Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Dressing my best, part one

Dress: Ann Taylor Loft;
Shoes: Aerosoles;
Leaf pin and jade bracelet: Finder's Keepers.
How I've worn the dress before: here.

I am so humbled by your responses yesterday. It was very hard to hit "publish" on that post, so to read through all of your wonderful, thoughtful and kind comments was like receiving a giant group hug. I've kept these feelings so bottled up, so it was rejuvenating and amazing to read new perspectives on the situation. I can't tell you how much this blog community has meant to me in the last few months, and I am so grateful to have you not only as my lovely readers, but as my friends. You all really are so wonderful. Thank you so much.

I've already started work and I'm slowly getting used to the differences between 9-to-5 office environments and retail. Like getting my "weekend" days off during the week instead of Saturday and Sunday, and not being in front of a computer all the time makes me much more time efficient with it when I'm at home. So far, it's been pretty easy to listen and talk to customers -- as Closet 365 commented, perhaps my journalism background has made it easier to be outgoing (or at least fake it). So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

I thought I'd show you my work outfit from last night. I thought I would dress up a bit because I only had to work a few hours, so wearing Aerosoles heels and a dress wasn't uncomfortable, and it made me feel great to actually incorporate my own style into the dress code.

I also dressed up because it's Academichic's "Dress Your Best" week, in which the ladies of that blog have encouraged everyone to dress for their best attributes, instead of  dressing to hide perceived flaws. I'm dressing for my legs today. For most of my life, I've had an antagonistic relationship with my legs. I spent most of my childhood and teens trying to hide or cover them because of the many scars I had from eczema, from mosquito bites during summer camp and from being naturally ungraceful. It took me a long time to get over the fear of being judged by my legs' appearance, when really, I should have appreciated them for what they were (and are): strong and capable. The marks became battle scars in my mind, and became reminders of how much I've gone through. My legs have done so much for me: they've survived preschool ballet, and middle school cheerleading. They've survived four years of being a summer camp counselor, and countless hiking trips. They've survived a summer of walking all over Manhattan, taking me to different wonderful nooks of the city. They've survived Diamond Head. They can handle eight hours of standing at work, and they can handle a pair of heels really well. And because of all those things, and many more, I'm going to celebrate them.

http://www.academichic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/academichic-dybw1.jpg


signature1 by you.

15 comments:

  1. Just read your post from yesterday, sorry I missed it before. I'm sorry that you didn't get into grad school this year, but apply again and don't give up if that's really what you do! Congrats on landing a job in this economy!

    You look absolutely lovely in this black dress, and your legs are fab!

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  2. That dress looks incredible on you! I love the pretty little pin and how it's a detail that speaks to your fun personality. And I'm glad your celebrating your legs - they look great, especially in this outfit!

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  3. You're rockin' that look, lady! That dress is so pretty and flattering.

    Sometimes I feel the same way about my legs because they're so, so pale (I was called Casper in high school)- but at 27 I finally feel like I own my paleness and to hell with what anyone else thinks or says.

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  4. Love the dress! I like dresses with pockets. I am not a bag person, so the pockets come in super handy. :)

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  5. You are gorgeous in that dress! Our flaws are given to us to always remind us that we aren't perfect. That's why we "dress the best," to show off how we accept and LOVE our flaws in our perfect little ways. :D

    I'll be looking forward to your next post! More power! :D

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  6. You look so elegant and chic. Love the dress! You've got great legs ;)

    http://thepaleandpallorprincess.blogspot.com/

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  7. That dress is a classic. So chic! And a great way to show off a great pair of gams. ;)

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  8. You look fantastic!! So glad to hear that the positive feedback on yesterday's post was helpful to you.

    You're awesome, and don't forgot--and it doesn't hurt that you look awesome in that dress!

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  9. What a beautiful celebration of such a gorgeous set of gams!

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  10. wooo so glad someone else is in the black boat with me now haha! at least you can wear some sleeveless/cap sleeve things, though! that will help, especially in summer :)

    glad you're doing your best to take your life in a positive direction even with all the unexpected changes.

    work those legs!

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  11. This is SO chic---absolutely love it on you! :)

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  12. I love the little details like the pin, bracelet and the buckles on the shoe! You look great!

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  13. A dress that fits you PERFECTLY and bright, fun accessories to make it even more charming! Love this outfit!

    I hope your new job turns out to be unexpectedly rewarding, I am sure you will learn a lot about the business working first-hand! I have found some of my experiences in retail to be surprisingly fun. :) Good luck!

    ~Candice

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  14. You look stunning in this dress- so elegant. It was one of my favorites when I first started looking at your blog. It does wonderful things for your legs, which certainly deserve celebrating!

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I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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