Getting dressed isn't really a simple matter of putting our pants on one leg at a time. There's a story we're trying to tell, an image we're trying to project, a feeling or memory we're trying to recreate. Whether we're wearing shorts and Birkenstocks or a silver cocktail dress with stiletto heels, we strive to put an individual stamp on everything we wear.
But after all the trouble we go to put together a special outfit, we often forget the details. At a wedding dinner recently, a beautifully dressed tablemate reached under her chair, pulled up a green vinyl backpack and rummaged around for a makeup bag with which to repair her lips. What's up with that?
I know the time is long gone when a woman changed her purse every time she changed her costume, but people! Certainly we deserve more than just the basics. Weekends, office days and nights on the town require different carry alls, just as they require different clothing. And an evening bag (even though you may only use it a couple times a year) is a necessity.
