Sunday, February 03, 2008

Playing "dress up"

In hopeful anticipation of getting the position I interviewed for at the hospital, I went clothes shopping yesterday. Most women would get all a-tingle at the prospect. While I tried to make the most of it, I can't say that I reveled in the endeavor.

First off, the position I interviewed for involves a lot of politics and networking with heads of departments, managers, and board members. Therefore, I will need to dress the part. As most of you who've known me for any length of time know, I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. I am not comfortable in clothes that have to be ironed and/or dry cleaned.

Secondly, due to the girth of my butt, buying clothes (of any sort) is typically depressing. I have been flirting with the 200# mark on the scale the last few months (primarily due to stress-related eating). So, I knew I was not going to like having to deal with buying a bigger size than I did a year ago.

Fortunately, when I feel the need for nicer clothes, I shop at Dress Barn. Dress Barn has affordable clothing and a flattering sizing philosophy. So, the size I thought I'd have to buy was actually too big. (Yes, it is an illusionary victory, but I'll take it.) Plus, I found two asian-inspired shirts that look nice but are just quirky enough to make me feel like an individual while wearing them.

Shirts are really not a huge issue for me. I struggle on many levels with pants. First off, I am somewhat pear shaped. So, sometimes I have to buy pants that are one size larger than the shirts that I buy. Secondly, I have issues with the color and style of most dress pants. I prefer dark colors since they go with more things, and they (somewhat) mask the size of my butt. Also, in my universe, all pants must have front pockets, preferably to the side, and deep enough to put your hands in. (Yes, I know this isn't a professional image. However, I like putting my hands my pockets at times. It relaxes me.)

So, my haul from yesterday's trip was four blouses and one pair of black dress pants. I already have a pair of dark gray dress pants with a muted turquoise pinstripe in them, along with several other dress shirts.

If this position works out, I suppose I'll be making friends with my neighborhood dry cleaner. Not only will my clothes clean up nicer, but they iron the wrinkles out of them. I'll probably take the time to research the dry cleaners in the area to identify one that has adopted the milder chemical process that is less harmful to the environment. Then I can do something good for the planet while I dress (albeit uncomfortably) for success.

5 comments:

RaineS said...

I've become quite fond of our local thrift shop. I buy quite a bit of my work clothing there. Mostly nice tops and slacks in the $2 - $6 range, although you can drop $15 or so on a nice suit. When I have to do the power/politics thing at work, which does happen from time to time, I wear a nice suit (pants and jacket). I feel more comfortable in pants, and need the pockets in the jacket for business cards, keys, kleenex... I don't know why designers think women don't use pockets.

Summer said...

I feel your pain about clothes shopping. I found good luck with dress pants at JC Penny. Try the St John's Bay woman stretch. they're 93% cotton, 7% spandex. They look nice and fit well. Hope you get the job!

briwei said...

I think the pain will be eased by the shorter commute and job satisfaction, but I hear you. I'm not into the whole dress-up thing.

barbie2be said...

i am so feeling your pain.

my pear shaped bottom is way bigger than my waist so i usually feel most comfortable in elastic waist pants.

i am also interviewing for a new position. roommate L took me shopping last weekend for what i thought was one blouse and ended up being 4 tops and 2 pair of pants. we got them at avenue.

i like most of the clothes at dressbarn, but i hate shopping at a clothing store that has the word barn in the title. i just find it extremely offensive.

good luch with the job search! i hope it works out the way you want it to.

Anonymous said...

Watch out for womens' "dress shirts" where the dry cleaner is concerned. Every cleaner I've ever found processes them exactly like mens' dress shirts, but charges the price of cleaning a blouse (99 cents vs. 5 bucks, roundabout).

I'm with you on the Dress Barn thing.