The J. Crew factor

It's funny how people can influence your fashion choices.

At work, we can't hire people fast enough, and we've had an influx of girls who dress in a very preppy style. It's funny because the dress code here is pretty much nonexistent, and as a matter of culture, everyone's wardrobes are dominated by jeans and - if you're really cool - accessorized with tattoos and some unnaturally colored hair. Apparently, though, these girls have not absorbed this message, and every day they're dressed in smart business casual clothes.

Now that we've got the Preppy Girls in, it's like there are two factions. The "I don't give a shit" faction, exemplified by one of the co-owners of the company who seemingly wears the same shirt and pair of jeans every day; and the J. Crew/Banana Republic faction.

Of course, I DO give a shit, but I don't own anything from J. Crew, so I'm somewhere in the middle. The J. Crew crew (heh) makes me feel downright rock-and-roll when I sport my boots-over-pants look, though.

However, I secretly covet these girls' wardrobes. Beautiful cream-colored long coats, silk blouses in saturated jewel tones, wonderfully tailored pants, beautiful pumps and Mary Janes, expertly applied makeup, shiny, perfectly coiffed hair...it's definitely inspired me to upgrade from a tee to a proper blouse some days, and to pay lots of attention to my makeup and jewelry. One girl seems to have a shoe collection that rivals mine, which is simultaneously exciting and depressing.

One of the coolest things about working in a creative environment with an open dress code is that I can show off the full range of my wardrobe. One day, it's jeans and a funky hoodie; the next, a dress with tights and boots; the next, my trusty gray dress pants and a preppy cardigan. It's all a lot of fun, and I can create a practically unlimited number of outfits simply by remixing my wardrobe.

Now that we have Le Snappy Dressers here, though, I definitely think twice before wearing one of my more sloppy outfits. (In my defense, though, I never ever look truly sloppy. As my grandma always says, as long as your hair is done and you're wearing nice shoes, you'll never look sloppy, and these are rules I live by. You will pry my patent leather heels from my cold, dead hands.)

Still - someone needs to tell these new girls that they're making the rest of us look bad. Hehe.