As I’ve mentioned in my previous columns, graduating and
going out into the real world means having to trade in frat parties
and keggers for cocktail parties and art shows and abandon the
too-familiar Westwood bars for ones that have a slightly more
mature crowd.
However, I’ve realized recently that one of the more
embarrassing things that can happen to a person in life is showing
up to an event dressed completely wrong. We’ve all been there
and had those moments when you’ve made a serious fashion faux
pas and are left feeling totally self-conscious and awkward as you
pretend you either don’t care or aren’t aware of
it.
This happened to me last weekend. A friend from work invited me
to go to an art show with her in the Valley. And while I was
unfamiliar with both the artist and the venue, my pride prevented
me from actually picking up the phone and asking my friend what I
should wear. After all, I didn’t want to seem the tragically
unsophisticated undergraduate student who didn’t know what to
wear to an art show.
But when I showed up to the place where the show was,
Storyopolis, I realized in about two seconds that the majority of
the people there weren’t so much members of a hip, artsy
circle as they were 4-year-olds.
The artist illustrated children’s books and the venue was
a children’s book store. Thankfully, I was wearing a long
coat over my outfit. But I was left struggling to pretend like I
wasn’t sweating to death inside the building in my
overcoat.
Basically, the moral of the story is it’s a lot more
embarrassing dressing like Paris Hilton in a kindergarten class
than it would have been to call my friend. OK, that was an
exaggeration, but you get my point.
Then, in my new “I’m getting too old for
Maloney’s” state of mind, I decided to bring my
visiting sister to Q’s.
In my attempt once more to look sophisticated and chic, I wore a
black blazer with black shorts and heels to the bar, which, by the
way, has a line that’s as long and embarrassing to be caught
standing in as Maloney’s.
Once there, I noticed a bunch of guys dressed in suits and made
fun of their decision to dress up and look like they came from
work. “Who are they fooling?” I pointed out to my
sister. “It’s a Saturday.”
Just then, two guys came up to me and asked if I just came from
work. Shocked, I asked them why they were asking me and they
reminded me that I was wearing something resembling a suit on the
weekend.
That experience was definitely embarrassing and made me
understand that I have a lot left to learn about going out in the
working world. You can dress up for a bar, but only on
weekdays.
There was something else I realized while I was standing in line
at Q’s with a bunch of people I didn’t know after
spending money on cab fare. I’ll be hanging out with people
from the working world for the rest of my life, but I only have a
few weeks left to be able to walk to Maloney’s and BrewCo and
party with UCLA students. As much as I may complain about Westwood
bars and parties, there is something really nice about being almost
guaranteed to run into people I know when I go out, and being able
to spend my money on alcohol rather than taxis.
Plus, at least I know what to wear to Maloney’s.
Rodgers may say she hates Maloney’s, but she’s
actually in a Maloney’s Facebook group. E-mail her at
jrodgers@media.ucla.edu.