A deficiency in the genes

[jaunthie]

In many ways, I am quite typical for someone of my age, my gender, and my ethnic and sociological background. I like flowers (as the recent pictures of my garden attest). I enjoy cooking. I have a fairly noticable domestic streak.

In many other ways, I am quite typical for someone of my profession. I enjoy shiny new technological toys, for the most part. I don't have much trouble figuring them out. I play the occasional video game/role-playing game/board game. I speak geek. I *am* a geek.

Where worlds collide?

SHOPPING. Specifically, shopping for clothes. Or shoes. Or, merciful powers defend me, accessories.

I hate it. I hate it with a passion almost equalled by my hatred of being photographed. Whatever shopping gene is out there, I don't have it, at least not when it comes to shopping for clothes for me. (Helping other people shop, that I can do.)

In this way, I am much more of a geek than a girl. And yes, I know many stylish girl-geeks who are cute, snappy dressers and thoroughly comfortable in their geekdom. Me? I regularly thank heavens that I have chosen a profession and have a job at a company where it is not only acceptable but *expected* that you show up for work in nice jeans, t-shirts or sweaters, and comfortable shoes. (Or even rattier clothes, particularly if you're a guy and a programmer, but that's another story.) Don't get me wrong - I've strung network cable under desks wearing high heels and skirts when the dress code required it, I can manage - but I'm much, MUCH happier in my nice, casual, comfortable clothes.

There isn't any rule against dressing up more, at least not on the books. But there are certainly unwritten rules around what you wear, and coming to work wearing something noticably more dressy than the usual will raise eyebrows at best and start suspicions at worst. (One exception to this is if you show up *really* dressy, like going-to-the-opera dressy. Then everyone just assumes that you're going out to a show after work. Or it's Halloween.)

It's not that I don't like looking nice. I just don't happen to like how I look in most clothes. And I actively dislike being uncomfortable. Add to that my bad knee, my pronation issues, and less-than-stellar balance, and you have active disincentives to wear anything that might require less-than-sturdy heels.

And I know that I'm not a great chooser of what looks good outside of my usual shopping range, which just adds to the problem. Easier by far to stay in my comfort zone.

But that, combined with my ongoing attempts at weight loss, means that the dressier side of my wardrobe is pretty scant right now. And that's a problem when you have upcoming events that will require interactions with customers, particularly from other parts of the country where things aren't as casual as they are here.

Enter my stellar sister, TheMajor. Who is a fantastically stylish dresser, and a 20th-level shopper with a +15 to color combinations and a +7 to finding just what you need. And who made time to go shopping with me last night, despite her insanely busy schedule and the fact that she's flying out this morning.

It was...surprisingly fun, actually. Not nearly as painful as shopping usually is for me. And I wound up with some very nice clothes. I even bought a new pair of shoes. I might even think about expanding my regular-work wardrobe.

Thanks, sis. You rock. Love you bunches!

Comments

[ceekayeff.livejournal.com]

Happy that the mission was accomplished and you had a good time. I would love to see your new acquisitions. One of these days your sister needs to rescue me from my black and white wardrobe. It works well for all of our traveling but some splashes of color would be welcome.