Wandering Around the Web

• If you're in the New York area, mark this on your calender: Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire, October 21, 2014–February 1, 2015, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On October 31st, check out "Death Becomes You," a special program as part of this exhibit, featuring dramatic readings of Edgar Allen Poe, an illusionist, costumed performers, and more.
• Offbeat Home has a much-needed open letter to the fashion industry, re: plus-size representation. The comments section well worth reading too.
• I found The Everyday Goth's review of the Restyle bag she bought very helpful. I've looked at their bags and purses longingly but really wondered about the quality. I love it when people give careful, detailed product reviews like this!
• FastCompany reported on the exact amount of time you should work each day. It's not 8 hours straight -- Quick, someone tell our bosses! I will say that this article reminds me why I'm more productive when I can work from home & take more breaks away from the computer (which I can't now, foo).
• My sewing machine can do embroidery & I've used it for costume projects, but I still haven't done any everyday clothing embellishment. Well, seeing Madame Mari Mortem's first shot at using Urban Threads embroidery patterns with her machine has totally convinced me! Fabulous work.
• This NPR analysis is a brilliant read about a story written in 1957 about 1912, describing how to build cultural panic. Perfectly suitable to yesterday, today, or tomorrow, showing how nothing changes.
• Finally, do keep checking in on my Halloween for Sale 2014 Pinterest board -- I've been adding more goodies as I find them, plus stuff keeps going on sale as Halloween gets closer.

Recent Reads

In the dearth of outfit posts during my lack of a decent camera, I thought I'd share some cool things I've read around the blogosphere recently...

LoL!

Offbeat Bride regularly has shoe posts that are pretty fabulous. This one about black shoes with bows is especially awesome, & I would wear over half of the listed shoes! Coincidentally, I already had that first pair of shoes pinned on my This Is CorpGoth Pinterest board several times...

Already Pretty addresses a reader question about comfy bras & loungewear. This got me thinking -- see, my work-from-home clothes have gotten very loungey & down-right sloppy recently. It started during chemo because I wasn't working, but the habit has continued. I'm embarrassed to admit that I spend a lot of time in yoga pants & T-shirts (another reason for fewer posts, ugh). I kind of want to clean out my wardrobe in an effort to force myself to stop wearing boring crap.

Wardrobe Oxygen had a great guest post about drugstore makeup faves. I'll have to try some of these. Do you prefer drugstore or department store makeup in general, or do you mix it up & wear some of each?

Casual Purple

Just kickin' it in something comfy! I need a million dresses like this (even tho' I already have a dozen).

What I'm wearing:
Purple knit dress, Old Navy | Black long-sleeve knit top, Old Navy | Black leggings, Newport News | Black boots, Clarks | Black & silver skull necklace, DisneyLand | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store | Purple flower hair pin, random accessory store | Purple lipstick, Sephora house brand

Pink Bon Jour

I'm a sucker for travel-related accessories, natch, because I love to travel. Except they have to be related to places I've been to & love. Well, I loved the one trip to Paris I took ages ago, & I'm planning to return very soon. No to mention I took five years of French language classes, which are stuck somewhere in the back of my brain, struggling to come out, LOL. So yeah, I had to have this silly little necklace. Mai oui!

What I'm wearing:
Black & pink stripe knit top, Ralph Lauren | Black linen skirt, H&M | Black leggings, American Apparel | Black socks, unknown brand | Black flats, Aerosoles | Silver "Bon Jour" necklace, Claire's | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store

Multiple shades of black!

To the Mother Country

There's this joke among some costumer-friends & I that England is the "mother country." We're all anglophiles in the worst way. We've read too many Bronte & Austen novels (or at least watched movie versions endlessly), we love the fantasy of having royalty (& those of us who are old enough remember watching Princess Di in her ridiculous meringue wedding dress),  we love crumbling castles & running across the moors in white nightgowns, we drink way too much tea out of prissy little china cups. This is all a big part of why we spend inordinate amounts of time & money creating crazy historical reproduction costumes.

So yeah, my first trip abroad was to the Mother Country of England. My then-boyfriend/now-husband convinced me to go, & we visited sites associated with some of my favorite English authors, from Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey to Wordsworth's Dove Cottage in the Lake District to the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth. Not only am I a nutty costumer, I'm also a frustrated academic -- soon after this seminal trip, I went to grad school to continue my pointless studies in Victorian literature. Not like you can get a job in that very easily! So I dropped out a few units shy of a second degree. Ah well. I'll settle with a cool T-shirt from my most recent (& fifth) trip to the U.K.

What I'm wearing:
Black velveteen jacket, White House Black Market
England T-shirt, bought in London
Black jeans, Levis
Black ankle boots, Aldo
Silver filigree earrings, random accessory store
Jet & gunmetal cocktail ring, random accessory store
Grey & black flower hair pins, random accessory store

Hidden Bat Week: Sick Day

It started as a work-from-home day. With just a bit of a sore throat. But that increased throughout the day beyond pain when swallowing to constant pain & the realization that I should probably go to the doctor tomorrow. Symptoms are consistent with strep throat, which is more of an inconvenience than anything.

Particularly for Hidden Bat Week because I don't want to go into the office when I'm contagious & there go all my cool outfits! Ah well, I'll figure out something...

What I'm wearing:
Black knit tunic top, American Apparel | Black cardigan sweater, April Cornell via Lisa | Black bat-print leggings, Target | Black socks, Target | Black velvet slippers, Amazon.com

Yes, I've blogged these bats before, but only because I love them :)

A few more Hidden Bat Week Status Reports I've seen around:
The Curious Professor Z, day 2
The Mutant Stomp Friends

Share your posts in the comments!

Stripey Work from Home

Admittedly, I put on a few accessories because I had to run some errands at the end of the day. But this is essentially a work-from-home outfit. It's comfy, casual, but not totally boring (I hope!).

What I'm wearing:
Black & white pinstripe jacket, Macy's | Black knit dress, Target | Black & white stripe leggings, American Apparel | Black ankle boots, Aldo | Silver chunky bead choker, Target | Black & white stripe bead earrings, Kohls

CorpGoth Works From Home

CorpGoth sans makeup!

My current job allows me to work from home even more than before -- tho' let's get real, I can write & edit from just about anywhere in the world, I don't need to physically be in the same office with my coworkers. Also, so often, I'm working with people who are spread out around the U.S., if not the world, so it doesn't matter where I'm sitting. That's life in the Internet Age. For years, I've had a few work-from-home days, now they're just more frequent than not.

Which creates a bit of a sartorial challenge: What do I wear when I don't have to go into an office?

I've often been lazy & worn an assortment of black yoga pants, big black T-shirts, & black hoodies or baggy black sweaters, along with flip-flops or slippers, depending on the weather. Well, I want to up my game when three or more days of the week will be spent working at home. I don't want my entire wardrobe to be *that* sloppy! Besides, I occasionally converse with coworkers over Skype, so turning on the video conferencing means I should look presentable (at least from the waist up!).

So I've been strategizing about how to dress, both incorporating what I already own & judiciously adding things that fit better into my home office routine. Here's what I've realized so far...

1. Comfort counts -- OK, I said I'm not going to work in yoga pants (or PJs) every single day, but I still want comfort because, unlike at the office, I may be throwing in a load of laundry between edits or I might have a cat in my lap while on a conference call. Structured skirts, fitted jackets, & high heels just aren't appropriate in this situation. Knit dresses, leggings, long sweaters, tunics, ponte pants, city shorts in warm weather, & layers are all great.

2. Think color & pattern, instead of accessories -- For the office, I love scarves, statement necklaces, lipstick, & other splashes of color & texture. But not at home. To make outfits more interesting, I need to incorporate more colors (all black gets mighty dull) & more prints (stripes, plaids, florals). Can also use more texture, like ruffles & pleats, as long as it's not in an overly fussy garment (see #1).

3. Re-asses my current wardrobe, weed through, add selectively -- Based on the first two points & knowing my new schedule, I realize I may not need quite as much of the structured, fitted clothes that I have owned. And frankly, my closet & dressers are jammed full! It's tempting to buy a ton of new stuff (& I have bought more leggings & tunics, heh), but first, I went through what I have. Things I don't love are gone, along with anything that didn't fit perfectly. Now I can look for wardrobe holes & fill them accurately.

4. Do my hair -- I'll never be someone who wears makeup around the house, but since Skype video conferencing is a part of my home-office mix now, I should make a point of doing something with my hair. I used to pile it up on the top of my head while at home, which I can still do, but in a tidy & smoother fashion. And especially since I trimmed my hair, I might try sleeker styles.

5. Go a little more goth, but not all punked out -- Since I don't have clients or meetings (other than from the neck up re: Skype), I can dress a little more edgy than I might at the office. Little touches, such as batty T-shirts & Halloween socks. But I still want to look like an adult & a professional writer, not a kid shopping at Hot Topic.

Examples of clothing that feels right for my home-office wardrobe:

• Downtown Topper from Soft Surroundings -- Black & grey striped swingy sweater, adds some pattern & movement to a cozy coverup.
• Empire-Waist Knitted Dress from ASOS Curve -- Comes in black, red, or navy. Nice dress to pair with leggings.
• Grey & Black Lace-Print Leggings from Torrid -- Cool pattern, would be lovely peeking out of a black tunic or dress.
• V-Neck Sweater Dress from Old Navy -- Especially cute in black & white stripe & worn with leggings.

Do you work from home? If so, what do you wear? Share in the comments!


Related Links:
Nine Ways Not to Look Like a Slob Even if You Don't Dress for the Office These Days - Lisa at Privileged has some excellent tips for looking elegant yet casual (remember, sloppy clothes cost the same as neat, so why not go for neat?).

What to Wear When Working From Home - Allie at Wardrobe Oxygen shares her buying guide (& what to avoid) for wfh wardrobe workhorses, which I pretty much agree with completely.

What Do You Wear When You Work From Home? - Interesting thread at Offbeat Home in response to the question, lots of great opinions.

Status Report: Love What You Do

It's taken a long time, but I've pretty much managed to carve out a career that I like, if not sometimes really & truly love. I write for a living, which was always my dream. I don't necessarily write about my favorite topics, but I get to write & that's better than not.

In my 20s, I paid my dues by working tedious clerical jobs & testing out various different things. I even went to grad school to attempt to get into teaching. But finally, I got a job working at a newspaper's website, then a music website, then Yahoo!, & now a high-tech manufacturer. All of these have writing for the Web at the core, & that makes me happy.

But one thing I love most about my current position is that I work from home more days than not! Because writing is easier to do in my own element, not a noisy open cubicle arrangement. The collaborative parts of my job are easy enough to do by IM or on the phone or in a few meetings once or twice a week. The majority of my job is better done solo where I can concentrate. While I kind of miss dressing up each day to go into the office, I don't miss commuting or sticking to a strict schedule.

Best of all, I get to see my husband all day, since he runs his business out of our home office studio, & I get to work with our tabby cat.

Here are some of your status reports so far:

• Insomniac's Attic
• Cuz I Said Sew
• Ms Misantropia

Share links to your reports in the comments!

Weekend Boho on a Weekday

This is an outfit I wore a few weekends ago. It's a winterized version of this outfit, swapping sandals for tall boots & layering a long-sleeve shirt instead of a camisole. The ideal outfit for poking around the mall on a Saturday. Could wear this to work too, if I was feeling casual.

What I'm wearing:
Black, purple, & blue paisley tunic, Chadwicks | Black long-sleeved knit top, Old Navy | Black leggings, Newport News | Black ribbon & silver chain belt, eBay | Tall black leather boots, Clarks | Silver filigree earrings, Forever 21 | Silver skull choker, random accessory store

Hidden Bat Week - Work From Home T-Shirt

I rarely (never?) post what I'm wearing when I work from home, & this outfit isn't exactly representative. I'd usually wear PJ bottoms or yoga pants instead of jeans, but I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I swapped the comfy gear out. Plus, I brushed off all the cat hair!

What I'm wearing:
Grey bat T-shirt, Target | Black long-sleeve top, Old Navy | Black jeans, Levis | Black hoodie, Old Navy | Black buckled boots, Aldo | Silver Indian hoops, bought at a con | Music note choker, gift from a choir member on Spain trip | Black & white fingerless gloves, Hot Topic

It's been rather chilly recently, thus the gloves. I wear them in the studio where my computer is so I can keep my hands warm while typing. They're pretty ratty tho, so no closeups ;-)

Random Friday!

Just sharing a few bits whilst I work from home...

Handy link about shopping at discount stores (meaning Forever 21, H&M, etc.). Seems geared towards more mature ladies who don't want to look cheap / too young, & has excellent tips on looking for quality, judging what items are worthwhile.

I may have to steal this idea about using kid's sippy cups for cocktail parties ... it's alcohol abuse to spill one's drink!

Speaking of drinks, I'm madly in love with Peju Province Winery's Provence wine. It's a light, fruity red, almost a rose, but not really. Tastes like sunshine & roses, serve chilled, perfect for summer.

Lest you think it's all shopping, partying, & drinking around here at CorpGoth HQ, I'm busy at work, plus all my off hours are currently filled working on a very complicated cross-dressing costume for me to portray Leonard Autie, hairdresser for Marie Antoinette, at an 18th-century event on July 9. All I've finished so far is the embroidered silk waistcoat & tall powdered wig, plus I bought a ruffled shirt & linen stock (like a necktie). I have to hustle to sew the actual suit!

This will be complicated by the fact that my husband & I are doing a little roadtrip over July 4th weekend. Fun, but no sewing time then.

CorpGoth Working From Home

I mention it often enough, so why not give a little tour of my home office? My company is generous with telecommuting benefits, for a couple of reasons. For one, many of our jobs can be done anywhere -- we're an Internet company, so if you have a computer & the net, you can work. For another, the company is committed to being eco-friendly & fewer cars on the road in this congested area is always a good thing. So many of us have at least one work-from-home day per week. Recently, I've had two due to a variety of circumstances (and hey, I've been at the company 10 years, might as well get some added value ;-).

The first thing we did when we bought our house was turn the detached garage-with-bonus-room into a complete studio for my husband's music production & video editing work. He does that on one side, & I have the smaller (but still reasonably large) area for my office, which can double as a guest room as needed.

We are a 100% Macintosh household. I recently replaced the monitor, & I got a new Mac laptop from work, which I plug into the monitor (my personal computer is a Mac Mini; under the desk is my retired G5 tower). Working directly on a laptop is horribly un-ergonomic & will ruin your back, shoulders, & wrists -- folks, I highly recommend hooking it up to a proper keyboard & monitor if you work on a computer for more than, oh, an hour a day!

Hydration is important. I keep a big glass of water at my desk; one cup of coffee in the a.m. And the Buddha watches over, along with a chunk of ameythst, old gaming dice, and a kui nut lei from Hawaii.

The shelf above the monitor has reference books like the Yahoo! Styleguide, the AP Styleguide, & the Chicago Manual of Style, plus inspirational books such as Ulysses by James Joyce, The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts, & an anthology on feminism. There's a photo of me from nearly 20 years ago with a wax Shakespeare at Madame Tussaud's in London. The plastic Godzilla has been on different permutations of my desk since high school. Cthulu rides a ceramic Vespa, because the Elder Gods would have wanted it that way. There's a calligraphied poem by William Blake above it all.

Of course, one of the best things about working from home is the company. Sure, my husband is around, but my boy-cat Toulouse sits in my lap, drooling on my keyboard, trying to keep me from typing anything legible. He loves hanging out in the studio while we work.


Do you telecommute? If so, what's your home office setup like?

Drive-By Update

Got back from Williamsburg late last night & am working from home today -- so much email to catch up with!!! Thank you all for the lovely comments on the posts I scheduled for while I was away. I'll try to respond today or this weekend. Plus I hope to catch up more on my blog reading (I had my iPad with me, but once the conference started, I didn't have any time to read).

I did catch a few things going around in the fashion blogosphere. It looks like next week is Super Stripes Week, coordinated by Megan Mae Daily & Casual Chic Kiki. Now there's a challenge us goths can get in on! Let's see how many fabulous stripey outfits we can pull together.

And in more serious news, today is supposed to be a "bloggers go dark for Japan" day, organized by For Japan With Love. I'm not exactly going dark, but I am skipping Fashion Beauty Friends Friday in solidarity.

Yahoo! News has an excellent page full of links for how you can help the Japan earthquake & tsunami survivors & recovery efforts. Please go here & click thru to one of these reputable charities & donate whatever you can.

Also, if you work for a large company, see if they'll match your donation -- my employer has increased it's standard 1:1 match to 2:1 for the Japanese tragedy. If you are part of a church or community organization that does fund-raising, consider asking if they'll focus immediate efforts on Japan. Rescuers who were at Hurricane Katrina & the Haiti earthquake are saying that the destruction in Japan is even worse, & it will take incredible, worldwide action to help the country recover.

Have a good weekend, & I'll be back on Monday with CorpGoth posts.

Broke My Fast

As I mentioned, I didn't make it very long without shopping for clothes. I lasted through all of January, but then, bam, February came & there I went. Even before I hit the mall, I had done some online shopping.

I was thinking about casual clothes, as one does, specifically, how sloppy I dress when I'm not going into the office. Working from home, ok, sure, yoga pants & a black T-shirt, that's fine every so often. But my weekend wear is pretty sorry.

About five years ago, I did make the break from jeans & teenager-style T-shirts (mostly). I weeded out all the gothy band tees & cutesy saying tees. I even ditched most of the old travel T-shirts I'd collected. And out went of the freebie tech T-shirts from work & conferences, 'cept for one or two to sleep in ONLY.  I replaced all those with simple "grown-up" solid-color knit tops in short & long-sleeve varieties.

Of course, that felt boring. And the cutesy T-shirts crept back in, along with me just generally not giving a crap on weekends.

So, I'm on a renewed mission to stop looking like a slob on weekends, but also not look like a teenager, & that means I need a few things. Not a lot of stuff, just a few tops-that-aren't-T-shirts-but-aren't-dull. Because I can always wear leggings or the cute black jeans I stocked up on already. Plus, I wanted to do so on a budget -- can't go crazy given the attempt to not buy stuff in the first place.

Luckily, my faves Newport News & Target both had some deals. I found two white & black knit tops (pictured here) with a little romanti-goth flair in the clearance section of Newport News' site. These should go well with black jeans, maybe a cardigan (could be dressed up for work too).

Target had quite a few little knit dresses (similar to the black one I already have), so I got one in red. Good for layering with black, 'natch. Also picked up a black cotton tunic that should be spiffy with a belt & leggings &/or a skirt.

At the mall, I found a few more basics at Old Navy (one can never have enough black tees & camis), plus a couple scarves that could work for casual or work. New York & Co. had a few more solid-colored knit tops & these have froofy embellishments (buy one, get the other 50% off), so that's something less-than-boring.

But Express was where I got the gem -- this black & white stripey tee, which seems so simple, but is really an ideal CasualGoth look. On petite moi, it's rather long, almost a tunic, which instead of being a design flaw, makes it more flexible. I immediately wore it layered over a cami & with jeans, but I could see wearing it with leggings & belt & a maybe even a cardigan too.

And then I went kinda nuts on accessories. Perhaps it's because I've been catching up on the first few episodes of the latest "Ru-Paul's Drag Race" -- I bought a bunch of giant cocktail rings & flashy bib necklaces & flower hair pins. Plus a wide black corset belt. My inner diva is happy.

Got any casualwear style tips to share? What do you wear on the weekends?

What I Wear Every Day

There are some things I don't even mention in my "what I'm wearing" lists. But I wear them almost every single day. Fashion mags might call these my signature pieces. I just call them my daily stuff. Figured it was time to chronicle them (since I'm working from home today & wearing PJs)...

Rings, right hand:
Silver & amethyst engagement ring from The Great Frog on Carnaby St. in London, U.K. (my husband has a matching ring, larger size, of course!).

Silver & onyx moon ring from a store in Salem, Massachusetts.

Silver Celtic openwork band, not sure where I got it, maybe a vendor at an SF/F convention.

Rings, left hand:
Gold & white gold with diamond chips wedding band from Shane Co. (my husband's band isn't exactly the same, but very similar).

The ring on my first finger can vary. It used to always be the Arwen butterfly ring by the Noble Company (which my darling hubbi gave me for xmas one year), but the center stone is missing & I've yet to replace it. So sometimes, I wear a giant black glass cocktail ring from a random accessory store (my fave. jewelry shop, as you may have noticed!), or I wear a silver & garnet ring I bought in Jaipur, India.

Earrings, right upper hole:
Pewter peace sign stud from some vendor on Telegraph Ave., Berkeley.

Earrings, two left upper holes:
Black & white yin-yang studs from some vendor on Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. (Have I mentioned how I was raised by hippies? I also graduated from U.C. Berkeley & spent a lot of time hanging out on Telegraph Ave. in my college days).

Left wrist:
Black leather studded bracelet, the current incarnation is probably from Hot Topic. I've been wearing a bracelet like this since I was 16. The original was a cockring that I nabbed from my gay boyfriend's bedroom (I was his beard because he had super-religious parents). Which lead to an explanation of what it was used for. Those were the days!

Right wrist:
I have a bunch of different watches, from sporty to dressy, but I stopped wearing them this year when I realized I am surrounded by clocks at work. My computer, my desk phone, clocks in every conference room, even my iPhone -- I don't need to wear a wristwatch at the office.

But I do wear a watch when I'm out & about or traveling. Basically, any time I'm taking public transit because fishing around in my purse for my phone when I need to catch a bus is too much trouble.

Other:
Then there are my glasses, which I *must* wear every single day or I'll bump into things! I have horrible astigmatism & have had no luck with contact lenses. I keep trying them every few years to see if the technology is better, but it's not. I need to get my prescription updated in January, & I hopehopehope that these black cat-eye frames are still in stock or they can reuse my old frames. I really love them & have had them for about 5 years now. I do not like the squared frames that are currently available.

Your turn:
Are there any accessories you wear every single day? Do you have a signature piece?

Planning for an Elegant Afternoon

Working from home, as usual on Fridays. But I felt like playing around with Polyvore to plan an outfit for the future.

I have this black cotton dress from ModCloth & the printed cardigan from Chadwicks (which I wore at Thanksgiving, but haven't worn to work). While I don't have shoes quite so awesome as those by Irregular Choice, I have a variety of pumps to choose from. And I have jewelry similar to that shown (again, not as awesome -- or as expensive -- as the Betsy Johnson).

And I'm going to Dickens Fair tomorrow, so I'm in a old-fashioned frame of mind. I don't wear Victorian garb to work, but a little prim & proper retro feel is perfectly fine.

Elegant Afternoon by Trystan featuring a black dress

Black Cotton Dress | ModCloth.com, $100
Printed Cardigan Sweetberry Jewel | chadwicks.com, $30
Poetice Licence Backlash, $98
Betsey Johnson - Betsey Vampire Rose Necklace (Black/Rose Pink), $111
Multi-Size Gem Drop Earrings, $5.80

About Corporate & Gothic & Appropriate Dressing

Working from home the rest of this short, holiday week -- no more outfits, so just bloggy blather from me! You've been warned...

Recently, Mina at Sweetly Caustic said: "Where you work matters more than your subculture." Which is so true! And it's not just about what you "have to" wear at at work, it's about how you're perceived at work.

Many Silicon Valley tech companies (like where I work) are casual & don't have stated or perceived dress codes. But if you're giving a presentation or in an important meeting, you want to dress to impress, not distract.

That's why I like to combine corporate with gothic. I feel this mix gives me a professional edge. Sure, I could wear bustle skirts to the office, but I'd have to work harder to be seen for my talents (OK, & those skirts would get caught in the rolling desk chair, which already happens if I wear a long skirt at all ;-). Being more subtle about my style shows I'm creative but not unapproachable, which fits well for a writer & editor who has to interact with a wide range of people inside the company.

Reminds me of a post going around the fashion blogosphere recently on appropriate attire by Freeda. I can't agree more with what she said! The art of dressing appropriate to the occasion seems to be a bit lost today, & people will show up at weddings in skimpy clubwear or funerals in T-shirts. Wrongity wrong wrong.

What's just as bad is the Left Coast casual trend, where people think jeans are appropriate for any occasion. No, they are not. You should not wear jeans to the opera (sorry, Steve Jobs, as much as I adore your products, you can afford a tux).

While my company specifically tells interviewees to dress casual -- a suit here would be outlandish -- there is such a thing as too casual for the office. I'm not a fan of shorts & flip-flops at work unless you are employed on the set of "Baywatch." Micro-minis only belong in job settings that serve cocktails, especially in Las Vegas. Yet I've seen both at my office. *sigh*

We once interviewed a woman who wore jeans & a tight knit top which struggled mightily to contain her rather voluminous chest. All of the interview panel were female, & while we were uncomfortable discussing the topic of the candidate's clothes, we eventually did mention it. Frankly, her style was distracting, & we were concerned that it didn't show attention to detail -- a quality crucial to a copy-editor. By the end of the interview process, her editing skills showed to be lacking compared to other candidates, which seemed to back up our first impressions. It comes back to how you're perceived -- you don't want your choice of clothing to plant seeds of doubt in people's minds at an event as important as a job interview.

Clothes make a statement. That's why we should think before we dress.

Going Public

Well, after a week's worth of outfits, I guess it's time to tell people this blog exists. I'm still not satisfied with the quality of my photos, just gotta keep working on that. But I've managed to fit *taking* them into my workaday schedule, which is impressive. Let's hope I can keep that up!

Here's to another week & more...

On Brands & Labels

'Nother work-from-home day, so no outfit (wearing bat-print leggings & a black T, aka PJs ;-). Thus, some rambling thots...

My wardrobe contains a lot of pretty mainstream labels & less pricey ones at that. Target, Old Navy, & thrift stores figure prominently into my shopping patterns. The Gap is one of the more expensive places I shop, & then it's primarily for pants because, wow, they fit my curvy shortness. I occasionally buy expensive shoes -- & I tend to love the hell out of them -- but even so, a lot of my shoes are from DSW-type sales racks or from swaps with friends.

The one thing that I really don't have much are clothes from typically gothic brands. Partly, this is because I don't dress wildly over-the-top on a regular basis. But more often, this is because I'm not thrilled with the quality & fit of labels like Lip Service or Tripp. If I spend $30 on a blazer from Target, I won't cry if it falls apart in a year (tho' they tend not to). But the goth brands tend to sell a jacket for $60, of a quality that is likely to fall apart in a year. Not great.

I'll pay more for well-constructed pieces. I've sewn clothing since I was a kid, so I understand how things are made & how different materials wear & last. But I like to pick my battles -- not every single garment or accessory needs to be top-notch. Structured, tailored items can look crappy if they're made poorly or of cheap materials, so those are worth a few more bucks. Less fitted garments & stretchy clothes don't show their own flaws (or yours) quite as dramatically.

I don't pay much for summer sandals & plan to replace them every year or two. An occasional pair of ridiculous heels should be cheap because I won't wear them often or for very long. Boots are always worth shelling out money for in my book.

Your mileage may vary, of course.