I finally got a letter in the mail from the district, letting me know what my schedule will be the week of new teacher orientation. The hours pose some difficulties with the Kiddo’s summer band schedule, but there are three other drivers in this house, so we should be able to work something out. The thing that was most disturbing to me was the required dress for the orientation. Normally, the teacher dress code is business casual: slacks, nice shirt, decent shoes, but no jeans, t-shirts, shorts, or sneakers. The orientation is business professional. I had exactly one outfit that would qualify.
The Hubby and I spent some time talking about it, and we both agreed that a shopping trip was in order. I hate shopping. I especially hate shopping for clothes. They never fit me quite right, the dressing rooms are too small for my big body, I get hot and sweaty pulling clothes on and off, and by the time I’m done I’m exhausted. We (I) decided that I needed to get this trip over with as quickly as possible. Not just because I wasn’t looking forward to it, but because the last time I bought clothes that were suit-like, I had to have them (it) altered. I have two weeks before orientation begins, so I needed to get clothes ASAP to allow time for alterations.
Okay, so I ran through my shopping options. There are only a small number of stores that I can shop at for stuff like this. If I’m looking for shorts and t-shirts, I can shop pretty much anywhere, but I can’t get suits in my size at Wal-Mart. Unless I like looking like sausage stuffed in a casing. I knew that Baytown had three definite options for me: The Avenue, Lane Bryant, and Catherine’s. Now, I do a lot of shopping at The Avenue on-line, and I browse Lane Bryant’s website a lot, as well. Many of the “teaching clothes” I’ve purchased over the past six months have been from The Avenue’s website. They are safely “business casual” and more than fit the stated dress code. However, I am greatly unimpressed with what both websites call their “career” options. The jackets are too short, for one. But, I also knew that seeing something on line is not the same as trying it on, so I was keeping my mind open to those options.
Catherine’s, on the other hand, is like a drink of cool water in the middle of the desert. I go to their website and within minutes find pieces that, by their description, will work very well for me in my new career. I’ve gone into their store once, when I was looking for a jacket to wear to the job fairs, and found the perfect piece less than five minutes after walking in. Since I hate shopping so much, but I know Catherine’s at, at the very least, a better selection, I decided to start there. And I’m so glad I did. It took me no time at all to find five or six outfits and suits to try on. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING fit. I’ve never in my life had that happen. I went ahead and applied for their credit card, knowing that with the new job I would be shopping for more clothes soon and that paying it off wouldn’t be a problem. Also, 15% discount just for applying. I also paid to be in their Perks program, which gives me 10% off all purchases, regardless of any other discounts already applied. There was also another discount that the cashier gave me with an in-store coupon. Everything I bought was between 40% and 50% discounted. And, the price of the purchase was put on my new credit card and not taken out of my checking account.
Second to my hatred of shopping is my hatred of credit cards. We had one, we abused it like most Americans do, and it ruined our credit. We’re still paying for it, even though we closed the account and paid it off three years ago. However, I have had an Avenue card for nearly ten years. Most of those ten years, it sat unused. (Probably a very good thing.) However, with my recent acquisition of a new career and the wardrobe changes required by said acquisition, I’ve been using it – sparingly and carefully. I’d place an order with the Avenue card- usually quite a large order – and then purchase nothing else with it until I had a zero balance for at least one month. Most of the time, I would have a zero balance for much longer, since I tend to buy clothes for myself about once a year. This will be the same tactic I take with the Catherine’s card. Make a purchase, but wait to make it until I need several things – thus making the shopping trip worth it. Pay the balance by doubling, tripling, and quadrupling the minimum payment each month. Do not put anything else on the card until a zero balance bill has been received at least once.
Anyway, I walked out of Catherine’s with a suit, a suit jacket, a tw0-fer (a top that looks like a jacket/shirt combo, but is really just once piece), and a couple of blouses. I shopped with outfits in mind and with the idea that the items that are already in my closet for work should work with this new stuff. The first time I shopped at Catherine’s and found that perfect suit jacket, this is what I bought:
It’s a basic, 3-button jacket with front pockets. It’s nearly fully lined, making it very comfortable to wear. I had to have the sleeves taken up because I am short, but wide.
Here’s some of what I picked up yesterday.
The jacket is short sleeved, saving me from needing it altered, and it’s fully lined. I purchased the matching A-line skirt, as well.
This jacket, much like the black one up top, can be used with every top I already own, and every pair of work slacks in my closet. It doesn’t button, which I am completely fine with, has 3/4 sleeves that don’t need altering, and is fully lined. It was while trying on this jacket that I realized how important a fully lined jacket is. Non-lined jackets tend to drag and pull across the blouse/top you’re wearing underneath. The lining allows the jacket to glide across the shirt material, and you never feel like the jacket is “pulling” anywhere because of it. I am in love with this jacket.
This is a chocolate brown broomstick skirt, which normally I would not wear. However, I need bottom pieces that don’t accentuate my round middle. Broomstick skirts, a-line skirts, any cut of skirt that is full or gathered at the waist does just that.
This is the tw0-fer I was talking about. It’s a bit more casual, but it will still work. I bought it to wear with the broomstick skirt above, but it can also be worn with any of the brown or black slacks I own, and even with the suit skirt up top. In fact, the brown suit jacket can be worn with any of my pants, as well.
I also purchased a blouse that can be worn with either skirt or with a pair of either brown or black slacks, plus a cream-colored silk tank that will be very pretty with the brown suit. The pieces are, more-or-less, mix and match (with a few exceptions), and are actually all comfortable enough to teach in, if I wanted to step my wardrobe up in my classroom – an idea I am seriously considering now that I know I’d be able to do it.
I was so happy with my purchases that I seriously wanted to turn the car around and go back to pick up a couple of other suits that I saw but decided against for cost reasons. I’m glad I second-guessed myself on that one.
By putting all the new stuff on the new credit card, I freed up funds in my checking account to go shoe shopping. I’m glad I decided to do so because the clunky, chunky shoes and flip-flops I already owned weren’t really going to work.
I have three days of district orientation that require professional dress. I now have three suits to get me through that. Since orientation is two weeks before school starts, and since I will be getting a sign-on bonus check on the first day of orientation, I suspect that I will be going on another shopping excursion in a couple of weeks. And, for a change, I will be happy to do so.
(All images are credited to http://www.catherines.com)
