Quote of the Week

“Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world”  ~Marilyn Monroe

Females love shoes. It must be in our genes. When I was a little girl, getting new shoes would literally thrill me. At Christmas time my grandmother sent my sister and I matching holiday dresses and my mom would take us shopping for the perfect shoes. I adored my new dress, but it was the shoes that excited me. I couldn’t wait for Christmas to arrive, not for the presents or relatives or parties, but to finally be able to wear my new shoes! I began begging my mother to let me wear them as soon as they were purchased, but she held firm and they remained in the box until Christmas Eve.

At Easter it was all about hats. To go with our new dresses, my sister and I wore wide brimmed hats with flowers and ribbons. How stylish we were. I recently attended a women’s function themed ‘Going to the Races’ where I spoke about my book. This was an opportunity to wear great hats, which you don’t see much anymore unless you are actually going to the horse races, or belong to the royal family.

What Marilyn’s quote reminds us is that when we look good, we feel good. A woman can be feeling down in the dumps, but when she puts her make-up on, she is ready to tackle her day. A good fitting suit can give a man a burst of confidence, just as a bad hair day can throw everything off.

So do the clothes make the man… or woman? The short answer is no. We all know of well-dressed people who have no substance. Looking good comes from confidence and self-worth. Feeling good about yourself, and focusing more on others, are qualities that will make you attractive. However, when you are competing for recognition or want to stand out, appropriate dress and grooming can put you ahead. So get out there and put your best foot forward… and make sure it has a fabulous shoe on it.