As of late, I have been fighting the urge towards casual.
It's a sort of laziness that steals over me at this time of year when the nice, warm summer weather is replaced by the cold, dark and damp winter. I want to hibernate...and since that is not possible, I want comfort. Comfort clothes are my little refuge against the weather.
Does this sound familiar to you? Maybe it's because you're overtired, or maybe it's because you've been sick. Maybe you are like me, and the change of seasons brings out this urge.
Now, when I say casual, I'm not talking about sweats and a hoodie. I mean that my low-heeled boots appeal more than my dressy boots with the heel height. My knits appeal to me more than blouses. Trousers appeal more than skirts. I'll let my hair air-dry and I'll leave the house sans accessories or makeup. Or I may choose to wear a weekend outfit during the week. Little things.
Because of how I've designed my wardrobe, there is not a huge image disparity between the casual end of my wardrobe and my day-to-day clothing ...so these periodic casual leanings do not completely undo the careful work that I've put into my overall image. In other words, I can occasionally relax and give in to this urge to go casual.
For a little time, that is, until my sartorial self rallies. And it always does!
How about you...do you fight the urge to go casual?
See you next time...same blog time...same blog channel...
(For more information on wardrobe planning, please visit my wardrobe planning website.)
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20 comments:
Hi Jen, I am all for the casual look. Thanks for your post.
I love to go casual. Any chance I get to go casual, I do so.
Darryl Pace
I love Jeans and sneakers. The tops and shoes are the considerations for the occasion.
Casual.. Smart Casual.
The best way to go
Great Post Jen
Keep it up
Now I know why I chose to wear jeans to work the last couple of days!
I don't own a tie so I am always casual.
I even wear
Vibrams
to the law office some days because shoes are so bad for your body.
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My Links didn't work so here is what a
Vibram
is
In the business world even in Australia, there's a tendency to go casual a few years ago.
John McGrath, a successful real estate agent in Sydney, Australia has gone casual few years ago.
i like casual
kevin
www.kevinhogan.com/blog
Hi , Jenn
Great post
Happy Trails
Matthew Shields
Hotel Resort Energy Management?
Anything Solar
I work in an extremely casual office - the president wears flip-flops. Plus I work from home a lot. Plus I live on the West Coast. This all adds up to me having a wardrobe that is 95% casual. I have one pair of dress pants and the rest are jeans. It works for me! I spend way less money and I'm always comfortable.
I, too, get those urges to be comfortable and more casual as the weather gets cooler -- and I agree with you that "comfortable" and "casual" should not be synonymous with "sloppy". Bravo for you for keeping proper decorum - too bad the rest of society does not follow suit (no pun intended).
I appreciate your website and look forward to future posts.
most of the time I wear casual.But of course there are occasions we have to look 100%.
Improving Communication in Business and Personal Life
body language blog
One of the main reasons I want out of the hamster wheel is to go casual... in a bank... not so easy...
Great post!
Cindy
Cindy Eyanson Online
I don't know what image most people get from casual...but casual doesn't mean sloppy to me. It means well dressed...but comfortable.
Intuitive John
I am such a big fan of hoodies... I have a ton of them.
David J. Parnell | Communication Expert
The Communication Expert Blog
Casual is a very good thing. I work in the financial services industry in a suit and tie is the norm. That sucks. I guess I'm still a farm boy at heart. Thanks for the great post keep up the good work.
Scott
The Road Warrior Travel Insurance
I can see I'm not alone in my quiet affair with casual! Thanks for weighing in, everyone...and welcome to anonymous 1 and anonymous 2! :-)
Jennifer
Do I fight the urge to go casual?
No, not really...but that's because (since I found your blog and started applying your wardrobe planning advice!) I consciously differentiate between my "casual" and "work" clothing. I ask "Is it part of my work wardrobe?" and if the answer is "no" then I just won't wear it to work.
My (loose) definition of "casual" is clothing what I would wear to go grocery shopping/do errands, or to pick up chicken feed, or go on a field trip to the apple orchard with my daughter's preschool class, etc. I try to look pulled together ("Something I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in by an ex-boyfriend" is sort of my standard), but practical - clothes that I can move around in comfortably, that can be laundered if I get smeared with jam or fingerpaint during the day, that can be layered to go from 20 degree weather outdoors to 70+ degree indoor temps. Taking the time to chart out my casual outfits (including jewelry, shoes, other accessories, under- and outerwear) makes it easy for me to avoid reaching for my sweats and hoodie by default (hey, those are in my "Rags/Housecleaning" capsule, anyway!). I don't *have* to think about it anymore - I just go by my handy little chart. :-)
My newly-defined "work" wardrobe is not tremendously different from my "casual" one, really. I work part-time for a nonprofit and rarely interact with other staff or the public, so I'm not dressing to get ahead or otherwise impress anyone. If anything, I try to avoid being *overdressed* at work. (Occasionally my job involves providing families with emergency food boxes from our food pantry - try doing that while wearing a $200 pair of shoes, or expensive jewelry. Not fun.) Most of the variation from my casual wardrobe is in the shoes (heels instead of flats) and bottoms (I rarely wear skirts except to work or church) and the addition of jacket-like layers (like cardigans and wraps) because our office is always so cold.
pink fleece tops
blue jeans
CUTE high heels
always FEMMY shoes!
All the best,
April Braswell
Online Dating Expert, Romantic Relationship Coach, Romance Coaching
Online Dating Sites Review, Internet Dating Sites Guide
ChristineB-
"Something I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in by an ex-boyfriend" is always a great standard to go by. :-)
It sounds like you've got your work/casual wardrobes balanced very well!
Jennifer
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