Fashion Peaked Too Soon

Today, I wore this outfit to work.  Look at me, lookin all professional on the first day of the semester.

I've always loved this skirt. A friend of mine gave it to me a few years ago, but I've never worn it because it didn't fit right. I finally took it to a seamstress to get it fitted.  It went back in my closet, forgotten for two more years, until today. 

I walked into my building and BAM, someone loved my skirt.  Then I walked down the hall and OOH, someone loved my skirt.  Then I was in my office with the door wide open, and a woman knocked and asked me to call maintence because someone had "gotten sick" in the bathroom and there was "danger of slipping because it's all over the floor." Oh, and then, "ooh, what a pretty skirt."  Someone said it was so pretty and then asked if I made it.  Hahahhaha!  Well, someone made it, but not me.  Even one of my students who had not yet met me said, Hey I like that skirt. 

It was a good day for the ego.

Now I kind of wanna wear the skirt, like, all the time.  I don't mean frequently, once a week.  I mean pretty much every day.  The reaction was just overload goodness. 

However, looking ahead, I could see it quickly going from "what a great skirt" to "what a raggedy skirt."  It's got a lot of square sequins on it, and they tend to fall off, so it could go downhill pretty quickly.  I have a baggie of extras that came with the skirt, but a baggie of seamstresses did not come with it, and I don't see myself jumping into the sewing realm beginning with sequins.

Also?  I'd quickly go from "the woman with the fantastic skirt" to "the weird woman who always wears the same skirt."  No one wants that.  Whenever the week starts, I think back to the last week and figure out what I wore on what days so I don't repeat my outfits with my different classes.  Students can be brutal, so I do my best to avoid giving them ammo.  Wearing the skirt every day would give them sufficient ammo for the next decade of professor gossip lore.

The decision to wear this skirt is turning into the worst decision ever, which we all should have seen coming since we all know I make bad decisions.  You see, as much as I'd like to think of myself as a professional woman with a professional wardrobe who wears outfits like these all the time, I'm too lazy to be that person.  Plus, when the Fall really sets in, this gal ain't wearing a skirt.  Once the cold weather hits, fashion is not an option.  Walking across the wide open campus in the rain, snow, or even freezing wind calls for cords and snow boots and anything else that's warm.  I am not sewing square sequins onto my longjohns and thermals.  It's just not going to happen.

So in two weeks when I'm in jeans and sneakers, I'll just hold up this picture in class and and remind them, See?  I used to look like a real professional person.  Which is kind of like saying, See?  See what you do to me and my desire to impress you people?  And I suppose that's kind of what it's all about--making a good first impression to demand respect.  And after that, eh, if I look like a student, I look like a student.  I don't mind blending in if it means I get to pretend I'm 22.