Thongs
I have worked in a couple of very different work office environments since graduating from college. I was an assistant for a short four month stint in a professional office setting and dressed very professionally everyday in suits, slacks and silk. Then I worked as a customer service representative in a warehouse-type-office environment and never saw any customers or clients, as business was all done over the phone or email. Here I dressed in jeans, t-shirts and sneakers.
Today, I work in an office and dress up for work everyday in some kind of black/grey/pin-stripped black pants, close-toed heels and a blouse. My entire work wardrobe is completely interchangeable and every pair of shoes and every pair of pants can be mixed and matched with every blouse. I tend to be more dressed up Monday-Thursday when compared to my other co-workers. Everyone else who shares my position has been working in my office for anywhere from 6 months to 3 years years. They all seem fairly comfortable in their positions and frequently wear jeans, sandals and cotton shirts. Sometimes my toes, when crammed into those heels, envy those toting flip-flops.
I find that dressing up during the workweek and then switching to causal clothes on the weekends is quite rewarding. I feel like I have more clothes now that I can wear 100% of my wardrobe (business/dressy and casual), instead of just 50% (casual). I also like to think that all of my supervisors see me dress up and take note of it. My mother-in-law said something to me that I think of every time I am sick of dressing up, which was something along the lines of “You should always dress one level higher than your current position. It shows your boss that you take your job seriously. The way you look is just as important as the way you act.”
I like my job and I like to think that everything I say and do is building a good reputation for in this new position that I started only four months ago. But I must confess: I hate wearing thongs. The slacks I frequently wear Monday-Thursday require a thong so that the unsightly panty line does not show. But I look forward to casual Fridays when I can crack open the jeans and put on some undies that cover my entire butt.
