitting, well made short sleeved T-shirts (1 black, 1 white)
• 2 well fitting, well made long sleeved T-shirts (1 black, 1 white)
• 2 pairs of well fitting, well made jeans (1 casual, 1 smart)
• 1 slim line / pencil skirt (perhaps less the pencil skirt as I seem to always be in a rush and the penguin run does nothing for anyone!
• 1 blouse (purchased from Bravissimo to stop the gaping look!)
• 1 pair of black trousers
• 1 pair of tailored trousers
• 1 well fitting cute cardigan

“The difference between style and fashion is quality.”
Giorgio Armani
The Elegant Extras (any links are likely to be way out my price tag - but I can dream :)

• Winter Jacket… ideally something long in a neutral colour, or black, get it right and it will last you 10-15 years easily!
• The Perfect Little Black Dress Something that flatters my shape and that I feel great in. Can be used for any occasion
• Little Shift Dress Ideal for lunches or teaming with your fancy jacket and some cute shoes
• Blazer jacket… difficult for us bigger bussed ladies but one of the most versatile items of clothing many of us will own… cocktails, interviews, meetings, dates… it works for them all.
• Cute but comfy toeless sling backs Some amazing shoes to go with my newly formed basics.
• An Authentic Birkin Bag Amazing! I would kill for one of these!
  

“Looking good and dressing well is a necessity. Having a purpose in life is not.”
Oscar Wilde