July 11, 2008
FB’s post on her list of shopping wants and Penny’s post on buying a new suit restoked my internal suit debate. (Thanks to Paranoid Asteroid for the link to Penny!)
Just last night, the black pinstriped suit came out of the dress bag so that I’ll remember to drop it off for dry cleaning this Saturday.
It struck me that I’ve been wearing this suit since …. October 2005. I’ve worn it to 2-4 professional meetings a year, where I usually see at least some of the same people. Obviously, my colleagues are usually the same. I’ve supplemented with nice, basic skirts and blazers. I’ve got three basic black skirts, one black 3/4 sleeve less structured jacket that passes for a blazer, and a brown checked blazer.
I usually rotate several tops through to make various combinations of business dress.
The real question is: at what point does it become just plain tacky that I don’t have another suit in the rotation?
Yes, new suit!: It’s been four years. Enough already.
No new suit: I’m the mouse that wants more than just a cookie. If I get another suit, wouldn’t it make sense to have a third? Most of our events require three days’ worth of business wear. Oh wait, I’m trying to leave this job.
Yes, new suit!: I’m trying to find a better environment. Need an interview suit.
No new suit: $400. (or $800. For two suits. š )
Since we’re evenly tied at this point, I’m considering a minor amendment to the PPP money flow. After every $200 cycle, $50 will be diverted to a suit fund. That’s only going to take forever, though, and I’m hearing rumblings that lead me to believe I’m going to need an interview suit in the next three months, not three years.
I have got to stop thinking about clothes today!
Macy’s has been emailing about sales and clearances constantly, and I finally got curious and clicked. I realized that my first instinct is to be drawn towards things that are comfortable and functional, which does not frequently mesh with my need for more professional clothing. For example:
They also come in a plaid (pink or blue):
They look comfortable and they’re not tennis shoes, which are my favorite shoes to wear but have been sworn off for work ….
Uh, I’m totally talking myself into getting them. See, here’s the thing. I have one pair of leather flats that I’ve been wearing to pieces. Literally. They’re getting really shabby, but they’re the only pair of closed toe flats that I have. But, I really think these are only ok to wear with jeans, they’re not going to be paired with any other trousers.
Does anyone have better pairing ideas? They’re $19.99, and I have a Macy’s GC so it’s not out of budget. If not, I should probably skip them and wait for a pair of flats that can be paired with jeans and trousers.
July 9, 2008
It’s called dressing for the job you want. We’ve all heard that maxim, I think, but it’s easier said than done.
I’ve recently taken steps to be more formal than jeans-casual (which is perfectly acceptable here), but I can always use more polish to take the rough off my fashion edges.
Some of the advice is standard and classic, tailored to four different professions as your suits should be tailored to your body, but mentions of running around in Louboutins all day, with Oscar de la Renta flats in between are just a little too much brand naming for me. And, um, a nude G-string? Ewwww…. I’m definitely not cut out for the model lifestyle or workstyle.
Real Estate Agent
FORMALITY FACTOR:(8.5/10) “There are no casual Fridays, even on a construction site.”
THE GOAL: “If you’re showing people beautiful properties all day, aesthetics are obviously important. Your clothes signal to clients that they can trust your taste. That said, real-estate development is so male-dominated that women have to work harder to be taken seriously. Dress in a way that’s distracting and you become easy to dismiss.”
THE MUST-HAVES: “A charcoal, black, or navy suit with a single pop of color ā it’s classic, with a twist. I’m an urban nomad, chasing taxis and navigating construction sites, so my shoes have to hold up. I live in these black Louboutins because they’re not too high. And as I work 12-plus-hour days, I always slip on the Oscar de la Renta flats between appointments.”
Financier on Wall Street
FORMALITY FACTOR:(10/10) “Nothing less than impeccable is what flies on Wall Street. If your lipstick’s a mess or your skirt is too trendy, it instantly devalues you. Wall Street may be 95 percent men, but don’t dress like one ā but don’t dress like a girly-girl either.”
THE GOAL:”Like their male colleagues, women need great-looking go-to suits and several pairs of killer classic shoes.”
THE MUST-HAVES: “Three good suits ā black, gray, and brown ā off the rack that a tailor can make into great suits. Pay special attention to fit, fabric, and sleeve-cuff length: When your arm is straight down, the cuff should stop between your wrist bone and the top of your hand. And a quality watch ā nothing too flashy.”
Gallerista
FORMALITY FACTOR: (5/10) “This is a creative environment; you can do skinny jeans and vests. A button-down shirt or a suit would be too boring.”
THE GOAL: “When we’re trying to recruit important or upcoming artists, it’s crucial to represent the gallery. Of course, no one shows up in an avant-garde tutu ā it’s still a job, not a fashion show.”
DRESS FOR SUCCESS: “I have hundreds of dresses and tons of shoes, and every day I look forward to putting together my outfit. I play around with different colors and textures just like a painter does. If you have fun getting dressed, it will show in your outfit.”
Model
FORMALITY FACTOR: (1/10) “For go-sees with potential clients, less is more: Wear a fitted T-shirt or tank with skinny jeans or shorts.”
THE GOAL: “You have to look confident at all costs. The nature of modeling is to be judged on your looks; you can’t take it personally.”
DRESS FOR SUCCESS: “Since you have to be prepared to try on all types of clothes ā even bathing suits ā always wear a Calvin Klein nude G-string, the industry staple given to the models at most major fashion shows.”
June 2, 2008
on a Classic Trench Coat that actually fits! I know, I know, I’m announcing the purchase of a trench coat on the cusp of summer? I must be crazy. But! It was 50% off, the coat fit me, and I had well over half of the cost in gift cards, and those are three moons that seldom align just right. Unfortunately, I did have to pony up an additional $22 for the balance because 50% off plus tax = $102, but I’ve even checked on ebay and on Banana Republic’s website to make sure that I didn’t pay too much: ebay’s selling it for up to full price ($159-$198) and it’s not even on BR’s website anymore.
Until the dead of summer, the train is always just a shade too chilly to go without some piece of outerwear in the mornings, and it starts to get chilly at night when I get home from work. I’ve worn it every single day since I bought it (8 times), and twice at the end of the week. I expect to continue to wear it every morning until it’s actually hot enough in the mornings to go without.
There are a plethora of buttons, and I can really batten down the hatches if I want to with the “tabs” that extend from the shoulders. I don’t know what they’re called, and you can’t see them hidden under the lapels in the images I found, but they add a little touch of class to the coat. The entire coat is lined with a layer of cotton. It’s big enough for me to wear a sweater underneath but it fits perfectly in the shoulders so I can just tie the belt tighter when I forgo an extra layer. It doubled perfectly as a blanket for the flight down from the Bay Area, and it packs down nicely, because it’s thin, when I have to stuff it in my bag. While it wouldn’t fit into my everyday bright pink bag, I think it will into whatever grown-up bag I finally get. It’s knee-length, and belted, so I’ll be able to wear it over a dress or nice slacks ifI go out in the evenings. All in all, this coat fits my need for a knee length, light-colored, lightweight, all purpose coat that can go formal or informal. My only concern is that it’s dry clean only, and the light color combined with my klutziness/accident proneness could be disastrous.
May 28, 2008
Sorry for the creepiness of a headless photo, but Paint won’t work on my computer and I don’t have Photoshop on this computer either.
FB requested a photo, so sans shoes, here’s the slightly revamped blouse & skirt combo:
I’m probably going to add a pair of earrings, hose, and of course, shoes. What do you think, FB, standard black pumps? Or shiny patent Mary Janes? š
May 15, 2008
I’m ‘fessing up to my $33 outfit transgression today. I’m going to need your *professional* opinions here. A and I were browsing the mall and mostly managed to avoid all shops that I didn’t have gift cards for … except for Papaya. Whoops. Occasionally they have the odd really nice piece on sale, so we checked their clearance racks. As usual, there was a whole lot of nothing, but I turned up this high-waisted, knee length pencil skirt that I couldn’t resist. In the history of pencil skirts, I’m sure I’ve put up better fights.
Sorry the pictures aren’t great; I haven’t figured out how to take better clothing pictures yet, but this is just so you get the idea.
The skirt’s form-fitting, with a few inches of lacing up the back to make it just a bit interesting. I plan to cover up that bit during the day.
(Front waist)
(Back waist)
And the white silky blouse could probably use another button up top to keep the top of the collar closed.
But, blouse tucked into the skirt with black closed-toe pumps and a black jacket to profesh’ it up… what do you think? Did I make a huge mistake here, or is this a viable outfit?
February 22, 2008
Ladies, gentlemen, have you ever been into a store where a salesperson took a look at you, sized you up, and starting excitedly pulling various articles of clothing from racks and the back room for your perusal? And then have him or her create completely unexpected outfits from a variety of shapes and colors to make you look more professional, chic, and I’m-not-really-trying than you’ve ever looked in your life?
Neither had I.
Yesterday, I wandered into a Theory shop just to look at the mannequin outfits more closely and meant to walk right back out. Instead, Bosses both followed me in, chatting about business, and started looking at things too. The salesman must have thought “Score! She’s got two sugar daddies!” and jumped right into chatting us up about sizes. It was the total opposite of a Pretty Woman-esque scene, except more humiliating because that place is v-e-r-y expensive and I had no intention of buying.
Instead of making my escape, I experienced the slightly mortifying transformation from my “twenty something in jeans, nice-ish $25 top, nice-ish on sale for $35 blazer, trying to look pulled together for actual professional job” outfit to a “chic, sophisticated, costs more than I make in two weeks but it’s so sharp!” ensemble. That’s right. We moved right out of the realm of outfits thrown together by a less than discerning eye into ensembles.
I know it’s his job, and all he had to choose from were high-end, high priced pieces to create the ensembles so the odds were stacked in his favor, but it was still disconcerting how quickly he managed to fill a sizable dressing room with pieces that individually cost more than the entire contents of my duffel bag for this trip.
I tried on this lovely beige jumper type dress with a series of buttons down the front and cute little kangaroo pouch pocket. He accessorized it with a pair of flats and a few belts, teaching me the four-square knot because “since Casablanca, no one actually buckles their belts anymore.” I’ve already forgotten how to tie the knot. *sheepish*
Then, there was this knock-’em-over-you’re-so-swank get-up. The trench coat alone cost $495. The tank top underneath that button down shirt cost $90. I can only speculate that the other pieces, the shirt, the pants, and the shoes, in between those two layers were also priced in between their prices because I didn’t dare look. Lightheadedness might have been induced by wearing my net worth in clothes š
While I was thoroughly impressed at the salesman’s ability to actually make me look put together, I was equally embarrassed that he was going to all that trouble when I couldn’t afford a single thing I was wearing. Oy! Admittedly, I wouldn’t go broke buying the tank top, or even an entire outfit, but there is no way on this green earth I was going to trash my budget to assuage window shopper’s guilt. I definitely felt bad for wasting his time, but I was still not forking over my rent.
I didn’t take pictures of the other dresses I tried on, but they were gorgeous and $300 each. $300!! Oh, a couple were $265. Little Boss had the audacity to say, “ohhh that’s not bad for a dress! If it were $400, that’d be too much.” As if that man doesn’t sign my paychecks! And Big Boss gave me a lecture on how $365 was a steal for the stunning, single-button, white suit jacket I’d found. A lecture! I wanted to shake them both. There I was, feeling rightfully guilty over a nearly $40 dress, and they were lecturing me on how this or that piece is an investment. Obviously I’d wear that trench coat for 20 years, I’d have to! But I can’t amortize the BILL over 20 years as well. Ok, I’m ranting.
Anyway. I swooned over a few of the pieces I tried, but it’s definitely tempered by the embarrassment of having to walk out because that’s just way too far above my pay grade. I could honestly say that I couldn’t decide what I wanted more because it was overwhelming, but it’s just not reasonable to spend that much in the name of looking professional. Not on this salary and with these troubles at home.
It’s customer service like that that makes it hard to resist the pull of lifestyle inflation and remember how much I love to think to myself “it only cost $not much.00” if someone compliments what I’m wearing. Someday, perhaps, I’ll have collected enough Macy’s gift cards to visit the San Francisco Macy’s and buy an “investment” piece made by Theory, but until then, it’s back to the more pedestrian shops (or no shopping at all!) for simple me.
