I have a really lovely friend. We have been good friends since our children were born 30 years ago.She’s an old school feminist in her 70s, doesn’t wear make up etc. I admire that, and I am a jeans and t shirt minimal make up kind of person but, do have an eye for trends and make an effort to scrub up well a couple of times a year.
Friend is about to be awarded a major honour which will involve a day out in a very fancy place and lots of photos (perhaps you can work out where and what I mean). She has asked me for advice on what to wear. She refuses to buy anything new, but what’s worse is she has modelled potential outfits for me and they all involve dead flat sensible shoes and no bra. I am fully aware how shallow I sound. I don’t think she needs to invest a fortune in new clothes and a hat but with old flat shoes and no bra she looks as though she really doesn’t care. And she does care, she’s really quite conventional and very proud of the honour. She just doesn’t seem to have picked up on how people dress smartly. I think she associates underwear, make up and formal clothes with old fashioned conformism (yes she really is a a 1970s style feminist).
How can I convince her very diplomatically that she would look much more appropriate with a bra, tiny weeny bit of make up and some dressy shoes? Not at all stiff, formal and expensive but a bit less Greenham Common? (GC women were awesome and inspirational but friend has specifically asked for advice on a look appropriate to the place and occasion).