Oh how a change of the seasons reminds me of how much fun it is to be a girl sometimes. Feeling feminine is so important when going out on a date. Being a single gal, sometimes it's hard to allow yourself to remain a picture of girlish vulnerability when you are being dicked around left and right. Instead of putting bows in our hair, we feel like we should be putting a freakin' flak vest on underneath of our outfits. Alas, there is balance in the universe, and as men are challenged with being masculine and sensitive at the same time, we women, are also challenged with being tough and delicate, rolled up into one pretty package. We have to get right back up on that horse, after being bucked off, and try not to beat ourselves up too badly for falling, and that includes letting any bitterness go, and having fun. Because dammit, girls don't just wanna have fun, we need to have fun to save our sanity!
Here are some of my favorite summertime accessories that you can add to your own wardrobe that will make you feel so girlie, you'll be giggling and sayin' "I do declare" all the way to your dating destination:
- A Bow In Your Hair. Don't laugh, it's true. There is nothing more girlie than putting a bow in your hair. As Jill Conner Browne says "it's almost the equivalent of putting a crown on the top of your head". Pull your hair into an up-do, and wrap a ribbon loosely around the base of where you've secured your hair. Let your hair fall around the ribbon so that it's all intertwined. It's very sweet, and will make an ordinary outfit feel special, for the price of a half a yard of ribbon. Then commence to prancing around, tilting your head and smiling.
- Put A Real Flower In Your Hair. I wear a flower in my hair every year on the first day of spring. It feels and smells so fresh and gives you that feeling of a connection with the outdoors, and the changing seasons, and I swear to the Lawd, it literally makes you bat your eyelashes. It's inexpensive, traditional and beautiful, and so ultra-feminine, you'll want to find a sundress and a tree swing, and a cute boy to push you, asap.
- Carry A Hand Fan. This is a very underrated fashion statement that I am bringing back into style. That's right, little ole me, one summer at a time, and you heard it here. Young women these days usually don't have the grace or confidence to use a hand fan, and I just don't understand it. They are beautiful and practical. Instead of finding a magazine to fan yourself with when you're "perspirin'" as my grandmother would say, keep a beautiful, folding hand fan in your purse. Or don't. Sweat your ass off, I don't care.
- Wear A Sun Hat Instead Of A Baseball Cap. That's unless you're going to a sporting event, of course. But if you're going to the beach, or to a park, wear a simple, full coverage sun hat. They add instant sophistication and femininity, not to mention they keep the back of your neck from getting sun burnt. And you can close your eyes and pretend you're Jackie O, on a yacht, somewhere in the Mediterranean. Just remember, you can look haughty, but don't get haughty!
- A Silk Corsage. Yes, just like SJP (Sarah Jessica Parker, above). Just look at the picture, no explanation is needed. Gorgeous and feminine. I do declare, I don't think this will ever go out of style.
- Put Your Hair In Pigtails Or Braids. Now this can be tricky, and is not for the fashionably clueless. You need the right balance so that you don't look like a fourth-grader. Keep your make-up simple, keep it sporty, and keep 'em low.