Dear Annie: I’ve been dating a wonderful woman for almost a year now and have recently noticed some odd behaviors. The one that concerns me the most is the way she’s been dressing. Case in point: We were invited to a pool party and barbecue at a friend’s house.
When I picked her up, she was dressed as if she were going to a high-powered business meeting, complete with heels and a Gucci purse.
The second time, we were going to a memorial service for one of her co-workers’ husbands, and she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. The third time, she dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt for dinner out with friends at an upscale restaurant for their 35th anniversary. We’ve both gotten some interesting looks about her appearance.
I’ve tried talking to her several times about her dressing inappropriately for certain outings and hit a stone wall. I’ve also reached out to her close friend who was no help. It’s gotten to the point I am considering not going out on the weekends with her. How can I deal with this? It’s beginning to affect me at work. -- Stonewalled
Dear Stonewalled: The most concerning thing about this situation isn’t so much the fashion choices themselves, but that your girlfriend has started acting so differently seemingly out of the blue, with little regard for the social context around her.
Can you think of anything that might have led to this disconnect? Does she have family or other close friends you can try talking to instead about it? This, and the other odd behaviors you mentioned but didn’t detail further, I fear, could be a sign of something bigger going on.
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“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology -- featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
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