A latte with one shot of sophistication, please

I'm on the road again, currently tucked into the coffee shop corner of a bookstore, connected to the Internet with Wi-Fi, feeling very Cosmo. Feeling Cosmo, that is--not looking it. It's hard for a granny in dime store reading glasses, scruffy blue jeans, ancient clogs, and a stained navy sweatshirt to pull that off. (And how did that stain get there? I've only been out of bed for a couple of hours, for cripin' out loud.) But here I sit, enjoying the swish of the espresso machine, the chatter of my fellow patrons, and the clack of my laptop keys. Ah, the soundtrack of sophistication.

Sophistication. This may be one of those rare moment in my life I approach--on a lower rung level, that is--that elusive state, that mysterious aura other women seem to pull on so effortlessly. But I'm working on it. Each year, when I prepare for trips to various writing conferences, I add another thin layer of polish to my rough exterior. (I've given up on the interior stuff--I won't live long enough to accomplish much there.)

I've recently purchased fancy makeup (still in the box, plastic wrapper unpeeled--but at least it's in my bathroom!), I now own more than three pairs of shoes, and I've begun to remember to add accessories to my shopping lists. I had my first manicure in 2004, before I left for a conference in Dallas (before you get all impressed, I have to admit I was 48 years old at the time). But unless I check those shopping and packing lists, I invariably forget to do That Sophisticated Stuff. Like putting on earrings before I leave the house (they're missing in action this morning).

Is there some "girl school" I somehow missed out on attending when I was growing up? Can I lay the blame at my mother's feet? She hated shopping and, at a critical point in my development, she was going through her overalls period (sort of like Picasso's blue period, with deeper pockets)--a style trend that ended when her shoulder straps fell in the toilet on a camping trip.

What do you do to look or feel sophisticated? Any tips or suggestions? I need to make another list.

posted by Terry McLaughlin @ 12:34 PM