Thursday, March 22, 2012

Sad fashion confession and a visit to the Qwillery

Yesterday, while typing away at my WIP, I heard the sound of the mailman down at the building entrance and realized I'd forgotten to send my insurance payment, which is egregiously late! I scribbled a check, all the codes, slapped on a stamp, and burst out, running down the sidewalk after him in my slippers and office clothes to give it to him.

Pictured: the sweater I wore to chase/scare
the mailman. 

And then walking back to the condo, past people waiting for the bus etc. I realized: OMG WTF am I wearing? 

The answer: rags.

I bring you exhibit A: my favorite sweater of 2008. Somewhere in my clothes-challenged mind, I still think of it the day I got it from Kohls, new. So pretty. I would also direct your attention to my generously vented favorite office pants. I do love them. The fabric is just too thin even to patch. I have two other similar pairs. It is kind of crazy, what I wear every day. The degree of decrepitude. 

Working at home is such a strange luxury. Because, it IS this luxury, but the people doing it typically wear the most un-luxurious outfits.  

These pants: holes front and back, and a sad
mixture of clownish yet obscene. And I am
wearing them as I type.
I remember when I worked at an advertising agency--it was always SO hard for me to cobble together a nice looking outfit every day, and ad agencies are way more casual than normal businesses, but still. When I was at my most uptight agency in terms of clothes, I remember this hotshot freelance copywriter came in for a meeting wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, and it was this sign of prestige that he didn't have to wear something nice. I was so impressed by that. 

Now I'm the freelancer going in for meetings, (though honestly, women freelancers have to dress a little nicer). Anyway, I wear my nice clothes from 2005. Mostly, though, I have meetings virtually, which I wildly prefer. Because I don't have to think about the clothes thing. 

Though, the crazy outfit I wore to chase the postman was definitely pushing it! And, I am not even going to start on my jogging clothes. 

The other day I was going to go to the grocery store and I put on jeans and a normal shirt, just enough to get myself presentable in normal society, and I was grumbling to myself that one good thing about winter is that I can throw a coat over my ragamuffin outfit to go to the store, but when it's hot, I actually have to change--I cannot cover my pov-looking self with a giant coat. @#$@#!

Anyway, my husband looks at me surprised and goes, you look really nice! And I realized he always says that when I have any clothes on that aren't rags. It made me feel a little bit bad because, okay, it's not the 1960's, I don't have to look like Betty Draper every day, but surely I can make an effort to not wear rags! 

I should probably retire some of my clothes. Maybe I will...maybe I won't. I do love the blue sweater. It is cozy on cool mornings. I don't know. 

Over at the Qwillery!
Okay, hey! I'm over at the illustrious Qwillery today! We did a fun little interview--short but substantive, talking about books and writing, and what I find most challenging about the author life (clearly not the clothes!) and we're giving away a Devil's Luck ebook! 



10 comments:

Jeffe Kennedy said...

Heh - I get that from mine, too. Anytime I'm not completely shleppy, I get the pleased "You look really nice!" He made me throw away my old writing dress, though, pointing out that the holes in it were getting a bit obscene.

Picky picky picky

Carolyn Crane said...

Grin. Two cheers for obscene writing dresses! I have one I pull out in the hottest heat of summer.

Laramie Sasseville said...

I've been wearing my favorite sweaters to rags, too. And despair of ever finding anything that can replace them - at least in public.

Debi Murray said...

Carolyn, I would never have enough nerve to post pics of what I call home office casual...I usually am in pajamas...not cute pajamas you wear to entice you hubby into salacious behavior, but outfits cobbled from items too shabby to wear in public, with a robe thrown on over it.. When I have to answer the door to collect packages...I just say I am sick. My mailperson must think I am Typhoid Mary or due to die at any minute!

Buahahaha!

Carolyn Crane said...

Laramie - yes, and the rag evolution seems to happen overnight, doesn't it?

Debi: I think we need a post-your-ragamuffin-office clothes day!

Liz said...

Sweatpants that are 4 sizes too big? Check. Loose, no longer quite white hanes t-shirts? Check. Giant socks and slide sandals? Triple check. These things were ok as a college student going to an early class. Why not now? Stupid society.

Penny Watson said...

Oh My God! My kids and hubby have been begging me to chuck my favorite black sweater (it looks like your sweater--in black). It has holes everywhere and is disintegrating, but I wear it every day...to bed, when I'm working, when I'm exercising. It's like my Linus Blankie. I can't get rid of it.

I like your pants. :^)

Carolyn Crane said...

Wooly: ;)

Liz: YES! The slide on sandals with socks. Triple check in aisle shlumpy! lol.

Penny: why thank you on the pants. And I am delighted you have the cousin to my sweater.

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Lee @shewolfreads said...

I can't stop laughing at this. I've been working from home for the past year and my clothes have all turned into sweatpants, yoga pants, sweaters and sweatshirts. I just started back at my office for a few days a week and I have no idea WTF I am going to wear!