Get Mileage from Special Occasion Clothes

Message from Diana
Feature Article: Get Mileage from Special Occasion Clothes

On a beautiful day last week while the kids were in school, Robert and I played hooky from work and went to the annual Orchid Show at Longwood Gardens (Link: longwoodgardens.org). It was spectacular! Not only was the DuPont estate amazing, as usual, the assortment and number of orchids was astounding. I don't have much of a green thumb - Robert's the gardener, having been heavily imprinted by his grade school years in England - but I've always marveled at the architecture of some orchid varieties, where the blooms look like a dozen butterflies have alighted on a long, delicate stem that couldn't possibly hold them. It was a delightful sensory treat, as well as an enjoyable outing with my husband.

If you like orchids and beautiful flowers, you can see some of the other shots I took here, a journal of our outing.

So have you played hooky recently to do something YOU really enjoy? I hope so. Not only does it give you a break from the ordinary, it's nice to reward yourself for all your hard work from time to time. "All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl," as the saying goes. It can also make her very bitter, always working hard with no recompense. So go treat yourself! Give yourself permission.

So what's on tap for today's article? A look at how to get some mileage out of your special occasion clothes.

What if you could drop some of those pesky pounds in the next few weeks WITHOUT starving yourself, counting calories, or going to meetings? What if, by rotating your eating patterns for a few days, you could speed up your metabolism to burn away a few of those dimples and rolls - yet still enjoy a glass of wine with dinner? Sound impossible? Well pick your favorite foods, let these folks plan your menu, and join the thousands who have discovered what a big difference "shifting calories" can mean to your waistline:

Warm weather tends to bring people together, and as the temperatures rise, so do most people's social schedules. Easter, graduations, and weddings are just around the corner; whatcha gonna wear?

In years past, getting ready for these celebrations might have included a trip to the mall. But these days, with budgets tight and spending down, it pays to shop smart. Spending a lot on clothes you wear once is NOT smart. Instead, get creative and get some mileage from those little-worn pieces.

Start by looking in your closet to locate the pieces that might work for your upcoming events. Have a dress? A skirt? A sparkly top? A suit? Perfect! Now, instead of wearing them the same way you always do, try mixing things up a bit. Pair your suit jacket with a spring dress. Wear that festive top with the suit skirt or pants. Try the jacket with a different skirt. You're only limited by your imagination. Remember: just because you bought outfits to go together doesn't mean you can't wear them with other things.

Now go back to your closet and those special occasion-appropriate pieces and mix up the accessories a bit. If you always wear your special occasion dress with pearls, for example, try a beautiful scarf instead. If you always wear certain earrings with your suit, ditch the earrings and wear your hair in a completely different way. Always accessorize with black pieces? Try white, red, or yellow instead. Again, you're only limited by your imagination.

Still can't find anything appropriate for that wedding or graduation? Then THINK CHE.AP. Instead of going to the mall, try your local consignment shops instead to see what you can find. Or, try eBay. Or vintage stores. Or outlet malls. Or dis.count retailers. The goal is to find something nice yet spend as little as possible. Best bet: find something that you can wear many times, employing tricks 1 and 2 above.

Many women shy away from renting special occasion apparel, but guys do it all the time with formal wear. Proms, pageants, weddings, quinceaneras - you'd be surprised at just what's available. While there aren't as many places to rent gowns as there are tuxes, you could score if you live in or near a big city. Do a Google search for "gown rental" in your area. Here's a popular Los Angeles store, serving the movie industry:

Don't have anything to wear OR spend? Hit up your friends, sisters, or co-workers of similar size to see what they can do for you. I've loaned costumes and pageant gowns to friends and sisters over the years and have borrowed formal maternity wear. Return items clean and pressed.

Looking good during budget-conscious times isn't hard IF you use your imagination. Don't spend a lot on clothes you don't wear a lot, because you just can't get your money's worth. Instead, look at your current clothing inventory with a fresh eye and see how you can stretch it to new lengths. Or, to quote German designer Jil Sander, "Think more, buy less."

Need some more help determining what you should wear when? Download a copy of OCCASION MAGIC to see how easy being dressed appropriately for every occasion can be,

http://www.occasionmagic.com