Marley, I love you.

In the past I've imagined running into one of my students in eg the grocery store - this gives a sort of minimum. But I'm going to try Marley's technique instead! Way more fun!

I think I'm gonna add the paparazzi to my imaginary audience, too! You go, Marley!!

This is SUCH a funny thread. Thanks for starting it, Claudia!

Great thread, Claudia!!

And yeah, Marley, you rock in more ways than one!

My imaginary audience is usually my real audience. Which can have negative effects on one's work at home wardrobe, if nobody's going to see it -- something Mo and I (and others here) struggle to overcome.

Maybe imagining a different audience would help me improve my work at home style game! Heck, for all I know, the UPS guy is secretly a photographer just waiting to snap my picture!

In all seriousness, since joining YLF, Angie and many of you here are my guardian fashion angels. I do sometimes think: WWAW? (What would Angie wear?) when I'm planning an event.

I also think about other inspirational people here, wondering what they would buy (given the choice of two items) or how they might put it together.

Ha! Cracking up at Marley's comment!!!

Great question, Claudia, and thank you Vildy for your answer, which is along the lines of mine (only more interesting!).

I have an idealized version of my life in my head (still very realistic, except I have much better hair), and start by imagining what I would wear to various events. So, for example, I have a bridal shower IRL that I am going to next month, and I try to imagine in my ideal life how I would dress for that. (In my ideal life, I've already got the perfect wardrobe worked out). Then I'll see if I have any items in my closet that I can use to make up the outfit, and get the closest I can.

Imagining my ideal life, having already figured out what pieces work best for me, has helped me identify what pieces currently in my closet are definitely not me, so I can purge them. It's given me ideas to try things I might not have IRL, like more heels. When I see something in a store that catches my eye, I think, would this work in my perfect life? If so, how would I wear it? And that tells me if I really love the piece, or if it's something I think I "should" get because it's practical, but I'm not excited about it.

The truth is, when you work at home like I do, and nobody around me seems to be interested in clothes or shopping or putting outfits together, it can get pretty discouraging. At the Starbucks in my town, most of the women come in dressed in what they wore to the gym. Like Vildy, I feel good dressing as if I just came from somewhere, or am just leaving for somewhere, full of possibilities. Maybe I'm wearing a skirt, and maybe not, but I'm definitely not in my old sneakers and yoga wear, cause in my ideal life, I wouldn't wear those except to yoga.

I hope this makes sense in the telling.

This forum has been so great because not only are you all excited about clothes and shopping and being creative with outfits, but you also encourage everyone in finding their own ideal style. I'm a member of Team Dressed Up and Team Girly, and it's hard to find that balance between being true to myself, and looking silly in suburbia.

Debby! That is genius! All of it! Brava!

I remember a long time ago somebody said they didn't like to dress up to go out to dinner, because... what? They didn't want the people in the restaurant to think they thought the restaurant was worth dressing up for? I don't remember. Anyway, my response was something like "I LOVE to dress up to go out to dinner, because I just assume anybody who sees me will realize I am on my way Somewhere Very Fashionable And Important after dinner!" LOL

In the future I am totally stealing Marley's answer. In fact, I thought of it today while getting ready, which is what I think resulted in my final ensemble of leather jacket, long floaty blue-purple shirt, skinnies, and leopard Docs.

Janet, we need a photo!