Comfort Clothes

I don't think it's fair to buy a dress and have it sit on the shelf.  But, I have so many dresses that it's hard to wear them all.  That's not a brag; it's the Pareto Principle that we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time.  It's also an embarrassing statement of fact to say that I have more dresses than I can wear and I am slowly trying to remedy that.

You see, as much as I love my dresses, my life is changing.  My body and style are also changing and I suddenly find myself reaching for linen trousers, cotton tank tops, and slouchy cable knit cardigans more often than dresses.  It could just be the summer heat talking, but I think it's more than that.  I am weary.  And craving comfort from my clothes, my home, and my food.

Comfort clothes are a real thing, and this particular Mae dress from Ivy City Co. has been worn twice a week ever since it arrived because it is both pretty and comfortable and takes less time to iron than most of my dresses.  It's also pretty but not lavish, so I feel comfortable wearing it at all my jobs.  This is the sort of dress that I wish I owned ten in all different colors and just wore them all the time so I didn't have to even think about my clothes.

More than anything, I am just tired.  I am tired of ironing, tired of special care instructions, tired of special bras so the straps don't show, tired of being cold with bare legs in the A/C, tired of mud spatter stains from having to feed pigs in pretty dresses as I rush out in the morning or drag home in the evening.  

My summer ritual of tea time has not manifested this year.  Instead I try to go outside one to two evenings a week after work with a cocktail of sparkling fruit juice and vodka and listen to the cicadas and birds to help me wind down.  Whether it's the sounds of nature or the strong alcohol, (which I really do drink in moderation) it really does make me feel more relaxed for a while.

Ever since life hit the fan, I have felt like I was useless, languishing, and to that end, I have enjoyed the busy schedule, it's given me purpose and goals again.  And, I am looking forward to the changes ahead, a new career and new possibilities.  I am also looking forward to gutting my house and making into something that I actually enjoy being in and am not ashamed to have guests in.  But, all these things take work and I am definitely starting to feel it.

So, I'll keep reaching for this dress and a couple of other like it while I just have to swallow the gnawing guilt that all my other pretty things are going to gather dust for a while, and content myself with quiet moments when I can find them and the hopefulness that this too shall pass and open the door to something far better.

 Shopping Info:  Mae Dress-$118 from IvyCityCo.com.  Use my link to save 10% off your purchase.