dress for the day: a hard workin’ wardrobe

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welcome to wednesday, where we let our friends remind us that, even after a weekend spent moving, you still have to get dressed for the day. bailing me out of my post-cross-country-move stupor is the lovely, the brilliant, the champion of stick figure humor, the blah blah blahger herself, my friend jen.

Abby tells us to:

dress for the day you want to have, not the one that’s trying to have you.

And that’s great advice, especially for a girl like me who puts a lot of pressure on her wardrobe to communicate many things to many people.

Before I get any further, let me introduce myself! My name is JJ and I’m known as the Blah Blah Blahger .

When I’m not gallivanting around the internet, telling stories and being silly, I actually have a pretty intense job as the director of public affairs for a large land developer. Commercial real estate is a heavily male-dominated field and I often am the sole woman in a sea of men (not that it’s always a bad thing – HELLO, DID I MENTION I’M STILL SINGLE?! ).

As my career has grown, my responsibilities and interactions with our senior management team have taught me a few things:

I’ve got a young face and I’m a newer executive, so my experience is often questioned; therefore

I want to be viewed as a tough, intelligent contributor and one of the guys BUT still seen as feminine; and

guys can totally re-wear their suits all week long, but women get the shaft when it comes to professional wardrobes.

I love a good pants suit (especially during the winter when I don’t shave my legs very much!) . I feel in control and empowered when I’m dealing with the dudes. But then I put on a dress, some tights and heels and remember I gain a different kind of power from my femininity (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, get yourself a hot dress, throw on some heels and strut around your house for a while) .

For a while there, I was making myself choose one or the other, but then I realized that girly accessories and a feminine blouse or shell under a pants suit gives me the best of both worlds.

Yesterday, I attended two meetings, one of which was a big awards luncheon. As one of maybe 10 women, I felt perfectly confident and still pretty.

I wore dangle pearl earrings and a double strand of long pearls. The top I wore was a pinky neutral, embellished with black lace. My suit was a black wool blend from Banana Republic (my favorite). I carried a leopard print handbag and wore quilted and patent leather flats. I didn’t need heels or a dress or skirt to feel womanly and I put off an image that I was confident and successful. When I look at these photos, I am pretty pleased and think I chose well.

[Note from Abby: I concur!]

My wardrobe is a work in progress, just as I am. I’m constantly learning what kind of image I want to project and how to use clothes to do that better. Dressing for the day I want to have means I am pulled together and professional, but still feminine and girly. Some days I nail it, and others I miss the mark.

What do you want your wardrobe to say about you? How would you convey professional, yet feminine??? Help a sister out!

if you’re into buttons, feel free to grab this one, and link up a post or a photo that tells your story below. feel free to link up anytime during the week, and look for a new dress for the day story each wednesday . even if you don’t link up – join me throughout the week on twinstagram (twitter +instagram) by using this hashtag:

Daenel T says: January 23, 2013 at 6:55 am I hear you, I’m a supervisor at a University library and sometimes it’s hard to strike a balance between authoritarian and trendy. I already have a quirky style so…. But I do like the blend of feminine and masculine, very nice. Reply the Blah Blah Blahger says: January 23, 2013 at 1:20 pm EXACTLY! Authoritarian is important, but trendy is so fun. It’s a hard balance, for sure! Reply

I hear you, I’m a supervisor at a University library and sometimes it’s hard to strike a balance between authoritarian and trendy. I already have a quirky style so…. But I do like the blend of feminine and masculine, very nice.

the Blah Blah Blahger says: January 23, 2013 at 1:20 pm EXACTLY! Authoritarian is important, but trendy is so fun. It’s a hard balance, for sure! Reply

EXACTLY! Authoritarian is important, but trendy is so fun. It’s a hard balance, for sure!

Dawnelle Sarlo says: January 23, 2013 at 8:16 am Oh I like it!! Professional dress is always super super hard for me… this is fabulous advice though! Thank you!! Reply

Oh I like it!! Professional dress is always super super hard for me… this is fabulous advice though! Thank you!!

Sarah Bessey (@sarahbessey) says: January 23, 2013 at 1:30 pm You look GAH-GEOUS. I had a similar problem in my twenties – I was an exec but way younger than every one and so wore Ann Taylor pantsuits to compensate. *shudder* Reply

You look GAH-GEOUS. I had a similar problem in my twenties – I was an exec but way younger than every one and so wore Ann Taylor pantsuits to compensate. *shudder*

Arianne says: January 23, 2013 at 1:53 pm Your confidence always inspires me SO MUCH. You have no idea. And you encourage women to be so secure in their own sense of identity – that is HUGE. Love you, and I want that top! So proud of the leopard inclusion, too. #leopardprintFTW Reply

Your confidence always inspires me SO MUCH. You have no idea. And you encourage women to be so secure in their own sense of identity – that is HUGE. Love you, and I want that top! So proud of the leopard inclusion, too. #leopardprintFTW

hopefulleigh says: January 23, 2013 at 2:17 pm I am in love with the shirt you’re wearing!! So pretty yet fierce. Just like you. :) Lord, have mercy, do I ever understand the challenge of dressing professionally when you have a youthful face. It’s a relief not to deal with that right now. Suits were too formal for the hospital I worked at but I tried to wear dress pants and a nice shirt most days. I wore khakis when I knew I’d be interacting more with the kiddos in clinic. Most days I had to trust people would see my badge and get over any preconceived notions after talking to me for 5 minutes. Reply

I am in love with the shirt you’re wearing!! So pretty yet fierce. Just like you. :)

Lord, have mercy, do I ever understand the challenge of dressing professionally when you have a youthful face. It’s a relief not to deal with that right now. Suits were too formal for the hospital I worked at but I tried to wear dress pants and a nice shirt most days. I wore khakis when I knew I’d be interacting more with the kiddos in clinic. Most days I had to trust people would see my badge and get over any preconceived notions after talking to me for 5 minutes.

Amber C Haines says: January 23, 2013 at 2:30 pm This makes me so happy!!! A million times happy. Work it, JJ. Work it. Reply Abby says: January 23, 2013 at 2:48 pm i almost titled this “JJ works it” ha! Reply

This makes me so happy!!! A million times happy. Work it, JJ. Work it.

Abby says: January 23, 2013 at 2:48 pm i almost titled this “JJ works it” ha! Reply

i almost titled this “JJ works it” ha!

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