Talking Chic

Single and Sassy

This past Valentine’s Day I did something I, a single 20-something-year-old, had never done before––I went to a bar. Yes, it was in the middle of the week, and sure, getting up for work at eight is typicallythe plan, but I had just bought the cutest bronze-color shrug and I was ready to hit the dance floor. After borrowing my roommate’s vintage-style Union jeans, her black chandelier danglies to work with my black Trina Turk lace camisole––what can I say? It was on! I was feelin’ hot and figuring why stay home and get down about being date-less, when I can strut my stuff and enjoy my freedom. Needless to say, my friend (who was semi-single at the time) was in tune with my energy and felt the same way.

And it was definitely a night to remember.

Whether it was the Pussycat Dolls or Sean Paul pulling us to the dance floor, or running into other girlfriends who were also standing up for singlehood…the night was mine and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. But then the ridiculous questions started. Wannabe pick-up lines like, “You’re too cute not to have a boyfriend!” or “What are you doing out this way—you don’t look like a typical I.E. girl,” as he peered at my outfit that I had so delicately put together. And during this insulting-slash-desperate attempt to get my phone number… it hit me: Why is it assumed that a fashionable, attractive, and young professional (dare I say so myself) has to be “taken?” It brought me back to the whole idea of “being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely” type of affirmation I’ve read before in self-help books. I also realized that while some girlfriends dress sassy for their boyfriends, or wives keep their husbands’ favorites in mind when getting dressed, many people automatically assume that being single and looking fabulous is well, a waste, as if the idea of dressing for oneself doesn’t exist.

What I took away from that night is that it most definitely does count. Attracting a mate and looking hot in doing so is a wonderful feeling, and having someone to regularly deliver compliments and give kudos to your style is also an indescribable feeling. But loving yourself, especially on Cupid’s day, is also something to be cherished, because this adoration for thyself, my friends, can automatically manifest itself into looking good all the time. “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” really does make sense to me these days. It has been almost a year that I’ve been without a serious beau. But I’m thinking a revised version of “Don’t hate me because I’m single, beautiful, and wearing hot jeans for no one BUT myself” is due.

Here’s the thing: I believe true style does not mean walking out the door in hopes of getting a catcall when getting into your car, nor about purchasing come-hither-me pieces (like for the cute guy in the office who just happens to stroll by your desk every morning). To me, a sense of fashion is more than that. It means dreaming in color, pretending you’re ransacking your mama’s closet when you were a kid and coming out with creative ensembles. And most importantly, enjoying fashion means owning a wardrobe that includes only those pieces that make you smile every time you imagine slipping them on.

Now I’m not saying that I don’t want cutie over there to ignore me as I walk by, but should he not check me out, well, all I can say is, “I’m single, I’m sassy, and see ya later!” ‘cause I have hot shoes on…na-na-na-na-na!

Written by Elana Pruitt