Dress Up

Ode to my Closet – (Say ‘Yes’ to the Dress-up!)

by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

Here I sit with freshly washed, blown-dried hair and a little make-up, ready to have a Zoom meeting. (These days, who wears much make-up due to wearing masks?) I have a nice blouse with a flattering neckline and a modest necklace. Need I say what I’m wearing below the top? You guessed it, sweat pants.


Oh, how I miss putting on a dress and heels! It has been far too long. Here, in my closet, my dresses hang looking abandoned, having not been worn for almost a year! And what about my shoes? The heels, stylish leather boots, and colored flats that I have so loved, stay in place looking terribly forlorn. These days, if I am not in sweats and sneakers, I am in my robe and comfy, fuzzy slippers. That’s a fact. And to think back before the Pandemic, after a long day at work, how I relished the change into my sweats and slippers! Not anymore…I am ready to bounce back into fashion again!


Kate Spade nailed it when she said, I think that playing dress up begins at age five and never really ends. Kate was right! I am a female who has always enjoyed dressing up since my early years. Whether in my mom’s hats, dresses and high heels, my dad’s jacket and fedora, my cowgirl hat and holster, or a party dress, I entertained myself by playing whatever role my get-up suggested. And our family albums prove my fondness for dress-up!

Whether age five or sixty-five, for me, times haven’t changed. Later-adult years have not altered my taste for fashion and dressing up. Walking to my closet to choose the next day’s outfit has been a joy, and I delight in the thought of, once again, pondering over what to wear for a busy day out. When our society re-emerges, I will eagerly don a dress and a pair of heels, ready to play my role as I step forward into the world. I agree with Victoria Beckham who said, I love fashion and that’s how I express myself!