WWRD? (What Would Robin Do)
In this week’s column, I give advice on how to dress with confidence despite your insecurities and how your Spring cleaning can easily turn into giving back to our communities!
Q: I am 75yrs old, I am 5 feet, 115 pounds. I love clothes. And, I have casual skirts and seasonal dresses that I enjoy wearing. But the issue is that I have broken veins and self tanner doesn’t cover all of them up especially on my lower legs. What do you suggest for not having the showing veins take away from the look of the outfit?
A: Well, first of all, kudos to you for being, what sounds like a fun and stylish 75yr old who likes to embrace the seasons and embrace your natural beauty. Broken veins and all! That being said, I know how hard it can be for something like broken veins to ping your confidence as you are trying to look cute.
I have a couple of suggestions.
I would leave the self tanner at home and go and get a professional spray tan. Satori in The Dalles offers this service in a safe, helpful and nonjudgemental environment. They will talk out any concerns you might have and having a professional apply a higher grade tan that can cater to your specific concern may be the way to go. It’s definitely worth a try.
Although you are a petite 5 feet, that doesn’t mean you can’t wear Maxi dresses. Which is a longer-style dress that usually hits the floor or comes close. A lot of petite women don’t think they can wear such a dress but actually, they can. You can! You just need to shop the “petite” sections of shops and especially when shopping online, always read the description for the item. Most of the time it will tell how tall the model is who is wearing it and the actual measurements of the dress like “length”. These will be key details to note when finding the perfect Maxi style dress but once you find it, it will be worth it!
Seek out a professional dermatologist’s advice. This would be a more intense and serious way to go and you should only consider this after talking to a TRUSTED professional who is also sensitive to your age and will put your well-being and health first.
Last but not least, EMBRACE YOUR VEINS! And keep doing what you’re doing. I always tell my clients if you are confident in what you’re wearing then, guarantee you, no one will be analyzing what you consider to be your faults. They will only see the confidence pouring from you and be impressed with how you put yourself together! Remember most people are thinking about their own insecurities most of the time not yours. ;) So go forth and rock your confidence and enjoy the beautiful season!
Q: Where are the best places to donate women's clothes in the Gorge?
A: Oooo, good question! Especially since everyone is in Spring cleaning mode! I think we have a treasure trove of thrift stores out here and most of them take donations. But, before you just swing by, especially because of COVID, please call them first. And, ask the following questions:
Are you taking donations right now?
When is a good time to drop off donations?
What kind of donations do you need right now?
What don’t they take?
And, are you able to get a tax-deductible receipt by chance?
Also, please make sure your donations are in good shape, clean and organized even if you need to donate in garbage bags. These organizations need items they can easily resell or donate to those less fortunate, on hard times or on a budget and at the same time are usually raising money for some other cause as well. So, donating pieces that need work or are beyond repair are not worthy donations. Turn those pieces into rags or doggie chew toys instead.
Here are my top donation suggestions:
St. Vincent de Paul- The Dalles (https://svdpthedalles.org/contact/)
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette- The Dalles (https://meetgoodwill.org/donation-locations/)
Hood River Valley Adult Center Thrift Store- Hood River, OR (https://www.hrvac.org/thrift-store)
Eagle One Thrift Store- Hood River, OR (https://www.facebook.com/EagleOne97031/about/)
Second Hand Rose- Bingen, WA (https://www.wagap.org/second-hand-rose)
Gorge Thrift Store- Stevenson, WA (http://www.gorgethriftstore.com/)
Helping Hands Against Violence- The Columbia River Gorge (https://www.helpinghandsoregon.org/wishlist-1)
