My Facebook friend and one time reader of this blog, Bonnie, was recently looking for input on what to wear to interview for a teaching position. Most said Business Casual. Technically that is correct, but the examples given were mainly along the lines of “skirt or pants and blouse”; that strikes me as kinda boring.
For whatever reason, I mentioned the question to my daughter, who was helping me out by taking this photo; more about that later. She made the brilliant statement:
for early elementary, teachers dress in Business Playful.
In her memory, elementary school teachers typically included an element of fun in their look:
- brightly-colored necklace,
- seasonal embellishments,
- patterned stockings (the ones I am wearing are polka dot).
The Great Shoe Sale! Extra 30% off when you buy 3 or more pairs at macys.com! Offer valid 4/2-4/20
Btw, this is another attempt on my part to wear last summer’s MoB dress with sweater and tights, this one more successful. Why? Two reasons:
- The fabrics are more harmonious in weight and
- The color combination is more harmonious with me.
Your daughter nailed it and you look great. Not a bit of old(er). Could it be: addition of non-sensible items? Creating an hourglass plus belt to show or pretend a person has a waist (nubile)? Darker glasses frames meant to show and accessorize vs (much) earlier generations wishing them to disappear? Outfit, while pretty, has the energy of both the bold contrast plus elements that suggest easy mobility – boots and fuller shorter skirt? When they did surveys of different cultures and asked them to define “health” Americans said “mobility.” Besides all the articles showing off women who “don’t look their age” we also encounter endless stories about the still physically agile (marathoners, mountain climbers, hang gliders). It’s a Jack LaLanne
world. I don’t think there’s a complete gender split in how we view people. A lot of those stories are about women. Americans historically unsettled about viewing infirmity. Not sure special olympics, wheelchair basketball, etc enough to challenge this.
Very interesting insights about “mobility”. I would say, for myself, it is a HIGH value when choosing what to wear. One thing I am working on now is just remembering that a small heel, such as the boot pictured, is just as comfortable for my everyday running around as a flat or athletic shoe; I think the Europeans were there a long time ago 😉
Btw, my younger daughter’s FiL was in the most recent Paralympics, I believe.
For placing such a high value on mobility, Americans in general sure don’t move much!