Do you take care to look presentable and nice?

[Changing4Best]

Some days I wake up early and have plenty of time to decide on matching colors and styles, fixing my hair up nice and in general taking care to look presentable and beautiful. Other days I don't feel like getting up, and when I finally do, I just throw on whatever I can from my closet, forget to brush my hair and teeth, sometimes I even forget my glasses and in general rush out the door just in time to catch my ride to wherever I am going.

I have learned to keep deodorant in my purse, as well as a hair brush, so that I can catch up on making myself look at least as if I didn't just jump out of bed and run out the door, getting dressed as I did so.

I'm wondering how many of you take care to look presentable, or are you more inclined to just barely make it out the door in time (in some kind of disheveled form, bed head and all)?

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

My definition of being presentable and beautiful has drastically changed from what it used to be. I used to do the whole make-up, hair products to secure every hair in it's place, scented deodorants, body sprays, nail polish, hair color, perms, etc. in hopes of being considered presentable enough and acceptable enough by others. Now I invest my time in taking care to feel presentable, from the inside out.

Especially once I learned of the ill effects of all those products and their ingredients, including, but not limited to the endocrine disruption taking place each time we apply, smell, and absorb them into our system. Nothing felt beautiful about that any longer, especially based on my rapidly declining state of health at the time. And that's coming from someone who used to have to have her hair done and make-up on to even take out the trash.

I feel much more presentable and beautiful now that I am comfortable enough in my own skin to allow my genuine being to be presented as is, in all it's natural ungraceful splendor, just as it was meant to be, not as I was heavily marketed to my whole life. If my appearance truly bothers someone else, there are plenty of other things for them to gawk at. Unless I'm at a job interview or expected to dress a certain way for a job, it's really no ones business.

 

[desiderata310]

When need presents itself, I will dress in a suit or dress, put on make up and take time with my hair.
On a day to day basis? I'm clean, I have on clean clothes, I brushed hair and teeth and I am here. What the hell more do you want?:bored:

 

[Changing4Best]

@desiderata310 that's good enough for me. I was just asking folks in general, what everyone does. I'm just curious. I heard that therapists can supposedly use how we appear to them, to make some kind of judgement as to how we are doing on that day. So that was just one angle on the whole picture. For the most part, I'm not trying to judge anyone or anything like that. It was just something that occurred to me this morning, because I had a lot of time on my hands and took more care to look presentable than I usually do. It crossed my mind in passing. That was all.

 

[desiderata310]

Didn't take it like that!
It's more of me reacting to the world in general. I actually wrote extensively about this in my diary recently so it's very fresh in my mind

 

[Changing4Best]

OH, OK. It has been a personal issue for me in the past too, like I sometimes have to force myself into the shower even now, and when I was a kid, I HATED taking baths. (With a passion)! My parents went through quite some ordeal to get me into the bath as a kid, and finally managed somehow to coax me into it with some bath toys. However, I played with the toys and just basically sat there and didn't do a lot more than that. I guess just soaking was all I could stand. I was a victim of sexual molestation, so anything to do with nudity turned me off entirely!

 

[Nessa7]

I have a routine. Outfits are picked out either the night before or once a week when the weather is more predictable. I have curly hair, so I either wash it and go or just run my fingers through it in the morning. Each day, I put on moisturizer, mineral powder foundation, and lipstick. Sometimes I put on a smidge of blush and highlighter, but I mostly wear makeup because I like having really dramatic lips.

My old t told me that she did use my appearance to get an idea about what is going on with me. (She didn't want me to look at her notes when I switched therapists and see things about my appearance and get the wrong impression.) She was right to. If I was dressed differently, it was usually for something that I would tell her about during our end of session small talk. Most of the time it meant that I wasn't following a routine or wasn't sleeping like I should. My new t won't be able to. When I was seeing my old t, I'd meet someone for lunch and then go home and change into workout clothes for yoga. My new t is in a totally different location, so I'm gardening, running errands, going swimming, working out, or eating pitas either right before or after my appointments.

 

[Friday]

If I don't? I've got serious problems.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I like to be a wash and wear kind of person. I always wear clean, soft, comfortable clothes that I like so I can get all dressed up if I have to but most days I just am me in my style. I have short hair and have been using my bandanas again so that is my spark now.

 

[AngelKeeperJ]

I sometimes have to force myself into the shower even now...I was a victim of sexual molestation, so anything to do with nudity turned me off entirely!

I am the same way for the same reason. I hadn't used makeup much for several years, but decided last year that I wanted to start "foof-ing" up again before I get too old lol... I actually enjoy it, and it does make me feel better about myself.

I thought I was ugly for SO MANY YEARS, that I thought it was dumb to wear jewelry or makeup, cuz it would look like I was trying to be pretty, which was a lost cause. I am trying to believe that is no longer how I feel. I wear jewelry and have grown my hair out longer than it has been many years.

I will wear jeans and sneakers till the day I die!

Good question!

 

[Deadman]

I'm wondering how many of you take care to look presentable

Nope. Stopped caring. I'm a crazy old man in the woods. I have no problem looking like one.

 

[AngelKeeperJ]

I forgot to mention how SCARY I look when I am in a period of not caring how I look...no dentures...VERY SCARY!!!:eek: