Business Attire

King started back to his teaching this week. I think it will be sad to not have him around home as much, but now that he's started, it really does feel like a new school year. The routine is good for all of us.

King starts the year, though, as a newly promoted Associate Professor. Which in all practicality means nothing different except he does get a slightly bigger paycheck (and by slightly, I mean it may just cover inflation, but we're grateful because at least he did get something when we were told no one would get raises at all this year) and he gets invited to a dinner with all of the other promoted or tenured faculty. He gets to invite one guest to his promotion dinner, and I'm honored he chose me. Of course he had to choose me, the other people in our family are too young for the alcohol they serve, so it's illegal for them to go.

The problem with this grand invitation is the tiny script at the bottom of the invite. The part where it says, in a manner that suggests they hate to bring it up, (business attire). Does anyone really know what that means? Is that why they write it so tiny? So if everyone shows up in something too casual, we can all feign ignorance? 'What? I didn't see anything about the dress. What's wrong with my jeans?' Or do they make it so small because no one really knows what it means, and they hate to make something so ambiguous a bold part of the invitation?

Have you ever met any college professors? I've met a lot of them, and each of them have their own "business attire". For some, it's ties and dresses (this is where King falls in line--the ties part, not the dresses part, thank goodness) while for others it's shorts and tevas. For some, it's turtleneck sweaters and for others it's jeans and polos. Still others go for the lab uniform of white coats and pocket protectors. It's clear that no one really has the same idea.

And, where do you even start on the business attire of a stay-at-home mom? Well, what does a PTO mom wear anyway--jeans and capris? Skirts and smart sweatshirts with elementary school logos? Or, if they really want to get down to business, sweats and a paint shirt and shoes comfortable enough to make it through an entire field day of supervising gunny sack races.

In the end, I'll probably go with a skirt and shirt. Always my fall-back outfit, usually in black and white, just so I don't stand out. It's my staple attire for all kinds of business. Because, surely, there can be nothing nicer and more acceptable than looking like a nun, no matter where you are. (at least, that's what I'm hoping)
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