Aprons and Sneakers

On the train today I observed the commuters and a recurring thought popped up again. I have been thinking, ever since my last job, that the way modern professional women dress is so... boring.  Not just boring, something else I can't define. It just irks me.

I used to complain about the way my coworkers at the school in Berkeley dressed. They were either too grungy, too androgynous, or too hipster for my taste. But once I left that job to work in an office, I immediately missed the variety and diversity of that group. The ladies in my office were beautiful, well-dressed, and generally on-trend, but there was something stuffy about it. At the risk of sounding like a hipster myself, I will say the office ladies were too mainstream. Gasp!

I did my best to dress "professionally," and by and large I think I succeeded, but I don't think I was ever as polished as my coworkers in the office. And frankly, I didn't want to be. My goals were modesty and femininity, not trendiness or classiness. Maybe my six years at the school, working among eclectic artists and musicians, became a part of me that I can't remove. I don't think I'll ever fit in with the professional crowd.

At the school I could wear pretty much anything, as long as I didn't show cleavage or wear Daisy Dukes, neither of which I would do anyway. For all their faults, I was infinitely more comfortable around the school crew. I could be myself around them. I wore my pink jumper dress without a second look from anyone. When I wore skirts without the necessary pockets, I would wear a pretty apron to hold my phone and paper schedule. I couldn't wear either of those at the office.

I just don't dress like most other "normal" women. I've noticed many other blogging homemakers dress counterculturally as well. Basically, like at the school, we at home have the freedom to dress as we please. We can be Cinderella, Queen Victoria, Lizzie Bennet, or Florence Nightingale. We can wear bright colors, pastels, aprons, ruffles, and paisleys no matter the current fashion trends, no matter the season. We can wear funky sneakers with our long skirts, wear our hair in braids and experiment with mixing unusual patterns and colors. We can have fun, be comfortable, and bring some cheer into this drab world, without sacrificing modesty, creativity or femininity.