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Last week during a staff meeting, I showed up in a cream and brown skirt, with brown tights, brown mid-calf boots and a brown turtleneck. For weeks I’ve been looking forward to tights and turtlenecks season and now would be the perfect moment to start showing off the winter wardrobe. It was a very ‘cute’ outfit but upon arrival to my staff meeting I felt incredibly inadequate and out of place. It doesn’t help matters that I’m the youngest manager in the building and the youngest person in my department – our new intern is even older than I am – but showing up to a meeting where everyone else is sporting freshly tailored suits from Nordstrom will cause anyone’s face to turn scarlet. I felt like I was on a permanent Take Your Daughter to Work Day and then later on my mommy would come take me to lunch and make sure I had milk with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
When starting out it’s important to remember what kind of environment one will be working in as that will presumably dictate work attire. Of course circumstances for men and women differ greatly as men won’t have to contemplate the many complexities of the boot at perfect height but still there is the natural progression from jeans and a t-shirt that reads ‘I love Ghana’ to something that says “I’m a lobbyist so please listen to me.” My previous job was fairly business casual. I could wear cords when it became cold and the aforementioned brown turtleneck/tights and boots ensemble would be a hit. Suddenly though, I’ve been thrust into a world of having like 14 suits and a dress for every occasion. For the record, I LOATHE wearing suits. I have exactly one that I wore to my second interview for my current position and now I apparently need four others for each season. This has all been bothering me over the course of the last few weeks and now I find myself going to sleep each night, head reeling over whether or not my winter white cord skirt would be appropriate attire or if I have to put it away for another day in a dress. The answer of course would be No, it is not appropriate I’m going to visit a member of Congress attire and Yes, I should put it away for another dress and – Lord help me – stockings.
As such, I have been told by my mother on more than one occasion that I should be building my work wardrobe and then maybe I won’t feel so much like a 12 year old. I’ve never held true to any belief that clothing makes a person happy, I tend to buy what I like when I see it, ergo a closet full of the most comfortable GAP t-shirts imaginable and dresses perfect for Southern California in the spring. This isn’t just about shopping making me feel better about myself it is about me finally venturing into this new role that I have earned and am extremely proud of. I need to be seen as a professional adult and without a quality wardrobe that speaks to some modicum of seriousness, I feel like a fraud and well, generally blah about myself. It doesn’t make an already difficult situation better when you don’t feel up to the part and a good work wardrobe is a large piece of the puzzle. Believe me, given my penchant for shopping, this – the attempt to become well attired without a huge amount to work with - is all harder than it sounds, but once again, I thank God and Al Gore for the internet.
Recently Susan Wagner, my guru for all things fashion, wrote a post responding to a 22 year old soon to be teacher with the same dilemma. I of course stole some of the items from this list and adding them to my own, like a bra that makes me look more like 24 than 84, if you catch my drift:
Now that Meagan is graduating from college and going out into the Adult World, she needs to get herself and Adult Bra. The right bra changes the way your clothes fit, and when you're talking about overhauling your wardrobe, you need to start at the foundations. Meagan needs to have a bra fitting before she buys anything else. Most department stores and small lingerie boutiques offer fitting services for free.
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