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- apgray12
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
My Dad has been gone now for almost 14 years. But he's still around reminding me of all his little wisdoms and making sure I'm sharing those wisdoms with my kids - or rather young adults. One of those moments was when we (I) was teaching all three of them how to drive. Thank goodness that period of time is past. My nerves are still frayed and they are sick me correcting them even though they are all very good drivers. My Dad taught my two sisters and me to drive. According to my Mother, my Dad did not like the way she drove and thought he was the best man for the job with us three girls. Not only did we learn to drive on the country roads in China Grove on the way to my grandparents farm but also in the big church parking lots around Charlotte. He had specific rules and we had to pass his "driving test" before we could take the actual DMV test. For the record, I failed his test the first time because I rolled through a stop sign. A very humbling moment and probably the moment I truly embraced the effectiveness of cussing. Damn high achiever. Anyway, something that has always stuck with me and I used with my kids is the act of making "little adjustments". I taught my kids on my XL SUV so the importance of making little adjustments was key or we would have taken out a curb, a sign, another car. Not every move in the car needed to be a big one. Check your rearview regularly. Make an adjustment if a car is speeding up on you. Anticipate the yellow light and make an adjustment - speed up to go through or slow down because its about to be red. Veering into the other lane, make a small adjustment, don't jerk the wheel! Small tweaks prevent bigger issues.
There are also times when our outfits can use a little adjustment as well. One of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients is that something is "off" or doesn't "look right". Instead of scrapping the whole look, consider changing some aspect of it. Try the following:
Tuck your shirt in or out or both
Add a belt, change to a bigger/smaller belt
Add a statement coat
Add a necklace or 3
Add a topper - vest, sweater, scarf
Change your purse
Pull your hair back - add a statement earring
Change your shoes - instead of matching your pants - add a metallic or pop of color that goes
Add a sock or take them off
Fill the space - whether it's the space between your ankle and your pants hem or a V neck topÂ
I could keep adding to the list, but the point is, everyday dressing doesn't need to be a big deal. It's about putting on a top and bottom and then see how you can make little adjustments so it becomes unique, interesting and tells the world a little something about you. Better still, practice over the weekend. Try different combinations. Take pictures. Send them to me or another friend and ask, "What's missing?". I won't ask you to pass my test but just remember, don't overthink it. Just keep it between the ditches and see what a small adjustment can add!
Oh by the way, click here to consider these little adjustments for your own wardrobe: