Hello!

My office first job was a customer service clerk at SAFECO Insurance. It was waaaaaaay back in the days when men were only allowed to white shirts and bells rang at break times. Heck. They weren’t even allowed to have facial hair.

And I came in as a temporary without a clue what to wear since I didn’t know how to dress for the office. Looking around at what the other women wore? Pants suits and business professional outfits that made them look sharp except it erased their femininity. So? I rebelled by going to Ross Dress for Less to get unlined floral dresses for $10 or less. Yes. This was waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day when that was a fair amount of money. Yes. I’m confident that wearing those dresses “cemented” me in the role of an underlying instead of a decision maker.

BUT BUT BUT I’m not a man. I also don’t need to dress like one. AND? I have no desire to look like one. If other women want to dress in what would be considered more masculine styles? Go on with yourselves!! I’m only speaking for me and my style. Yes. It included unlined floral dresses for a very long time: They’re professional enough looking and easy to wear; Throw it over your head! BOOM! You’re dressed. Yeah, baby!!

And I held onto those dresses for a very long time. They were how I faced the world. Cuz the other part about business professional clothes? I felt they make people look like interchangeable drones. Nothing personal again – I feel like they also strip people of their individuality. And an unlined floral dress? It had color and design – definitely not drone material. No. I’m not one to conform.

Yes. My ex-husband Richard wanted us to have matching Halloween costumes and cosplay costumes for ComicCon. I almost always resisted except once when we had Simpsons T-shirts that we had gotten at Universal Studios Theme Park. My family also likes to match at times. I buckled this Christmas to wearing matching Christmas pajamas AFTER LOUDLY PROTESTING. My mom also threatened to punch me in the head and strangle me if I didn’t wear them. THIS IS IN JEST. Besides? She could never take me. Bahaha!!

See… Cuz I can remember all the times in grade school where my teachers did what they could to try to strip me of what made me my own person to get me to “conform.” Heck. This was even getting me to write with a “right handed slant” to writing since I’m left handed. Dude! I’m serious.

Now that things like unlined floral dresses have gained more mainstream appeal? They no longer interest me. On a different and more practical note? Many don’t have much in the way of waistbands. This made it easier to sneak in those extra pieces of cake.

Yet another note? My dad took a minute to learn how to dress professionally too. A thing about him is that he’s a higher achiever and a trained civil engineer. But he his earlier forays into fashion including his hair before he started to shave his head? A little more rough…

Mom’s words? If you dress like a pig farmer, you’ll be treated like a pig farmer. HARSH for sure. And something that I recognize about my unlined floral dresses? They draw so much attention that I get lost to their “noise.” More important? I no longer need them to differentiate me from the crowd. Dude. I simply do that when I open my mouth. And this is? Far more supportive of me cuz its integrated rather than performative.

Yeah, baby!!

Have a glamorous day for fun!!

• Uncategorized