Friday, May 04, 2007
Quick

05/06/07 IN THE KNOW: When in doubt, twirl!

When in doubt, twirl!By Caren West For as long as I can remember, I’ve gone through bouts where I can’t sleep, or when I finally do, I have horrible nightmares. Some are disturbing to the point tha...

Caren West and her date, Second Shift’s Jonathan Baker, at the “Art of Fashion” event. Marshall’s shirt-dress, $12.50. Elyssa Bass Designs necklace, free (gift). CVS brand bobby pins, $2.99. Not giving a damn and having fun—priceless. CREDIT: Courtesy of smilebooth.com

For as long as I can remember, I’ve gone through bouts where I can’t sleep, or when I finally do, I have horrible nightmares. Some are disturbing to the point that when I wake up, I’m actually sad that my little brain was able to come up with bizarre scenarios like getting into an accident, driving off of a bridge, going bald, teeth falling out, having gum permanently adhered to the inside of my mouth, being chased, cheated on, beaten and murdered (myth broken—obviously I didn’t die in real life as a result of the dream). And although there’s a wide variety of dream subject to choose from, there’s one recurring scenario that haunts my slumber the most.

It’s rather silly, actually. I perpetually dream that I don’t have enough time to get ready—with the subtext being that I’m in a stressful situation that necessitates that I hurry up and get going. The context changes, though. Sometimes I can’t take a shower for one reason or another. It could be that there’s no shampoo, others may Bogart the bathroom or the shower is situated in a remote shack that I can never reach. Other times I’m trying to make my way through a room crammed with people wearing nothing but a towel, unable to get a bead on where the bathroom is located. The dreams go on for what seem like hours, with my frustration level rising accordingly. I never have any control over the situation and yet I’m relentlessly trying to find the time or space to get ready and go—without interruption.

No need to analyze. It’s a direct reflection of my life. I totally get it. But try to imagine dreaming every single night of your life that you are dying of thirst and can never get anything to drink, no matter how hard you try. The repetition can drive you batty—I’m living proof. Just ask my parents, boyfriends and siblings, all of whom have tried to rush me while I was getting dressed, doing my hair or putting on makeup. The result? They tap into my dream-addled psyche and I turn into a scary possessed she-beast that ends up hissing, prepared to pounce.

It’s not as if I require a prolonged amount of time to doll myself up. I’m a master of the quick change, thanks to 10 years of ballet performances where it was standard procedure to fully disrobe in the wings as the wardrobe mistress ripped off one tutu and slapped on a different one, herding me back onstage along with a gaggle of others within a matter of minutes. It’s just that when I’m in “get ready mode” and I’m interrupted, all of my stress bubbles over and the interloper responsible for bringing a halt to my process receives an earful of fury.

For the most part, I’ve learned to tame the beast within by using two techniques. The first is to research an outfit in advance of the occasion that I’ll be wearing it—something that I’m head-over-heels in love with and has the ability to make men drop to their knees as I stroll by. (Er, the last part never happens.) The second is to avoid all mirrors and convince myself that I absolutely don’t give a damn what I look like and that confidence is what really counts. This method is routinely applied to scenarios that involve trying on and hating every piece of clothing I own.

Recently, though, I was delivered a gift from heaven via an e-mail exchange with my friend Amy Flurry, Peach magazine’s style editor and contributor to Lucky magazine. I could feel my frustration level rising as I described to her in my “I don’t give a damn” attitude that I had no time or desire to find drop-dead gorgeous outfits for a series of upcoming big soirees. Sigh. Then, in a very nonchalant way, Amy unknowingly gave a tortured soul the best fashion advice ever: She told me to just pull something out of my closet that I never wear and have fun with it. It reminded me of what George Balanchine used to say to his dancers: “When in doubt, twirl!”

Interesting. If one of the most fashionable people I know doesn’t take her stylish side so seriously, than why should I? There are much more important things to worry about, right?

I feel like I should drop Amy a check in the mail for my quickie therapy session. Thanks to her, I haven’t been taking life so seriously lately. Well, at least when I’m awake. I wonder if she does dream work?

When not attending Atlanta's hottest parties, tracking down celebs or shopping for shoes, Caren West runs her own PR firm. E-mail her at carenwest@sundaypaper.com.