Mirror, Mirror on the wall…

So, I think my four year old, Little E, has truly taken the bull by the horns when it comes to fitting into European society.  On a daily basis she seizes to amaze me with the way she adorns herself.  I mean she’ll come down stairs with a blue shirt, a pink, white, and black plaid skirt, black tights, and sparkling white sneakers.  I realize that she’s just four years old, but she looks like a raging lunatic some days!  I used to remember seeing those parent’s with kids dressed like Rainbow Brite, and thinking to myself…”My kid will never look like that.”  Now, I am that parent.  I love to give her the autonomy of choosing her own clothes; and as long as she is appropriately dressed for the weather…I don’t care, and choose not to fuss and battle with her about it. 

By no means am I a fashionista.  I’ve got zero credentials to tell people what they should and shouldn’t wear…but come on people – orange pants do not go with a purple striped shirt.  I have to get up each morning to take my daughter to school…I am lucky to have brushed my teeth, put my hair in a pony tail, and throw on some clothes that don’t have spaghetti sauce or yogurt on them.  But, when I do get a chance to shower and “get ready”, I like to think that I’m presentable.  Whether or not that statement is true is for my peers to decide, and truthfully – I don’t care what they think.  And, neither should anyone else.  But, I must say that I am a bit jealous of the mom that looks coiffed and put together at 8:30 AM.  I guess I just enjoy sleeping much more.

With that being said, I still can’t stop gawking at people.  I know I have this problem at home too, but since I haven’t been to a Wal-Mart or Chick-Fil-A lately, I’m not sure if my level of staring strangely at people has skyrocketed.  It seems over here there are two polar opposites when it comes to dressing…You are either very well put together – hair, make-up, clothes, shoes, bag, scarf, glasses, etc. OR you’re not – throwing on the first thing you can find.  The thing I find the most fascinating is how people (typically the older demographic…but not limited to) seem to think that dressing in the dark, and then failing to look in the mirror before leaving the house is an appropriate way to dress ones self.  This is no joke.  I mean on a daily basis I see some crazy stuff.  For instance, (at the grocery store) why wouldn’t a polka dot faux fur coat go with red pants, and a lepard print shirt…or (at the hair salon) skin tight grey weathered jeggings, over the knee grey platform boots, and a sheer (yes, I said sheer!) grey printed blouse.  I mean this woman looked like she was trying way too hard…and she looked like one of those super long cigarette ashes that you see, and wonder when it was going to fall on someones lap.  It was definitely time to retire the jeggings for her.

The other day I was walking down the street with my friend, Staci, and a man passed us.  He was clad in plaid.  Plaid trousers and a plaid shirt…two seperate patterns, and color combinations.  I mean…really?  How could his wife let him out of the house looking like that?  You don’t think he could see the difference?  Oh well.  What should I care.  He’s happy, and I’m happy he’s happy…just don’t ask him if you should where the stripes or the polka dots.

My favorite outfit of all time though, goes to the lady at my gym in Geneva.  She was such awesome eye candy.  I just could not take my eyes off her.  Her uniform consisted of shiny blue spandex (to the knee) and a printed thong leotard (circa 1984 and a definite throw back to Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” video).  Not to mention her countless gold necklaces and bracelets, her full make-up, and flaming red hair!  She was great.  I gotta give the woman credit though…she was clearly in her 70’s, and she had no fear to rock a thong leotard!

Since spring has finally sprung, people have decided that their pasty white skin was to be unleashed upon society.  The other day it hit 15 degrees C (I don’t know – maybe 59 degrees F).  I couldn’t believe all the girls in daisy dukes and barely there minis.  I mean, I know it was a heat wave, but whoa.  I can only imagine what I am going to see when the mercury spikes at 22C!