Years ago I used to play a board game with my cousins called ‘What Shall I Wear?’ I don’t remember everything about the game but I do remember a few key components: getting invited to events and shopping for appropriate attire. We played this game for hours and, even though I no longer play the board game, I seem to regularly play the same type of game with friends and coworkers.
While at work the other day we were discussing the upcoming visit of a dignitary when one coworker asked another, “I’m not sure what to wear. Are you wearing a suit?” “Yes,” she replied. “What about you? Are you wearing a suit?” she then queried me. “The only suit I own is my birthday suit and, until I get a few alterations, it isn’t ready to be seen publicly.” This may not have been the most appropriate response, especially based on the fashion knowledge I acquired after years of playing ‘What Shall I Wear,’ but it seemed right at the time.
In the end, none of us wore suits – birthday or otherwise. Instead, we dressed just as the ‘winning’ girls in the board game did when going on a job interview or to a movie premiere – proper, stately and stylish.