Practical Tips: Clothing

"The reason I dress as I do," I'd say, "is that I have to tone myself down. Otherwise people would go wild; they would be so crazy about me. Whenever I appeared downtown they would run amuck - men leaving their wives, etc. I have to protect them from themselves. And so, children, that is why I wear bogtrotter shoes and all. I should really wear thick glasses, I suppose, to make it even safer." --Brenda Ueland

Writers do not have to be badly dressed. Brenda Ueland, author of If You Want to Write, wrote, "Confessions of a Badly Dressed Woman" in which she extols the virtues of not caring about one's appearance. I think that's fine. I happen to enjoy looking nice, though - so I put effort into it.

Most days I go straight from walking, running, or yoga class to meet with a client or teach a class. Or vise versa. So I need clothes that look sharp and yet will move with me. I disguise stretchy, comfy layers by wearing a long top or jacket over yoga pants and top, with an accessory for polish. My favorite brand is the Marika line - it's activewear, but dresses up great.

Also, I love clothes. In jewel colors, classy or feminine or sporty or a little retro, in jeans-y things, in professional or cute, and always, with great shoes. As a creative person, I crave variety. My secret to wardrobe fun is thrift and consignment shopping. I both buy and sell used clothing. Favorite shop: Deja Vu. All the staff, including the owner, Amber, are terrific.

Finally, there's nothing better than having a couple fashionistas in the house in the form of teenage daughters, when you need advice on how you look. The only price to pay is sharing an item or two. Or seventeen. (Hey, B, where is my red scarf?)

We creative people need to think ahead. The more streamlined our daily routines and tools for living, the more time for creating. And by all means, whatever your clothing personality (or personalities), have fun with a look that's your own.