As my two regular readers have probably noticed (Hi mom!), the blog has taken a bit of a back seat to life lately. There's been travel, visitors, starting of jobs, catching up with friends . . . life has been fun but it hasn't really slowed down (does it ever?). Plus, while I am really, really loving my summer internship, it's pretty data intensive. It's amazing but sometimes the last thing I want to do when I get home is open up another spreadsheet even if it's about my closet. To be perfectly honest, I've even been contemplating taking a permanent hiatus from this whole closet project . . . until, that is, I ran into my most recent fashion conundrum: What to Wear to Work.
This is my first time working in an office with a casual dress code and I was pretty excited that I wouldn't have to wear a suit everyday. Plus, I've spent the last 9 months as a grad student, I should have this whole casual thing down, right? Wrong.
When you work in a business professional or business casual environment, there's an unspoken uniform. As a woman, you're wearing some sort of dress/skirt/pant + suit jacket/blazer/cardigan combo. That's it. There's room for some experimentation in terms of colors, patterns, and accessories, but you're all fundamentally following the same rules. Yes, it might be a little boring but at least you know what's expected and you're all in it together.
In a casual work environment. Anything goes. Drop-crotch acid wash overalls? Check. Shorts? Check. Boyfriend jeans and a tank top? Check and check. All the options can be a little overwhelming. Especially since this being New York and this being the retail industry there's the pressure of pulling off effortless casual while still being unique and fabulous. Or maybe it's just because I sit next to a bunch of people in creative and design, but still . . . the hallway can feel a bit like a runway.
Also, as I quickly realized, my carefully curated school wardrobe that is perfect for Fall-Early Spring doesn't really work for a New York summer. I discovered this the unfortunate day I decided to wear pants in 90 degree weather. Hot sweaty mess, doesn't work well for any office dress code.
So, what does any normal person do when they don't know what to wear to work? Go shopping. Collect data, of course . . . even it means I have to tackle the deepest, darkest corner of my closet, dresses.
