I lived the corporate office life for fifteen years. Though I work for a company that is very liberal in their definition of corporate casual, I still had to get up every morning and look presentable. For years on my birthday my mother would buy me traditional business suits. When I tried to explain that I did not need to get that dressed up for work it fell on deaf ears. She would always respond, “You might have a meeting or something.”
Now I work in a home office. Though I try real hard to not to “go to work” in my pjs, I always have the option. My office uniform is usually jeans. There are days that I see no one but my family and the pets.
So no matter how infrequently it happens when I go out for lunch or dinner with a friend or some other social gathering, I dress-up. I do not pull out those old business suits or an evening gown. But I do wear some of those corporate casual clothes that are gathering dust in the back of the closet. There are even times when I will wear make-up and accessorize with my good jewelry. My husband always laughs and says something like, “Where are you going all dressed up, are you having an affair?” He is completely joking but never the less he does not understand why I do this. I have no really good answer. I know that it makes me feel nice. Lately I have noticed when I go places and see women dressed in their business attire I wonder about their jobs. Somehow in my imagination their appearance glorifies the necessity for corporate clothes.
My children have become so accustom to me dressing the way I do now that they will often remark when I look a bit more spiffy. They were young when I dressed in corporate wear. They have no memory of how many blazers and blouses they spit up on, spilled on or just plain destroyed.
I was headed out the other day for one of those social gatherings. I was in no way dressed to the nines but I was definitely more polished. My daughter looks at me and says “Mom, what is all that stuff on your face, are you wearing make-up?” I smiled and said yes. Then her follow-up question sounded just like something her father would say. “Why are you all dressed up, where are you going?” This time my response was simple. “Mommy is playing dress up, dear.” She looked at me with this perplexed expression. I felt at this time it needed no further explanation.
I have no desire to go back to an office setting, especially if I had to “dress” each day. For now I am happy getting the chance to play dress up in my own closet.
