Take a look at this outfit. A perfectly respectable if uninspired summertime weekday look. On the surface, it's nothing special. But dig down a little deeper, and there is quite a story.
The story begins at about 7:00 on Friday morning. I woke up pretty groggy and didn't have the energy to get ready for work. My hair needed washing & drying, and I didn't have a clue what I was going to wear. These problems were exacerbated by the fact that I had to run a workshop for about forty people later on that morning. I decided I'd use my summertime trick: drop my husband off work, drive back and work from home for a few hours, and then get dressed and head to campus for the rest of the day. (The perks of being an academic in the summer!) Dressed in an oversized t-shirt, grubby shorts, and old running shoes, I got my husband to work on time for his 8:00 meeting and headed back home. Then, as I was walking up my porch steps I realized... I didn't have my house key. No access to my shower, my closet, my work bag (including my notes for the workshop and handouts for the attendees). I needed a plan.
I sat down on my porch swing and got my little planner brain working. I'd text my husband, drive back to campus, and wait for him to pop out of his meeting and give me his key. I sent him a text or four and got back in the car. By the time I got to campus, no text. I printed out a new copy of my workshop notes and the handout. Still no text. I decided to see if there was anything I could wear in my office. I found an even grodier pair of running shoes, an oversized hoodie, and two pairs of those knit gloves that you can buy in gas stations. Still no text. I needed a better plan.
Here was my new plan: I'd drive to Target, buy something there I could wear, change in the Target bathroom, and hustle back to campus so I'd be there on time for my workshop. I'd look for a dress because I could buy one item rather than spending more money and having to coordinate separates. My crazy fashion brain even started to think I could fill the "patterned work dress in a neutral color" hole in my wardrobe and justify purchasing D'Orsay flats.
And, miraculously, the plan (more or less) worked! I got to Target at 9:30, raided the women's clothing department supermarket-sweep style, and made a total mess of the dressing room (sorry to the Target employee who had to clean that up!). I didn't find the perfect, wardrobe-hole-filling dress, but I did find something that looked OK and was only one size too big. I also found a pair of D'Orsay flats, so that was a win! By 10:08 I was in the check-out line. The very sweet cashier asked me, "Is the dress for anything special?" and when I told her the truth, she was appalled but I gained some sympathy from the woman behind me in line. I changed in the Target bathroom, booked it to campus, and had seven whole minutes to prepare my slides and pass out handouts before the workshop.
So while this outfit may not look like much, it is one of my greatest accomplishments this summer. I may have caused this problem myself by being a total flibbertigibbet, but I got myself out of it by being a resourceful girl scout-cum-fashonista. I took these photos right after I (finally!) borrowed my husband's key and got my camera. No hair wash, makeup, or additions to this outfit. Not bad, huh?
dress: Target | shoes: Target [exact] | bag: Francesca's
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