Properly dressed?

At Hederlige Harrys I talked with a girl who asked me if I dressed like this on a daily basis. I said that I dress more or less “vintagy” every day and mentioned that I had worn this particular outfit at work that very day. She asked “But what do your workmates say?” I felt a bit puzzled- why would my workmates say anything and then it got me thinking on how “normal” I see myself. I don’t think my clothes stand out, if anything I feel I dressed rather modestly and unflashy. I don’t always dress myself in full regalia vintage-wise, but I always wear skirts and at least moderate heels, I fix my hair and even if I don’t wear much makeup a normal workday, I do usually wear red lipstick. And of course that does stand out, especially at a workplace like mine where people either wear uniforms or dress very casually.

The outfit in question. Usually, though, I don't wear suits at work.


When I went to art school in my late teens it was very easy to see where you belonged. The girls in art classes died their hair red, wore a lot of tie dyes and long skirts and a lot of dangly jewelry. The girls in music tended to have curly hair in top knots and dresses patterned with flowers. And the girls in drama were easy to spot too- they were the ones who worked hardest to not look like everyone else. Of course, not every girl looked like that, but enough to make these particular looks the norm. A few years later I was standing at a bus station with a friend when a group of people approached and I said to my friend: “Musicians.”. She wondered why I thought that as they weren’t carrying any instruments, but when they come so close that we could hear what they talked about, I was proved right. At first I couldn’t answer my friend to why I had come to my conclusion, but later it dawned on me that all the women in the group had the “right” look.

More typical workwear, usually paired with a cardigan too- my workplace tends to be chilly.




It’s not so odd that people in a more or less closed group start to look alike. Its people you see often and it’s much easier to think something look good if you are exposed to it again and again. I don’t think any of my school mates thought that now that I’m in art/drama/music I need to adapt a certain look, rather they got attuned to it and unconsciously adapted. I certainly died my hair red, though I never fell for tie-dye, but I certainly didn’t do it too “look arty” Of course, my interest in looking the way I do started a long time ago, but my actions these last years have certainly fuelled and influenced my interest. I don’t buy glossy magazines to find clothes inspiration, I read blogs written by people who, like me, like the vintage look. And even if not all of my friends share it, a lot of them do. I’m not a part animal, but when I do go out I go to places like Fraulein Frauke, which inspired me further. I have, by choice, distanced myself from contemporary fashion and as I don’t see much of it, the way I and my friends dress, have become my norm.

I wear a lot of dresses too


What about my workmates then, what do they say? Not much, actually. They are used to me and if they say anything then I get compliments. I have, though it is a couple of years ago now, been told by my boss that I don’t have to dress up like I do, but I think she actually thought that I thought that I had to dress this way. But I do dress casual at work. Casual for me, that is.

Two examples on what I don't wear at work. Far too body-hugging and, in case of teh white blouse, far too low-cut.




What is proper work wear is, naturally, something that varies according to what kind of work it is. Many jobs demands uniforms, for example and if you work out of doors, then skirts and heels are not very practical. A more formal workplace may frown on clothes that are considered to stand out too much, and so on. What are your experiences? Can you wear what you want at work/schopol7with friends? And have you, like I have realized I do, started to see yourself as dressing perfectly normal and nothing to look twice at?