Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: cranky
  • Music: Legally Blonde, 'Bend and Snap.'

Shopping, phase one.

Kate is attempting to get me ready for New York City. This involves, tragically enough, Dressing Like A Human. Now, my wardrobe consists of three basic modes: 'I own more T-shirts than any single woman ever needs,' 'the zombie apocalypse is coming, and I plan to have front row seating,' and 'Marilyn Munster asks me for fashion tips.' I have been assured that none of these is actually suitable for a New York business setting, even when your business is publishing and the people you're dealing with are used to the fact that they work with authors.

Yesterday's trip was an exercise in the word 'no.' From Kate, I got 'no, you can't wear that, it's synthetic'; 'no, you can't wear that, it has no sleeves'; 'no, you can't wear that, it makes you look like a barge.' From me, we got 'no, I won't wear that'; 'no, I will not wear that either'; 'no, I don't want to wear a jacket'; 'no, I refuse to wear heels when I don't know how much walking I'm going to do.'

It is honestly a miracle that both of us walked away from yesterday alive.

(This makes it sound much more unpleasant than it was. Kate is very patient with my ignorance of many aspects of living like a grownup, and I'm generally willing to take correction, as long as the rules make sense. The issue here is that the rules of the fashion world don't make sense, and there are a whole lot of them. I swear, I'm just going to wind up wearing my Marilyn Munster-meets-Elle Woods pink dress, curling my hair, and singing 'I Am So Much Better Than Before' on a street corner somewhere until somebody makes me stop.)

We're planning to hit the mall on Sunday, which will hopefully end with something other than Kate dragging me off to food because I look like I'm about to gnaw my own leg off. At the hip. New York draws closer, and they don't let you fly naked!
Tags: business needs, kate, oh the humanity, shopping, so the marilyn
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  • 14 comments

deire

June 20 2008, 22:50:00 UTC 9 years ago

If I may? And please forgive the intrusion. You can wear lots of nice, neutral color pants and flats with upscale shirts in various colors. COMFY flats, for in NYC you will want that--go for black or brown, and you will be in business acceptable shoe colors. Aerosoles look blocky but acceptable and are comfy. Don't wear heels if you dislike them, because under those circumstances they will make you look goofy. Keep the brightly colorful parts to accents--scarves, belts, jewelry--rather than main shirts. Think James Bond style maybe? Because you're a pro, and you can take them. Oh. Check for crumple factor--crumple a pant leg in your fist to see how it will survive being packed.

seanan_mcguire

June 21 2008, 03:27:26 UTC 9 years ago

You're not intruding at all! Thank you for all the awesome tips. I will be snazzy as a summer's day!

rrie_selavy

June 21 2008, 03:42:47 UTC 9 years ago

I've found that rolling clothes into burritos as opposed to folding them reduces crumpling, but your mileage may vary.

And yes, what they say about NYC is true. Black suits. Black black black, and grey for summer.

seanan_mcguire

June 21 2008, 03:52:29 UTC 9 years ago

Awesome, and good to know.

I fear the New York summer, I really do.

rrie_selavy

June 21 2008, 03:54:48 UTC 9 years ago

On my second job interview, I got to venture out to midtown on a 100 degree day, in a full suit, on a subway with broken air conditioning.

Shortly after, I decided to go back to grad school...

seanan_mcguire

June 21 2008, 03:56:34 UTC 9 years ago

I...I...

Okay, I'm hiding under my desk now. I like my desk. It has pumpkins painted on it.

rrie_selavy

June 21 2008, 04:07:13 UTC 9 years ago

It's not that bad! Be smarter than I was, and take off your blazer until you get there, and wear a nice cotton or linen blouse underneath.

Oh--and flats, flats with insoles preferably or at least really good arch support. Also, one really classy bag--unfortunately they do check out your shoes and bag here, to see if you pay attention to detail.

Of course, I intern at a mag and interview wear was everything from a halter top and heels to a mod shift with leggings to a concoction that the wearer called "Thrift Shop Superhero."

Good luck with your travels! Can't wait for the books.

deire

June 22 2008, 23:22:31 UTC 9 years ago

You're very welcome! A few more notes.... In my experience, beige and tan take stain more quickly than white. I think it's because garment makers plan for white needing to be stain resistant. Good suitish colors are black, navy, and dark brown. Get some jackets or jacket like sweaters (I know, but they hide your bra under white shirts, and they're great if you get cold inside) and pants in those, and you can mix and match to avoid being bored. You can also get some snazzy cuts and things on them in the same color that will make them more individual but still professional. Jones New York, Talbot, and Field Gear are good brands that take forever to wear out. I have FG pants that I've worn for nine years. Bit more expensive now means not re-purchasing later. Have you thought about hair styles yet? Not that your hair is not pretty! But there are a lot of comfy pro things to do with hair. I've got waist length hair, and I have to be careful about professional styles that don't induce migraine.

deire

June 22 2008, 23:24:24 UTC 9 years ago

And oh yeah, dark grey too! Maybe tennis shoes in the bag. If you have the money for it, Sharper Image has great rolling bags. I bought mine from a store going out of business on their last day.