Twitter Me This!

Last minute errands and late night cravings can sometimes cause one to inconspicuously leave their house at a moments notice. Fashions statements and thoughts of trying to look cute are replaced with the immediate thought "I'll be right back I won't see anyone". In the old days the repercussions of being seen in the streets when your not at your best only mattered if you was a celebrity. However, with new technologies and society's vain obsessions with beauty and fashion anyone caught at their "not so best" can now be a victim of public ridicule and scrutiny.

One day after eating a deliciously light dinner I found myself craving a Starbucks caramel frappachino. I was in New York visiting my family for the weekend and although it was May the weather was unseasonably chilly. Too cold to brace the streets without a long sleeved sweater my mother insisted I wear her sweater which was three sizes too big for me. Aside from being way too big for me the sweaters' three quarter length and drawstrings at the waist was by far one of the worst fashion statements I could ever make but I had no choice. I matched the over sized sweater with my black traveling sweats and was out the door with the only flat shoes I brought on my weekend trip, leather flip flop like sandals.

I knew the outfit was a mess when I glanced in the mirror. It seemed as each article of clothing merged into one big mess. My traveling sweats which would be cute and form flattering on any normal day now looked frumpy when paired with the over sized sweater. My little leather flip flops which are perfect for quick errands and normally adorable even when paired with my sweat pants now just looked out of season given my long sleeved sweater.

I threw my hair into a ponytail thinking my made up face from earlier would compensate for my bland hairstyle. With a dab of lip gloss at the requests of my family's plea's for me to hurry up, I looked in the mirror shook my head and left. For a split second the thought of me bumping into someone I might know tempted me to throw on some jeans but logic escaped me and I figured it wouldn't matter, I was only going the the Starbucks which was 3 blocks away.

The three of us; my mother, my brother and myself, braved the winds and cold and went to the local Starbucks. Upon entering Starbucks I noticed a girl in line wearing Uggs. On a normal May day, those Uggs would have been ridiculous. Yet on this day, I thought of how cold my own toes were and how I wished I had my my Uggs. Interrupting my Ugg daydream a familiar voice cried out "Lois is that you?" Mortified that I had been spotted I immediately tried to cover up my embarrassment with mindless babbling. I hugged my sorority sister and asked her every question I could think of to take attention away from my appearance. While my plan seemed like the smart thing to do I failed. My sorority sister gave me the once over and said "Oh my, I never seen you in sweats before, I might have to take a picture of this and put it on Twitter". I immediately prayed for a signal failure. Her hands never reached for her phone but even with her kind hearted ways she could not help but look me over with a face that said wow, I have never seen you look like this. It was at that moment that I realized.....I'm vain. Usually nicely dressed wearing stilettos with flowing hair and a trendy sense of style, on this cold May day my fashion sense seemed to abandoned me and I was exposed. My soror and I talked for about 15minutes. It was the longest 15 minutes of my life as I thought about all the people she would tell. I could tell from her continuous assessment of my outfit although she wouldn't do it maliciously, a story about my appearance would be leaked within minutes of our departure to anyone within our common circles.

After we hugged and promised to keep in touch, I rejoined my family. As I sunk into the couch with a smile turned upside down and gazed off as my brother heckled me. He thought it was hilarious that my friend said she wanted to tweet about how she caught me looking a hot mess. My brother and mother continued to laugh and recap the embarrassing moment questioning all while questioning why I cared? Why was I being so dramatic? The first answer that came to me was because I'm vain. I try to always look my best and it has become something people expect when they see me, except this time, I failed. The truth of the matther is that the repercussions of my failure would now result in ridiculing tweets about my shocking appearance.

Today as I sit in Panera Bread with my flowing hair, Ugg boots, trendy jeans and cute pink sweater I can look back on that day and laugh. I feel as if this was a scene on Gossip Girls. Yet, I Wonder, in a society obsessed with fashion and technology, consumed with the thought of looking and being perfect can people afford to been be seen at their worst? In a world in which you don't have to be a celebrity to make twitter headlines or have your own paparazzi any one can be a victim. It happens to the best of us, but for me......never again, especially not in the old New York.

Happy styling folks.