Style and the singleton

Lately, I've been feeling a bit left behind in the style stakes. You know when you get to that point and you wonder what on earth you are going to wear today, tonight, tomorrow or at any other time present or future? And for that matter, whatever have you been wearing all this time? I'm gazing at my, admittedly extensive, library of clothes and these days I just don't know what to put on.

I have lots of ideas of what I'd like to wear but sadly no cash with which to purchase the items which would make the outfits of my dreams possible. And you know what, even if I did, my post-eating too much for 22 years physique has stopped looking good in anything at all. Interval training's my NBF, but that's another post.

The problem of course is that there are certain facets of my life which mean that looking good is pretty important. My career, my pride, my city, my age, my marital status. As a single girl, you've gotta be constantly stepped up and groomed and sometimes that seems like no mean feat. I don't think single style behaviour is all about effort, though, and super grooming. We all know guys and girls have different ideas about fashion - what's uber cool or chic to a lady, will make a gent recoil in 'is that a fancy dress costume' horror.

Take my beautiful friend, M. She's a single young lady, into her fashion, who was recently lambasted at a work personality and team exploration bonding session as not having made any effort. The three piece suit conference cad who threw out this comment may not have appreciated her this season florals, vintage boots and flicked eyeliner but in a bar I can tell you it goes down a treat. What goes down even better, is a very particular top M owns. I was with her when she bought it and let me tell you it was not purchased as a man-magnet. It's a whimsical looking high neck star print bad boy that is flattering and pretty but by no means vampy. Here's the interesting part - it draws men like flies. M often gets approaches - but star guy increases approaches by approximately tenfold. "I like your stars... you're a star..." mumbled one young man. A stripy shirted lad sidled up and commented "stars and stripes..." with a wink, another grins and offers, "stars in your eyes". Others simply came over to declare an outright and passionate love for the top. She wears it well - but no girl would ever have realised it would draw in guys like students to snakebite.

I have a dress that has a similar effect. It's perhaps more obvious that this dress would pull in the punters, considering its low neckline - but it's navy, covered in purple horses and I often wear it wit flat shoes and feel like a little girl whose other interests include ballet; this is the reason I love it. But it turns normally sane men into men who are interested in me. Odd.

What I seem to be saying here is that maybe men have taste after all; what I actually feel to be the case is that they are even more of a mystery to me than ever.