Personal Shoppers?
So I have discovered some things. One, I truly do not have many summer work clothes. (Or summer clothes, period.) This is what happens when you tragically lose a lot of laundry and/or wear out all your clothes and/or have a normally frigid office and/or refuse to shop.
This year, unlike every other year I've worked here, they are not putting the AC on super-high. It's going to be mid-seventies in here, I think.
I need to buy some clothes. Now, I have tried to buy clothes. I went shopping this last weekend and the week before and I am just not feeling the love for that pale, evil green that is freaking everywhere. I have been reading fun fashion magazines from France and I feel like, well, I don't really want to do what I always do, which is mosey over to Land's End and buy four turtlenecks and some black knit pants. I do not want to dress like that anymore. Also, it is too hot.
I want to look nice, but I am uncertain about personal grooming at the best of times. I did, a long time ago, hire a personal fashion advisor, but then I forgot to email her and lost the chance. If I could figure out where I put her email, I might try that again. Still and all, here's where I'm at: I need about five good outfits. One for each day of the week. I need two sets. One for really hot days and one for moderate days. That's ten outfits. *winces*
To be honest, here is what I have:
One chenille sweater in red, one in cream.
Black soft knit pants: several.
One pair brown knit pants.
One striped pair of non-knit pants, navy with gray pin stripes.
One cream striped dress shirt, one patterned cream dress shirt, and one stark white ruffled dress shirt.
Plain thin tee shirts in: red, black, dark green.
One black and red patterned jacket.
One black, low cut fitted dress shirt.
Several pairs of awesome awesome jeans, but I really should cut back on wearing jeans to the office. So.
The rest of my wardrobe is either lost, stained, or fading to the point that I should retire it; I am currently still using a lot of things, but they really need to go. The ones I have and am still wearing are basically a variant of simple knit shirt crew or turtleneck, gray, plum, navy, or red.
Shoes:
One pair fugly MBTs, one pair black Danskos, black Ugg boots, tan UGG boots, and soft tan Ugg clogs.
So here's my dilemma. I don't really know what's work appropriate. OK, I do, kind of know. But I am uncertain about it. I do not want to dress in suburban business casual fashion because I kind of hate the way it makes me feel. I would look like a soccer mom and I would feel lousy about myself. I want to wear what I love (second row, fourth picture) but I am not actually a man, and I cannot wear a Ann Demeulemeester suit (or afford it).
I am also looking at new jobs. I need to update my look, because right now, I mostly look like I am defaulting to whatever happens to be clean and sitting on the floor. I need to look like I am worth the new salary I will be demanding. I need to look like a librarian, but I also want to look like I am tough as nails, because I am, and I want to look like I can find just about any information that someone needs. I want to look like a cool, urban warrior-librarian who knows too many languages and likes to read manga.
A lot to ask from clothes, but still. Always start with the end in mind, right?
I went out on a limb and commissioned a fucking gorgeous necklace, which I plan to make a significant part of my wardrobe.
My beloved friend B has taught me a lot about self-respect. One of the things she has encouraged in me is that taking good care of my appearance is a way to show respect to myself. smillaraaq has also contributed to my tentative steps into looking more lively. I've been slowly wearing makeup that looks, well, good.
Would anyone, er, like to help me shop?
I need, as I mentioned, about ten outfits. I would like to create actual outfits and not just pieces that theoretically are easily mix and matchable (it's fine if they are that, but at the moment, I need to think in outfits.) In case it helps, I am moderately short, hourglass shaped, and hate yellow, lime green, and am leery of white pants, but otherwise I try to be open. Ideas in comments, or email, or whatever. I would happily work with someone in a personal shopper like way or just take random suggestions for cool outfits that make me look like a tough librarian. Does something like this look like it would work?
By the way, we have settled the stupid fslk87ing claim with the city, which is where the funds for new clothes is coming from. I need to get new ones, so I may as well get ones that look attractive. I'm trying really really hard to see this as an opportunity and not as a punishment.
This year, unlike every other year I've worked here, they are not putting the AC on super-high. It's going to be mid-seventies in here, I think.
I need to buy some clothes. Now, I have tried to buy clothes. I went shopping this last weekend and the week before and I am just not feeling the love for that pale, evil green that is freaking everywhere. I have been reading fun fashion magazines from France and I feel like, well, I don't really want to do what I always do, which is mosey over to Land's End and buy four turtlenecks and some black knit pants. I do not want to dress like that anymore. Also, it is too hot.
I want to look nice, but I am uncertain about personal grooming at the best of times. I did, a long time ago, hire a personal fashion advisor, but then I forgot to email her and lost the chance. If I could figure out where I put her email, I might try that again. Still and all, here's where I'm at: I need about five good outfits. One for each day of the week. I need two sets. One for really hot days and one for moderate days. That's ten outfits. *winces*
To be honest, here is what I have:
One chenille sweater in red, one in cream.
Black soft knit pants: several.
One pair brown knit pants.
One striped pair of non-knit pants, navy with gray pin stripes.
One cream striped dress shirt, one patterned cream dress shirt, and one stark white ruffled dress shirt.
Plain thin tee shirts in: red, black, dark green.
One black and red patterned jacket.
One black, low cut fitted dress shirt.
Several pairs of awesome awesome jeans, but I really should cut back on wearing jeans to the office. So.
The rest of my wardrobe is either lost, stained, or fading to the point that I should retire it; I am currently still using a lot of things, but they really need to go. The ones I have and am still wearing are basically a variant of simple knit shirt crew or turtleneck, gray, plum, navy, or red.
Shoes:
One pair fugly MBTs, one pair black Danskos, black Ugg boots, tan UGG boots, and soft tan Ugg clogs.
So here's my dilemma. I don't really know what's work appropriate. OK, I do, kind of know. But I am uncertain about it. I do not want to dress in suburban business casual fashion because I kind of hate the way it makes me feel. I would look like a soccer mom and I would feel lousy about myself. I want to wear what I love (second row, fourth picture) but I am not actually a man, and I cannot wear a Ann Demeulemeester suit (or afford it).
I am also looking at new jobs. I need to update my look, because right now, I mostly look like I am defaulting to whatever happens to be clean and sitting on the floor. I need to look like I am worth the new salary I will be demanding. I need to look like a librarian, but I also want to look like I am tough as nails, because I am, and I want to look like I can find just about any information that someone needs. I want to look like a cool, urban warrior-librarian who knows too many languages and likes to read manga.
A lot to ask from clothes, but still. Always start with the end in mind, right?
I went out on a limb and commissioned a fucking gorgeous necklace, which I plan to make a significant part of my wardrobe.
My beloved friend B has taught me a lot about self-respect. One of the things she has encouraged in me is that taking good care of my appearance is a way to show respect to myself. smillaraaq has also contributed to my tentative steps into looking more lively. I've been slowly wearing makeup that looks, well, good.
Would anyone, er, like to help me shop?
I need, as I mentioned, about ten outfits. I would like to create actual outfits and not just pieces that theoretically are easily mix and matchable (it's fine if they are that, but at the moment, I need to think in outfits.) In case it helps, I am moderately short, hourglass shaped, and hate yellow, lime green, and am leery of white pants, but otherwise I try to be open. Ideas in comments, or email, or whatever. I would happily work with someone in a personal shopper like way or just take random suggestions for cool outfits that make me look like a tough librarian. Does something like this look like it would work?
By the way, we have settled the stupid fslk87ing claim with the city, which is where the funds for new clothes is coming from. I need to get new ones, so I may as well get ones that look attractive. I'm trying really really hard to see this as an opportunity and not as a punishment.