Overdress or underdress

The elegant long black dress, adorned with sequins cascading gracefully down to the waist, or the sleek, professional-looking, charcoal-gray dress—Which one should I wear to the evening event?

I was asking my 15-year-old daughter for advice. One of the delightful perks of being a parent to a teenager is the unexpected treasure trove of fashion wisdom they bestow upon you. It's like having a personal stylist who also rolls their eyes at your outdated choices! 👗😅

The invitation mentioned a dress code: Black tie/business attire, which was confusing. “I don’t want to overdress”, I told my daughter when she picked the long dress.

To this, she responded, “Overdress over underdress, any day.”

She got my attention as she continued…

“When I find myself underdressed, I keep feeling uneasy as I see everyone else properly prepared for the occasion. If I land up somewhere overdressed, I go—Uh oh, I'm overdressed—the first moment but that's that. The rest of the time goes perfectly fine.”

I was pleasantly surprised with the wise words coming out of the little mind of my young advisor.

A lesson beyond fashion

Her observation holds true for most things in life. When we end up in a situation not prepared enough, we so badly wish we had done our homework.

If you launch a product without understanding your target audience, you'd wish you had discovered their needs first. If you venture into a new hobby without understanding its basics, you'd wish you had taken the time to learn.

You don't regret if you over-prepare for the interview, or if you trained relentlessly for the marathon.

No one ever said, “I wish I'd studied less for the exam.”

Think about those times you overprepared for a presentation, and it made you feel confident and in control.

Think about those times you overestimated traffic and arrived early, only to avoid the stress of running late.

Recall the day you prepared an extra meal, and a surprise guest showed up, making you the gracious host.

Life often rewards those who overdress, who overprepare, and who go the extra mile.

I did end up choosing the long black dress with sequins, and as I walked into the event, I realized it was indeed a fitting choice for the occasion.

My daughter’s wise words echoed in my mind. Overdress over underdress, any day.