Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Rainy Day Dressing

Draft:

Composition:
turquoise necklace (Kohl's)
navy cotton dress (Target)
brown stretch belt (Kohl's)
brown leather sandals (Sanuk, gift from my aunt)

Usage:

Yesterday I woke up during a torrential downpour.  The forecast called for thunderstorms all day, and it was supposed to get up into the 80s.  Hot weather alone forces me to evaluate how much skin is appropriate for the office, but throw in thunderstorms, and you've got my dressing nightmare.

Though it might seem counter intuitive, I usually wear skirts on rainy days.  I hate sitting at my desk with wet pant cuffs, and my legs dry much faster than pants do even if I'm wearing tights. I see plenty of ladies on campus wearing wellies, and though I can see how functional they are, I haven't purchased a pair for myself.  They look fine over jeans or (gasp!) leggings, but I can't quite picture my Express trousers tucked inside a big rubber boot.  I also imagine that my feet would get pretty steamy inside those boots on a day like yesterday, and I'd rather my feet be moist from the rain.

I picked this dress up on clearance, and it quickly became one of my summertime staples.  Plus, it's great for a rainy, humid day.  The tight weave of the cotton seems to resist absorbing water, and it dries really quickly.  I first planned to wear my brown wedge sandals but opted for these flat sandals instead because I know they dry quickly.  I have an ongoing debate with myself about how casual these sandals are; I know they're essentially glorified flip-flops, but I wear them to the office anyway.  They're my favorites of all the sandals I've ever owned, and they remind me of my aunt, so perhaps that clouds my judgment.  I know there are plenty of workplaces that still frown on all open-toed shoes for women, and many more that disallow flip-flops and sleeveless tops.  I have no idea how someone who worked in an office like that would dress on these types of days!

Prompts:

  • How do you approach dressing during hot weather?  Rainy weather?  Humid weather?
  • Would this outfit fly in your office or classroom?  If your study/workplace has a more strict dress code, how do you negotiate the warmer months?
  • Any other particular dressing difficulties you'd like to see us tackle?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Navy and brown is such a delicious color combination!

Just found your blog, and as a former English grad student, I'm wholeheartedly enjoying your structure and approach. Lovely.

Raquelita said...

I too almost always opt for a skirt on rainy days, as I don't like having wet pants legs.

Frankly, I don't worry about casual shoes in the classroom at this point in the semester. If you haven't set the tone and established your authority by May, you're going to be fucked no matter what you wear.

From the practical/pragmatic standpoint, it's interesting to me that you opted for sandals on a rainy day. I hate getting my feet wet and feeling like my feet are sliding around in my sandals, so if it calls for rain, I enclose my feet.

I love the pop of color the necklace provides!