Going corporate

I have to wear a suit tomorrow to work. Well, not really a suit, but something a bit more corporate than normal, since I have some (surprise surprise! …) corporate meetings. I don’t mind. Actually, I really like that feeling of structure: big belts, tightly nipped-in jackets, narrow pencil skirts, bustiers (though not for work), etc. Add some super high heels and I feel girded (not girdled, thankfully) for the day. A friend of mine, Jane, said that’s the German side of me coming out. Maybe. She knows a lot both about style and Germans, so she probably is right.

Anyhow, as I said, I happily dress corporate, as long as it’s MY interpretation of corporate and still feels like me. But put me in a conservative matching suit and I can’t wait to take it off – no matter how beautiful it is. It’s sort of the reverse of being possessed, I guess, but instead of being taken over from the inside and still looking like the same person, I feel like it’s my outside that’s been taken over. I’m being dramatic, but it matters. I tried on a beautiful matching suit recently and, even though it was classic, well made and fit perfectly, all I could think of was “Sarah Palin” and I couldn’t get it. That made me feel a bit sympathetic for Sarah Palin, to be honest. All those clothes that were bought for her were expensive, high-end, elegant and restrained. Not exactly reflective of her personality, and I don’t mean that as an insult. It’s what she’s said herself. No wonder she “went rogue”! And sorry, but I do have to say it's pretty obvious she didn't have much support in NY. $150k??? If she had more friends in fashion, she'd have had chic-er clothes and at well below retail!!!