written by Heather Foley
93% of the time if you see me out and about on in da’ hood I’m in a carefully thought out ensemble (note, if you saw me at Stop and Shop Wednesday night in my Irish step costume, that was not carefully thought out, though I still looked fierce). As someone who puts perhaps too much thought into their looks, I often wonder how long people take to get ready (like when I see someone who looks like they rolled out of bed and into a pile of dirty clothes), and since I wonder about this kind of stuff, I figure some of my 10s of fans might too. I can’t speak for how long others take to get ready, but I can give you a little glimpse into the getting ready process for moi.
Okay, so first we start with an event. Tonight I’m headed to Del Frisco’s for “Girls Night Out”. So here’s my getting ready timeline:
November 10th:
Received email inviting me to Del Frisco’s Ladies night. I do a quick mental check; I’m free the night of the event (shocking) so I RSVP. I also ask for some more details. Venni Caprice is showcasing some holiday fashions, Elizabeth Grady is doing makeup applications, Chambord Vodka martinis, Del Frisco food, and some of the cast of ‘Wicked Fit’. Asking for more details is crucial; what if I didn’t ask and just assumed it was one of those come dressed as your favorite Disney Princess ladies nights? Boy would my face have been red!
November 11th:
I realize my hair looks ridic. I’ve been calling my look ‘ombre’, but let’s get real – I have roots and they’re darker than Alex Haley’s. I suck it up and call to schedule an appointment. Since I am the queen of the last minute I have to call three different places before I can get my hair did.
November 12th:
I get my hair did. My hair is the longest its ever been, about half way down my back, and long hair equals $$$, ouch.
November 13th:
I need some new makeup, bad. I am completely out of foundation and concealer. I’ve been putting off shelling out the dough but a vain bitch has to do what a vain bitch has to do.
November 14th:
Now that I have my hair and makeup situation under control I can start concentrating on clothes, so I start mentally trying on outfits. What does ‘mentally trying on outfits’ mean? It means I imagine what I’ll look like in different clothing combinations. A word of warning, this is super subjective and a lot hinges on your self esteem and if you’re self esteem is a little too healthy you might be disappointed when you physically put some clothes on.
November 15th:
I’ve narrowed it down to a handful of outfits. What does my selection process consist of? Usually if I have a new piece of clothing I really want to wear it, in this case I recently did a little too much shopping, so I have a few pieces I want to wear, namely a fur vest, faux leather pants, faux leather mini, a beaded ruffley mini and peep-toe sling-backs. Now obviously I can’t wear them all together but at least I’ve narrowed down the field.
November 17th:
I get my makeup in the mail (Yay Sephora) and its time to start physically trying on outfits. Hhhhhmmmmm, looks like when I mentally tried things on they looked a little better, and fit a little looser. This is why its super important to try clothes on the night before at the very latest. Trust me, it totally sucks when you think you have a cute outfit ready to go only to find you hate the way it looks when you put it all together. What if everything looks great and you can’t decide what to wear? I recommend deciding based on shoes. Are you going to be sitting all night? Then rock those sky high heels that may trip you up a bit (just be careful getting up to go to the restroom, I guarantee if I see you stand up and fall I will laugh my ass off). Plan on standing a lot? Well then wear what you can stand in dummy! Pick the rest of your outfit based on what looks best with the shoes.
Ok, so I’ve taken you up to the night before an event and now what? Well, it’s time for hair and makeup! Dramatic eyes or red lips? Hair up or down? You have to figure this crap out! And pick out some accessories. Try on necklaces, bracelets, cocktail rings, different lengths of earrings, and belts. Decide if you need to tuck or untuck. Roll-up your sleeves? Boot sock peeking out over boots? Do you need a scarf? These are questions I can’t answer for you, you need to stand in front of a mirror and see if it works. And now we’re ready! Its been 7 nights of getting ready for the event, reward yourself with a glass of wine before you grab a cab, and then its time down some cocktails and tear it up!
p.s. Okay, the event is tonight and I still haven’t decided. It’s between grey shorts and the ruffley mini, help!
