Fashion fail

Vancouver Fashion week ends tomorrow with a closing party. Did I attend any events? Not a one. Some fashionista I am.

Mostly it had to do with not having anyone to go with. Sweetie tends to be busy during the week between teaching school in the daytime and doing homework for a class she has on Thursday. If my friend from school had known ahead of time that her Thursday course had been cancelled, we might have gone that evening. There were even half-price tickets available through Karma Exchange. But she didn't find out about the cancellation until she was already on campus, a bit late to start the evening, especially without any tickets.

I also had a slight excuse of a minor revision to surgery I had on my right eyelid. It's hard to feel stylish when you've just had the suture taken out on Monday and your eyelid is still swollen. But it really looked fine later in the week, so it was a pretty limp excuse.

Let's face it. We're really talking fear and me letting myself be intimidated. And I'm ashamed of myself for that.

I have great confidence in my own style. I know what looks good on me. I put outfits together well. I get feedback from enough people that I know it's not just me deluding myself. I still have plenty to learn, but I should be able to show up at any event and look right in place. Better—I should stand out in the right way.

But for whatever reason, I let Fashion Week intimidate me, or at least intimidate me from going alone. And that was ridiculous. I can go places alone. I can be fabulous alone. And this is Vancouver. How fabulous could regular attendees be? Yet somehow fear got the better of me.

This would have been perfect for my new year and new start. I funked it.

But here's the deal. It's still my new year. I whine in my blog. That's what blogs are for. And then I move forward. Fall-Winter 2012 Fashion Week will happen in six months. There will be another Eco Fashion Week, which I also missed. There will be lots of smaller events, most of which don't even cost any money because they really want you there. Maybe Fashion Week was too much for me to jump into, especially without people to go with. But I'm not going to curl up in a ball.

One thing I might do is relaunch a fashion Meetup group. The Fashionistas is about to die, but I still think it's a workable idea. There have to be other women in the same situation as I am—wanting to attend events but not always having someone to go with. Starting fresh with a new membership list might let it work this time. That is, if I get off my bum and put the effort into it.

No excuses, no regrets. Is that a good mantra?