Private Eyes...They're Watching You, So Open Yours!

This is the time of year when we have to bundle up to stay warm when going about our daily activities in near-Arctic freezing temperatures (snow is pretty...only for about a day...enough already!) .  This doesn't give us the excuse however to look sloppy.  In a recent issue of Marie Claire, Nina Garcia explains why it's important to always prepare for the unexpected.  She says that even though those who are in the public eye have to pay close attention to what they wear, everyone else also needs to stay on their toes in today's world of cell phone camera technology and social networking sites such as Facebook.

Garcia says (and I agree) that it's always a good idea to ask yourself one question when you're heading out the door to run your errands:  "If someone takes a photo of me, will I be okay with it hitting the Internet?"  If the answer is no, then you need to re-think your outfit.

This principle can also be applied to our behavior as well, since that is also a part of our image and since not only do cell phones take photos but also video.  Ask yourself, "If someone takes a video of how I'm acting and treating others, will I be okay with it showing up on YouTube?"  If the answer is no, then you need to cool down and recalibrate!

This goes along with something else printed in the very same issue of Marie Claire.  This time it was Tim Gunn's take on both dressing up and being polite:

"Some people think of dressing up or being polite as a burden.  They think having to wear a tie or use the right fork or send a thank you card is a kind of shackle.  To these people I say:  Getting out of bed is a shackle.  If you feel that way, stay in it!  Invest in a hospital gurney and wheel yourself around on it when you need to go out.  I get very impatient with this whole 'comfort issue' with clothing.  Yes, you don't feel as comfortable in clothes that fit as you do in your pajamas.  That's a good thing.  You're navigating a world where you need to have your wits about you.  If you're in a lackadaisical comfort haze, you can't be engaged in the world the way you need to be."

 Well said Mr. Gunn!  (And Ms. Garcia!)