When you look good, they pay good?

I'm still really stoked that I got to see, meet, and take pictures with Tim Gunn.  He was really amazing.

One of the things he talked about that really resonated with me was his talk on being in NYC.  He moved here from DC in the early 80s.  He talked about how he got used to the way people dress and now can walk down the streets seeing everything, yet seeing nothing at the same time.

Gunn mentioned that he does not like telling people what to wear and what not to wear because he does not know their life situation - what they do, where they work, what they are comfortable in, what they are not comfortable in, how they move around, etc.  I thought that was an awesome thing to say.  I hate when people talk about an "it" piece because there is no piece that works for everyone's life.

He also said that you may see someone dressed like a circus clown, because maybe they are a circus clown!  He was so matter of fact with that statement that it really stuck with me.

We don't know what others are doing or going through, so we shouldn't judge their appearances.

He went on for a while about how people in NYC are able to wear what they want - you can hide in the city or you can be yourself no matter what that is.

This is so true.  In the short month plus since I have been here, I have already found items of clothing that I have seen others in that are totally me - that I would buy if and when I finally have some disposable income.

Took this shot one day alone on the subway.
Some days I just want to blend in when it is crowded,
other days I want to stand out.

There are times when I purposely try to stand out in the crowds as I walk - maybe a statement piece of jewelry, my hair done in a wild-natural manner, a loud pair of tights, etc.  Other times, I just want to walk to the train without someone asking me questions or commenting on how they think I look like I should model, or that they love my hair, or that they like my athletic (really? not much anymore) build.

On those days, my walk is slightly different, less confident strutting and more just walking.  I just want to blend in with the crowd.

I always want to look good, though.

I don't like Deion Sanders, the football player, but I heard him say something that has stuck in my head.

When you look good,
you feel good,
when you feel good,
you play good,
when you play good,
they pay good.

My pay is not based on how I play (teach, or do whatever), but I do find that on days when I dress better, I feel better.  Yesterday, I knew that it was going to be a tough day since I was tired from a late night with Tim Gunn, so I pulled out a cute outfit for work.  I felt better just putting it on.

When I look good (or at least feel like I look good), I feel good.  I love dressing in ways that make me feel confident.