Take *that* office dress code!

Cardigan: Target; Shirt: Gap;
Pants: Express; Flips Flops: J Crew;
Necklace: gift, cleaned!; Bracelets: Target

One of the obvious perks of working from home is the ability to wear whatever I feel like. When I was in an office, I sometimes skirted the rules of office appropriate attire, but only to the side of too casual, never too revealing (my commuter shoes often hung around after the commute was complete). This outfit is a prime example of something I could never have worn to the office, the shirt in particular. Technically capris are also a no-no, although since our manager likes dressy capris, that gets partially overlooked. These pants however, are just asking for it. Flip flops- the commuter shoes of choice for DC summer, are of course a no-no as well.

Remember when Gap was selling these shirts? Everyone under the sun bought like 5 of them. I also had a white one, but it is long gone. 80s turquoise is all that remains. I think the front is a bit revealing when there is not a pile of hair or a cardigan in the way, though nothing extreme. This bigger issue with dress code adherence is the back.

Sure when my hair is down and laying all the way back perfectly, it is an appropriate cover, but hair is not a reliable modesty layer, and I don't want to be chained to a cardigan in summer when sleeves are already involved. Personally, I feel more exposed showing off skin on my back versus my chest- I guess because showing some skin on the chest is just more common (at least in my wardrobe).

Then there is the other matter. Technically, tattoos are not to be seen according to the office dress code. Lots of people feel free to show their tattoos at work anyway (dress code enforcement is not high at my office), but I think the combination of more revealing than normal clothing + tattoos that normally would not be on display is just a bit much to overlook in the conservative corporate culture I work in. Or did. Because quite frankly I could be nekkid these days and no one would know! Regardless, I personally find this top pushes my comfort zone on the basis of quantity of skin shown regardless of what else might be put on display and preferred to keep this a weekend shirt.

Tattoos are interesting- really they tell you absolutely nothing about the person. They don't make you tougher or deeper, they don't mean you ran with a bad crowd when you were younger. Yet people are always surprised when they see what I have. My wedding dress was strapless, so the ink along the top of my back was on full display, and when my manager saw the pictures I got the usual 'I had no idea you had so many!', said with a shocked gasp. Was she surprised they did not interfere with my ability to calculate stats? That somehow the ink should have seeped into my brain blocking my ability to understand detailed business concepts? The implication was clear: societal norms dictate that a person in my position was not supposed to have more than one, maybe two, and they should be small. I have 3 large flowers and 6 butterflies on the top of my back, in addition to two other tattoos elsewhere. I was always a 'good kid' and am now your basic yuppy. I have a degree in math not art, and I like to scrapbook. The sad fact is that so many people in society think these things cannot go together, when in fact they often do. None of us are one dimensional, yet society as a unit seems to think everyone should be.

I'm generally a modest dresser, but on the rare occasion my tattoos do see the light of day, I think it's good for people to see them, especially people who already know me in another context. It's important for people to understand that while my tattoos may be special to *me*, they essentially mean nothing to the outside world. They do not alter a persons' behavior or relay any meaningful information about personality, intelligence, or probability that the person was just up to no good in their youth.

Well, that turned out much longer than anticipated. For another diatribe, ask me about hair color! I've had lots! Shockingly, I still managed to get a college degree and not be a crackhead despite my penchant for Manic Panic.

I leave you with something less serious: look at my pretty bracelets! I got them at Target and am quite pleased. They are a basic jewelry item I've wanted for awhile but I never saw ones for sale I really liked.