With the holidays upon us, it’s time to consider that clunker of the holiday “to-do” list: The Guest List. Not that there’s so much to actually do when it comes to creating a guest list. It’s your list and your own editorial privileges abound. However, there is the matter of family obligations vs. personalities – properly assorting potential conflicting points of view is part of the guest-list process.

It’s Fall, and as the weather cools, thoughts move away from the freedom of bare legs and flip-flops toward the comfort of jeans and sweaters. Nothing beats a great fitting, well broken-in, pair of jeans for Fall casual chic and reliability. However, if you’re in the market for denim and it’s been awhile since your last purchase, you may be wondering where to start to make your way through the sea of opportunities at retail.

I currently have three wardrobes: the one that fits me right now, the one that fits me at my five-pounds-lighter compromise weight, and the remnants of a wardrobe from a time when I never worried about my figure and seldom gained weight.

Thinking about what to wear while you’re in the process of losing weight or losing inches can be complicated. In the case of recent weight gain, deciding how to handle a closet full of perfectly good clothes that no longer fit perfectly can also be discouraging and defeating. Unlike celebrities, whose lifestyles we’re bombarded with on a daily basis, the idea of calling off work and social activities while a bevy of experts directs and cajoles your body and psyche back into shape after a prolonged lapse in judgment or leap off the moderation bandwagon, isn’t an option for most working people. And while it’s tempting to consider closing up shop after recent transgressions until your more perfect self re-emerges, the fact is that life goes on and most of us need to get clothed and out the door on a daily basis regardless of our current self-image.