Choose Your Style to Shine
Dr. La Verne Wimberly of Tulsa, Oklahoma, recently experienced a brief period of international fame. Eighty-two-year-old Dr. Wimberly wore a different outfit with a pretty hat to attend virtual church each Sunday for fifty-two weeks in a row!
"I decided I'm going to get dressed each Sunday during the pandemic as if I was going to attend church in-person, so I would not get into the habit of just slouching around at home," the retired educator said. I have noticed Dr. Wimberly at our Tulsa Metro Retired Educators Association meetings. She is always professionally dressed, so I was not surprised at her commitment to her church services.
Have you ever noticed that you feel better after a shower and changing into clean clothes? I know for some, just changing into a clean pair of pajamas is an effort. Dr. Wimberly has the right idea. When you look good, you feel good; then you will do well.
What to wear?
I was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2017, shortly after I retired from teaching. When I make things easier for me, it is easier to get things done. I try not to buy clothes that require hand washing or dry cleaning. Unlike Dr. Wimberly, I own only a couple of hats. Where do you store all those hats, Dr. Wimberly? In fact, during the pandemic, since I was home anyway, I cleaned out my closet and donated a lot of clothes and accessories. Did you know that most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time? We reach for our favorite styles, textures, and colors.
Here's a tip to help you decide which clothes to discard. If you are unsure about the garment, turn the hanger backward. If the item is still hanging in the exact direction in one year, meaning you haven't worn it, toss it. Keep the clothes that you will realistically wear. Sometimes we buy clothes because they look nice on a friend, but it isn't our style.
Keep or toss?
Many of us hold on to clothes because we think we will lose the weight to wear that size again. If you lose a lot of weight, you will want new clothes. We have to be realistic. My closet is small, so I need the space.
Maybe you have sweaters that someone gifted you. You feel guilty about getting rid of them, but think how much good they will do if you donate them to your local charity clothes closet.
What about sentimental clothes? Take a photo. I am not kidding. (To be honest, I have the wedding suit my mother wore in 1952 when she married my dad. I have it in a keepsake box.) One of my friends from high school married the summer after we graduated. I don't mean to sound snarky, but I think my bridesmaid dress from her wedding hung in my closet longer than she stayed married to her first husband. The dress finally had to go.
When you have blood cancer, you often feel tired. As Dr. Wimberly insisted, we don't want to slouch around. So we get up in the morning, groom ourselves and dress for the day. Dr. Wimberly puts on a hat for Sunday church service; I wear a pretty scarf or necklace. We each have our style. Just figure out your way to shine.
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