The rules are simple. Whatever your social status is, you’re bound to it and have to respect it. Plain and simple. A simple working girl can not dress like she owns the village. That is just not done. One has to marry up to have the right to wear the higher fashion standards.
Total. Utter. Nonsense!
Ms. Independence was not buying this line of rubbish her girlfriend was reading to her from one of the many magazines she enjoyed. This was not life. That is now how the free market worked. If one could afford Prada, one wore Prada. If one could afford Payless, then one purchased Payless.
Why have all these restrictive rules. That same article was sandwiched between one about faking it until you made it and the smart dress for success. How can you limit yourself to one look and fake another while trying to look authentic in a bracket you couldn’t afford?
Yes, rubbish!
Ms. Independence had her own fashion sweet tooth though. She loved to look successful. Not in the way the magazines encouraged, but in a way that flattered her confidence in herself.
She dressed for herself, for her feelings, for her mood, and for her taste. She pitied the fool who tried to make her conform to any standard other than her own. She was more than happy to show him the door and the path to the nearest ride sharing car down the block.
Her latest bag had created a lot of buzz around town. She looked like royalty with it. People took notice. She was the only one with such a fancy authentic bag. The town gossips were railing on how she had managed to get a date to buy the bag and then left the man without any satisfaction.
Again, rubbish.
Who trades sex for a handbag anyway? These people made absolutely no sense at all. Just crazy talk to make people’s head hot.
What the bag did signal, however, was that she was very independent of men. She did her own thing on her own time. She didn’t get the bag when it was first released. She got it when she was ready. She wore it when she wanted to. Not just to special events like weddings.
Ms. Independence was all about treating herself like the queen she knew she was. People soon started to respect that she was a queen. Her value was not found in a man. Her value was not found in her job or her social status. Her value was independent of everything but herself. She made her value and she demanded to be valued.
Many weak men feared her, as the should. Many average man kept it moving because they knew she was not accepting any line for the sake of taking one. The great men of the community regarded her with respect. She was not trading her body for favors. She worked and gained on merit alone.
She had traveled far. She had far to go. One thing was certain, she was going to get there… independent of the style or fashion of the day.
As she waited on her friend Ballerina to show up, the sun glimmered and reflected on her purse. She was glammed up to hang out. Just the way she liked it. Just the way she was true to herself.
Editorial Note: This post was originally shared on September 25, 2017. As part of a site audit, it is being moved to the main blog. Thanks
There will be a dedicated page(s) on the portfolio section with everything Independence coming soon.
Hallmark of Independence
The strength to mark to your own beat often means breaking certain rules
Finding what makes one happy is really about seeking independence
Being free to practice life as one sees fit
Shallows of the Deep 