My job is a fashion show. The office hallways are mini runways, the employees are models, and the bathroom is the staging area. My first day of work, I was handed a dress code and a paper to sign saying that I understood it. I'm sure at real jobs, there is a dress code...but in Hip-Hop?? I had to look around the office to make sure I showed up for the right job!! I did notice on my interview how fancy everyone was, but I thought I was just there on a special day (or maybe it was a special day because I was THERE!). I noticed all the men wore what I have seen everyone wear to work in the past: jeans, a shirt, and some fly sneakers. But the women were all wearing nice pants, heels (shoot me now) and the kind of nice shirts that I get tangled in when I even attempt to try them on. I signed the dress code but it didn't make any sense to me...what are "fashion sneakers" and when it said "clean" how clean do they have to be, I mean, they do go on my feet right???
That night I stared blankly into my closet until yellows and oranges began to blend together, and I could no longer tell the difference between black and navy blue. I realized my $4 shirts from Conway that I rocked at work last year weren't going to cut it, and I had to get pretty creative with the outfits I wore last week. As I said before, I am a sneaker freak and wearing heels to me is like a slow form of torture. Over the weekend, I bought a couple new shirts (I only got tangled up in one while trying them on in the fitting room) and a nice $12 pair of heels from Payless. Once again, this morning I stared into my closet with glazed-donut-eyes, and decided I'd wear one of my new shirts (the one I got tangled in). So I put it on, found a pair of capris, and I actually had a pair of heels in the back of my closet that matched--but I walked to work in my Old Navy flip flops.
I was almost to work when I encountered a typical New York guy:
NY Guy: DAMN baby, you're looking REAL good today!
Me: (awkward "are you talking to me" look) Yea...not for you
NY Guy: mm mm MMM! (stares me down as I walk away)
Usually when I sit at my desk, I realize whatever wack ass outfit I created won't be making the cut in the office fashion show and I swear I'll wear something cute tomorrow (it rarely happens). But today I felt fairly good about my outfit and an hour after being there I walked to the bathroom. As I left the bathroom, I did a quick look over the shoulder to see how I looked from different angles, but I noticed in the mirror behind me that hanging out of the back of my shirt, as if I were a mannequin, is a $17.90 price tag from H&M. I hate to think how many people in Midtown, on the subway, on my walk to work, that guy I encountered on that walk, and in my office, snickered to themselves as I strutted by with my price tag.
I think tomorrow I'll take a chance and wear my Jordans, maybe I'll find out if they're nice enough to be considered fashion sneakers and be in the office fashion show.
Fresh Up Towns!