Dressing up like a girl

By Paula Gaikowski

Recently relocated and retired with a pandemic thrown in to boot, my wife has been struggling to make new friends. Lucky her lifelong friend Mary lives close by and it was the bubbly and vivacious Mary who suggested that they join a group of breakfast club women who met every other Saturday.

They meet for brunch at an upscale venue. It was my wife’s first time out in over a year. She pulled her work clothes out of storage, found her makeup in a box and did her nails.

She looked great when she came out of the bedroom, stylish, pretty and feminine. Mary arrived boiling over with enthusiasm and off they went to their lady’s brunch. Myself, a bit envious for reasons you all know.

Arriving home later that afternoon, her spirits were buoyed, she told all about the food, the restaurant and the women she met. Then she said it. 

“It was so good to get out and dress up like a girl for a change. We all agreed that we need to do it for ourselves every so often.”

The way it came out resonated with me and I’ll assume with you, too. She could have said “dolled-up,” “dressed-up,” “put on some pretty clothes,” however, after almost a year of sweatpants and shorts, she was finally able to express her femininity with her peers.

It’s been a year since the pandemic put a kibosh on my business travel and my outings and life as Paula. And I’ll tell you. It would be good to dress up like a girl for a change –  you know we need to do it for ourselves every so often. (smile)

Wearing ModCloth

Kris Andersson femulating in Dixie's Happy Hour.