The heat reached triple digits today. I stared at my closet for far too long before deciding that I’d wear shorts. A friend saw me this afternoon and immediately noticed. “Wow,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear shorts before. Ever.”
It’s true. I rarely wear them, and I’m even less likely to do so during the week. Why? Because it feels unprofessional.
Go ahead, say what she said. “Unprofessional? But you work from home! No one sees you!”
I know she’s right, but sometimes I feel like I have to maintain a certain appearance. No, I’m not wearing dry cleanable separates as I sit alone in my home office, but I’m usually in a nice pair of jeans with a tank top and cardigan. I’m casual but put-together. And I’m kind of obsessed with it.
You see, there are more than a few people who assume that I just don’t work. After all, I’m home during the day, so I must be watching Oprah and getting pedicures, right? (Admittedly, I wouldn’t mind the pedicures part, but that’s beside the point.) It’s very hard to convince people that you’re working if you look like you just rolled out of bed, yoga class or your garden. I take my work seriously and I want people to know that I am working, even when I’m at the coffee shop in the afternoon or picking up a sandwich at lunchtime. And shorts just don’t communicate that professional vibe that I’m looking for. I want to dress in a way that won’t leave me embarrassed if I run into a client.
So next time the temperature rises, don’t be surprised to see me wearing my regular clothes. I may be overheating, but I’ll be feeling better about myself.
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Wonder if Nordstrom or other retailer might consider introducing a fall clothing line with that emphasis.
Whoops. Your comment function deleted my quote of “I’m casual but put-together.” Now my reply makes more sense.