As I replace wardrobe items, fill wardrobe holes, refresh my style with carefully chosen trends and classics, create outfits, and select what to wear each day, I ask myself the same questions. Do the items work for my lifestyle and climate? Are the items and vibes aligned with my style goals? Do I like the colours? Do the proportions adhere to my personal figure-flattering priorities? Am I happy with the fabric, fit, quality, price point, and the way the item was produced? Does hubs Greg like the look? Am I physically and emotionally comfortable in the outfit? Can I walk my fast walk with doggies in tow? Do the items and outfits make me happy? Usually, if enough of these boxes are ticked off, the items and outfits are winners.

I also find myself asking one additional question more frequently these days: If not now, when?

More and more, I feel that I need to seize the moment, throw caution to the wind, be more daring, be less practical, and give myself permission to splurge a little more on my style. Cognizant of what we can afford and what I will actually wear, I believe that if I don’t dress the way I really want to dress right now, life will pass me by, and I will not have made the most of it.

That sounds awfully dramatic. Yet, it’s how I feel about many aspects of life lately, and not just about about fashion and style. Maybe it’s because I turn 52 in a couple of months. Maybe it’s because my late Mum left too many things for good and died in her fifties. Maybe I’m making up for two years of pandemic life.

This is why I buy dressy wardrobe items and wear them in very casual Seattle. It’s why I wore a formal tulle skirt to a friend’s house for casual dinner last week. It’s why I wear clashing and monochromatic brights from head to toe, and bought impractical blush pink suede boots to wear in rainy Seattle (although only on dry days). It’s why I frequently wear dresses, skirts, and white wardrobe items. It’s why I wear dressy pants to work from home, and spend a little more on a wardrobe item than I used to.

I am committed to living life more fully, and making it count. That means being more deliberate with my actions and experiences. I am all for waiting because good things come to those who wait. But at some point, waiting to wear and do something can be wrong too.