August 8, 2012

The Great Clothing Experiment (and a video)

I'm not going to bore you with what stores we have and what stores we don't have in Alaska.  I wrote that sob story yearrrssss ago.  


Just last night, I placed my second order, in as many weeks, to loft.com.  
Order #1 got me a dress and a skirt.
Order #2 will get me a dress, a sweater, and a shirt.
I was not charged shipping on Order #1, as I complained and they felt bad for me because I live in Alaska (I will use that plight forever.)

That's in addition to the 3 shirts, 2 belts, black skinny pants, and dress I got over the weekend.  
It's not a whole lot (nothing like what I'd get in preparation for teaching in PA), but I'd rather save my money for that vacation we're going on come December.  Or even save it for clothes I reallyreallyreally want later on.  
Or maybe some cowboy boots.

School is starting soon, and that means the gym clothes have to now be reserved for the gym.

Sad, I know.

I'm going to be holding myself accountable this year.  I'm going to wear real clothes, nice clothes, teacher-appropriate clothes to school everyday.  

It'll be a push.  

And it'll take thought. 

And this blog is going to help me. 

I want people to say to me, "Kristin, did you wear the Ugg boots to school today?  Did you?  Because you 
know you're not allowed to do that anymore, right?"

I told my co-worker that if she sees me in Uggs, jeans, and flannel she better ask me if I have a fever.

I need to be held accountable.
This blog has held me accountable for trying new recipes.
Maybe it'll work for keeping me in heels too.

My reasoning:  I was taught to teach (yes, it must be taught) in school districts that employed strict dress codes.  As in, there were urban legends of teachers being fired for wearing jeans.  Jeans were not even allowed to be worn on field trips.  Panty hose, closed-toed shoes, and suits were the standards I was "raised" by. Passing the dress code inspection was as important as your ability to impart knowledge.

Without saying a whole lot about Alaska, it has become evident that I must learn to push myself.  And it's hard.  When it's windy and -20* and it's dark and you just want to crawl into a hole and hibernate...it's really hard.  

This is a giant experiment on my part.

It could all go horribly wrong.

I guess this is just a disclaimer post.  If I start yammering on about what I'm wearing, this is totally why.
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And, because this needs to be shared...
My friend Katharine, a fellow I-survived-PSU-student-teaching alumni, sent me this video.

God bless Will Ferrell.

5 comments:

  1. I want to see all the new clothes you got!! and that video made me laugh - i love him!

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  2. I love your commitment to making an effort to get dressed for work! I find that it's hard to get motivated to look my best when I see the same few people five days a week, but I think looking nice is always a good idea :).

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  3. I'd love to tell you I'll help keep you accountable but the truth is, I dress like a hobo to work :/ If I could get away with wearing jeans to work, I totally would. Lucky you.

    Good luck! And that video totally made my day :)

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  4. Good luck with your new goal and back to work! Are you sure you have to go? ;) Don't mind me, I think I'm just jealous. I spend half the time wanting to have a job and the other half of it, I'm wondering how I'll ever spend that much time away from my own kids.

    Good for you for dressing the part! I had a friend in Fairbanks who had previously worked in a remote village as a teacher. She definitely didn't dress for work- she dressed for 50 below that she was constantly walking in to get to her job. Ugh. No thank you.

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  5. I just now read this post, and I did a fangirl squeal when I saw that I was mentioned in the post! :) For reals! I said, "Awww! Shawn, my friend Kristin mentioned me in her blog!" Men don't get as excited about those things. :)

    I have to admit that I could dress better, and my sisters have sometimes threatened to nominate me for "What Not to Wear," but I find it hard to be motivated to dress well, and I don't even have weather as an excuse. I am just plain cheap. I hate spending money on clothes, but even more, I hate taking the time to try clothes on before buying them. If I had enough money, I think I would pay someone to coordinate my wardrobe for me. But, alas, that will probably never happen. I think I will be going clothes shopping soon. I had told myself I would not buy more clothes until I lost weight, but I need to follow Stacy and Clinton's advice (from "What Not to Wear"): "Dress for the body you have now. Not the body you want." I guarantee, though, as soon as I spend hundreds of dollars on new clothes, THAT'S when the weight will start melting off, and I'll have to buy a whole new wardrobe. Why? Just because that's my luck! Sometimes I swear my life is a joke that everyone else is in on except for me.

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