Dressed to the Nines

My daughter has the fashion eye of a great clothing designer — or, more accurately, clothing designers — as her personal aesthetic is really a combination of influences.

It could probably best be described as "Betsey Johnson" meets "Alexander McQueen" meets "LSD flashback."

Not only is she talented at pulling creative outfits together, she absolutely loves doing so. She sifts through my closet all the time, then takes my clothes and pairs them and drapes them in ways I would never imagine: skirts used as capes, necklaces as headpieces, clashing patterns that somehow don’t clash, and exactly the right shoes and bag for each ensemble.

I’m completely impressed with her and a little frustrated with myself for always thinking I have nothing to wear. I definitely have things to wear. I’m obviously just hanging out in the wrong places.

For instance, the backless floor-length dress with a raffia belt wrapped around her shoulders, accompanied by a marabou feather evening bag and pointy-toed booties is not so appropriate for my lifestyle, a lifestyle that is less "gallery opening in Chelsea" and more "seeing The Lorax at a strip mall on a Friday night."

And not even the 3D version. >sigh<

In addition to her own costumes, she also styles me. I trust her implicitly to select the shoes I should wear every day, even though she routinely selects insanely high heels ("mah sittin' shoes," as I like to call them). But who can blame her? Most of my shoes fall into this category.

(Aside: Once, when visiting my childhood best friend in Rhode Island, she sent a friend of hers that I had never met to pick me up from the airport. So he could locate me, she described me as "blonde and wearing some ridiculously tall shoes." He found me immediately. And then proceeded to regale me with stories about his Internet dating escapades — including one with a cross-eyed architect. This has nothing to do with shoes, but come on! A cross-eyed architect?! You cannot make this stuff up!)

Just recently I took my little fashionista shoe shopping and wow, did she enjoy it. She tried on several pairs of sandals and strutted, posed and pirouetted throughout the store, a performance she repeated for her dad when we got home. Though for the encore, she also added a clutch and sunglasses to "the look."

I am hopeful that she pursues fashion in some way as it could lead to some interesting experiences for her...like designing shoes or starting her own clothing line ...

... or having someone tell her about the cross-eyed architect they're dating ...