Dressing Well Doesn’t Pay…Really…It Doesn’t…
…well, actually, it does. But, here’s my dilemma:
I like to look nice. I spend a lot of money on my clothes, shoes and hair, and want to look professional on the job. I am proud of my work. However, I am sick and tired of looking like I slept in my clothes, and haven’t combed my hair in a week. It makes me really cranky.
Until the hot and humid weather dissipates, I need to devise a different wardrobe solution: A compromise. But, I don’t like to compromise too much with the workday wardrobe. But, that’s just me.
I’m really feeling my cousin’s uniform right now.
BTW: I did purchase some cute, professional-looking short-sleeve tops, which should be arriving soon.
Loading...
Nope not I. And I’ve been dressing nice lately, and it works for me. Maybe you mean that it doesn’t pay for women who are teachers? In my school, it’s been nice to see the fellas get dressed well …
Jose - September 11, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Jose: What I am trying to say is that it is frustrating to leave the house nicely dressed, only to arrive at school looking and feeling like a badly rung-out dish rag. Do you feel me? It gets old very quickly. My problem? I do not own enough summery, professional-looking shirts and blouses. Everything I have is either long sleeve, or, in the wrong (read-out-of-season) color, or collarless or sleeveless. Sigh. From a psychic and professional standpoint, it *does* pay to look nice and professional. BTW: I, too, like to see male teachers in shirts and ties. But, it’s odd; the heat and humidity don’t seem to make *them* look like badly rung-out dish rags. I don’t recall the heat and humidity this time last year bothering me as much. Maybe I am going through perimenopause…
missprofe - September 11, 2007 at 6:16 pm
hahah, maybe …
Jose - September 11, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Out in the wild west we men dress in golf shirts and jeans, or slacks at the dressiest. A shirt and tie is for admin. Admin ladies dress well, but female teachers are all over the map. Nobody’s sloppy, but casual is in.
My Dad wore a jacket and tie to class every day, but since the mid-80s, it’s been a lot more casual our here. (He retired in 1982.)
What’s really not fair is that we don’t even have humidity that compares to anything east of the Rocky Mountains. I feel the pain, especially since I went to school in New York grades K-12.
Out here, our unspoken dress code is just like a salesperson’s. Dress just a little better than your prospect. In our case, student. Our students don’t come to school like they might appear on prom night.
Different subculture, eh? (I realize that I’m being no help at all here, but I couldn’t help providing a contrast!
)
repairman - September 13, 2007 at 1:44 am
Repairman, believe it or not, your comment is *very* helpful. In fact, more helpful than you know. You put things into proper perspective for me repairman. Especially your statement re: dressing just a little better than the prospect. Which, in my corner of the world, isn’t very hard. Students, and, a fair number of my colleagues, for that matter, wear jeans on a daily basis. So, doing as you suggest wouldn’t be very difficult at all. Additionally, I realize that as a teacher, given the nature of my day, I need to be comfortable from head to toe. At the same time, I need to be neat, professional and approachable (read: friendly). I realize I am over the top when it comes to wardrobe. I am attempting to dress for the classroom the way I dressed for the college admissions office, and it ain’t working. Then again, every day I entered a building equipped with central air, did not have kids stepping on my shoes, wasn’t running into things and snagging/tearing my pantyhose, and wasn’t going from teaching to study hall to campus patrol, etc.
BTW: My father suggested years ago when I began teaching at a progressive K-12 school to invest in a wardrobe of nice jeans - four to five pairs - and match them with nice tops, given the uber-casualness of the wardrobe there. The mode of dress in some respects is uber-casual where I teach now, but, there are folks who dress a bit better than the prospect. I just may finally take my father up on his advice.
missprofe - September 13, 2007 at 6:37 am
I live in khakis from Target. I suppose if I had to be a bit more polished, I’d buy the “crisp from the dryer” ones from Lands’ End or LL Bean (I loathe ironing).
Oh, the hair. As you know, mine’s fine, straight, and limp. If I wanted to be more professional-looking, I can:
1. French Twist
2. Cut it short into My Sister’s Hairstyle.
That’s it.
My darling daughter has been complaining about the heat & humidity — we California girls don’t know from h & h you know. But it does mean that she’s been spending more time in the library (air conditioned) than her dorm (which isn’t).
Liz D. - September 13, 2007 at 9:15 am
Glad to hear you’re thinking about being more comfy. Less distractions mean less stress. Alright.
repairman - September 13, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Well, i actually just asked fellow blogger, Jose about what professionally dressed means at my school. I feel very comfortable wearing a dishiki and linen pants. other teachers wear flip flops and i even saw the technology teacher wearing jeans and a t-shirt on wednesday.. some of these cats be overdoing it!!
BK Teaching Fellow - September 17, 2007 at 12:45 am