Author: AdinaJ

Style Confessions, vol. 5

More style confessions this way … volume 1, 2, 3, and 4.

I’m Having a Style Crisis

Because I think I should dress like this:

photo credit: theory
photo credit: theory

But I always somehow seem to end up looking like (an infinitely less cool version of) this:

Elisa Nalin (photo via stockholm streetstyle)
Elisa Nalin (photo credit: stockholm streetstyle)

And, really, it all comes down to thoughts I’ve been having after reading this article. Go ahead and read it. I’ll wait.

OK, it’s a bit ridiculous. A lot ridiculous. I wasn’t sure at first if it was satire or not. I’m still not sure that the author isn’t trolling all of us; regardless, let me reiterate: don’t spend hundreds of thousands (or even tens of thousands) of dollars on your work wardrobe. Your career doesn’t require it and probably isn’t worth it, and that’s not an insult – neither is mine. I don’t make a million bucks a year, which is what I would have to earn in order to make a $162,000 wardrobe bill even remotely palatable (from a financial perspective at least).

[As an aside, last year I spend about 6% of my annual net income on clothes. This number is a little higher than I’d like it to be, but it’s not irresponsible given my overall financial picture and the fact that I count my clothes habit as a hobby more than a functional necessity. I don’t have a lot of other hobbies, and they tend to be inexpensive.]

Back to the clothes-as-an-investment thing. Once and for all: they’re not. An investment is something that appreciates (or has the potential to appreciate) in value, not something that depreciates. Clothes, bags, shoes: they all lose most of their value the minute that you take them out of the store. With that said, if you’re working in a client-oriented field, where personal presentation is key, clothes can be a sort of indirect investment vehicle. Looking the part of a competent, successful fill-in-the-blanks matters; maybe not as much as being a competent, successful fill-in-the-blanks, but enough. If you consider that your career is likely to be your biggest investment (i.e. money-making asset), spending money in furtherance of it can be a wise choice, provided you do it within reason and with an eye to your ROI.

But that’s not really what I want to talk about. [Holy freaking diversion.]

I’ve always been bothered by the phrase “dress for the job you want.” For a long time I thought it was silly, because I was convinced that ability would always trump presentation. The older I get, though, the more I realize that the world is (sadly) not as black and white, or fair, as I had assumed in my naïve youth. But I think what really bothers me is the implication that your job should dictate your style. As you guys know, I consider style a very personal form of self-expression. And I struggle with the idea of being defined by my career. I do what I do, but I am not what I do. It’s one thing to wear nylons, or knee-length skirts, or close-toed shoes, because of an office dress code. But style is another thing.

And yet.

After a few “wilderness years”, and then some family-building years, it’s now time for some career-making years. My career could still take any one of several different paths, but if I decide to stay on the current course, I’m probably going to have to take a hard look at my wardrobe. If I’m being honest with myself, it really should look more like that first picture. And it is a lovely outfit, don’t get me wrong. It just doesn’t feel like me. It feels like a some-day-I’ll-be-a-grownup version of me.

I’m not sure I’m ready for that, even if my career is.

I’m not sure I can afford to wait any longer to be ready.

The thing is, I’m dead serious about my career, and about what I want to accomplish. The work and personal sacrifices that will be required are also no joke. It’s probably time to stop fooling around with my style.

Office Christmas Party, 2015

Moschino floral dress; Valentino half bow peep toe pumps
Dress, Moschino; belt, Anthropologie; shoes, Valentino (via consignment); bag, Rebecca Minkoff

Roses and red lips: a perfect combo for an Alice in Wonderland themed party? I think so. Plus, I’m happy with any excuse to wear my lovely Moschino dress.

Here’s a slightly less blurry look from the afternoon “dress rehearsal”. I literally picked my outfit 3 hours before the party – I’m that disorganized, or that efficient. Potayto, potahto.

Moschino floral dress; Valentino half bow peep toe pumps
afternoon trial run …

The party was super excellent. You can always count on nice decor (because we’re talking about the Hotel Mac here, and it’d be hard to make it look chintzy), but the organizers outdid themselves this year. I mean, just take a look:

alice in wonderland party; christmas party decor
showing us the way … or not
alice in wonderland party; christmas party decor
table centrepiece
alice in wonderland party; christmas party decor
love the attention to detail

The food was good, the alcohol free-flowing, and the company excellent. I didn’t win the annual draw for a trip to New York (boo!), but I did get to take home this cute centrepiece – that is a functioning pocket watch there!

alice in wonderland party; christmas party decor
party favour!

Hope you’re enjoying a lovely Christmas (party) season!

Stripes Ennui

Old Navy striped dress; Joseph Seibel Sandra 10 boots
Dress, Old Navy; belt, J. Crew; scarf, Winners; boots, Joseph Seibel; coat, Calvin Klein; bag, MbMJ (via eBay)

Could it be? I was crazy about stripes this past summer, but I’ve hardly worn them recently. Take this Old Navy dress for example. On paper, it’s perfect. Good weight cotton-spandex blend, 3/4 sleeves, stripes. I should be reaching for it all the time, and I’m not. I made myself wear it last weekend, and I still couldn’t get excited about it. I guess I’m just not feeling stripes at the moment.

I’m actually in the middle of an unplanned closet purge. Like most people, I usually give my closet the once-over twice a year (at the end of summer and winter), but I’m feeling trigger happy right now for some reason, so I’ve been culling right and left. Anything that doesn’t fit well, or is less than good quality, or feels too immature, is getting the boot. Most of the purge is happening in my work wardrobe, and I don’t think that’s coincidental; I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my career trajectory, past and future, and it has made me more conscious of the role my clothes play in my professional image (persona?). As much as fun, feminine prints and colours are a part of my style identity, I’m starting to feel like I need to be more mindful of how I present myself at work. And, yet, I’m torn. I spend so much of my time at work, and the thought of wearing a wardrobe full of neutrals, day in and day out, feels stifling. That sounds silly, I know. On the other hand, as a woman (and mother) in a male-dominated, client-oriented field, it’s important that I put my best foot forward at all times. My love of florals may have to take a back seat.

Have you ever thought about how the way you dress may be helping, or hindering, your career goals? Are your style and professional identity in sync, or at odds? And if it’s the latter case, how do you find a comfortable compromise?