Dressed to Impress

June 8, 2010 at 12:47 pm (Uncategorized) (big day at work, new clothes, sale rack, shopping)

This week marked the beginning of my insanely busy summer here at the office.  My workload has pretty much tripled in the last couple of weeks and it’s going to stay at this hectic pace for, oh, roughly the next three months.  Yesterday was The Day, the day where most of our summer students began showing up, all of the new hires officially started and the new new hires came in for training.  I’d been dreading The Day for a week or so and all weekend long it hovered in the back of my mind.  Which is crap, since the last thing I want to do on my weekend is stress about work.  Since I knew it was going to be such a long eight hours, I treated myself to some new duds.

I know clothes don’t make the girl, but they sure do help.  While I waited on my bus to take me from Indy to Chicago on Sunday, my sister, Mom and I killed some time shopping in Circle Centre.  Since I rarely ever trek to a store other than Target, I took advantage of some sale racks at the mall.  I didn’t buy much but I did get a new work outfit for my big Monday.  I was also proud that I put together an ensemble with pants, top and jacket for about $30 (I prefer the term frugal to cheap, thank you very much).  I carried the new clothes with me back to my apartment, where I arranged them carefully away from any potential stray cat hairs.  Damn cat, she’s always messing with something.

I suppose it could be considered silly or vain that wearing my new clothes did actually help me get through my day yesterday, but it’s the truth.  If you know me, you probably realize that I’m not the most fashion-oriented person on the planet.  I usually shop at Target (Kohl’s if I’m splurging) and I update my wardrobe once or twice a year, conveniently around Christmas and my birthday.  Therefore, I was surprised that wearing something new with a set of heels made me feel a little more in control and competent.  I can’t help but wonder if this is why women love to shop.  Today, I’m back to wearing an outfit I’ve had for years and while I still look professional enough for the office, it’s just not the same.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m completely content to wear my older threads until they are falling apart, but I’ll still relish that feeling of something new.  And while the new clothes may or may not have actually helped me navigate such a crazy day, at least I looked good doing it!