So if you know me really and truly, then you know that I've had a secret love affair for YEARS with the BBC and TLC versions of What Not to Wear (WNTW). Now while I will readily admit that I am definitely not Ms Fashionista (in fact there is much that is IN fashion that I think is ridiculous to spend money on) and while I also have issues with how fashion influences our throw-away-focused society, I have to say that I definitely think that how an individual dresses oneself can say a lot about him/her.
The interactions that I have with many individuals in my professional roles are sometimes influenced by whatever I am wearing. For example, when I am dressed in a professional manner (think pencil skirt and button-up shirt), I definitely receive more respect from fellow coworkers and from my students. In the past, I have noticed times when I have received better service while traveling and in other public situations based on what my appearance conveyed. I also can say from additional personal experience that what I wear on any given day generally is reflective of my mood and/or assists in changing that mood. For example, heels give me better posture, help make me feel more assertive, and thus convey more confidence.
The PNW (Pacific NorthWest) is known for its laid back attire, ie cargo khakis can be considered dressy here and fleece is in fashion no matter the season. We tend to think casual is a good thing and we don't hold it against people for showing off their awesome tattoos and piercings. In the heart of my public health grad program and my focus on a life of simplicity, I wore less make-up and limited my wardrobe to what was always functional and what was needed. BUT the real South is a much different place in terms of a woman's presentation and frequently a woman is judged on her appearance. From my time in the South and in my adjustment to marriage, I definitely returned to putting more time in with my appearance, making sure to "put my face on" almost every.single.day, and taking care to select work appropriate attire which conveyed both professionalism and a feminine touch. Thus fashion in a sense has been its own transition for me after moving back from the South, and even though I'm back in our great PNW I'm not really noticing too much of a deviation from the professional dress standards that I adopted from the South (especially since they follow "the rules" of WNTW--double win!). As much as I really do hate to say it, one's appearance definitely sends a message to the individuals s/he interacts with and it does have the ability to impact the initial assumption that is created. In my professional role, I always want the initial perception to be a positive one, so to me putting in time to convey a message of professionalism is something that I feel to be important.
However, I definitely don't feel like a put-together-look has to be expensive. I will readily admit that my two go-to stores for YEARS (for work clothes especially) have been Target and JC Penney (and in rural Louisiana, they were my only real options anyway), although I'm a huge fan of finding JCrew style in their racks. ;) Moving back has had additional perks, as during the last few weeks, my mother has altered some of my clothes to better fit my body--LOVE THIS and I owe her immense gratitude.
Additionally, one thing clothing wise that I am absolutely loving about being back in the PNW is the fabulous availability of thrift and second-hand stores. Thrift stores in our rural location in the South never were that great and so it's been nice to be back in the land of reuse, where even "new" clothes can help save the pocket book and the environment. (And if I hit the downtown ones, I actually CAN find JCrew.....) Another thing I always love is when any of my friends of a similar size clean out closets....some of my most loved items have been acquired via someone else. ;) Thus I'm sure you can imagine how on cloud nine I was when two weeks ago I finally hit up the local Goodwill and picked up some immense steals:
Awesome (H&M) skirt for work: $4.99
PERFECTLY tailored work pants (Express) aka my butt has never looked so fabulous: $7.99
Black heeled patent shoes: $4.99 each
(Although I will totally admit that the pair on the left, while it was the EXACT shoe I've been searching for throughout the last 3 months, was at Goodwill for the simple reason that it rubs feet raw....so they've been relegated out of the closet....at least it's only $4.99 down and I still got two different wears out of them.....)
And this is also a pair of my most recent fab finds via my gal Heather who hosted a blog sale of her cast offs this summer and allowed me to scoop up this comfortable and amazing pair for a fraction of the price brand-new. (Plus the dogs LOVED smelling their old doggie friends via the package when it arrived!) I really love her idea of hosting a sale like this via the blog, if you want to see how she did it, you can find it here.
Since I'm such a fan of saving the greens (both the dollars and the Earth), anything I no longer wear I ALWAYS either pass on to someone else or donate to Goodwill, as long as it still has life left in it. It's incredibly rare that I throw clothes out and in the few moments that I do (aka ratty underwear or a totally stained tank), I still feel a sense of guilt.
Ironically this entire post originated in a mad closet organization session I launched on Labor Day, where hub had the immense joy (sarcasm) of watching me try on almost every.single.item in my closet and assist me in deciding if it looked good, bad, or tolerable. If I didn't love it or hadn't worn it, it either got put in the "mom-please-alter" pile or the donation pile (minus a few extreme winter items). The whole clean out process was good because I realized I have a lot more than I thought I did, I took stock of what I do have and developed some new combinations, and I made sure that whatever is in my closet is actually realistic for both my work and/or personal life. Now its all organized and it makes getting ready for work a more pleasant experience.
And since you've made it this far in the post, I'll let you in on a little fashion happiness secret:
one of Roxi's most-favorite-things-ever is "assisting" me with dressing for work in the morning. Every morning when I head into "my" room and open the closet to decide what to wear, Roxi comes scampering alongside with her tail a-waggin' and her big ol' smile. I know when she really approves of something when she flops down on her back and begs for a tummy scratch---that most definitely means the outfit is a keeper. ;) She (and a big cup of espresso) make getting dressed in the mornings a pretty entertaining experience! (And yes, if I could loan her out to put a smile on everyone's face, I most definitely would!)
So what about you---do you think fashion matters? Do you have a go-to outfit that you fall back on every time?
Hope you have been enjoying a great week and here's to a great weekend!
1 comment:
1) Yes, I think how you dress does say a lot about yourself, especially how you are dressed for professional reasons. Rarely do I step inside a school w/o my slacks on! "Dress like you're going for an interview" (may be too much sometimes but it is a good rule overall)
2) I want to find more items to freshen up my wardrobe for casual & professional reasons.
3) You should show some pictures of yourself in a few outfits. Would be fun to see how you style! (though I have a good idea lol)
Love ya cuz, good post!
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